Well, decided I'm already sick of set up and pull down for imaging, so building a ROR observatory. I brainstormed with Astroron and read heaps here, and decided to base it on the same Titan 3mx3m shed as 1ponders. I have the best neighbour in the world, since he welds He's making a pier for me. Another friend has machined an NEQ6 adapter plate from some aluminium. I've decided to have an access hole in the side of the pier for the bold that screws into the NEQ6 head. 12mm top and bottom plates. Pier diameter about 170mm.
I've got the floor frame assembled and the holes marked. Dingo booked for in 2 days to auger the holes. I'm going for a 600mm auger for the pier concrete block. I'm thinking of 600mm deep, but would it be worth going deeper? I guess it's easy enough to do with the dingo doing the hard work.
Happy for any suggestions as we go along. I'm still not sure about the rollers, I'm thinking angle along the length with V-rollers sitting on the angle. How many rollers would I need? And still not sure how to secure the roof? Do I just have latches in the open and closed positions or should there also be some way to make sure it can't lift off in between open and closed?
An idea I seen in a mag
Was the tracks had a half inch dip at the end of there run , so that the roof sat on the rafters ? .
And when moving the roof it lifted straight away and rolled
The benefits were weather and vermin protection
On my ROR I use a 50 x 50 x 1.6 Al angle to constrain the 3 x 50mm diameter fixed castors on each side......
I wouldn't worry too much about "locking" the roof between the in/out position - if it is that windy to be a concern - you won't be using it!!
A couple of turnbuckles lock my roof in the closed position.
Been in use in the UK, Belgium and here in Oz for over seven years...no issues, no drama.
Some advice I was given with regards to my planned build (Still planned, just deferred a bit) was that the block for the pier wants to be around 1 cubic meter of concrete minimum if you have any expectation of doing AP with it, and if you also have a concrete floor in your shed, never the twain shall meet (Don't have them in contact) or you will transfer vibration to the pier as you walk around inside. Also that the pier wants to be into virgin ground and not fill.
Paul,
Yes, that's the usual "theory" given about solid piers and mounts....
but....
I'm sure there are many of us successfully using a "solid" pier mounted on the concrete floor.
In my case the floor is a 100mm reinforced concrete, 8' x 6' slab - I'm only there to set the scope up then retire to the warmth of the house office (Teamviewer connection) I can't say in the past seven years that I've experienced any detrimental vibrations. (I have to hold a target guide star on a 20 micron slit gap indefinitely)
Just my 1.3c (after tax)
I suppose there is the difference, in my build which is to be shared with a friend, he would be doing AP and I visual at the same time so there is a good chance of at least one of us moving around the scopes a lot of the time.
I plan to build a warm room in the shed so we would be nearby as well rather than going back into the house (Waking the 5 year old is not popular at 2AM!) Good planning would probably be for mine to have the AP setup furthest from the warm room, at least then it would be constantly being moved past to get to the other scope. It may depend on being able to get active extension USB cables long enough to get to the AP rig from the warm room.
Broke ground today! Dingo's are fun
Main hole for the pier is 600mm diameter and about 850mm deep. I've boxed up the top to get it level. The auger certainly made light work of the digging.
We have go for concrete pour tomorrow. My wonderful neighbour has made the pier for me, complete with a small access plate so we can put the bolt into the NEQ6 head. He also made the threaded rod cage that I will set in the concrete.
Poured the pier slab today. Concrete Taxi was able to get into the yard so continuing the "do as little hard work as possible" theme we poured the concrete straight into the hole. Got to the level of the bolt cradle and then pour around it. I covered the threaded rod with electrical tape so no concrete would get on them
Putting the floor frame in tomorrow, then some waiting time for the concrete to cure.
Thanks for the offer Brett. I think I've got the labour covered between friends and family.
We got the shed floor frame in today. Need to cut the posts down a bit as I didn't dig to holes deep enough for the posts. Went 600mm deep but the posts were longer. Leveled up the frame on blocks and poured concrete into the post holes.
Test the pier and it fits on the bolts The concrete was not quite level so the pier tilts back towards the north bit. A few washers under the northern bolts should fix it. Then fill underneath with grout.
Tomorrow I will be painting the marine ply floor ready to install soon.
Thanks to my brother for helping out today
Last edited by Asterix2020; 09-06-2014 at 05:47 PM.
Looks like you're going to have a seriously cool set up pretty soon!
I'm in the process of deciding how I'm going to build my own (far more... quaint than yours, I think) little obs. On the other hand, the property next door has an observatory and since it's just been sold the new neighbours may not have a use for it, so I might see if I can buy / move that rather than building.
Anyway, I'm just up the road from you, about halfway between Woodford and Kilcoy and I've been wanting to get a pier. Do you think your neighbour would be willing to knock one up for me? I'd pay, of course.
He's making a pier for me. Another friend has machined an NEQ6 adapter plate from some aluminium. I've decided to have an access hole in the side of the pier for the bold that screws into the NEQ6 head. 12mm top and bottom plates. Pier diameter about 170mm. 
