Druid's Observatory

[Druid]

Sadly, don't have room for a Stonehenge replica so I'm thinking about building a roll-off-roof shed instead ...

I've got some builders dismantling and rebuilding our garden wall. This has created an opportunity to build an observatory given that the relevant side of the garden is completely trashed anyway. Hence I've got permission to proceed in principle. This first post lays out my initial thinking in the hope that those with more experience can spot any mistakes. 

Site details:

Garden is roughly 30x30' in size with a 30'x10' raised patio in addition. My road is oriented more or less N to S, so the S horizon is decent. It's slightly more restricted to the W and normally I observe from the patio on the E (house) side, sacrificing a view in that direction in favour of letting the house block the light pollution from Liverpool (4km NE) and the nearest street lamp. Neighbours to the W have an aversion to curtains in one case and a sensor-triggered security light in the other.

My proposed site therefore is the NW corner at the bottom of the garden. That lets me use the E and N walls to block stray light, assuming they're over about 5'5" and have the roof slide off to the E in order to block a bit of stray light from high windows on that side and general Liverpool skyglow. 

According to my insurance company, I live in a high-crime area but I'm not planning to panic unduly about that. Just try to take sensible precautions where possible.

Gear:

I've got an AZ-EQ6, a C11 SCT  and a Televue 101 refractor. What I'm thinking about doing right now is mounting both scopes together using one of those ADM twin-mount thingies or similar. A stock C11 is ~12.5kg and a TV-101 ~5.5kg. FLO rate the mount 18kg for imaging and 25kg for visual, so I'd be fine for visual but pushing it a little bit for imaging by the time assorted gizmos are added. 

Use cases:

Right now I'm mostly visual, but that's partly due to the hassle of setting up for imaging when I'm away a lot working during the week, and hence only have limited observing time. I've also been getting intrigued in stuff like video astronomy to penetrate the orange murk and maybe eventually scientific studies like photometry. 

Tentative approach:

What I think I want to do is build something similar to the IKI sheds, although I'm pretty sure I can do it a lot cheaper than what they're charging. 

http://www.iankingimaging.com/show_products.php?category=184

I think with the scopes I have that I'd want the shed part to be about 9'x9' with a 4'x9' or so warm room on the side where the roof slides off. I think I'd also want a drop-down flap to the south. 

Q1 - what if I get a newt?

As far as I can tell, a C11 SCT and a fast refractor are going to be OK at roughly the same pillar height, which I think I calculate by finding out what tripod height equates to a comfortable viewing position when looking at the meridian at say 50-60 degrees. It occurred to me to wonder however, what happens if I want to put a newt on it? Presumably a newt wants a much lower pier? In which case, does anyone have any tips for making a convertible pier? For example, doing a concrete pier at a newt-friendly height, then bolting a steel pipe extension to it or similar? Would that also change the shed size, assuming it was something like an OO VX12?

No doubt I'll have more questions to come, but that's where my thinking has got to so far. 

[Bizibilder]

In answer to your question - set the pier height so the scopes get the best view!  A Newt "looks" in the same direction as a refractor/SCT it is just the eyepiece position that is different.  You also need to consider wall height - too high and you cant see objects that are low down and too low and you cannot slide the roof off as the scope/pier is in the way!  The whole thing becomes a compromise and needs quite a bit of careful thought.

I would also suggest at least 18" (450mm) clearance around the scope at any position as you will, at sometime, need to be able to get past the scope without crawling all over the floor!

[laser_jock99]

Q1 - what if I get a newt?

Get a stepladder!

I have a nine step ladder to access the business end of my 12" Newtonian.

[Druid]

[Gina]

I'm afraid that whatever you build it will eventually be too small - mine is   So make it as big as you can - I suggest at least 8ft square for the scope room.  A warm room can be smaller.  Just make sure you can stand up in it or you will be cursing   At least I got that right with mine though some of my visitors are taller than me

Good luck

[Druid]

I was just reading your 'where do I put the second pier?' thread

I think the maximum footprint I can integrate into our garden is going to be about 10x20 max, and what I'm picturing would be 8-9' wide internally.  

I totally see your point about standing up, which is why I'm thinking about either having a flap that drops down to the S or an Olly type design where the upper walls move as well as the roof. 

[Gina]

My observatory also has walls that move with the roof - and a fold down flap on the end wall.  Seemed the way to go to me and I haven't changed my mind - I'm still pretty satisfied

[laser_jock99]

The observatory room in my photo above is 10' x 10' and amply large for my astro gear + all the garden furniture, BBQ etc! 

The oft quoted 'minimum' size is 7' x 7' allowing only 3 1/2 feet all around the scope- which would be very tight IMO.

Design from the outset for the largest scope you are likely to own and it will fairly 'future proof'.

[wxsatuser]

I'm afraid that whatever you build it will eventually be too small - mine is   So make it as big as you can - I suggest at least 8ft square for the scope room.  A warm room can be smaller.  Just make sure you can stand up in it or you will be cursing   At least I got that right with mine though some of my visitors are taller than me

Good luck

I built mine 1.8m square........it's not enough room...

Did'nt have room for bigger but now thinking of an extension for a warm room.

Another fine mess AP has gotten me into.

[Druid]

Getting interested in the Keter shed builds. Anyone ever use the slightly larger sizes instead of the 6x6?

I'm wondering do the bigger sizes negate the advantages of the lightweight plastic roof. 

[Druid]

So, OK. Where I was going with the Keter shed thing was towards a 'quick and dirty' approach as an alternative to 'doing it properly' with all that that implies. 

As I thought through the implications of doing a proper job, I found myself thinking: if I'm going to have to run conduit for power and data to an observatory and hire an electrician to hook the former up, then I might as well dig a proper trench and sort out the garden drainage with some crusher run and sharp sand, then stick a path on top of it. Similarly while I'm putting up the building, or paying someone else to, or some combination thereof, I might as well integrate it with some sort of sitting area and that potting shed the wife has been wanting for ages. Otherwise I end up with an astro-shed in the middle of something that looks like an abandoned allotment. 

[laser_jock99]

Go for a proper job- if a job's worth doing.......

[Druid]

Yep. That's what I ended up concluding. I'm sorting all the jobs out into a backlog of reasonable sized chunks that I can do / fund over the next 6-8 months or so.

It means I don't get my observatory up and running until say the end of BST, but I also get a lot of other, arguably more important stuff sorted out in the process.  

[Druid]

Just had a very useful chat with Ian King about the practical details of ordering one of his roll-off sheds.

I'd been put off by thinking his installation crew needed to come up from Kent and stay overnight, but it turns out that they build and deliver them from Worksop, which is about 100 miles down the M62 from me. That means I'd be looking at a couple of grand for an 8x8 installed, assuming that I had all the site work sorted.