I'm finally at the point in the build where I don't need to cover it up with plastic

Hopefully I will be able to put the mount and scope in the box this weekend, then there are just some minor things left to do, like isolation and some kind of safety arrangement to keep the lid from crushing my scope

/Patrik

Looks really nice, well done! 

Must feel good that it's finally ready for your scope. Looks like we have used the same kind of wall planks, I'm a couple of weeks away from being done though

No progress lately...about 50 cm of snow on the roof this morning, lol. I'd better get out with a showel

Painted the planks for the walls today. It had to be done inside due to the zero deg outside temperature On the upside I now know that the roof can withstand both heavy rain and a following snowstorm

Finally some progress today after one week on Cyprus

Made the frame more rigid and mounted hinges and they handled the weight of the roof without problems. Had my doubts about how they would cope when the roof is open but all seems fine! 

Thanks for your indepth posts Gonzo and Magnus, seems like ventilation is the way to go then

Theres one thing I cannot understand though: wont ventilation make the inside of the box as humid as the outside if not adding any heat source? I don't really want to store my scope permanently in the box if the humidity rises above 80% on a regular basis...I guess I'll have to resort to trial and error I'll give it a go and see what works

4 hours ago, Gonzo said:

I wouldn't use a waterproof membrane, use a breathable one if you can.

Don't think I'll use a membrane of any sort, at least not initially. The plastic sheet in the pictures are just to protect from rain during the build. I think I'll have to keep track of humidity when the box is finished.

If it gets too humid in the box I'll have to reconsider, maybe isolate it and add some kind of membrane and perhaps a dehumidifier. Seems like opinions on how to handle humidity varies alot depending on who you ask, I'm having a really hard time deciding on what to do about it... 

2 hours ago, Linda said:

It's a smart concept, building a scope shed on your balcony. It gives more peace of mind than having it in an accessible garden. When I let my scope stay outside at night for an early morning session, I also put it on the balcony upstairs.

It sure does! Have you noticed any stability (or other) issues?

2 hours ago, Gonzo said:

Hi poogle,

take a look at my remote observatory thread lots of info, you could also instead of using that "Kitchen Cupboard Door Flap Hinge" use a gas strut.

2 hours ago, RayD said:

What about something along these lines?

http://www.eurofitdirect.co.uk/gas-strut-stay-spring-stay/?utm_source=GoogleBase&gclid=CjwKEAjw-abABRDquOTJi8qdojwSJABt1S1O1YSuGwEfT1rSB24MBRqEwGis_VgU3NZ8pRhFweKAZRoCM2bw_wcB

2 @ 100N I would have thought would be sufficient.

Perfect, a pair of gas struts it is! Just have to make sure that the supporting wall and hinges are rigid enough.

Gonzo: your thread is what got me started, so thanks for the inspiration

2 hours ago, Davey-T said:

May be a bit late now but have you treated the timber with any sort of preservative ?

Dave

The timber that is in contact with the balchony floor is treated. It's not too late for the other parts though, maybe I should paint the plywood facing down as well? 

29 minutes ago, brantuk said:

I believe they are called:

"Heavy Duty Spring Assisted Lift Pull Up Kitchen Cupboard Door Flap Hinge"

See here: http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/1-Pair-Heavy-Duty-Spring-Assisted-Lift-Pull-Up-Kitchen-Cupboard-Door-Flap-Hinge-/131050504552

Hth

 

How obvious!  Thanks

Thanks, that's a good idea!

Anyone know what those "spring openers" are called (see attached image). A pair of those (but more sturdy) might do the trick?

Also laid roof today. I'm very pleased with the progress so far

The roof is coming along nicely. As suspected it'll be really heavy, so have to come up with a good solution for opening and closing...some heavy duty hinges maybe?

I will lay some kind of asphalt paper (don't know what it's called in english, sorry ) on top to keep the weight down

Have made some progress! Finished the base, box frame and lid frame. Next step will be to decide on materials for the roof and walls.

