well I am about to start my venture into having a permanent observatory. With two room of the 3 cleaned I will be ready to start the project in a month. To kick off the project, I have revised my plans - drastically.
I was very lucky to pick up two of these variable height piers made by Steve Bain of Southern cross piers fame. one will be for the eq6 and one for the Losmandy g11. when parked the piers will be at a height of 1.1m (700 pier height and 400mm concrete base.) when raised to max extension of 500mm the scopes can poke their heads almost out of the observatory to gain some horizon if needed. that is fantastic. Steve's design is very similar to the pier-tech one, but better cause an Australian has done it. its so good that Steve uses it himself, and another member of IIS has i believe invested in one, but that's his story.
I thought I could get away with the two piers within the one 3m observatory, but I am still assessing this.
Sounds like exciting times ahead for you Mr. H0ugh! It will be a terrific asset and an invaluable aid to productivity; not to mention a gateway to unbridled fun! Congrats and good luck with the project - keep us posted of progress.
Our Brisbane Lord Mayor is nicknamed "can do Campbell". I guess Newcastle now has its very own "can do Dave"!
might also explain this weather as well.........thanks for the backing Dennis & Doug!!! now looking at the design of what i want. I am split between a full roll off roof and a split roof?
A 4m x 3m Observatory would be a better size for two scopes to fit in as you see from my own observatory project.
Anthony
quiet true, but I have the luxury of being able to "wire" things up to my office 10m away so that I could operate the scopes remotely and not be in the shed once I opened it. also there is the question of getting ground from SWMBO. I would prefer the larger size - but that would require a DA application and that would be expensive - have to make everything meet green standards and other stuff......I prefer to whack it up. But if I have to go down that path i will
Good stuff, Houghy. Looks like you are finally starting to get somewhere towards your obs.
Yeah, 2 piers in one obs, a bit tight with limited space!
going to draw up what i need this week, but I love the fact i can go up and down and retain my polar alignment. as for tight - if I can move around I will be happy - no one else here at home interested and I doubt I will be using an eyepiece
You will not know yourself h0ughy once you align a permanent pier by drift aligning. Some nights I think my guiding setup is not working and after about ten or twelve minutes it clicks. I still have a relay box on the parallel port that nudges the RA and DEC via the handset of my Mel Bartels system. I wired it myself as this way I am in control! The really nice thing is I have the relay box wired into the handset and the sensitivity can be set in Mels software. The trick is to balance aggressiveness with speed of guiding.
S w e e t ,
Nothing like going out at sunset, un-chaining the roff and hitting the "Go" button on the winch.... R R R R R R R R R R R R R R
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Large Group Scope &/or The new OZ Observatory plan [see post #35] http://www.iceinspace.com.au/forum/s...ad.php?t=27969
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Houghy,
i think 3x2 is going to be a bit cramped, i'd aim for the 3x3. Build or buy depends on your skills and tolerance to frustrations (hahahah, I built mine far enough from the house and anyone else that I could let out many an expletives without anyone being offended during construction! )
:]
frank
Houghy,
i think 3x2 is going to be a bit cramped, i'd aim for the 3x3. Build or buy depends on your skills and tolerance to frustrations (hahahah, I built mine far enough from the house and anyone else that I could let out many an expletives without anyone being offended during construction! )
:]
frank
actually now I think about it more I might be better off with a 3.6 * 2.4 , but a 3x3 sounds good
cause an Australian has done it
. its so good that Steve uses it himself, and another member of IIS has i believe invested in one
, but that's his story
and not be in the shed once I opened it. also there is the question of getting ground from SWMBO
. I would prefer the larger size - but that would require a DA application and that would be expensive - have to make everything meet green standards and other stuff......I prefer to whack it up
no sod turned yet?
