South Side Observatory
- JayTee
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Re: South Side Observatory
Just a tip for the interior furniture, I purchased something similar to this on Wayfair for $49. This folding desk has become indispensable, so much so that I bought another one.
∞ AP Scopes: #1: TPO 6" f/9 RC #2: ES 102 f/7 APO #3: ES 80mm f/6 APO
∞ G&G Scopes: #1: Meade 102mm f/7.8 #2: Bresser 102mm f/4.5
∞ Guide Scopes: 70 & 80mm fracs -- The El Cheapo Bros.
∞ Mounts: iOptron CEM70AG, SW EQ6R, Celestron AVX, SLT & GT (Alt-Az), Meade DS2000
∞ Cameras: #1: ZWO ASI294MC Pro #2: 662MC #3: 120MC, Canon T3i, Orion SSAG, WYZE Cam3
∞ Binos: 10X50,11X70,15X70, 25X100 ∞ AP Gear: ZWO EAF and mini EFW and the Optolong L-eXteme filter
∞ EPs: ES 2": 21mm 100° & 30mm 82° Pentax XW: 7, 10, 14, & 20mm 70°
Searching the skies since 1966. "I never met a scope I didn't want to keep."
- SkyHiker
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Re: South Side Observatory
Not bad but I need it to be small and have legs that I can put over one leg of my G11 to get it as close as possible, as I did in the picture. So, for now I'll stick with the folding chair + plastic box booster.
Last night I got my first data from the Lagoon nebula, 80 minutes total. That is about as low in altitude as I was going to go, being blocked by the wall and my neighbor's roof. I was happy that I could get it. It will take a while to process as I am learning
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Re: South Side Observatory
The experience of sitting in a closed observatory is so much nicer than sitting out on the driveway for polar alignment. It feels sheltered and private. While the Pi4b's WiFi does not reach my router, sitting in the obsy and listening to the sound of the mount is nice.
One snag happened; for whatever reason I have a painful left wrist that seems to be arthritis. Maybe it was brought on by the work or maybe I inherited it from my mom who had severe
Aside from that, so far so good. Clearly it is possible to make a very simple observatory from a cheap metal garden shed in a diminutive space between houses for little money, given the presence of a concrete slab foundation. The 5.5' wall size turned out to be just perfect and the modification to the shed is quite minimal. If I had more space without a house wall on the North side, chances are I would still go with this same lean-to shed because I believe it still has enough clearance on there to get the galaxies if you wait until they are high enough.
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Re: South Side Observatory
Here are some screen shots. You can tell how the altitude clearance becomes asymmetrical due to the N/S line not being parallel to the walls (I just implemented mount rotation). The bottom plot is the clearance in
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Re: South Side Observatory
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Re: South Side Observatory
I added a plastic hardware shelf for some extra storage space, and to put to put a scope on when rearranging stuff. Note the low light (IR) YI cam attached to the wall with its magnet. It lets me see what's happening.
I put the ASI2600MC on it after figuring out how to get the 55 mm distance for the CC right. Good grief I spent a whole day figuring out all my adapters and document various configurations; that way I can rearrange the optics without wasting a night each time to get things right.
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Re: South Side Observatory
Having used the observatory, simple as it is, it boosted my enjoyment of the hobby. Aside from no longer having to polar-align and focus each time, it also provides a much better opportunity to test things out than when sitting on the driveway. It's all so much easier now.
- jrkirkham
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Re: South Side Observatory
Telescopes: 50mm refractor, ED80 triplet, 90mm makcass, 10" dob, 8"SCT, 11"SCT
Mounts: Celestron CGX, Orion Sirius + several camera tripods
Cameras: Canon 6D, Canon 80D, ZWO-ASI120MC
Binoculars: 10x50, 12x60, 15x70, 25-125x80
Observatory: SkyShed POD XL3 + 8x12 warm room
AL Projects Completed: Lunar #645, Outreach #0280, Universe Sampler #93-T, Binocular Messier #871, Messier #2521, Messier Honorary #2521, Constellation Hunter Northern Skies #112, Planetary Transit Venus #1, Galileo #26, Outreach Stellar 0280, Meteor Regular #157, Solar System Telescopic #209-I, Observer Award #1
AL Projects Currently in Process: Double Stars, Comet, Lunar Evolution
- StarBru
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Re: South Side Observatory
Refractors: Meade AR-5 127mm f/9.3, Meade ST-80 f/5 and Meade 60mm f/12, Jason 60mm f/15 #313, Jason 60mm f/12 #306 S7, Bushnell Sky Chief III 60mm f/15.
