I've been entertaining the idea of an observatory but building a permanant one in the backyard is not an option, especially considering within the next two years i will be moving.
Tear down and setup costs me a significant amount of time, so much so that i don't do anything during the week (and thus lose valuable clear nights). I'd like to set it up, and leave it up for a few weeks, pulling it down to mow the lawn or if i know i won't be able to do anything for a week or so (or the wheather turns terrible).
Has anyone attempted a non-permanent setup?
My thoughts are:
Build a base, made of wood with some spikes (steel) on the three corners. Spikes will be pushed into the ground and the base levelled. This will keep it off the grass and remove any water problems. Concerns are movement due to excessive amounts of water (rain) which will destroy the alignment, maybe even cause tippage if extreme. Maybe with use of long spikes it will be fine. The use of wood may be a problem (flex as the weight distribution moves). Steel may be an option but it will be very heavy.
Mount will just sit on tripod on the base, no pier, or depending on how this goes, i might look into a non-permant pier with legs.
Enclosure. I was thinking some sort of tent or shelter. Concerns are wind breaking it/blowing it over, water seepage through rain and condensation/heat. Also i wouldn't mind something a bit easy to setup and remove. Maybe a heavy canvas tent/shelter will work? Tent may be a bit too flimsy for protection. Not sure what other options i have though, maybe i can construct something of tin sheets that will be a bit light, but that removes the non-permanent option.
The other option would require a lot of hagling with house members, and that is to tear down a (permanent) sun shade that has been up for many years, get some fill (the area is recessed, using it for astro work would limit FOV severely), chop down some bushes and plants and then buy a cheap garden shed (2x2m or so), cut the roof off and see if i can get a roller door to fit. This would be permant, but costs should be low, hopefully less than $2k with a cheap shed and fill. Then grab a pier from Andrews (non permanant, but will be better than the tripod). Should stand up to the weather and will not require tear down for mowing. I am highly tempted by this option.
Finally, any recommendations for businesses that will do custom sized sheds in Brissie? Fair few around; looking for recommendations based on dealings you have had with them etc.
You basically lift the lid, pop the counterweight on, throw the scope on and check the alignment, which is usually fine and be up and running in ten minutes.
I am currently in the starting stage of a non permanent system myself. I am though starting with the electronics first.
I purchased an enclosed lectern from an auction and I am converting it to house all electronics need to run a observatory. So far only the batteries and power has been installed.
After the electronics is complete, I am going to work on a pier base making a slab approx 1m x 1m x 0.1m -0+.1m. I know it is not perfect like most observatories out there but living in a rental place it is not possible to create a permanent fixture especially when owners seem to love selling their places.
After the pier is built enough to hold the scope onto, I will build a sealed mini shed around it and work out a way to push the shed off completely or just the roof.
All in the dream line. The lectern though I am also modifying to fit in my car as well, but that is another design change.
You basically lift the lid, pop the counterweight on, throw the scope on and check the alignment, which is usually fine and be up and running in ten minutes.
Neat bucket idea I thought of something similar but decided, I wanted to leave my scope on as well.
This is what i wish to do as well. Basically leave it all setup, go outside and remove the "cover" (whatever it may be, tent etc) and away you go. No setup no nothing.
Roll it, I do. Simple enough to fabricate. Mine is rolled about 20 meters, plugged into the AC, and away. This assumes of course you can roll it, bigger wheels will be needed if you have to roll across grass, I don't.
Gary
Batteries on the lower level maintain a good Centre Of Gravity (COG) and are positioned at the rear so if I design wheels on the back the batteries will always be on the lower section maintaining COG when I lay the lectern in the car or van.
Holy heck, for a minute there I thought George actually admitted to pinching my idea, LOL. Why then does he have the dome inside the garage? His wife wants to know that as well most likely.
Seriously though, if you can utilize what "we" do, it honestly works.
Gary
Yes, I have changed my mind from a dome to a roll out pier/scope. When the dome goes, the sports car buried at the far back of the garage can come out and the mirror cell for the 24" f/6.5 modified Harmor-Wynn scope (left of the rolling pier/scope) can be completed.
The rolling pier with the scope rolls out smoothly and I have had no collimation problems with the 12inch RC.
Peter, it is the power pack for the mount/scope/cameras etc... 0-15Volts up to 40Amps, I have it slung under the pier so that it is out of the way. However, I do have a laptop support arm if you look carefully in the second photo to hold the laptop when the scope is in use. I can swivel the laptop around the pier so that it is out of the way.
The pier is 273mm in diameter, 800mm in height and has a wall thickness of 12mm, it is massive but moves freely with the 125mm wheels. Once the pier is located over the three glued washers with tapered centres to self-centre the pier, I screw down the 20mm stainless rods until they reach the two locking nuts set at a position to level the mount (see my last photo).
It takes about two minutes to roll the pier out of the garage and have it ready for imaging. I then control the mount/CCD camera/guide camera using the desktop computer inside the house which talks to the laptop attached to the pier using VNCTight software. It take the same amount of time to switch every thing off and roll the gear back inside the garage.
The advantage of this system is that it is cheaper to use the existing garage to store the gear than to constructing an observatory and you can be inside the house out of the cold with the family while the images are being captured.
Roll out does sound nice, although im not sure how it will fare over grass. The backyard is entirely grass and i wouldn't trust the scope on the driveway at night.
Really our backyard isn't too great. I did some more recon into possibly a wood platform somewhere, but the FOV is very tiny due to house on one side and trees on the other. The best views are down the meridian...
I think my position smack bang in the middle of the backyard is the best.
I might even try and make a cover out of canvas and spray some water proofing onto it and just use a wheel out pier.
What about bigger wheels, cheaper still. The simplest part is where you will actually use it. Dig three holes, slip some concrete in, and ensure the top is flush or just under the grass level. That is where your pier legs will sit, and you can either glue something to ensure there is repeatability or drill a hole in the top of each, as long as you can return to where it is supposed to be.
Too easy.
Gary
Roll out does sound nice, although im not sure how it will fare over grass. The backyard is entirely grass and i wouldn't trust the scope on the driveway at night.
Really our backyard isn't too great. I did some more recon into possibly a wood platform somewhere, but the FOV is very tiny due to house on one side and trees on the other. The best views are down the meridian...
I think my position smack bang in the middle of the backyard is the best.
I might even try and make a cover out of canvas and spray some water proofing onto it and just use a wheel out pier.
I have the same problem with a lumpy grass yard making wheeling an issue.
However, for the price, buy a proper cover if leaving it out, canvas will lead to tears
I just used three paint spots on my driveway till the ob got built. But using three concrete paving slabs in the grass with marked spots is good. Just put them down with some compacted gravel underneath. I do like the glued down washers idea as markers for the feet.
I thought of something similar but decided, I wanted to leave my scope on as well.
