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  #41  
Old 15-03-2021, 11:50 AM
AdamJL
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Definitely one of the better looking decks out there

It looks awesome, Martin. Congratulations!
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  #42  
Old 15-03-2021, 05:40 PM
bigAl (Alan)
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Thanks Martin....good luck with finishing touches
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  #43  
Old 17-03-2021, 08:05 PM
Startrek (Martin)
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Finished quite a bit in the Dome this week until the rain decided to put a halt to things
Fitted 12mm thick ( 900 x 450 ) mounting panel
Brought power and data under deck up into Dome
Installed 2 x 10A Double weatherproof outlets
Installed 1 x Dual Cat5e data outlet in weatherproof housing with hinged lid
Installed Led strip lighting both sides with weatherproof switch at door
Drilled out deck for tripod and anti vibration puks

Worked on Dome rotation ( these NexDome injection moulded panels are not super precise where the groove is formed for the wheels to guide along. The roof panels when joined leave a 4mm to 8mm difference from left to right in the groove or track formed at the join so during rotation the wheels sometimes get stuck in the gap. Silicon fill came to the rescue and they run a bit better now. Just might need to smooth a bit more silicon here and there and we are done

I need to seal between the base and the deck outside with a small bead of silicon to stop any residual water edging in , so far during heavy showers off and on in the past 2 days , the Dome is water tight.

Next break in the weather , carpet ties go down then I can install workstation desk , tripod , mount , scope and accessories etc...

Still hoping to get up and running end of March

Thanks for looking
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  #44  
Old 18-03-2021, 10:02 AM
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xelasnave
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Its like building a house to lock up or building the hull and deck of a boat..it is when the fun begins. The finish takes just so much time.
And you end up with a list of little jobs like add a screw here and there, a bracket, trim this or that...I have an extraordinary list of jobs ... Anyways Martin you are getting close good work.
Alex
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  #45  
Old 18-03-2021, 12:53 PM
AdamJL
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Looking good, Martin
But rotate your photos
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  #46  
Old 18-03-2021, 04:48 PM
Startrek (Martin)
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Alex
Thanks
Yes getting close now , but must be patient, the weather has a mind of its own

Adam
Oops
Sometimes my IPhone 8 tends to leave them sideways when attaching
Any hints how to check this as they were orientated correctly when attaching
Thanks too

Martin
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  #47  
Old 18-03-2021, 05:36 PM
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Sunfish (Ray)
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Looking good and suitably space like. Plastic and GRP panels sound like they have bit too much tolerance. I suppose they send you you case of high grade silicon.

The secret Apple camera rotating thing drives me mad. I have to edit in mobile PS and save before I post. Extremely and deliberately annoying to non Apple users. My IMAC is the same. Sooo intuitive!
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  #48  
Old 18-03-2021, 06:37 PM
Startrek (Martin)
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Sunfish View Post
Looking good and suitably space like. Plastic and GRP panels sound like they have bit too much tolerance. I suppose they send you you case of high grade silicon.

The secret Apple camera rotating thing drives me mad. I have to edit in mobile PS and save before I post. Extremely and deliberately annoying to non Apple users. My IMAC is the same. Sooo intuitive!
Ray,
Thanks, yes the interior does look like the crew compartment of the Space X Dragon capsule ( less high tech touch screen )
So far I’m fairly happy with my NexDome ( build only so far ) but they need to improve on QC when sending product outside Canada and the US
1/ Hardware bags were labelled correctly but were short on some items and too may on other items ( Bunnings to the rescue )
2/ The installation manual is poorly documented and out of date ( they need to improve on quality and detail of drawings ) A lot of guess work in a few steps of construction. Plus NexDome has had some design changes , again not documented
3/ Power supply for Dome rotation controller had a US plug cord ( lucky I had a spare AS one in the garage )
4/ The Dome rotation groove formed by the joining the roof panels need to be redesigned or improved to reduce the gap and irregular step ( 5mm to 6mm ) from one panel to the next ( I had to fill this gap with 2 applications of silicon to ensure the guide wheels run across this join as smooth as possible and not get stuck ( maybe their injection moulding machine needs calibrating?? )
5/ The build itself went ok with most precast holes between overlapping panels lining up , I think only 4 or 5 I had trouble with ( holes in the ABS panes were not cleaned out and still had swarf curling out )
6/ The local supplier in Melbourne, Sidereal Trading ( Diego ) have been great in keeping me updated throughout the whole 8 months supply and delivery process , and also during construction , Diego was only a call away for advice and tips during the build
So just a few QC issues and design issues to be addressed, but so far fairly happy
Once I’m up and running I suppose all those little issues will be forgotten
Yes IPhones can be a pain sometimes
Next ( final ) update and photos will be when everything is finished and operational
Cheers
Martin
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  #49  
Old 20-03-2021, 09:43 AM
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Sunfish (Ray)
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Once finished you will forget all the niggles and get on with catching all that sky you have missing.

Impressive list of things to watch out for. Sounds like most kits but very cost effective and tidy way to create an observatory I would think.

Perhaps when they crack the steel moulds and the material is still hot there is a little twisting. Does not take much. The disadvantage of having a top ring that is not one piece.




