I was wondering why people build observatories at home. Isn't it a lot easier just to take your scope with you when you travel around? What are the pros and cons of building an observatory?
Apart from the ease and convenience of not having to setup every night, the really big plus factor is avoiding the risk factor and making yourself more productive.
To explain
If you check the weather and it looks iffy - you will not bother to setup because the likelihood of success is poor, but the problem is our assessment of weather isn't good - we cant tell by looking at the local skies if its going to be good or bad in another hour let alone 3 or 8 hours. Nor can the BOM.
So you tend not to set up as often as you should to avoid the downside of getting your gear soaked or simply wasting an entire evening - night after night !
By having an Obs you can just take advantage of the skies as and when they appear without the effort of setup and dismantly, without worrying that you may only get 1 hour of useful observing time
If your interest is astrophotography then the considerable extra time it takes to get everything working properly (eg perfect polar alignments, drift alignment etc adds heavily to the risk assessment if you dont have an Obs
Plus many things you have to do in that field require lots of testing and since you will never get chance to do a lot of that without an obs you can't and don't ever advance.
It can take up to three hours to setup and dismantle some rigs.
I am guessing that having an obs even for a seasoned observer who will setup at every possible opportunity is doubled - for a less seasoned person its probably a factor of 10 times
Some other pros
Polar alignment stays aligned from one night to the next
Testing gear that needs some constants over a long period is now easy
You can refine things over time
A place to store all your gear rather than the lounge room, dining room table etc and keep peace.
You can buy things that nobody needs to know about because they are now well and truly out of sight !
Less setups means less chance of breakage,
Improves your back not having to lug everything around !
Threads, and cables dont get damaged with repeated use
You wil observe on nights you never could before because you can take advantage of a window of opportunity that is less than the normal set up and dismantle time - eg after you have come home from a late night out.
A place to work on your gear
Since everything is setup and running - you can't forget something or leave it at home and ruin the night !
No need for battery powered equipment anymore - mains power can be used.
Then there is all the Obs specific physical things
Its warmer and less windy in an Obs - so you are more comfortable
Less wind means better OTA stability - critical for imaging
Creature comforts can be included - fridge, kettle, (heater !?) desktop computer and proper keyboard and mouse
Tables, storage units etc rather than working off the wet lawn or a portable picnic table
Use a pier instead of a tripod for better stability
Keep the noise away from the house when others inside are sleeping
Of course if you are just using a Dob and not a GEM then not all of this applies (to the same extent) as the convenience of using a Dob for visual is the ability to setup and packup very quickly.
Theres more !
Last edited by rally; 17-09-2010 at 09:33 AM.
Reason: fixed typos
You can buy things that nobody needs to know about because they are now well and truly out of sight !
Oh dear - the cone of silence has been lifted!
I would put it like this: you can take new gear that was delivered to your workplace directly from the car to the observatory without having to carry it through the house.
I have a 14" scope. Its not so easy to 'take it' anywhere Not that I would anyway. I do research level observations, 400-1100 hrs a year. If I didn't have an observatory, 75-200 hrs a year would be lost to setup/align and dismantle operations (not to mention that I would have to get up much earlier int he morning to put everything to bed....). I do like my sleep
I'm into astro photography and if, I could afford to make one, exactly how I would like it, which I can't, so I won't, I'd have an observatory for all the reasons outlined above.
Bert you observatory looks like something out of 'Doctor Who'!,=OMG so many cables!
I built my observatory,as I live in the country and have good clear skies and enough land,but more importantly I could do most of the building myself,It was a very satisfying project.it cost me around $4500 to build it if I got tradies to do it $12000,so was very happy-I also used second hand building material from a old local show pavillion,once again most satisfying.
To have a central pier that has a concret base 900 mm into the ground,really is a luxury-that I now often over look,using a tripod mounted goto scope I now find difficult.
I recently took a photo of plane flying over the moon,I had planed it out,but the gear was only got ready for action around half an hour before the fly over-to push the roof off,press moon on goto,and walk away until I heard it in sky,was something that made that shot possible.If I did not have that observatory I would not have got that pic.
If I still lived in Toowong I still would make an observatory,(smaller),having to set tripods etc,etc,I find a real choir.
So to the OP,build one you will not regret it,Its a wonderful thing your own observatory
I'd estimate that my not so portable setup would take around an hour to setup and half that to pull down, it also requires two people so I have to get my wife to help.
Then there's the alignment each time.
Then there is the sudden onset of rain or cloud which wrecks everything.
When i tell the missus I'm going to the shed
there's no "Can I come too" rejoinder
as the roof slides off and it's C o l d !
a no women policy isn't required
and no complaints if I'm not back till morning
Bert
I'm a bit disappointed with your setup too - I noticed you had one EMPTY 240V socket left. tisk tisk.
James
You need an empty 240 v socket to plug the six way extension block into and then you leave one empty socket in that in case you need another extrension block etc.
Not that I would anyway. I do research level observations, 400-1100 hrs a year. If I didn't have an observatory, 75-200 hrs a year would be lost to setup/align and dismantle operations (not to mention that I would have to get up much earlier int he morning to put everything to bed....). I do like my sleep 
I fully understand what you mean!
O b s e r v a t o r y
shed 