Reflectors/Catadioptrics: Meade 10" F/4 Schmidt-Newtonian, Galileo 120mm f/8.3 Newtonian, Meade 2045D 4" f/10 SCT, Meade ETX-90EC f/13.8 & Sarblue 60mm f/12.5 Maksutov-Cassegrains.
Mounts: Skywatcher EQ6-R Pro & Meade LXD55 Equatorial mounts, ES Twilight II and Meade 2102 ALT/AZ mounts, a modified 10" SkyQuest Dobsonian mount, various 60mm EQ mounts.
Misc: Celestron 20x80mm binoculars, Revolution II Imager/accessories, & lots of optical accessories/eyepieces.
Projects: 8" f/2.9 and 65mm f/10 reflectors, Dobson-style binocular mirror mount.
- Graeme1858 Online
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Re: South Side Observatory
Your comment "it boosted my enjoyment of the hobby" sums it up. The ability to be on it in 5 minutes rather than 45 minutes and not have to carry a load of stuff out the garage only to have to put it all away again at 4 in the morning, is priceless!
Graeme
Celestron 9.25 f10 SCT, f6.3FR, CGX. Sky-Watcher Evostar-120, HEQ5
ASI1600MM Pro, ASI294MC Pro, ASI224MC
ZWO EFW, ZWO OAG, ASI220MM Mini.
APM 11x70 ED APO Binoculars.
https://www.averywayobservatory.co.uk/
- KathyNS Online
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Re: South Side Observatory
Very ingenious!SkyHiker wrote: ↑Sat Aug 26, 2023 2:53 am I added a video that shows how to operate the observatory with the counterweights in action, http://haling.synology.me/photo/share/0 ... 372e4d4f56
Having used the observatory, simple as it is, it boosted my enjoyment of the hobby. Aside from no longer having to polar-align and focus each time, it also provides a much better opportunity to test things out than when sitting on the driveway. It's all so much easier now.
DSO AP: Orion 200mm f/4 Newtonian Astrograph; ATIK 383L+; EFW2 filter wheel; Astrodon Ha,Oiii,LRGB filters; KWIQ/QHY5 guide scope; Planetary AP: Celestron C-11; ZWO ASI120MC; Portable: Celestron C-8 on HEQ5 pro; C-90 on wedge; 20x80 binos; Etc: Canon 350D; Various EPs, etc. Obs: 8' Exploradome; iOptron CEM60 (pier); Helena Observatory (H2O) Astrobin
- helicon Online
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Re: South Side Observatory
Refractors: ES AR152 f/6.5 Achromat on Twilight II, Celestron 102mm XLT f/9.8 on Celestron Heavy Duty Alt Az mount, KOWA 90mm spotting scope
Binoculars: Celestron SkyMaster 15x70, Bushnell 10x50
Eyepieces: Various, GSO Superview, 9mm Plossl, Celestron 25mm Plossl
Camera: ZWO ASI 120
Naked Eye: Two Eyeballs
Latitude: 48.7229° N
- JayTee
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Re: South Side Observatory
You're right about the structure increasing and revitalizing the enjoyment of this hobby. I will say the office chair out in my Observatory is my new favorite seat.
∞ AP Scopes: #1: TPO 6" f/9 RC #2: ES 102 f/7 APO #3: ES 80mm f/6 APO
∞ G&G Scopes: #1: Meade 102mm f/7.8 #2: Bresser 102mm f/4.5
∞ Guide Scopes: 70 & 80mm fracs -- The El Cheapo Bros.
∞ Mounts: iOptron CEM70AG, SW EQ6R, Celestron AVX, SLT & GT (Alt-Az), Meade DS2000
∞ Cameras: #1: ZWO ASI294MC Pro #2: 662MC #3: 120MC, Canon T3i, Orion SSAG, WYZE Cam3
∞ Binos: 10X50,11X70,15X70, 25X100 ∞ AP Gear: ZWO EAF and mini EFW and the Optolong L-eXteme filter
∞ EPs: ES 2": 21mm 100° & 30mm 82° Pentax XW: 7, 10, 14, & 20mm 70°
Searching the skies since 1966. "I never met a scope I didn't want to keep."
