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I can build a pier :)


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Hi all, just got the go ahead for a pier, unfortunately i didn't get to choose the location :huh: . Still it's a pier !

post-37525-0-54528400-1409683052.jpg

This is the area i have to work with, weights placed where pier will be, haven't worked out a height yet, will have to experiment, buildings obstructing my horizon,  Do i go high, and gain a little more horizon, or keep it the same height that my tripod provides.......undecided !

post-37525-0-02549900-1409684207.jpg

As, you can see, green house and next doors garage, get in the way. The shed to the left has ample power sockets and is where i usually run my laptop and other bits and bobs, luckily my 5m cables (usb/power lead and EqDir reach...(phew)   Plant pots will be gone, just as soon as the fruit is ready for picking ......  i would be in deep do do, if i were to knock one off, lol

Going to keep it simple,   big hole, lots of concrete/rebar  and a length of 152mm x 8mm wall GRP tube ( waste section from todays production run  :grin: ) topped of with a disc brake assembly for the mount.

Any thoughts/ideas as to things i may have overlooked !

 Thanx Andy

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Man up and build it where you dam well want to.... PLEASE promise me my wife will never hear of this :D

With regards to getting more horizon, remember that things get a little messed up the closer you get to the horizon because of the amount of atmosphere you are looking through increases. throw a bit of lp into the mix and it can be all but useless. I mainly select targets when they are at their highest where possible although there are thoughs (such as the area around Sag and Sco that never get too high anytime.

 If you get southern skies above about 30-35 deg them I reckon you'll be one happy camper :)

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As Auspom said to low is really a waste on planning, try to work the pier height so when your scope it pointing straight up you can see through the EP with out standing on a box, and forward plan a bit will you upgrade to a bigger scope ect, your shed is about the same distance as mine very handy if you can make a wring loom up so you just unwrap it and connect.....mine was held together with self amalgamating tape, cable tyes are just right for taking the skin off as it slips through your fingers....:)

DSC_9560.jpg

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Man up and build it where you dam well want to.... PLEASE promise me my wife will never hear of this :D

With regards to getting more horizon, remember that things get a little messed up the closer you get to the horizon because of the amount of atmosphere you are looking through increases. throw a bit of lp into the mix and it can be all but useless. I mainly select targets when they are at their highest where possible although there are thoughs (such as the area around Sag and Sco that never get too high anytime.

 If you get southern skies above about 30-35 deg them I reckon you'll be one happy camper :)

Lol, i did man up, but, she womaned up ([ :help: ]) location of the pier is and i quote "not up for negotiation" so i settled . after all, she could have killed the pier off before a slab was lifted ! :laugh:

As for the height of the pier!  on the tripod, ground to base of mount is 34", i stood out on the chosen site tonight, i have bad lp to the W from Clacton, although the council turns the street lamps out at 1am, big improvement, to the NNW lp from Felixstowe/Harwich docks, E view is non existant, She of the Garden's trees get in the way and S view ok, once the plants there have died off for winter :laugh:. So, any increase in height, would only increase the amount of lp getting to the scope.

post-37525-0-63900400-1409775216.jpg

quick mapping of the scopes operating footprint

As Auspom said to low is really a waste on planning, try to work the pier height so when your scope it pointing straight up you can see through the EP with out standing on a box, and forward plan a bit will you upgrade to a bigger scope ect, your shed is about the same distance as mine very handy if you can make a wring loom up so you just unwrap it and connect.....mine was held together with self amalgamating tape, cable tyes are just right for taking the skin off as it slips through your fingers.... :)

Your loom, looks just like mine :laugh: ,  as for forward planning, How's this !! She of the garden has stated that  if any of the images i hope to capture, are good enough to go on one of her walls, i get to build  a pier in a location of my choice, even in her beloved garden ! I'm sorry to say, that would means some serious astro time......wouldn't it, more time in the shed, more late nights.......Yippee, can't wait, but you didn't hear that from me!

Andy

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  • 2 weeks later...

hi all,  well its been a busy week or so,  and iv'e been unlucky with the clouds. At home, its been cloudy, as soon as i return to work (night shift :sad: ) it's clear skys ! Typical !

So, 

        I've been sourcing my bits for for the pier head, got 5x 1m lengths of 16mm studding ( 4 off,anchor the bottom disk to the pier, the remaining one, will be cut and used for fixing and leveling of the top disk ) , a pair of Disks ( in negotiations with one of the machinists at work, he wants to take a peek at the night sky, in return for his time.  Can't argue with that  :grin: ).  I'm still waiting for permission to move the plants :icon_frown: .   Oh !, and i spent some pennies, (slaps hand)

1 x QHY5-II Mono 
1 x Sky-Watcher Startravel-80T OTA
1 x SkyWatcher Long 33.5cm Dovetail Bar

That's the guiding sorted, :grin:  :lipsrsealed:  Sorry, if my indulgence,  brings in the cloud !,  but it had to be done !.

As i tried to explain, In order for me to take a photo, that is worthy of framing and hanging, i have to be able to track for longer periods,.... "ok" was the answer....Gobsmacked!

