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Old 15-09-2013, 10:18 PM
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Mekon (Paul)
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Talking Latest pics of my observatory.

This took me a year to build. Others made the wall units and the turret, but I designed it.
My surname is Hannah, and a friend suggested I call it Hannah's Voorwerp. I emailed Hanny for permission and he was very happy to give it.


The only things to finish now are:

1. The painting of the turret exterior and a couple of little things inside.
2. The lightning rod.
3. Some more handles for the steps.
4. A couple more charts.
5. Figuring out a video and link to operate it remotely.
6. A little 'desktop' to hold the log, coffee etc.
7. Figuring out the best method for locking it down in stormy weather.
8. Doing 7.
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Old 15-09-2013, 10:37 PM
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strongmanmike (Michael)
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Excellent Paul, what a great design, well done

That pier looks very tall, is it stable enough as is...?

Mike
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Old 15-09-2013, 10:59 PM
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LewisM
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Looks like a gun turret... just add some fake Bofor barrel tubes

Great design.

How do you find the CGEM?
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Old 15-09-2013, 11:04 PM
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Fantastic! I was having a good laugh at the "Hatch opens to space" sign, until I realised you could go for a nice trip if you took that door at night!
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Old 16-09-2013, 07:45 AM
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Mekon (Paul)
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Quote:
Originally Posted by strongmanmike View Post
Excellent Paul, what a great design, well done

That pier looks very tall, is it stable enough as is...?

Mike
It is a steel pipe I got from a scrapyard, reo from the slab (which has an extra deep hole n the middle) pokes through and a little concrete poured in side. There are a few pieces of scrap and reo welded to the base which is encased in another box of concrete sitting proud of the slab. The pipe is filled with sand and nothing but cables the phone and the UPS/filter touches it. I can't get it to vibrate much if I kick it as hard as my feet can take, and since I am unlikely to do any photography over long periods, it will do.
However I designed it so I could build a box a metre square and 1500 high around it and fill it with sand too.
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Old 16-09-2013, 07:47 AM
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Mekon (Paul)
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Quote:
Originally Posted by RobF View Post
Fantastic! I was having a good laugh at the "Hatch opens to space" sign, until I realised you could go for a nice trip if you took that door at night!
Actually, I hadn't thought of that, still it isn't very likely the turret doesn't start till about waist high, so absent mindedly wandering out of the hatch is unlikely, even for me.
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Old 16-09-2013, 07:53 AM
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Mekon (Paul)
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Quote:
Originally Posted by LewisM View Post
Looks like a gun turret... just add some fake Bofor barrel tubes

Great design. Thank you, so far it is working well.

How do you find the CGEM?
It had to have a name during construction so I started calling it a 'turret'. I thought, just a little too late, I could have dressed it up to look like a Star Wars Imperial Walker.


I have nothing to compare it with, but when it works it works well. In the last few years I have blown two motors and two very expensive cards. I doubt I will be able to afford another if this one goes. To reduce the likelihood of that I have installed a UPS/filter and have carried out a Hypertune [TM] on it.

Fingers crossed, I don't think I can afford to lose another component.

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Old 17-09-2013, 05:13 PM
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FlashDrive (Poppy)
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Nice job Paul.....love the ' door sign '

Flash......
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Old 17-09-2013, 11:47 PM
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strongmanmike (Michael)
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Mekon View Post
I can't get it to vibrate much if I kick it as hard as my feet can take
I think that sounds pretty solid then

Mike
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