Hi Houghy and All
I finally took some day time pics of my DIY observatory. It's not fancy but it works.
I just spent 15 minutes typing a description of parts etc but a glich lost the lot and I don't feel like doing it all again but I think it is self explanatory really.
As a follow up to my previous obs post I now have an underground power supply to the shed and I have added a simple curtain to keep some of the chill and dew off me during sessions. I am able to have roof covering me because of split design. It also keeps stray light from my monitor affecting scope area of obs.
Ok it's the next day and I will do some typing again :
I had a 3mx2.4m gable roofed stainless steel shed to start with.
I removed the gable roof and built a flat roof with 4x2.4m sheets of white colourbond steel from Stratco, white to reflect some of the sun's heat, works surprisingly well compared to stainless steel. The roof is in two halves that overlap in the centre for weather seal.
I used 32x45mm treated pine battens from Bunnings to attached cbond sheets, wheels, latches and flashing to. The steel gives makes a strong enough structure for a roof this size so no frame as such I simply attached the sheets to the battens with 25mm self drilling roof screws again from Bunnings.
The runners for the wheels/roof are shelving frame sections 4x3m and 2x2m. I used 2x3m sections per side screwed into existing holes in shed tube steel frame with a few extra for strength and joined them with 2m sections outside, simply bolt them together. The 2m sections are to stop some of the twisting.
I used 1.5" bolts as stoppers on the extensions and also in the centre inside so the roof is correctly positioned when closed. The flashing is decking rubber sealer .... I used rubber because it's easy to cut to size and it seals pretty close to runners just by cutting a slit at the right position. It doesn't have to be perfect fit because it's flexible and doesn't catch on anything like steel flashing would.
The roof is secured inside with 6x padlocks. 2 for each half at the centre and 1 at centre of each end. The centre ones simply attach through the precut holes in the runners via a 90 degree bracket which is screwed to the batten. I attached the end ones with latches secured to the shed wall with a block of wood and then to the batten.
The floor is the original slabbed floor that I carpetted with some old commercial, thick rubber backed carpet tiles that we had. Made a big difference to the asthetics of the observatory and provides some dampening. No that I tend to roam around when doing imaging and I work alone.
I bought the computer desk from Office works for $49. It fits neatly into the corner and has a bottom shelf to get my CPU off the ground and can accomodate a 17" CRT perfectly. Plus another couple of shelves for odds and ends ( radio/cassete, mobile phone etc ). The office chair .... well it's a gas lift office chair OK !
I decided to rig up a curtain wire between the computer area and the scope area for a little protection from cold and dew and to dim light from my monitor. Works quite well and cost bugger all. I used an old doona cover to get double thickness with a hole punched through for the wire. I reckon it stops a few mozzies as well.
To get power to the observatory I found an old extension lead in the garage, the kind you can remove the plugs and sockets on .... remember them. So with the socket removed I fed the wire through the wall of a nearby powered building and into a length of condute over to the observatory and through a gap at the base of the wall to the inside where I then re attached the socket underneath the mount. I buried the condute in a 10" deep trench. The extension simply plugs into a power point in the other building which I turn on when I want to use the observatory. When not in use there is no power running through the extension for any accidental electricution i.e. digging
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So I think that covers it .... as I said it's not a fancy steup but it works and after all it's only to have a permanent scope setup for convenience .... I don't want to live in there. Mind you there's enough room for a camping mattress for the summer maybe
The other thing about it is that it is quite transportable with no concrete pier etc and everything simply screwed or bolted in place. That's because one day I want to move to a dark sky location, I'm waiting for the other half to get sick of the city life .... I'm already well over it
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