To pier or not to pier?

[Terry B]

Dear All
In the near future I plan on building a permanent home for my scope (SHMBO willing). I think I will use the converted garden shed technique on a concrete slab with a roll off roof as this seems to be the cheapest option.
I have lots of land so space isn't a problem.
The choices for the scope are to:
1. Use the existing tripod placed on the concrete floor. This is the cheapest option.
2. Cast a concrete pier at the same time. This means I would have to get some sort of custom top made for the pier to fit the eq6 on to. Where and how do you do this?
3. Cement in a pier made from a piece of railway track that I already have. This would be easier than the concrete pier to build and I think it would be pretty strong but has the same problem about welding a top on it. I don't have welding skills.

What have others done?
Anyone got any advise about what type of shed kit is good to convert?
How high do you make the walls etc?
Thanks in advance.

[bloodhound31]

Hello Terry,

You could try this mate.

http://www.asignobservatory.com/TelescopePier.aspx

I know your welding skills are lacking, but the rest is pretty easy if you can find someone to weld the pieces together for you.

You will notice the pier I built for this bloke has round plates. This is up to personal preference mate. It works just as well with square plates and is easier to fabricate like this. Even with basic tools such as a hacksaw, file and drill, you can make this up at home.

If you have no luck I can make you one for little more than cost of materials, tooling and freight. PM me if you are interested.

If you are doing astrophotography, a pier is MUCH better than a tripod!

Baz

[Lee]

I made a concrete pier - wasn't hard to do - just make sure you have an assistant and a concrete mixer! For a pier plate, I had a plasma cutting place cut one out for me...

[Terry B]

Thanks for the info guys. I have plenty of woodworking stuff but this metal concept is much harder.

[ballaratdragons (Ken)]

As far as the height of your walls, you'll have to first work out your pier height (or tripod height if you go that way). Then place the scope on it, in every imaginable angle of the sky (being aware that some sky locations place the scope very low), then imagine a line (or use a string-line) thru the centre of the scope to about 15 degrees high in the sky (anything lower isn't worth looking at due to atmospherics).

Then measure how high your walls should be by finding the lowest point where the string-line crosses your proposed wall location.
This should give you an all-round view of the whole sky above 15 degrees.

But also remember that the rolled-away roof will block some of the sky, so orient the roll-off section in a section of the sky you won't want to look at much.

[timelord (Al)]

Gooday Terry, I,m currently building an observatory made from colorbond fencing components--a 2.4 x 1.8 metre panel works out at approx 130 dollars inc posts, multiply that x 4 and youve got your shed-- much better than those crappy tin sheds that fall apart when you remove the roof to modify it for rollaway function and as an added bonus its painted inside and out and you can adjust the height by shortening the wall sheets. Obviously you still have to add the roof but the versatility of making the shed any size you wish by adding panels is far better than buying a kit shed fixed in size.

[Terry B]

Originally Posted by timelord

Gooday Terry, I,m currently building an observatory made from colorbond fencing components--a 2.4 x 1.8 metre panel works out at approx 130 dollars inc posts, multiply that x 4 and youve got your shed-- much better than those crappy tin sheds that fall apart when you remove the roof to modify it for rollaway function and as an added bonus its painted inside and out and you can adjust the height by shortening the wall sheets. Obviously you still have to add the roof but the versatility of making the shed any size you wish by adding panels is far better than buying a kit shed fixed in size.

That a good idea. I will look into it. Thanks

[anj026]

I haven't got an observatory but I have got a steel pier in the back yard. I found a 220mm diameter steel pipe 2.7m long at a scrap metal yard for $70. For the concrete foundation I used the local Concrete Taxi. They mix the concrete for you on site and you only pay for what you use. I think the minimum order was 0.1 m3. They are a franchise business with outlets all over Australia. Try the yellow pages or online to get a quote.

[h0ughy (David)]

I got a beaut pier made up by Steve Bain to the height I needed and to suit my mount. The quality and finish of the pier is great, a very professional finish. I hope to get another one made in the near future for the losmandy G11. that way I get the best of both worlds in the observatory (when I get to build that).

[Alchemy (Clive)]

Going to toss one in for the not pier side,

i have an observatory admittedly with a timber floor, but made a separate 3 point support system under the floor on its own stumps, keeping it isolated from vibration... the advantage is that i can move it out of the way and plop a dob in the middle of the floor.

I use the standard G11 Tripod and am yet to see any great difference in picture quality.... Still only my opinion..

[Lee]

The G-11 does have a great, stable tripod - but would take up a lot of floor real estate in a small obs.

[Alchemy (Clive)]

yep fair comment . i have about 3.3x3.3 metres of space

[xelasnave]

I have a garden shed with a floor that has a section cut out for the pier because the whole shed rolls away... it is out of the way and provides a neat little place to set up the lap top and leave the box of goodies so one does trip over them.

I have a 12 vlt 4wd winch to drag it off and on ..the shed is only 1.5 mtrs square, but that houses the scope and mount.

I found an old pvc pipe that telecom left behind set it up for permanent form work and drove three star pickets down to the bed rock and filled it all with low ratio sand cement mix. The pvc is nice and white ..as is everything really.
I set 4 bolts in the cement so as to add the little unit welded up to join the mount to the pier.

It is lined with pine..walls floor and ceiling ..looks like inside a sauna...
added some little computer fans that run from a solar panel ..so if the Sun is out the hot air gets exhausted.

It is easy to do doesnot take up much room and you have no sides that you cant look over.
Under are 6 small wheels but I forget their carrying capacity..I plan adding another 6 because I can...and the cement patio is a little uneven... more wheels will make it roll better.

It was the simplest and cheapest solution I could design... the pine cost a bit but I could not transport sheeting in my little car and pine siding boards fitted in the little car..

alex