Absco pool cover observatory - almost ready for first light !!
Having moved into a large semi-rural place back in March my better half gave the all clear for me to look into a permanent home for my scopes.
Trawling through the IIS archives I came across this post which suggests an Absco "Pool Cover" shed might be suitable. Basically a small 1.5x1.5m shed with sides 1.2-1.5m high and with a flip top roof as standard. Sounded like a perfect low cost solution.
Before I got too carried away i decided I should build a mockup of the shed frame just to check my gear would fit. Having confirmed that, it was time to place an order and set about preparing a concrete slab.
And now setup begins! Scopes and mounts in place. Expansive sky views and plenty of room to close the roof when the scopes are in their new "park" position. Both scopes are to be controlled via remote desktop from the house, using Ethernet over Power for network connectivity (similar to this product).
I've also included a few close-up shots of my Canon 1000D which now features regulated peltier cooling (via cold finger) and a Lacerta OAG. I am also in the process of testing a similar mod on a Canon 450D. Will post a separate thread on the cooling mod in due course.
Now I just need to wait for the weather to clear so i can finish the setup (drift alignment, PEC etc) and start imaging
Interesting idea and I like your roof holder. I think I would need to build a concrete block knee wall to raise it up to gain headroom for my gear and make it possble to get inside without flipping the roof. Might look into this.
Very cool setup, I like the idea and something I could see many adapting to suit their needs.
I don't mean to be a downer, but I see a couple of issues, both relating to dew....
1) with the roof "open" the bottom, effectively looks up at the sky and being metal, will probably dew up a treat in the cold night air. What happens when you go to close it after imaging? All that lovely wet metal will rain down on your scope and leads me to point #2.
2) computers in the obs will be subjected to the dust and dew and other gremlins which LOVE warm places to nest, such as cockroaches etc. Plus, when the lid closes covered with dew, guess where it will end up dripping?
Very cool setup, I like the idea and something I could see many adapting to suit their needs.
I don't mean to be a downer, but I see a couple of issues, both relating to dew....
1) with the roof "open" the bottom, effectively looks up at the sky and being metal, will probably dew up a treat in the cold night air. What happens when you go to close it after imaging? All that lovely wet metal will rain down on your scope and leads me to point #2.
2) computers in the obs will be subjected to the dust and dew and other gremlins which LOVE warm places to nest, such as cockroaches etc. Plus, when the lid closes covered with dew, guess where it will end up dripping?
Do you have any plans to tackle these?
Chris
Thanks Chris - A couple of good questions there. You are indeed correct that the roof panel will collect dew which will then drip onto the gear. I have already given this some careful thought and have come up with a few strategies to address this:
1) towel dry the roof panel before closing to remove the bulk of the moisture
2) before the roof is closed at the end of an imaging session, rig up a plastic sheet inside the shed attached to the top corners of the wall panels, which will catch the drips when the roof is subsequently closed after an imaging session. I already have sourced plastic sheet which has been cut to size, and secured to the top corners with clothes pegs. The roof panels are currently closed (it's cloudy here tonight) and the plastic is in place, so I will inspect in the morning to see how things look and refine if required.
3) re computers, I may yet set up frame (to sit over the PC case) with mesh/plastic/fabric cover to keep dew and insects at bay. I still need to give this aspect some further thought.
Can you do polar alignment easily with this set up. as I could not see where south was in relation the build. (very envious btw)
thx
g./
In the past I have used Alignmaster for polar alignment. I intend to use the same again here, followed by drift alignment with the aid of PHD. The use of a polar scope is not possible with this obs setup as the polar scope is too low relative to the height of the south wall to see the SCP.
Hmmm, OK, the other thing you could do (if the hinges allow it) is to delete the "pi" stand that holds the roofs and let the roof lids lay vertical when open on the back wall, so they drain any moisture and not let it accumulate on the horizontal exposed surface?
One thing you might want to also consider is ventilation once the roof is closed. If any moisture remains inside, after the night's imaging, then a solar or electric exhaust type fan to move fresh air through should keep the moisture off your optics and stop any mould or mildew forming on shaded surfaces.
Just rig your plastic sheet up to protect the underside of the roof when Its open and remove the damp sheet when you close the roof - so no moisture inside. I use a de-humidifier in my shed, found one on ebay that runs on 12volts or AC. I run it after every session for a couple of hours on a timer. I also have a couple of those moisture absorber containers in there.
very cool Richard - love the side-by side observatory setup!
perhaps throw a couple of rugs over the open roofing when in use to take care of the dew.
i could see myself with something simple like that but am thinking it would be too small just for an EQ8 with 12" newt... even with the tripod lowered as much as possible. hmmm
I suggest you build a quick mock up frame out of scrap timber like I did so you can physically determine with a real-world test if the shed is an appropriate size for your scope and mount. This is the shed I purchased, dimensions are given on the link.
I'm torn between buying a shed or building my own setup.
Does the roof hinge out of the box, or, did you have to build that functionality into it?
And, lastly, does the girl in the blue dress come as part of the package?
H
The roof hinges out-of-the-box. I did have some issues with water ingress during in wet weather; however I have since sealed the concrete floor and silicon sealed around the base inside and out. Have also drilled holes in the outside of the U-channels at the bottom of the wall panels to facilitate draining of rain runoff (otherwise it had a tendency to overflow back inside onto the shed floor). I have also replaced all the roof and wall screws with ones that have a built in rubber seal for added weather-proofing. Have also attached strips of poly dampcourse on the outside to act as a weather shield and protect the gaps around the door and the rear wall panel where it meets the roof. Am pleased to report that after a week of rain last week the sheds are now weather proof.
And sorry, the girl in the blue dress does not come with I'm afraid
)
