New Observatory Build

[Soupy]

HI Just thought to start a new blog/thread about my Observatory build, feel free to offer advice and support, or tell me if I am going wrong as I have no building experience what so ever and I know this is going to be a big job! I aim to have it fully completed and functional in the next 5 weeks, before the summer holidays, so will need all the help I can get.

I managed to catch a bargain on Ebay the other week and have now put plans in place to build it in the back garden, with the misses consent I might add! The dome is hand built fiberglass, 10ft diameter. It is all fully computerised and linked to the scope, or should I say it has been where it was installed and I hope to do the same once installed over at mine but it seems no easy task.

My mates have been brilliant at offering help to move and build it, I am sure they are looking to book time on it once it is built

It will be coming across next week all being well so I have made a start today on the area where it is going.

This area has been my kids play area for the last seven years but is now mine to use as a new type of play area, so here is how it looked this morning

and here is how it looked this evening.

I have also now marked out the diameter for the foundations which I assume I am going to have to dig down approx. 600mm and dug out the foundation hole for the pier as can be seen here it is approx. 700mm deep I think this should be sufficient, I hope to have the pier approx 800mm above the ground so this should be a sufficient weight of concrete that shouldn't move... fingers crossed!

This is the area as I have just left it with the diameter marked out and the pier foundations dug

I'll add to the thread as I build with pics to allow you all to see the progress.

thanks in advance for any helpfull constructive comments

Soupy

[dmahon]

There's a forum section for obsy builds - someone might be able to move this for you.

Have you got access to get a cement lorry back there? If you have, take that option rather than a mixer.

[Soupy]

Sorry didn't realise, Who would I get to move it for me...?

See falling down at the first stage.

Could possibly get a cement truck down there. I imagine I'll need a lot.

[trazor]

This should be of interest.

http://www.pulsarobservatories.com/downloads/BASE%20REQUIREMENTS.pdf

From the Pulsar website.

[Soupy]

Cheers trazor looks like great advice

[red dwalf]

look forward to seeing the progress

[mhard26339]

Welcome to the beginning of an exciting time. I am coming to the end of my dome build (new obsy in norfolk uk). for the concrete I bought a cheap mixer form EBay and 2 maxi bags of ballast and 12 bags of cement from Wickes. My pier hole was 700mm deep 600mm square with the dome base at 2.7m square x 125mm deep. I used all of my ballast for these dimensions. 

I will follow your progress with interest but there are lots of very helpful guys on this site, I have "borrowed" many ideas that have made my build life much easier.

Regards

Mike

[r3i]

Good luck with the build Soupy - look forward to seeing how it progresses.

[red dwalf]

you can always hire a mixer, hire firms usually do a deal for weekend use at better rates and you can pick up Friday and return Monday

[Soupy]

Just remembered I had a mixer I gave to father in law a few years ago he still has it so will pick it up this week, will save me some time and money I think and I can work at my own pace when I get it.

I think I'll take your advice Mike and get at least that amount, will shop around to see where is cheapest, but on Internet Wickes seems to be coming out top at the minute. What mix sand to cement did you use?

[Soupy]

This is the mount and pier I have ready for when I get the concrete base finished.

[dmahon]

You can only work at your own pace to a certain extent. You're better off pouring the pier all in one go, same with the base.

The cost of bags of cement plus ballast bought separately is pretty similar to having it delivered ready mixed in a lorry. And it's a lot more work (I mixed approximately 6 tonnes). If I had my time again, even though I don't have direct access, I would have it delivered and pay a few people with wheelbarrows for an hours labour.

[Soupy]

Cheers Dmahon, I'll price it up this week before jumping straight in buying from Wickes. Anything to save a few bob or a few hours of back ache!

[Soupy]

Just spent an hour digging foundations for the walls... I have only gotten around half the circumference of the circle and only to a depth of about 300mm. It's very hard work! Will so another hour tomorrow night to at least join the trench up then start going down some more.

[Soupy]

Realised last night that I have made a school boy error with the hole for the pier. I put it central... Need to off set it from the middle of the sphere by about 300mm due to having a dome and not a ROR otherwise it would hit the top of the dome!

I think I need to make it slightly bigger anyway for a surer footing so will rectify it later this evening and extend the hole in one direction therefore making a wider support for the pier and making it in the right place... There is a silver lining

[happy-kat]

Will you be doing a pipe conduit for the wiring/power?

(I know nothing just interested to follow)

[Soupy]

I plan to use a buried armoured cable from the house to the obsy then will hopefully use some sort of conduit to route it to the sockets in the obsy.

Sent from my GT-I9195 using Tapatalk

[trazor]

Realised last night that I have made a school boy error with the hole for the pier. I put it central... Need to off set it from the middle of the sphere by about 300mm due to having a dome and not a ROR otherwise it would hit the top of the dome!

I think I need to make it slightly bigger anyway for a surer footing so will rectify it later this evening and extend the hole in one direction therefore making a wider support for the pier and making it in the right place... There is a silver lining

Are you sure about this offset.

Are you in AZ or EQ mode, try to imagine the scope position at 0 deg. and then, when you turn it around by 180 deg.

Or am I, missing something ???

[Soupy]

Ok another hour on the foundations tonight, as can be seen now I have cleared most of the western horizon barring one tree. That has a tree bee nest in it so I am not sure how to attempt this yet, it can wait for a little while anyway.

I have also dug out the pier foundations more to accommodate having it offset from the centre. Should be fine now where it is. Still just over a third to do on the outer foundations but that can do till tomorrow. Sorry it's a little blurry forgot to take off manual focus!

[Soupy]

Spoke to the fella I am getting from and this is what he has advised Trazor, I can see where he is coming from and the dome is plenty big enough to accommodate this. The scope is a 12" Dob on a yoke mount, if it was an SC then central would be fine but as the scope is 1500mm FL then it needs this offset.

[Soupy]

Picking dome up tomorrow, let's hope I can get it down without damaging it, then transport it the 15 miles to mine. Without taking any cars out. It is a wide load and I have to negotiate some single lane roads! I'll post some hopefully successful pics tomorrow night.

[Soupy]

Well after a fun filled day (thats one word for it!) and with a lot of help from my WADAS mates, Robin, Leigh, Steve, Jeremy, Matt, and of course not forgetting Richard whose dome it is I have bought. We have managed to lift the dome by hand from its original base in Barnsley 

transport it across to Huddersfield

to place it in the garden ready for when I get the chance to get the walls across and fitted so we can lift it into place over in its new home

remember this thing is nearly 5ft high and 10ft diameter.

[daaveyboy]

I have just come across this thread and I am interested in a 2.7mt full bodied or a 2.2 mt top dome on top of a 4 x 2.5 mt brick shed that I am building and I would like to know if planning permision is needed,as this is not classed as a permanent structure,do I need it?

Any help would be much appreciated

[Soupy]

Hi Daaveyboy, you only need planning permission if it is going to be over 4m for a double pitch roof or 3m for another type of roof, the eves must not be over 2.5m and there are a few more riders about distance from existing house as well as amount of land already used for permitted development. In your case I would suggest that the dome you are considering might well take it above what is allowed so you need to be careful, sorry I can't give you the answer you need.

[daaveyboy]

Hi Daaveyboy, you only need planning permission if it is going to be over 4m for a double pitch roof or 3m for another type of roof, the eves must not be over 2.5m and there are a few more riders about distance from existing house as well as amount of land already used for permitted development. In your case I would suggest that the dome you are considering might well take it above what is allowed so you need to be careful, sorry I can't give you the answer you need.

Many thanks for the info,I will ask at my local council office.