Which way is best

[baggywrinkle]

I am hoping to be in my new home in January, not quite the month for laying concrete but just as good for planning the obsy project.

I am going to go for a roll off roof type. My question  is I can get clear views all round but is there a preffered direction for the roof to slide off?

West East or North South?

[Gina]

Generally speaking you'll want to observe/image from the east, through south and round to the west so, other things being equal, the north would be the preferred direcyion to roll your roof off.

[Tinker1947]

As Gina said roll off towards the North, give your self some elbow room in the attached warm room.....

[red dwalf]

i have my roof rolling off to the East over my warm room, there`s a couple of reasons i did this, 

1, i can clearly see north, useful for polar aligning and some nice summer objects.

2, i can roll the roof back enough to be able to view or image anything over about 30 degrees which for imaging is ok as you need the target to be getting higher in the shy so your imaging through the least amount of atmosphere.

and 3, i had little choice L.O.L. it was going to be either East or West. 

[r3i]

If you've got good all round views of the sky, you're a very lucky chap

I'd agree with having the roof rolling northwards.  You will end up with the view to north side being compromised a little bit but better that one rather than east south or west and unless you build a rolling roof with a very high pitch, you should still be easily able to see a good amount northwards including the Pole Star for alignment.

[laser_jock99]

My lid rolls East- because North is somebody else's land and uphill ! East has a few pine trees too but even so I can see quite well over the lid.

[Charic]

........in the image laser_jock99 supplied, if the roof is as flat, then slide off direction is not critical when viewing from within the shed, as it does not appear to hinder anything.

From my observatory, I can only see  an area of sky that circumnavigates Polaris taking in Ursa Major, but  I still have major obstructions and Street lighting to contend with. Polaris for me at 57° literally looks like its right over head in my Zenith. If i can hide/shelter my eyes, even  just behind  one of my sheds, or from within my Dob/Utility Tent, so-long as my eyes are shielded from the light pollution, my visual images seem better  through  the telescope. I need to modify my telescopes exit  covering from the tent to allow for the finderscopes to be unhindered, but  Its the eyes that need protecting!

[Bizibilder]

Another point in favour of the north opening roof is that you can often operate with the roof partially closed.  Seeing or imaging anything from the zenith to the southern horizon is possible with the roof only just over half open (assuming your pier is central!).  This can be beneficial to keep both wind and light pollution under some control.  I also find that it limits the amount of dewing problems that I have - anything under the roof is far less likely to dew up.

[baggywrinkle]

On another matter, what lighting do you have inside. I am considering the attached, http://www.bltdirect.com/led-golfball-1-watt-bayonet-cap-red-5w-alternative

Anyone using these red LED lamps?

I am also looking at permanently powering the mount. My new place already as solar panels (16) so power bill will be minimal. This would save on set up time. Thoughts anyone?

[ollypenrice]

All things being equal (though they may not be!) it surely has to be north. Anything obscured below Polaris will, at some point, rise above it. All my imaging projects begin roughly in the east since this gives the longest opportunity.

Many roll offs have just the roof rolling but, because I have good horizons, all mine have rolling upper-sides-and-roof plus a drop down flap at the end opposite the rolled off direction. This isn't difficult to contrive. We've done it in both steel and timber.

Olly

Or...

or even very big...

Olly

[Bizibilder]

As for lighting - I have a couple of 60w bulkhead lights for general lighting ie so I can see what I'm doing when setting up and packing away.  Additionally I have a couple of 12v 500mm long red LED strips that are operated via dimmers in the warm room, these along with the laptop screen provide ample light for working.  I must admit that 99% of my observatory time is imaging - I very rarely look through a telescope at all!!

I do have mains installed (a caravan cable that runs from an RCD protected socket in the house) but, if I didn't, then an additional couple of white 12v LED strips would replace the 60w bulkheads.

[laser_jock99]

Lighting- I have a mixture of full power normal room lighting (actually outdoor style bulkhead lights) and low power LED fixtures. During set & breakdown full lights might be used. During observing single LEDs lamps may be used. When imaging is in progress I prefer no lighting at all- Even putting tape over the very bright LED's the seem to festoon all electrical equipment these days. Even laptop screens need covering - but the full darkness helps observing and stops unwanted spurious light reaching the CCD,s. 

[todd8137]

Mines slides of to the west and have no probs

Pat

[r3i]

On another matter, what lighting do you have inside. I am considering the attached, http://www.bltdirect.com/led-golfball-1-watt-bayonet-cap-red-5w-alternative

I went for a white and a red bulkhead style light, both on dimmer switches.  I've got a pair of each in both the warm room and the scope room.  I got them from here: http://www.tlc-direct.co.uk/Main_Index/Lighting_External_Index/Lighting_Bulkheads_Index/Bulkhead_1/index.html

[laser_jock99]

Outside bulkhead lights are a good idea- the IP rating removes any doubt/worry about the fitting getting wet or damp.