Yawning Angel

A few more increments closer - this weekend has seen the scope room viewing window have its dry fit, and a sigh of relief that I did measure correctly months ago, so it does fit! 

Also finished off insulating the warm room, bar some taped joints (I ran out). That’s been quite a therapeutic evening job. The final touch is some foam filler around the cable entries and underfloor conduit - that’s drying / expanding as I type

The last bit this weekend was to get a sheet of ply onto a wall! No photo, but it felt goooood ?

Alternatively, child proof it ?

Just one more night, please?!!

As posted late last night, I was able to use the observatory for the first time last night.

With a setup that Heath Robinson would have been proud of, I threw everything back on the mount after it's holiday in storage. It's amazing what your forget in a short time but once I remembered that there was a USB hub under the OTA it started to make sense. The Polemaster gave me a nice quick setup although the StarSense took a second try at aligning - but that's hardly it's fault, it was still set to summer time!

Handset goto M81 had it pretty much bang on and off we went to SGpro for some subs. Time being what it was, I only ended up with about 40 min of data before I had to park the mount and roll away the sky for another night

It's a mess of stuff in the obs: laptop on a camping table, half the gear still running off the powertank, but it works!

8 months since the thread and work started feels like a long time and there is still plenty to do:

Insulate warm room roof
Fit guttering
Sheath the walls
Internal window and door
Wiring
Network (but the Wifi reaches)
Lighting
Door step
Floor covering
Desk, shelving etc

Although it's very 'not finished', I can now "Witness the firepower of this fully armed and operational battle station!"

Sort of proper first light :

so happy ? 

At least it didn't vanish down past the pier ?

First time the roof has been open under a clear sky!

Polemaster rough alignment ready to fix the pier head in the next few days. Not quite first light, but getting closer and closer!

and...stars!

Floored it!

Started early today with the goal of getting the flooring done. A second pair of hands handling the 18mm ply really helped, and it was done by 3pm

So, the floor buildup is simply 75mm polystyrene insulation between the joists, vapour barrier over that and ply on top

Some details to finish in ply, around the pier and cable ducts, but that’s for later

Finishing in daylight was nice, and meant there could be photos:

Scope room from the warm room

Warm room from the scope room

Warm room / supply dump

The view N-E-S

Hoping to make a rough align later to set the pier head. Fingers crossed ?

If I can't be sure I've stopped it, I'm thinking of running a small bead around the scope rooms rim, to dissuade anything that hits the rails. Just a few mm should do it

Friday night / Saturday morning we had gales, and I did worry about the obs! All was good, and Saturday was ok to get stuff done - I think the photo caught the only 5 minutes of sunshine all day ?

Let me see if I can explain - I don't have picture showing it so here goes...

The warm room wall top beam lines up with the support rail for the front edge of the rolling roof, so when closed there is very little gap.

Along with this, the rolling roof overhangs the warm by about 25cm and slopes down with a drip trim on the leading edge. The War roof has a 25mm high lip where it meets the rolling roof all of which seems to keep it bone dry - however, if it shows signs in the future, another rubber trim or some brushes will sort it. I'm hoping to leave it and let the air move a bit

I'm still seeing a little rain along the rails under the rolling roof, but I know it's source and will staunch it once the weather improves and I can get the final top coating on the roof (the rolling roof its dropping some of it's rain onto the rails)

I'll see if I can show it in sketchup, if that'd help?

I finally made a path, after destroying the lawn ?

Skimmed the mud / grass off, which was heavier work than anticipated due to being waterlogged.

Once it was cleared I laid ground matting with anchor loops to hold it down. Still loads of it left from the initial groundwork. 

Edged it with Everedge (love the stuff, but not the price!) then covered with plum slate to match elsewhere - but realised I had no where near enough. Luckily a mate is heading to the builders merchant tomorrow and can pick up a few more bags for me. 

Hiya, it’s a good question:

There is a GRP drip trim along the main beam of the rolling roof (the black bit), under it is essentially an EPDM strip, attached with clout nails. This strip covers the rails and gap

Hopefull the picture shows it, but I can dive out later and take a better one

Good luck with it Gina!

1 hour ago, Gina said:

Oh dear, I seem to have hi-jacked your thread Yawning Angel - sorry about that ?

It's all good ?

14 hours ago, JamesF said:

Blimey!  You've even taped all the insulation joints.  That's proper building, that is.

Looks good with the door in place, too.  I really should get on with making mine.

James

Thanks James! The door was purchased and trimmed to fit. Easy mode! The internal door will be diy, as it's less fundamental ?

Some update pictures:

(mostly) insulated walls, the electrical board and the ply is going down for the floor

Wood in ‘th hole! It even locks!

I’m plumping my leds into Amazon Alexa, since the controller is both remote control and Wi-fi, so why not. 

“Alexa, scope room light red”

Look for RGBW led strip lights. I got 10m for under £30

We'll compare notes in summer then, Kev!

I'm suspecting there will be no benefit, but no obvious downside. If it needs it in future, I'd hate to lift the floor and faf with the trunking etc. For the cost of 2 sheets of 'styrene. I have painted the building quite dark, a sacrifice to aesthetic over the lighter reflecting options - so summer might suggest insulation

Today, in the freezing wind, it was time to drop the guttering outflow into the land drain under the obs. All good and it flows really well, so the guttering can move forward.

Managed to also fit the two under floor conduit assemblies from the warm room to the pier, so all the sub floor jobs are now complete

My ever capable Dad has taken on fitting the door hardware, during the week whilst I'm at work, so it can then be sized to fit and the flooring can commence - can't have it raining in a door hole onto my lovely ply!

This leaves me with my current evening hobby, cutting and fitting insulation for the walls - nice to have power for a light and some music

@Gina Yes, the scope side will be un-insulated other than under the floor ?

I’ve 9mm to skin mine internally. I’ll be surface mounting some stuff so I wanted the rigidity, plus is wasn’t much different to the 6mm ?

33 minutes ago, Astrokev said:

Sure you've got enough insulation there Alex?  

Seriously though - which bits do you plan to insulate? I'm just insulating my warm room walls and floor, leaving the scope room au-naturelle to aide equilibration to ambient.

Good progress being made there - excellent.

The PIR boards are only 1200x450, so it looks a lot. They are for the warm room walls and roof

Polystyrene for the floor, both sides. On the assumption its easy and cheap to do now, should I want to insulate the scope room in future ?

Yes, if only to reclaim the garage!