Roll away shed observatory

[lacad01 (Adam)]

Hi all, just wondering if anyone here has any experience with roll away shed observatories. I'm not talking about a fixed ROR (roll off roof) but literally a small shed on wheels you can roll away from a fixed position. Reason being I'm currently in a rented place but there's enough room on a concrete driveway to setup a heavy duty portable pier. A roll away shed seems like a good compromise to keep the the gear out permanently.
So I'm basically after some first hand experience on what the challenges have been with weather, bugs/insects, ventillation, preventing gear from cooking etc. I have a few ideas as to what I would like to do and the link below show's the type of shed I'd be potentially looking at but would appreciate any advice.
Cheers

http://www.buyashed.com.au/images/Copy%20of%20TC5G.jpg

[GrampianStars (Rob)]

send a pm 2 "leon" he has a good one in Ballarat

[floyd_2 (Dean)]

Have you thought about having your scope on a platform on wheels (with leveling bolts), and rolling it out of the shed for use Adam? I use a Ketter shed as it has its own floor (no lip to get over in the doorway) and wide outward opening double doors. My shed is on terazzo tiles with crusher dust underneath, with the tiles extending out into an observing pad in front of the doors.

Look here for some ideas along those lines.

Having built one of these sheds in a few hours, I can now say it was dead easy, and it looks much better than any tin shed that I've seen. If you're renting, a drawcard is that these sheds can be easily disassembled and relocated to your next place should you move.

Food for thought anyway.

Dean

[lacad01 (Adam)]

Dean, thanks for the info. One of the other reasons I'm leaning toward the shed on rollers is that I can leave the mount in place once properly aligned as I'm hoping to get into imaging. Wheeling out the gear, aligning, etc just adds to the overall setup time which is what I'm tryng to avoid.

[mental4astro (Alexander)]

Hi Adam,

I understand the need for "caution" as you are renting, but regardless of rail-mounted shed or ROR, both systems would require some sort of fixture to the ground for either the rails or the shed.

The amount of space required for each system is the same, but the ROR leaves your scope surrounded by a light shield, were as the RAS (roll away shed, ) leaves you exposed.

Both systems also require ventilation methods to 'stop your gear from cooking', you can't escape this with either system. But water from rain is a more serious consideration, IMO. A RAS may not be the best solution here? Unless you can raise the shed base to direct water away, and this entails laying a platform of cement to raise the shed, and the rails, maybe a ROR style shed with siliconed boarder might be a less dramatic alteration to a rented property.

Both ROR and RAS can be made relocatable.

Just a thought.

Alex.

[I.C.D (Ian)]

Adam,
Just 2 hours North of Sydney is a site that has a roll off shed setup ,it is call Koolang Observatory . I was their last year with a group of school kids . The web site is users.hunterlink.net.au/koolang E-Mail koolang@hunterlink.net.au .
They may be able to help you out with any question you may have.



Ian C

[leon]

Sent you a PM Adam.

Leon

[CoolhandJo (Paul)]

Let me know if anyone has a roll off shed narrower than mine!

Check it out here http://www.iceinspace.com.au/forum/s...ad.php?t=43354

Hope this helps.

[lacad01 (Adam)]

I wouldn't be able to fit in that space