Now, i'm waiting for the impending parcel :icon_bounce: ,  bet it turns up, after i leave for work! lol

Anyway, that's where i am,  this is turning into an obsession :laugh:

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Quick update, 

       I will have all the structural components of my pier and disk brake mount, ready for test assembly, tomorrow   (monday, will take some pic's) :smiley:

Now i need to address the issue of cables from computer to the pier / pier to mount/cameras !

I have to keep all cables above ground, and this is what my cable bundle consists of atm,

1x 5m  12v ......13.8v power supply

1x 5m  Eqdir

1x 5m  Active USB  to camera

I now have too add USB cable for QHY5 !

so, a question.. I have a Powered USB hub, ....If i were to mount the hub on the pier  and connect my equipment to it !

 Would the single USB lead to the hub from the computer be able to handle all the data, or would i need a different configuration ?

Thanx in advance

Andy

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Hey, I'm five foot four, my wife is French (read that twice!) and I got away with a four scope robotic shed, three sentry box roll-offs and a block-built roll-off with warm room. C'mon, make an effort!!!

:grin: lly

Lol.. redheaded french wife here.. I have the option for a pier.. but there's lots that I have todo ("finish") in DIY..

I will be building a concrete pier asap I hope for this winter.. in the centre of the garden :D

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Quick update, 

       I will have all the structural components of my pier and disk brake mount, ready for test assembly, tomorrow   (monday, will take some pic's) :smiley:

Now i need to address the issue of cables from computer to the pier / pier to mount/cameras !

I have to keep all cables above ground, and this is what my cable bundle consists of atm,

1x 5m  12v ......13.8v power supply

1x 5m  Eqdir

1x 5m  Active USB  to camera

I now have too add USB cable for QHY5 !

so, a question.. I have a Powered USB hub, ....If i were to mount the hub on the pier  and connect my equipment to it !

 Would the single USB lead to the hub from the computer be able to handle all the data, or would i need a different configuration ?

Thanx in advance

Andy

I'd lose the active 5m and use a high quality passive one. You have the hub, which is an active device and thus "refreshes" the signal quality. All the data will fit in one cable without issues.

/per

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Lol.. redheaded french wife here.. I have the option for a pier.. but there's lots that I have todo ("finish") in DIY..

I will be building a concrete pier asap I hope for this winter.. in the centre of the garden :D

there is a brick built raised pond in the center of the garden, not sure i could negotiate the moving/removing of that, although, its removal would leave a very big hole...Hmmm !

I'd lose the active 5m and use a high quality passive one. You have the hub, which is an active device and thus "refreshes" the signal quality. All the data will fit in one cable without issues.

/per

Thanx Per,

 that's nice to know,  that would simplify things, now, i need to get some shorter USB cables ( wallet winces, again) ...time to rummage threw my cable box  :smiley:

on a different note,

I have got to thank SGL members ....I  have spent the past few days/weeks reading posts old and new, and so far, i've sorted most of my set up issues, gained a bit more confidence while i'm using the scope ( when the cloud clears ), gained  a few more bits of equipment :grin: increased my learning curve, (about to delve into Guiding, and i might play with the QYH5 and the moon).  The wealth of knowledge is amazing, and an answer to a problem is never far away, and that makes my experience  as a newbie a whole lot more enjoyable, :smiley:

Thanx

Andy

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Ok, got the bits back from the machine shop today :smiley:

So here's a quick mock up

post-37525-0-47327600-1411493857.jpg

The 3 leveling studs are mocked up with 12mm studding, ill swap these out for 16mm, when i get round to cutting them, lol

Big News

The fruit is off of the tree :grin: , so that means, i can now lift the slabs and get digging ! Hoping to get all the prep work, done over the the next couple of weeks, then i'm off work for a week, that will be when i will hire a mixer ( no more hand mixing, last time, i hand mixed 1 ton !, never ever again  ) and pour some mix.

Now for the Question

Would it be ok, too pour the mix for the 1M x 1M x 1M block around the tube and fill the tube the following day, or should they be poured as one ?

Thanx

Andy

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Don't know about the concrete, but I guess they can be poured separately. At least that is how they build bridges...

I notice that you have opted for the excessive length adjustment bolts. I wonder why many do this. My take is that an inch is enough, but then again, I use stuff that require real stability.

Short bolts as per below is the way to go. An inch or so - tops!

/per

2014-08-23-Mount.jpg

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Don't know about the concrete, but I guess they can be poured separately. At least that is how they build bridges...

I notice that you have opted for the excessive length adjustment bolts. I wonder why many do this. My take is that an inch is enough, but then again, I use stuff that require real stability.

Short bolts as per below is the way to go. An inch or so - tops!

/per

2014-08-23-Mount.jpg

I guess some folk like to feel they have enough room to get their hand in to reach the mount retaining bolt, although I don't see it is necessary if you attach the mount first.
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Would it be ok, too pour the mix for the 1M x 1M x 1M block around the tube and fill the tube the following day, or should they be poured as one ?

Thanx

Andy

Pour as one unfortunately.. If you don't then you'll have a layer and that will split/break.

Most bridges they create sections and bolt together. When they make dams.. they continuously pour and it's crazy to watch.

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Thanks Nick, I'll remember that! In fact, I will be pouring some concrete soon, but only for a pier base. I will keep my steel pier design with the 100 x 100 mm square steel profile and the 10 mm thick top plate. It really rocks (or "steels"?).

/per

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