- Altocumulus Online
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Re: South Side Observatory
I do what I do because I can, and because I want to.
It doesn't mean I know what I'm doing
- SkyHiker
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Re: South Side Observatory
First off, several months ago I cut up a yoga mat into foam strips that I pushed underneath the walls. In the middle they were 2 layers thick and 1 layer towards the corners. I accomplished that by raising the walls with a 2x4 so I could drop it down on the strips and have it squeeze the foam strips and hold them, and the walls themselves, in place. It feels much more solid than before.
On Monday I added clear caulking all around the two walls. This only took about half a cartridge, since the foam filled up most of the cracks. It actually looks and feels pretty decent now that it has dried up.
Here's what it looks like after a little bit of rain that we just had. Inside it is bone dry! I declare success for now, I will let you know if it floods after we get a good soaking.
- JayTee
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Re: South Side Observatory
Yay!
∞ AP Scopes: #1: TPO 6" f/9 RC #2: ES 102 f/7 APO #3: ES 80mm f/6 APO
∞ G&G Scopes: #1: Meade 102mm f/7.8 #2: Bresser 102mm f/4.5
∞ Guide Scopes: 70 & 80mm fracs -- The El Cheapo Bros.
∞ Mounts: iOptron CEM70AG, SW EQ6R, Celestron AVX, SLT & GT (Alt-Az), Meade DS2000
∞ Cameras: #1: ZWO ASI294MC Pro #2: 662MC #3: 120MC, Canon T3i, Orion SSAG, WYZE Cam3
∞ Binos: 10X50,11X70,15X70, 25X100 ∞ AP Gear: ZWO EAF and mini EFW and the Optolong L-eXteme filter
∞ EPs: ES 2": 21mm 100° & 30mm 82° Pentax XW: 7, 10, 14, & 20mm 70°
Searching the skies since 1966. "I never met a scope I didn't want to keep."
- SkyHiker
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Re: South Side Observatory
Aahhh... I missed one little spot. It's where the two pieces of aluminum threshold meet, right in the middle of the long wall. I forgot to caulk that. Water only has to find one little hole, and it will go through it. I just chewed some chewing gum and put that on it while it's raining, let's see if that fixes it. Other than that spot, I think I got it all. With this rain I have plenty of time to locate any defects.
- SparWeb
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Re: South Side Observatory
Thank you for sharing all of these details. I will certainly remember this example if I ever decide to build an observatory of my own.
51.248N, 113.53W, 995m ASL
https://www.wunderground.com/dashboard/pws/IALBERTA147
Canon 6D (unmodified) + Lunt 4" (102mm) achromat refractor (7.1 focal ratio) + Celestron AVX mount
- JayTee
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Re: South Side Observatory
Right now I'm relying on a whole bunch of roofing goop I slopped on up there this past summer. So far, it is holding up just fine, but once the flashing is up, it should prevent all water from even getting to that goop.
Nice idea about the bubble gum -- very practical.
∞ AP Scopes: #1: TPO 6" f/9 RC #2: ES 102 f/7 APO #3: ES 80mm f/6 APO
∞ G&G Scopes: #1: Meade 102mm f/7.8 #2: Bresser 102mm f/4.5
∞ Guide Scopes: 70 & 80mm fracs -- The El Cheapo Bros.
∞ Mounts: iOptron CEM70AG, SW EQ6R, Celestron AVX, SLT & GT (Alt-Az), Meade DS2000
∞ Cameras: #1: ZWO ASI294MC Pro #2: 662MC #3: 120MC, Canon T3i, Orion SSAG, WYZE Cam3
∞ Binos: 10X50,11X70,15X70, 25X100 ∞ AP Gear: ZWO EAF and mini EFW and the Optolong L-eXteme filter
∞ EPs: ES 2": 21mm 100° & 30mm 82° Pentax XW: 7, 10, 14, & 20mm 70°
Searching the skies since 1966. "I never met a scope I didn't want to keep."
- Altocumulus Online
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Re: South Side Observatory
Weather eh!
At least whilst it's raining we're not missing any observing/imaging....
I do what I do because I can, and because I want to.
It doesn't mean I know what I'm doing
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