David
Loved the idea of your storm cleats. Can you tell me where you got the attachment pieces (those that attach to the dome)? Or did you make them and bolt them on. A close up photo would be much appreciated as Sirius Observatories notified me today that mine is being made at the moment and will be deliver within two weeks. Feels like Xmas all over again except that I have smashed both my thumbs doing the decking over the break.
David
Loved the idea of your storm cleats. Can you tell me where you got the attachment pieces (those that attach to the dome)? Or did you make them and bolt them on. A close up photo would be much appreciated as Sirius Observatories notified me today that mine is being made at the moment and will be deliver within two weeks. Feels like Xmas all over again except that I have smashed both my thumbs doing the decking over the break.
Credit where credit is due - Phil the original owner made those - i just improved on his design by beefing up the turnbuckles. He made them from aluminium and used one of the original bolts holes and drilled the other with longer bolts.
and come on post some images of your deck - and thumbs LOL
the other storms that we have had have been really non rain events, until tonight. We had 28mm rain in 15minutes and that finally found the weak spots in the dome. it leaked over the door and at the lower hatch cover hinge connections. now for some reason i have water on the inside of the storage bay at the top underside? not sure how that happened. i was going to cover the floor but i might not do that now?
Hi David
You shouldn't be getting water in from the lower hinge connections, if it does leak there it should just go onto the lip where the dome rotating wheels run. Sounds to me like there is nothing sealing the join where the side pieces attach at the top, on the original kit there are a number of pieces of waterproof tape that go over the area of the upper lip where the dome wheels run and seal it., when I rebuilt mine I used a silicon sealer to completely fill in the gap and I extended it upward as well to fill in most of the remaining gap. To get at the area you will probably have to remove the inner ring and the join covering moulds. Other than that there should be no other way for the water to come in.
You shouldn't be getting water in from the lower hinge connections, if it does leak there it should just go onto the lip where the dome rotating wheels run. Sounds to me like there is nothing sealing the join where the side pieces attach at the top, on the original kit there are a number of pieces of waterproof tape that go over the area of the upper lip where the dome wheels run and seal it., when I rebuilt mine I used a silicon sealer to completely fill in the gap and I extended it upward as well to fill in most of the remaining gap. To get at the area you will probably have to remove the inner ring and the join covering moulds. Other than that there should be no other way for the water to come in.
Cheers
little bit confused as to exactly where you mean - do you have a photo John? i had waterproofing tape in all the joints of the segments and used a sealant for the outside - but i have nothing (no sealant) where the wheels run. the water came in through the bolt holes, and the lower hinge area.
as for the water in the storage space - dont know? the base was dry the walls were dry but the inside sloping surface was damp? the central pier area was bone dry
At the top of the walls there is a sloping lip with about a 2"-3" inner wall, the inner ring is attached to it. The dome wheels run on the lip. Where the walls join at the top, the waterproof sealing should actually cover the area of the lip but there is a gap (as shown on the attached photo) waterproof tape was supplied to cover that gap and extend across the join on the lip. I had to make sure that the gap (as shown) was covered otherwise water could seep in and down the walls, I ended up using a silicon sealer to fill in this gap. I appreciate that the rubber skirt on the dome is supposed to stop water from entering but water from the hinges should, if it comes in, run down the dome and onto the sloping lip and onto the outside.
I have never had any problems with the bays, sure it's not just condesation although that shouldn't happen with the wooden base.
At the top of the walls there is a sloping lip with about a 2"-3" inner wall, the inner ring is attached to it. The dome wheels run on the lip. Where the walls join at the top, the waterproof sealing should actually cover the area of the lip but there is a gap (as shown on the attached photo) waterproof tape was supplied to cover that gap and extend across the join on the lip. I had to make sure that the gap (as shown) was covered otherwise water could seep in and down the walls, I ended up using a silicon sealer to fill in this gap. I appreciate that the rubber skirt on the dome is supposed to stop water from entering but water from the hinges should, if it comes in, run down the dome and onto the sloping lip and onto the outside.
I have never had any problems with the bays, sure it's not just condesation although that shouldn't happen with the wooden base.
going back to the pier height - i just installed the variable height pier and G11. at its lower level the pier measures 1520mm from the floor to the centre of the telescope mount locking knob on the g11. In the full up position it measures 2020mm. Oh it looks sexy....
Here are some photos of the mount in place, but I was disheartened this morning that there was moisture over the mount. I can only assume that this is due to the gaps in the floor and water underneath the deck due to the gap in the boards. I am wondering do I seal this off completely or leave it so it can offer ventilation?
Allan I have taken some images of Phil’s bracket and the turnbuckle assembly. Hope it helps.
Also I have taken a shot of the lower hatch connections showing where they leak.
Dave,Al,
do you think it might be from the rotting/ dying grass under
the deck ? See your earliest pics from the start of the thread.
You know how you get lots of moisture under a plastic dropsheet
when you put it over growing lawn?
It might dissipate once the lawn is completely dead?
Sounds like you had a night of extremely high humidity, my mount gets wet on those sort of nights here during winter.
I would not cover the gaps you have in the floor, just put in a false floor, I used 12mm C/D ply, butt joined across the middle, suitably undercoated and primed and put some outdoor carpet over the top, never had any water problems at all. Should the ply eventually rot, nice and cheap and easy to replace.
The lower hinge points look damaged for some reason, perhaps a strip of stick-on sealant under the hinge and wide flat washers may solve the water entry problem.
Dave,Al,
do you think it might be from the rotting/ dying grass under
the deck ? See your earliest pics from the start of the thread.
You know how you get lots of moisture under a plastic dropsheet
when you put it over growing lawn?
It might dissipate once the lawn is completely dead?
Steve
dont know - we have had some quite heavy rain here the past few nights and possibly some water is still under the floor?
Sounds like you had a night of extremely high humidity, my mount gets wet on those sort of nights here during winter.
I would not cover the gaps you have in the floor, just put in a false floor, I used 12mm C/D ply, butt joined across the middle, suitably undercoated and primed and put some outdoor carpet over the top, never had any water problems at all. Should the ply eventually rot, nice and cheap and easy to replace.
The lower hinge points look damaged for some reason, perhaps a strip of stick-on sealant under the hinge and wide flat washers may solve the water entry problem.
Cheers
thanks John i might just undo a few bolts and squirt in some sealent then do it back up and then add more sealent around the hinge and nuts just for good measure
the moisture was not from leaking and there was no condensation on the dome walls, only on the mount
That's probably normal Dave. As John said, probably high humidity air
trapped inside and it condensed as the temp fell.
The first surface to cool to dew point would be metal, not a fibreglass
wall. That's why I get rust show on my lathe chuck/bed etc in the shed
and why you get droplets form under a metal verandah sheeting on a dewy
night.
Steve
i am beside myself -there are intermittent showers and its full moon, i have no power permanently until Monday evening, but i couldn't help myself. I put the Meade 10" on top the mount. note the positions of the mount and scope, lowered, mid and full height.
as for the thumb 
- - sorry
.
