Troy, just for you I'm taking the scope out of the Obs so that the weather can calm down, but the forcast is really, really heavy rain in the next few days so thats a bummer. I had a look at the 4min shots of M66 which was NO award winner except that the galaxy filled almost the full frame and each 4 min shot had perfectly round stars which I was ecstatic about. Since I did 5x4 min thats at least 2 worm cycles and thus the hypertune was great and worth doing - but purchasing the kit was definately not worth the money.
Al, wireless is really great and I spent a few moments tidying up my cables (are you listening David?????) to that they are all on the pier with nothing loose or trailing. I also made sure that there was no cross-interference to the guidescope camera or imaging camera cables and now everything is out of sight and tucked away. I'll post photos later.
i sense you don't like the free spirited system of connecting things Allan
I guess its a fetish of mine and being inherently clumsy I have to remove all impediments from the area. I dont know how many times the Losmandy counterweight has hit me in the head - you would thing it would have learnt by now not the swing while I'm in the way. Stupid thing.
I once did have an absolute spaghetti fest around the Losmandy while I was running the ST7 on it and I wound up with cables ripping out when I slewed to another object and the night just degenerated into one of those brain-fart evenings where I tore everything off the scope and just did visual for the rest of the night. Computer played up constantly, I bumped into everything around me and I got grumpy.
Last edited by allan gould; 01-03-2010 at 07:08 PM.
Ive added my first light shot of M66 taken with the new pier and hypertuned EQ6. With only 5x4 min shots its nothing to hang on the wall but was taken at a fl of 2500mm 10"SCT with a DSI II which is the most severe test that I could put hte system through. What I was interested was in the guiding and how round the stars were. Seems OK to me.
Actually it's quite cheap but extremely practical. I got it frm Kmart. It comes in a pack of six with Borders as well. It costs about $20. Bunnings sells the same material but you only get four for the same money. I put a layer of insect screening (actually shadecloth) between the boarding and the foam matting. It's soft on the feet and helps muffle any thups that may be transmitted to the pier. Make sure that you get all at the one time as they sometimes reverse the cutting pattern and they won't fit except upside down. Obviously a new trainee on the job.
cheers, I'll look into that. How spongy is it Allan? How would it go as an underlay to outdoor carpet? I like the idea of having those holes to allow the floor to breath and not build up damp over time. I'd hate to drop a screw of something in the middle of the night though could be fun finding it with all those holes
You'll probably see it advertised as camping mats Paul. Same stuff as I have in my obs. Its great! Lovely and soft on the old knees if you have to kneel down!
I find it's great on the concrete slab I have... it keeps my toes both comfy and warm, and protects anything I'm clumsy enough to drop. I have dropped a few little screws and things from time to time and have had no problem finding them. The holes make it easier if anything on a concrete slab... I wouldn't guarantee that's the case if its over a darker timber floor though.
I'm not sure how it would go as an underlay for outdoor carpet. It might be a bit too soft maybe underneath say chair legs and things. It might cause the carpet to deform around the chair legs or any other concentrated load. But just to walk to stand on I imagine it would be great. If you have a small section of carpet and can get a mat (or a closed cell foam sleeping mat doubled over), I'd suggest a test with a chair. Without the carpet I find my observing chair depresses maybe 3-5mm into the foam when "fully loaded" but it quickly recovers.
When I was looking around, I found Clark Rubber had some great looking foam mat/tiles without the holes. From memory they were bigger (say 1m x 1m) but the price put me off. I had the camping mats with the holes in it anyway and decided to try them first, and I really like them. They work well in my obs!
With a bit of luck, if you look around a bit you'll find some without the holes if that would be preferable and avoid the carpet perhaps... but then I suppose the floor won't breathe...... just a thought.
I agree with Al. The mats are great as a top flooring but as an underlay they may be just a tad too soft. I think in one of the photos you can see a small stool that I cut down to use in the bay. The legs have plastic covers/protectors but they do dent the matting about 5 mm from my weight. It does recover well but I'm thinking of putting spreaders on the legs to distribute the weight better. That's the only down side that I have seen. Things bounce well on it and it's very easy to clean. Al was right you can get it at camping stores but Kmart has the cheapest deal.
Hope that helps
Paul, thinking about your problem. Maybe under the chair region you could place tougher matting (cut your own holes) or even rubber and under the rest put the camping tiles with the carpet on top. That would make a good floor for an observatory.
