While I was waiting for the clouds to go away ...

marc4darkskies (Marcus) · #1 09-01-2008, 09:19 AM

... I constructed an observatory!!

I'm not clever enough the build one from scratch

so I bought a Sirus home model and plonked it on a deck. The scope's been in it's new home for a week now but the clouds haven't cleared long enough to even polar align the thing yet!

Anyway - here's the construction sequence:
http://www.pbase.com/gailmarc/observatory

Cheers, Marcus

Terry B · #2 09-01-2008, 11:12 AM

Brilliant. Mine will be much less salubrious but probably a bit cheaper.
Hope the clouds clear soon.

marc4darkskies (Marcus) · #3 09-01-2008, 12:43 PM

Hey thanks Terry but that's not salubrious ... THIS is salubrious! It's the control room I built in the extra-dimensional space inside the dome ("ED lockers" are an optional extra)

...

That's a sofa bed and note the Foxtel remote for those quiet moments during imaging runs. The bathroom is out of frame.

leon · #4 09-01-2008, 03:02 PM

Now that is a work of art, I would love to do that if some one would sell me 50 Square meters of prime viewing land.

Leon

jase (Jason) · #5 09-01-2008, 04:15 PM

Congrats Marcus. 'bout time you started posting again. Your gallery is looking a little "light".

Phil · #6 10-01-2008, 08:30 AM

Looks great Marcus makes life allot easier when everything is already setup.
Phil

rmcpb (Rob) · #7 10-01-2008, 10:50 AM

Oh for a site like that!! I would be so busy building an observatory I wouldn't have time to observe. Congrats, it looks brilliant

Inmykombi (Geoff) · #8 19-01-2008, 04:48 PM

What an amazing achievment.
The work you have done is absolutely first class.

Well done, and I wish you great observing with your equipment and its new home.

Geoff.

h0ughy (David) · #9 19-01-2008, 04:54 PM

so show the dome......

edit

I missed the link first up - for a minute I thought it was a tardis

....larger on the inside than outside

, fantastic result for a lot of work planning and scheming

- an excellent result. i know of another fella around the mangrove mountain area with a big Tak - I think he should see the results of this observatory, Eh RB

marc4darkskies (Marcus) · #10 19-01-2008, 11:39 PM

Thanks guys. Pretty excited (& relieved) about not having to set up and tear down any more. Can't believe I'm still waiting for the clouds (and now rain) to go away though! <sigh>

Quote:

Originally Posted by h0ughy

... for a minute I thought it was a tardis

....larger on the inside than outside

, fantastic result for a lot of work planning and scheming

- an excellent result.

Nah!! A tardis is pure Sci-Fi H0ughy! My dome just has an extra-dimensional locker to put the control room in.

Cheers Marcus

edwardsdj (Doug) · #11 21-01-2008, 12:37 AM

Awesome observatory Marcus

Do you have trouble with insects/spiders entering the dome around the pier?

Sorry to ask questions but I'd love to know if it is easy to stand up in the 2.3m Sirius observatory?

Again, great observatory. The decking design is awesome!

marc4darkskies (Marcus) · #12 21-01-2008, 08:43 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by edwardsdj

Awesome observatory Marcus

Thanks Doug.

Quote:

Originally Posted by edwardsdj

Do you have trouble with insects/spiders entering the dome around the pier?

I keep the creepy crawlies out with the flyscreen I put down. The screen covers the entire floor as well as the pier. You can see where the two halves I put down overlap over the pier base in http://www.pbase.com/gailmarc/image/91115803

Quote:

Originally Posted by edwardsdj

Sorry to ask questions but I'd love to know if it is easy to stand up in the 2.3m Sirius observatory?

The top of the dome is 2.7m high - tons of room.

Cheers, Marcus

edwardsdj (Doug) · #13 22-01-2008, 12:07 AM

Thanks for the info Marcus. The flyscreen makes so much sense (like the rest of your construction).

ballaratdragons (Ken) · #14 22-01-2008, 01:10 AM

The site won't open

This is all it says:

28-Dec-2007 - We'll be right back in about 10 minutes. A small problem with the database server occured. Sorry for the inconvenience. -slug

Ric · #15 22-01-2008, 03:06 PM

What a ripper Obs Marcus, it looks very well constructed and you'll get many years of pleasure from that setup.

Cheers

xelasnave · #16 22-01-2008, 07:20 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by leon

Now that is a work of art, I would love to do that if some one would sell me 50 Square meters of prime viewing land.

Leon

Leon I will give you the land and enough room for the heli port if you wish

alex

xelasnave · #17 22-01-2008, 07:21 PM

Great work Marcus
alex

Geoff45 (Geoff) · #18 22-01-2008, 08:53 PM

Great work! Also, we now know who is responsible for the clouds.

g__day (Matthew) · #19 27-01-2008, 02:42 PM

Marcus - your gear and set up look sensational!

h0ughy (David) · #20 07-01-2011, 03:59 PM

Marcus - when you setup the dome did you get the dome rotation with maxdome extras? How did you set yours up?