Quote:
Originally Posted by Startrek View Post
Ray,
Thanks, yes the interior does look like the crew compartment of the Space X Dragon capsule ( less high tech touch screen )
So far I’m fairly happy with my NexDome ( build only so far ) but they need to improve on QC when sending product outside Canada and the US
1/ Hardware bags were labelled correctly but were short on some items and too may on other items ( Bunnings to the rescue )
2/ The installation manual is poorly documented and out of date ( they need to improve on quality and detail of drawings ) A lot of guess work in a few steps of construction. Plus NexDome has had some design changes , again not documented
3/ Power supply for Dome rotation controller had a US plug cord ( lucky I had a spare AS one in the garage )
4/ The Dome rotation groove formed by the joining the roof panels need to be redesigned or improved to reduce the gap and irregular step ( 5mm to 6mm ) from one panel to the next ( I had to fill this gap with 2 applications of silicon to ensure the guide wheels run across this join as smooth as possible and not get stuck ( maybe their injection moulding machine needs calibrating?? )
5/ The build itself went ok with most precast holes between overlapping panels lining up , I think only 4 or 5 I had trouble with ( holes in the ABS panes were not cleaned out and still had swarf curling out )
6/ The local supplier in Melbourne, Sidereal Trading ( Diego ) have been great in keeping me updated throughout the whole 8 months supply and delivery process , and also during construction , Diego was only a call away for advice and tips during the build
So just a few QC issues and design issues to be addressed, but so far fairly happy
Once I’m up and running I suppose all those little issues will be forgotten
Yes IPhones can be a pain sometimes
Next ( final ) update and photos will be when everything is finished and operational
Cheers
Martin
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  #50  
Old 05-04-2021, 04:22 PM
Startrek (Martin)
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Back down the coast after 3 weeks in Sydney
Finished installing carpet tiles today
Hope to set up workstation, tripod , mount and scope tomorrow or Wednesday , then cabling , depending on weather
It’s raining at the moment and forecasted showers until Thursday
All I need is 2 clear days to complete the Obs , but Mother Nature again has different ideas
Some photos of flooring
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  #51  
Old 07-04-2021, 12:40 PM
Startrek (Martin)
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NexDome observatory finally completed today after on the South Coast NSW after nearly 9 months from order
I’ve initially set up with my tripod for the next year or so and if ever want to pier mount the rig , there’s a 250mm dia x 950mm deep ( 350mm above and 600mm below ground ) concrete pier 6mm below the deck in the centre of the dome area.
Surprisingly there’s heaps of room to walk around in the Dome. Plenty of room to upgrade to a 10” f5 Newt in the future ( I currently have an 8” f5 newt )
The next week or so is looking promising for AP so hope to get some imaging in the Dome under my belt
My second computer arrives in 2 weeks so I’ll be using Windows 10 Pro with Remote Desktop to control things from my study where I have a hardwired Cat 5e Dual data outlet back to the Dome

Comments Welcome

End of Post ....
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  #52  
Old 07-04-2021, 01:13 PM
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h0ughy (David)
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It all looks pretty schmick , nice results
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  #53  
Old 07-04-2021, 08:15 PM
AdamJL
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Genuinely one of the nicest and cleanest setups out there. I love that, no mess!!!
I hope you keep it that way, Martin
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  #54  
Old 08-04-2021, 06:18 AM
Hemi
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Really looks fantastic Martin, you’re going to have a lot of fun.
You won’t want to do much remote imaging from the house, when you can while away a few hrs in there...
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  #55  
Old 08-04-2021, 06:50 AM
Startrek (Martin)
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Thanks Everyone
Very happy with the outcome
Put a lot of thought into the design to conceal all cabling
A very clean and tidy fit out
A lot of folk suggested a concrete slab but I’m so glad I built an elevated deck
First time imaging in the Dome last night and I can believe how dark it is in there. I have a fairly dark backyard under Bortle 3 skies but the minimal stray light from neighbours that I had before is now blocked
And yes I will be spending some imaging time in there too ,nice and cozy in winter
Cheers
Martin
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  #56  
Old 09-04-2021, 10:38 AM
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Very nice setup...
The only thing I would be concerned with are tripod legs, they are taking too much space IMO and are easy to trip over in the dark when fiddling with eqiupment.. Perhaps you should have used pier?
Then again, you probably have red LED illumination, so probably this is not a big issue.
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  #57  
Old 09-04-2021, 12:26 PM
Startrek (Martin)
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Quote:
Originally Posted by bojan View Post
Very nice setup...
The only thing I would be concerned with are tripod legs, they are taking too much space IMO and are easy to trip over in the dark when fiddling with eqiupment.. Perhaps you should have used pier?
Then again, you probably have red LED illumination, so probably this is not a big issue.
Bojan
Thanks for your comments
I installed 4 piers ( 3 for tripod configuration and a central one for future pier mount )
I’m set up for tripod now so I’ll see how it goes for the rest or the year
I have a local fabricator who can weld me up a pier extension to suit my mount
I’m only a skinny guy so there plenty of room to walk around the rig even when it’s imaging up near Zenith
The red illumination off my laptop is enough light to avoid tripping even though the walking area is totally clear
Thanks again
Martin
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  #58  
Old 09-04-2021, 11:39 PM
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I am very happy it is all coming together for you Martin...I have been following this thread keenly...its all I have to look forward to really ...so keep posting.
Alex
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  #59  
Old 10-04-2021, 05:40 AM
Startrek (Martin)
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Alex
Thanks always for your comments
It was a long project but now completed so hopefully some clear nights ahead
Take care and keep positive
And yes I will keep posting
Martin
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  #60  
Old 10-04-2021, 05:52 AM
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Good morning Martin
What does your wife think about it?
Alex
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