Allan, that's a great-looking setup. I'm with Paul on that flooring. Is it the kind of stuff that you buy for camping etc, fits together like a crossword puzzle. I've got a dozen or so sheets somewhere but didn't use it because I kinda pictured it turning up at the edges and making a tripping hazard. Any such problems?
Allan, that's a great-looking setup. I'm with Paul on that flooring. Is it the kind of stuff that you buy for camping etc, fits together like a crossword puzzle. I've got a dozen or so sheets somewhere but didn't use it because I kinda pictured it turning up at the edges and making a tripping hazard. Any such problems?
Peter
Peter
It fits together like a jigsaw puzzle and the edges do stay flat. The cut edges have straight edges which make it all neat and tidy. I originally bought it for astrofest but never used it and had it in storage until now - so it does last a while without decomposing. I think it would work well outdoors and Ive not had any problems even tracking wet/rain from outside onto it. Its cheap flooring and very easy to replace if it were damaged.
The weather will not co-operate with the new aptly named Tempest Observatory, but as I mentioned elsewhere I did manage to get 24x4 min shots of M65 with the DSI II guided at fl2500mm. I was very happy with the resulting photo as the stars are round and the galaxy was starting to show good detail. Just love the observatory but have not been able to use it since this shot was taken and so have not been able to add to the subs that I have got.
However due to the cyclones messing around in Qld, I have decided that before the weekend I will have to get the storm cleats installed. Ive made them but just wondering where to place them for maximum effect. Any suggestions?
Last edited by allan gould; 19-03-2010 at 03:05 PM.
Looks like an awesome setup Allan! Shame all its done is attract cyclones.. You know what they say though.. If an astro purchase causes months of rain and clouds, you know it was a good buy!
I was looking at the Sirius domes today.. Their base of operations is about 15kms from my house... I want one dearly, however I can't really justify the cost... They have a fully automated "Maxdome" model sitting in there at the moment.. $12750 or there abouts.. Sure looks like the perfect home for your scope/mount... Just wish I had the money!
I'm looking more at a small garden shed for my back yard... Just big enough to surround the mount/scope... Doing a roll away shed setup I think.. It won't be able to house the computer full time, or all the gear, but should be big enough for scope/mount/cameras to all stay set up. just carry the laptop out, roll the shed away and plug in the wiring loom...
Your right Alex. I got worried about high winds from these cyclones so I manufactured my storm cleats and installed them last night. Thanks to David and the others where I saw the idea. So simple that they really should be part of the original design and setup. You would have to rip out the deck and all to get the roof to lift now. I feel a lot happier that the dome isnt going to wind up down the road.
It doesnt matter what sort of observatory you have , its the convenience of it all and the protection of the equipment. I decided early on that I wouldnt leave the optics and computer outside for protracted periods unless I was going to do a long observing run and I think that is what Ill stick to - just to be on the safe side. The two best additions to the obs were the storm cleats and the croc lock. Really makes you feel that the observatory is safe.
Ive attached photos of the two storm cleats so that you can figure out how they attach.
Last edited by allan gould; 19-03-2010 at 09:54 AM.
While I am not a big fan of domes (they look like an observatory and have all sorts of nasty thermal currents which acts against planetary imaging), yours is a tidy setup Allan. You might like to add a third hold down bot and have each of them at 120 degrees apart from each other.
The galaxy shows heaps of detail in the arms on my screen. Would like to see a colour version when you get some clear sky.
![[1ponders]'s Avatar](../vbiis/customavatars/avatar45_9.gif){kind=avatar}
Lovely and soft on the old knees if you have to kneel down!
, and protects anything I'm clumsy enough to drop. I have dropped a few little screws and things from time to time and have had no problem finding them. The holes make it easier if anything on a concrete slab
... I wouldn't guarantee that's the case if its over a darker timber floor though.
. It might be a bit too soft maybe underneath say chair legs and things. It might cause the carpet to deform around the chair legs or any other concentrated load. But just to walk to stand on I imagine it would be great. If you have a small section of carpet and can get a mat (or a closed cell foam sleeping mat doubled over), I'd suggest a test with a chair
.
. I had the camping mats with the holes in it anyway and decided to try them first, and I really like them
... just a thought.
