Upgrade my observatory
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Re: Upgrade my observatory
Scopes: Explore Scientific ED80CF, Skywatcher 200 Quattro Imaging Newt, SeeStar S50 for EAA.
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Re: Upgrade my observatory
There's pluses and minuses for both directions. Going east gives me a window out west that wouldn't be there if the other roof was in the way.
I'll ponder some more!
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It doesn't mean I know what I'm doing
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Re: Upgrade my 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.
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Re: Upgrade my observatory
I've got the support beams on the warm room roof, slight miscalculation on the ends - but it'll work out, somehow.
Rails tacked in position waiting on the roof to finalise, i.e. parallel!
Wheels came on Thursday, a bit (ok a lot) OTT on size, but I've built up the side walls to the roof. Just need a dry spell to sort out the cross beams and square everything.
Other bits and pieces dribble in, power connectors etc. New NEQ6-R Pro arrived from FLO.
At 211 mm this is the wettest month in my records of 12 years - still a few days to go and the forecast/warnings promise lots more before
November.
At least I know I'm not missing any imaging time - experts are still working on perfecting the cloud/rain filters....
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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Re: Upgrade my observatory
Altocumulus wrote: ↑Sat Oct 28, 2023 8:00 am Other bits and pieces dribble in, power connectors etc. New NEQ6-R Pro arrived from FLO.
Nice!
Celestron 9.25 f10 SCT, f6.3FR, CGX mount.
ASI1600MM Pro, ASI294MC Pro, ASI224MC
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- Altocumulus
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Re: Upgrade my observatory
Indeed. Delayed by flooding somewhere - but it got here eventually.Graeme1858 wrote: ↑Sat Oct 28, 2023 9:56 amAltocumulus wrote: ↑Sat Oct 28, 2023 8:00 am Other bits and pieces dribble in, power connectors etc. New NEQ6-R Pro arrived from FLO.
Nice!
The itch to get out and carry on is getting annoying with this weather regime.....
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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Re: Upgrade my observatory
10 inches of rain in October certainly put the pause button on long hold!
But I'm moving along, finding mistake after mistake as the build progresses!
3 windows in, one on the north wall, so I can use a small area for art. 2 in the east wall, for daylight working. One ended up being wonky as one of the supposed verticals wasn't! All walls done.
The rolling roof is on, too long on the east end by about 20 centimetres, so there might be an opportunity for a shelf - but it's annoying. EPDM is fixed at one end, just managed that before showers arrived and I've not done the rest as I plan on doing the warm room at the same time.
Started to fix the extended part of the rails more firmly, which shows the roof needs to move eastwards a further .5 metre or so to give sight of the eastern end of the elliptic. Not too sure how I can do that at the moment - it means the current clearance of the roof would mean one scope wouldn't see the summer Sun until 10ish.
Problem to solve somehow - an extension from current length would mean another pair of vertical supports, but on spongy ground not a quick solution. Sighs.
I do what I do because I can, and because I want to.
It doesn't mean I know what I'm doing
- helicon Online
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Re: Upgrade my observatory
Thanks for the update Geoff! Hopefully the weather will be a bit more cooperative going forward.Altocumulus wrote: ↑Tue Nov 07, 2023 5:01 pm Well now, time for a little update!
10 inches of rain in October certainly put the pause button on long hold!
But I'm moving along, finding mistake after mistake as the build progresses!
3 windows in, one on the north wall, so I can use a small area for art. 2 in the east wall, for daylight working. One ended up being wonky as one of the supposed verticals wasn't! All walls done.
The rolling roof is on, too long on the east end by about 20 centimetres, so there might be an opportunity for a shelf - but it's annoying. EPDM is fixed at one end, just managed that before showers arrived and I've not done the rest as I plan on doing the warm room at the same time.
Started to fix the extended part of the rails more firmly, which shows the roof needs to move eastwards a further .5 metre or so to give sight of the eastern end of the elliptic. Not too sure how I can do that at the moment - it means the current clearance of the roof would mean one scope wouldn't see the summer Sun until 10ish.
Problem to solve somehow - an extension from current length would mean another pair of vertical supports, but on spongy ground not a quick solution. Sighs.
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
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- Altocumulus
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Re: Upgrade my observatory
My original (local) supplier has let me down with some extra timber. I know I originally planned on a 3.0x3.5m and it's turned out to be 2.5x4.2m, but I am still short on roofing and floor coverage.
After 10 days of waiting I cancelled, with rather unprofessional manners from them, I went with another supplier (nationwide) - and even that one's proving a little slow! Mind this last one I used for some timber after discovering they were 60% cheaper than B&Q (UK diy supplier) for the same material specs.
I could complete the roofing with what I have, but I'm worried about gluing the edpm when temperatures are as low as they are. Water-based glue needs above 5C and no frost within a few hours. The rather more stick-it-and-you-cant-move it bond may be equally as strict on temperatures (not that it says anything on the can).
I could, I suppose, place a fan heater inside and warm the roof for long enough!?
Oh, and I decided another 1.5 metres of rail was needed to help clear the SE edge. Delivery one has gone missing, so there's a replacement somewhere!
Meanwhile the weather is set to become cold for a few days, with likely snow.
At least I can take some comfort in the weather is equally bad for any serious 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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Re: Upgrade my observatory
I hope you get some >5°C weather sometime soon!
Graeme
Celestron 9.25 f10 SCT, f6.3FR, CGX mount.
ASI1600MM Pro, ASI294MC Pro, ASI224MC
ZWO EFW, ZWO OAG, ASI220MM Mini.
APM 11x70 ED APO Binoculars.
https://www.averywayobservatory.co.uk/
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Re: Upgrade my 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
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Re: Upgrade my 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.
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Re: Upgrade my observatory
Best of luck with Everything, indeed.
Small Bore Multiple Wavelength Experimental Solar Imaging, Filtering, SEAA & Visual Observation
- Altocumulus
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Re: Upgrade my observatory
Meanwhile a few photos from a couple of weeks ago to follow.
I do what I do because I can, and because I want to.
It doesn't mean I know what I'm doing
- Altocumulus
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Re: Upgrade my observatory
Looking inward from the NE. Roof skeleton in place with the wheels on the rail. Squared and moveable.
I do what I do because I can, and because I want to.
It doesn't mean I know what I'm doing
- Altocumulus
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Re: Upgrade my observatory
Wall on the south side, showing wheels (OTT sized!) 3 wheels a side. Roof sides completed and roof covered. For ease I used the floorboards instead of the large sheets of OSB. epdm stuck with water based glue on some parts - bonded elsewhere, especially vertical sides. Vile stuff the bonding glue - it sticks without opportunity to adjust.
Looking in from the east wall - two acrylic windows. Horizontal window seems to not be so.....
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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Re: Upgrade my observatory
- Altocumulus
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Re: Upgrade my observatory
There's a slight drop in the roof to the south. Although the contact adhesive grabbed when the side was fixed, there's a few puckers on the top - but seems to shed water with no major problem.
I do what I do because I can, and because I want to.
It doesn't mean I know what I'm doing
- helicon Online
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Re: Upgrade my 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
- Altocumulus
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Re: Upgrade my observatory
The replacement rail hasn't yet been despatched.
The supplier of wood can't/won't deliver - no reason given other than they can't make the
original schedule.....
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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