Bolt it to the house !

[Viewmaster]

If you have a south facing wall of your house with quite clear views, have you ever bolted your mount onto the wall

if just using a DSLR with lenses ?

 I wonder how stable a house is compared with a concrete pier?

Of course one would be limited to the southern sky and Polaris would not be available for PA.

Very short cables could then run into the nearest room for warm AP in winter.

[VigdisVZ]

I know some guys in sweden are successfully using balconies for both narrowband and planetary. Should be the same when it comes to stability.

[sbooder]

Would not any heat from the house spoil your images?

[Viewmaster]

Would not any heat from the house spoil your images?

That would depend on what temperature the rooms were kept at in the winter on that south facing wall.

A well insulated cavity wall would help reduce any heat problem.

[Viewmaster]

I posted this in the wrong thread, so here it is in the right one..............

Here's the  pier with the EQ3 base mounted on it, and heaters, the pier to be vertically  wall mounted.

  (16 inches from house wall)

 The large gear is an old one being used as an adaptor plate for the EQ fixing and holding  an inverted bucket to retain heat and keep all dry.  Sqaure cut out in bottom to slip down pier.  A top removable cover will then  drop over all.

Pier is about 3ft long. 2inch sq ali.

Bucket by courtesy of Wickes........"It's got my name on it.! "   

[philj]

Hi Richard

A south facing brick or stone wall absorbs heat during the day and then releases it at night, its nothing to do with the room temperature behind it unless the wall is thin as paper. 

Bricks have been used in storage heaters for years for this very reason, they absorb heat then release it when the electric is switched. Your house does the same from the sun.

I know because we have a major wall facing south and its like one big radiator. Lovely to stand by and get my hands warm on a chilly night.

Even in winter it will absorb heat and then radiate it when the sun goes down, so if you are not bothered about swimming views then bolting it to the house would be OK.

I personally do not set a scope up anywhere near our south facing wall, also I don't set up on concrete, paved areas or asphalt for the same reason.

[Steve Ward]

From mid-October to mid-March my Solar rig sits atop a 14' tall pier bolted to a south-facing wall in order to get a view over obstructing greenery , it sits some three foot off the wall and suffers no ill-effects from heat-haze as this is all behind the scope ... 

[philj]

Im sure you wouldnt suffer much doing solar as the rig is warming just like the bricks during the day Steve.

Thats also a decent distance away from the wall. However come night time/temperature drop its always best for the view to keep away if possible but if your not bothered by swimming images or cant get away and accept the heat effects then fine.

[Viewmaster]

Well, I guess it's a case of trying it out.  For me, it's well worth the attempt.

Most of my 'wall' imaging, as many do, will be done in the colder months and not in the heat of summer and at those

times,  the Sun is not so intense. 

Maybe image on a clear night after a cloudy, sunless day will be my rule to work to.   

[swag72]

I say absolutely give it a go. I have the sort of obs that would clearly make some peoples toes curl.... Its built of brick, its on a flat roof, its surrounded by a tonnes of concrete by way of terracing. But.... It works. Had I listened to some folks about the amount of thermals I was going to get with this lot..... In Spain.... I'd never have done it.

[Viewmaster]

Thanks very much for that Swag.  Your experience in hot Spain may mean that I will be OK. 

If no one has ever bolted an imaging rig to the wall of a house then no one knows

if it will work.

Maybe, as everyone is now living longer and so probably feels the cold more, my

wall imaging from indoors idea, if it works, will catch on.  

I am trying it because I'm now  81......and counting.

[russ_gibbons]

A south facing brick or stone wall absorbs heat during the day and then releases it at night...

If the wall is painted white to reflect the sunlight,  or covered with Ivy, the absorbed heat given off at night won't be as great.

You might hang a white sheet in front of the wall in the afternoon before you observe (you could be "green" to save the planet by hanging cloths out to dry to save energy on the drying machine.)

[Viewmaster]

Here's the wall mounted pier. (The wire netting has nothing to do with the mount, nor have the cross pipes)

That's the small bedroom window at the west end corner of the house, behind which,
I will entirely control the mount and camera. That soil pipe is right on the western corner of the house.

Now working on a heated cocoon type enclosure, the top to be easily removed by just leaning out of the window.  
The small black area on the wall is a hole where all the control cables will go through into the house.

[Steve Ward]

Looking good ... 

I would suggest some additional bracing between the 'pier' and the wall to provide lateral stiffness , you'll be surprised how much wind you'll catch at the higher elevation.

[RichM63]

Warm and toasty vs Cold and frozen, I know which I prefer. Best wishes and clear skies.

[Viewmaster]

Yes I agree, Steve, it might need some cross bracing, although it does seem very rigid.

It's about 12ft from the ground and right on the corner of the house.......although this will allow imaging more

to the NW, any wind gusting on that corner may be a problem. 

Soon designing a wind shield maybe.

I see that you have long 45 degree braces on your solar rig, although your exposure times are very short

compared with the much longer exposures  my structure will have to stand.

[damnut]

Nice job there!.

[perfrej]

This is totally awesome! Creativity at its best, nothing less. And I thought I was creative with my super steady balcony pier

/per

[Viewmaster]

Thanks per for those encouraging words.

I see from your web site that you did call yourself a, 'Balcony imager.'

If I'm successful, I shall have to call myself a, 'House wall imager.'

[Viewmaster]

Now decided that the cocoon enclosure will be made from two silver coloured flexi tubs,
one inverted onto the other forming a cocoon with a small rain proof overlap.
Top one to be removed from house window for imaging.

Max/min thermometer now awaiting to be installed together with a de humidifying egg. 

A security camera will be fitted near to mount with tiny monitor

in the control room !.....standing on the wife's dressing table.    

...........Because I wish to see when slewing that nothing untoward is happening to cables etc ,

without having to be continually poking my head out of the window.        Brrrrr.

Photos to follow when all installed.

[RichM63]

standing on the wife's dressing table.

Yikes, and you're 81, I've hope left yet.

As a rain cowl on the top tube, have a look at Chinese Hat Chimney Cowls they generally come with a big circlip for tightening onto the flue pipe. Might not fit in with your design plans?

[Viewmaster]

Thanks for that Rich but it must be completely enclosed from all weathers as I aim to have both camera and lens permanently installed within the cocoon as well as the EQ3 PRO mount and its new base and imaging camera and lens. (SPC900LX and f2.8 130mm )

So two large flexi bins ,one slightly reduced in diameter will fit onto the other full sized dia one forming an entirely weatherproof cocoon, within which, I can have heaters and silica gel etc to keep it all free from damp.

Photo to come soon will explain all.

Live long Rich, and prosper.

[Viewmaster]

Here's the cocoon indoors nearly ready have its' innards' fitted.

Also a carefully   drawn circuit of the wiring between it when outside and the house.

Photo of 'innards' to follow soon.

[Chris]

This is brilliant, love it!

[Viewmaster]

Here is the mount, imaging camera and lens,  guiding camera and its lens in the stowed position in the bottom section of the cocoon with top section removed. 

It was a tight squeeze to fit it all in.......just couldn't get the kitchen sink in, I'm afraid.

Also picky showing it raised up in the imaging position.

If I motorise the top section of the cocoon to swivel up and away for imaging I shall not even have to open the window at all. 

Be able to do everything from inside the house, including focusing.