Quote:
Originally Posted by xelasnave
I think a dome certainly looks the part but I suspect one will get a much larger observatory if selecting a shed of a larger size.
My observatory ( the larger of my two..er actually three ( one is still in Sydney)) is 3.8 mtrs square and so not at all cramped..in fact I have room for..a desk for processing, a desk for both my two microscopes, room for a bed and although not installed yet a small cabinet to hold a camping stove, snacks and tea stuff...but you can move around easily.
The roof is moved by two four wheel drive winches which are noisey certainly but I can move the roof by myself if needed ( well maybe not today given even now I am still getting better hopefully)...I like the idea of not having to worry about rotating a dome during the night plus I can set up another mount even with the bed and desk ( may have to leave out the stove) and image North or South.
One thing I suggest is to build on foundations rather than a slab to allow cooling and drying air to flow.
As to building one you will find various plans available but I suggest you take the time and expense to line it and to make a water proof cover for your scopes and mount...and desks etc..a roll off will take a little effort to close I guess so I like to place a cover over and dry everything in the Sun next day and the close mine next day often leaving it open for the following night.
The big observatory has three layers of flooring ( 19 mm particle board, 19 mm ply, and imitation "plastic" timber floor I think 9 mm which although fake looks rather nice..I put nails at each end to make it very secure but the nails do look pleasing and makes it look less fake...real timber would be nice but I was given all the flooring fake timber...but having such a thick floor overall just makes it feel so solid and certainly stable enough to add additional mounts.
The power is solar ( two small panels 120 watts each with built in regulators) but I need to up the battery bank to take advantage of 8 spare panels I was given... but frankly I think a small sine wave generator is not a bad approach with say 200 amp hour battery back..less really..but you can get a small 700 watt genny for $450...but use it to charge a battery bank and importantly use a inverter to run everything via 12 volt..even your 12 volt stuff strangely..like all my mounts power goes from 12 vlt battry to a 240 lt to inverter to create its required 12 vlt supply...why...when you do it thru an inverter you wire everything permanent and supply change is governed by a simple inexpensive 240 volt supply box you can buy at Woolworths etc...and take away of risking of connecting positive to negative ever again...It happens and is usually expensive...it should never happen actually but it does and once it does my approach does not seem at all silly.
The only thing I may add is a huge tarp to ensure absolutely no rain gets driven in or under the door or roof.. sounds crazy but they are cheap and you will know when its smart to drag it over...
I sure would like to have had that security since Xmas.
I dug a big hole and added many star pickets angling out and laid to form a "star" under a box foundation lith star pickets going into a pvc pipe that provided form work for my pier..I could not go down to bed rock unfortunately ( which is a good idea if you can reach it..I could not hence the star layout and star pickets reaching past the block of cement forming the base of the pier.
Good luck...do your research and start next week and complete it within two weeks as it is a small job and way past procrastination...get it done there is no time to waste.. trust me..do it immediately.
Good luck
Alex
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Alex
Excellent overview of your ROR set up at Tabby for others to gain an understanding and tips etc...
Well done !!
Like you, my NexDome Obs is off the ground and independent concrete piers support my mount ( they are way over spec’d but all the better )
In regards to having to rotate the Dome during a session, I designed and made up my own Dome rotation control system which uses the celestial objects azimuthal position to move the Dome accordingly ( software like Voyager etc I assume use the mounts Ra and Dec co ordinates to track the object and move the Dome and require a lot of setting up to work properly) I made up my box in an hour and cost me $500.
So far it working well with only 1 or 2 interventions ( minor adjustments) required over a 4 hour session
Some pics
Best
Martin