My two concerns so far is the weight of the lid, and how to handle moisture once the scope is in place

I'm also building a box for my telescope, how will you take care of moisture? Condensation is the part about the build that worries me most

/Patrik

Hi

I've been reading topics with awe in this forum section for a couple of months, and a couple of days ago I finally decided to build something  I early gave up the thought of building a regular observatory since the horizon is obstructed in all directions. I live close to an airport in Stockholm, Sweden and only use my scope for astrophotography (narrowband). The thought of having my scope in an observatory or shed in the garden would keep me awake every night thinking about burglars.

So I came up with the idea to just build some kind of box on my second floor balcony which just only fits my mount and scope. It's less than ideal (close to the house and might get a bit wobbly) but I figured that it's better than the current status of my setup (my wive uses it as a coat hanger and my son uses it while learning to stand) . The south and west views are quite unobstructed and I will be able to sit in my living room controlling everything.

The inside of the box will measure 1.2 x 1.2 x 1.2 meters, I think that'll be just enough to allow scope movements in every direction.

I'll upload some pictures of the build as it progress.

/Patrik

Hi all

So I finally got around to shifting my trusty qhy8l over to the 130pds last week  I took a load of subs the other day and at first glance they seemed ok. However, on closer inspection there was some obvious tilt present - tut! It's painful to have to throw subs away...  I tried to correct the tilt earlier but I think there might still be a hint present. I'm using the qhy tilt ring as well as the focuser screws. I'm wondering if there's an easy, foolproof way of getting the adjustment spot on? Is CCD Inspector the way to go or is there another magic technique I can use? I don't want to waste more subs!

Grateful for any input/advice/suggestions.

Thanks

Louise

(have also posted this on the Cameras forum)

To get the camera "tilt free" you might try this method: http://www.sxccd.com/maintenance_info/Aligning_CCD.pdf

Hopefully your focuser is square, otherwise you'll have to align that as well

/Patrik

Hi Patrik,

That's good news.  I'd like to make up an AFF2 auto focuser with the NEMA17  bipolar stepper motor as my existing AFF2 AF works with my WOStar71 but not my AA80 which has a beefier focuser. Another point 12v is on the upper limit of the Easy Driver.

I would put a 3 Watt - 15 ohm resister after the 12v input to lower the voltage to around 9v.

Steve

Thanks for the heads up, I don't want to burn more than one driver (ordered two )! If I remember correctly the EasyDriver can handle 7 - 20 V input, but will have to double check this.

I use a NEMA 17 stepper with a planetary gear (27:1).

Hi Patrik,

Nice connection to the beautiful MoonLite. But, the motor looks like a 4 pole, four wire stepper motor, which as you have stated will be driven by the Easy driver board. Correct me if I'm wrong but the present the AAF2 code does not support the easy driver. 

King regards

Steve

Thanks Steve

Yes, I'll have to update some code for it to work with the Easy Driver. But I think Dave stated earlier in this thread that it's just the Clockwise and AntiClockwise functions that needs some update, fingers crossed

I will also need to provide 12V to it

/Patrik

Motor mounted! Now I only have to wait for the slooow boat from China, containing my nano and easystepper

Great thread and inspiration, thanks all. I'll see if I can get it working with the easystepper

/Patrik

2.97" p/p aint bad! I usually reserve binning for mosaics, as it allows me to quickly build something under tricky conditions - albeit at the price of resolution. Think of it this way, its like transforming your 750mm of focal length into 375mm, except without the increase in FOV. Which is only 25mm less than Espirit 80 (2.78" p/p), and 25 more than the Star71 (3.18" p/p)  - but im just comparing resolution here nothing else.

Its probably worth measuring your gain between 1x1 and 2x2 first. Take some flats at 2x2 (using a Ha filter) and achieve a target ADU of something like 24000 - make a note of the time, now switch to 1x1 and see how long it takes to get the same level, then divide one by the other to get your (rough) gain.

Thanks! What do I do with the measured gain?

Is the gain camera or chip dependent?

Wow, some stunning work done with this scope!

I've had the 150p for some time now and recently bought a SXVR-H18 (KAF-8300 chip). After doing some research I thought that binning was out of the question with the 2,97"/pixel resolution (2x2), but seeing Uranium235's images gives me hope

/Patrik

My first DSO image, the Dumbbell nebula

60*25 seconds at ISO 800. 11 darks and 11 bias frames. No flats

I'm very happy with my first attempt