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ACross

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Posts posted by ACross

  1. 8 hours ago, tomato said:

    Just reread the thread, thanks for the tip on the shutter rollers, this would certainly make installing a powered drive easier, it does take a lot of effort to get the standard shutter design moving.

    Happy to report that 18 months on and the rollers are continuing to work very well. They are a lot quieter than the nylon bushes too and I recommend having a go at it before your dome is assembled in its new home - it’s a long way up to the top of the dome.

    • Like 1
  2. That is useful to note Tomato, on the size of van needed. One further small point to note from my own experience: the fully assembled dome top is fairly heavy (and difficult to move on your own). Try to keep it flat on its base lip whilst in the van and not propped on an edge. Mine was transported only 3 miles but propped up and the outer edge became fractured, despite the layers of blankets under it.

    Post some photos if you get chance to take some. Good luck!

  3. It will depending on how dismantled it is (and how much you want to dismantle on site). I only had to split the base in half to get it all onto an open, flat trailer and would have managed with a long wheel-base transit with the dome in to pieces. If you split the base and the dome into four I am sure you could get it all into a transit.  As Tomatobro says above, take plenty of coverings - raid the airing cupboard.

     

  4. 3 hours ago, hughgilhespie said:

    Great thread for Pulsar owners.

    I have just ordered a set of the shower rollers. The Pulsar nylon blocks are a horrible design and this is a great idea to replace them. Thanks!!

    Hugh

    Hi Hugh,

    happy to discuss the alterations I had to make and can send photos. 

  5. 24 minutes ago, skybadger said:

    Do your nylon blocks ride in a moulded recess ? Mine don't. But it's still a great idea. 

    Cheers

    Yes, my pulsar dome has a recessed channel that the nylon block “moved” along. These rollers are just about long enough (with an extended bolt and two wheels) to run inside the channel. If your dome has Teflon sliders, this may not provide much of an improvement. As I understand it Pulsar upgrades their design to improve the motor drives and this may have been part of that.

     

  6. 12 hours ago, skybadger said:

    Hi Across, 

    I'd like to understand more about your last paragraph, since I believe I have one of the too. 

    My shutter rides on Teflon slides. Is this what you are describing ? Do you have some photos please ?

    Mike

    Hi Mike

    The sliders that my dome had where white nylon and they did not slide well at all. I purchased a set these of bearing rollers (https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B01LL80ZJK/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o06_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1) designed for shower enclosure doors and adapted them by adding a longer bolt to allow for two rollers on one shaft. The roller is 25mm so fits the slot nicely and is designed for a damp environment.

    I found it is possible to remove a slider and replace with a roller, one at a time, without taking the aperture off completely, although it is fiddly.

    Anthony

    7310D9D0-54CB-45BA-9381-819A4FF8A88E.jpeg

  7. Some really good tips here.

    My 2.2m dome fitted on a flat-bed trailer in two halves, with the dome section complete; I split it at home to clean it up. Getting the silicone off was the biggest job for me. Three different softeners had no effect - I even tried leaving it overnight but still wouldnt budge. In the end I sharpened a stiff scraper on my grinder wheel and used this as a blade (wearing heavy duty gloves). 

    As to polishing, my dome had sat underneath trees, in a farmyard for years before I purchased it and was covered in algae and black-spots. After jet washing, soft-sponging and washing down the surface was gleaming. I figured if it was this good looking after years of abuse, polishing may only enhance it for a while. The glossy finish has not faded since I installed it 6 months ago and this is enough for me without annual maintenance, besides which I have the dome mounted on a 600mm high table to get me views over the surrounding buildings and reaching the top would be tricky at best.

    I did replace all the bolts with stainless domeheaded hex bolts and stainless nuts/washers, while Screwfix had a special price on - a few pounds well spent as I see them every time I am in the obs. I need to replace the bearings in the dome rollers as they had been left exposed to the elements for years at the farm.

    I also replaced the nylon studs to the apeture, with bearing rollers of the type use in shower enclosure doors. A little Blue-Peter work needed here but it now glides like a dream and could easily be powered by a motor if I felt so inclined to build one (my dome is the older model that cannot be retrofitted with the Pulsar automator system).

     

    Dome.jpg.0070bf7c931aabe9866f7d03956faab5.jpg

    • Like 1
    • Thanks 1
  8. On 16/08/2017 at 17:12, Jonk said:

    With some basic walls drawn, this is how it'll look.

    59946ec78980f_View6.thumb.PNG.affd353cd2e7eb728ac8cb6be6065176.PNG

    If your fixed side runners are extended out and a 45° return made to the shed sides this would assist hugely - the more you are prepared to run out the more stable it will make the roof when open. Larger slide off roofs often have a full runner with vertical touch down posts at the end. The runners are designed to take a fair load but this is usually measured in ideal conditions without warping timber. 

  9. I don't think I made this post very clear. I am wanting to give the sketchup files away to someone who can use them for their own purposes and only ask that if it is built, they post a report or pictures.  

    The dome itself is formed of 144 triangles that I had planned to have laser but but this would work equally well with aluminium, polycarbonate, etc. The frame is built of timber to form a hexagon and I have actually built this part before changing my plans. 

    Reply here if you are interested (then I need to work out a way to post the files.

  10. I drew up plans for a dome formed of a geodesic dome, on a timber frame. My plans have just changed when I bought a used Pulsar. 

    Is anyone interested in using these plans for their own project? I would love to see it built and can provide a number of files, including a flat plan for laser cutting.  There is a little work to do on the aperture. See attached illustration.

     

    IMG_0591.PNG

  11. It was clear, very hot but windy here in suffolk. Out of 51 images this is the best of the lot and the only one with everything almost in focus. Taken with a ZWO ASI 174 on Orion Optics VX8, flapping around in the breeze.

    It has been fascinating seeing others images, thank you for posting.

     

    0050 copy.png

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