The Warm Room Debate

[Digz]

Having read the recent threads by Gina, Macl-c and Swag72 it has really got m creative juices flowing.

So much so, I have started to design and draft up my own Obsy ready for when me and the Missus get our own place.

In doing so I have been trying to make a generic obsy design that can be made almost on a modular basis.

At present it is a timber frame obsy with a block plinth and a GRP dome, however I will draw another design which looks at using a ROR.

My original design, which Ill post later when finished, as said above is almost a modular design. That is you can build the obsy with GRP dome (or ROR) and at a later date add a warm room. Other principles of the design are to ensure it is sized to suit a 2.2m dome and blockwork dimensions thus minimising materials used and wastage.

However this got me thinking - if I was going to build an obsy and add a warm room later would I really do that? Instead wouldnt I be better in building the obsy, installing a pc in it (maybe connected to a remote network HDD) for imagining and whilst Im at it wire the whole thing back to the house so I can remotely monitor from the house?

Id be interested to hear your thoughts on this.....

[MartinB]

I don't use a warm room. I have a laptop in the obsy and then control that from the house using network over wire and TightVNC. However, since I have had the obsy, which is a dome, I have found myself a little bit detached from the night sky. Too often I am setting up, scurrying back to the warmth of the house and occassionally checking things on the house computer. I think, if I had a warm room out in the garden I might be more inclined to set up my observing kit and use it.

Having said that, it is good to be able to image and engage with family life at the same time!

[Digz]

mmm, yeah thats an interesting point. I must admit, the missus doesnt share the same enthusiasm as I do and to be able to image and still spend time with her is ideal.

Having said that I can understand the idea of being detached from the kit in this way....

[blinky]

I built a warm room in my Obsy but never use it - I set it up then remote in from the house.

[malc-c]

My main reason for including a warm room was for observing in those cold winter nights, when I can get out of the wind, make myself a hot drink without disturbing the rest of the household. I 'spose that is more so in the summer months when due to the time it gets dark, you are out until the small hours when the rest of the family are sound asleep.

The second reason was to house the PC, monitors etc and be able to lock them away in as secure an environment as a wooden structure can offer. Things like my dslr, eyepieces etc will still stay in the house.

I'm lucky enough to have the space to have an 8' x 8' observatory, with an 8' x 7' warm room.. enough space to include s sofa, TV, microwave and toaster if funds permit

[martin_h]

I have a warm room but dont live in it! but do use it for storage of bits and bobs out of the cold/dampish scope room. Its insulated and has 2 small tube heaters, once things are going I just nip out now and again to check on things.

[Digz]

Now thats an interesting thought which I havent considered yet in my design - what kind of storage I would need and whether the storage should have some modicum of moisture resistance.

Ultimately I would like to be CCD imaging but what I havent thought is where and what do I do with the CCD once finished - does it stay on the scope? Does it come back into the house? Does it get stored in the obsy (or warm room)?

As an uninsulated, potentially damp obsy (doesnt sound great does it, lol) should I be keeping an imaging PC set up there? My thoughts may be swinging around to the idea of a warm room now.....

[George]

Ultimately I would like to be CCD imaging but what I havent thought is where and what do I do with the CCD once finished - does it stay on the scope? Does it come back into the house? Does it get stored in the obsy (or warm room)?

As an uninsulated, potentially damp obsy (doesnt sound great does it, lol) should I be keeping an imaging PC set up there? My thoughts may be swinging around to the idea of a warm room now.....

My CCD guider and DSLR are never taken off the scope, everytime you take them off the scope you would have to redo your flats plus if you were doing multiple nights on a target you would be disturbing the cameras orientation.

Continually moving kit from warm to ambient would do more damage than actually leaving it there, only thing I have seen suffering in the obsy is the newtonian mirrors when its really damp, I hang a large bag of dessicent in the OTA before I cap it and this has cured this problem.

I too at the moment remotely control everything from the house but this summer I'll be adding a pod to the side of the observatory as a warm room.

[Gina]

A bag of dessicant is a good idea

[Digz]

You raise some great points there George, thanks

[martin_h]

Yep, I never take the scope/ccd off the mount - unless I have to, its ready to go whenever there is a gap in the clouds!

I only heat the warm room a) to keep the damp from the laptop, which sits in there 24/7

to take the chill off for setting up etc...I have a thermostat set at 20C and it only gets there in the summer, this winter it hardly got to 10C

[Digz]

Hi Martin,

You see thats my dilemma. Im designing a modular obsy build so it can be done in stages, for example as funds become available. But Im thinking that the first thing to build, in any case, is going to be the obsy, so I might as well connect it into the house and keep a pc in the obsy and remote connect to it. My only concern with this (together with leaving the CCS etc attached) is the issue of dampness.

In any event I certainly wouldnt be taking the scope of the mount, my question was more aimed at the CCD, but as George points out that will mean taking flats each time....

[George]

Your CCD will be just fine, my DSLR's have been in the observatory for over 4 years

[Digz]

Your CCD will be just fine, my DSLR's have been in the observatory for over 4 years

Thats what Im guessing, imagers must be doing this, and probably have been doing it, for years without any specific problems.

Im guessing a lappy or PC should be ok as well? Ideally Id like to keep it all out there but if people advice that a lappy should be used and brought indoors after a session then thats fine

[George]

As long as the laptop/PC is left on it generates enough heat to kill any condensation (not very green I know) mines survived temperatures down to -19C.

[martin_h]

Yes my ccd's stay connected all the time, as for the laptop either leave it on all the time or intigrate it into some kind of cabinet with a 12V car side light on in there, that will generate enough heat to keep the damp at bay, you could paint the lamp red and have a dual purpose light/heater!

[Digz]

Yes my ccd's stay connected all the time, as for the laptop either leave it on all the time or intigrate it into some kind of cabinet with a 12V car side light on in there, that will generate enough heat to keep the damp at bay, you could paint the lamp red and have a dual purpose light/heater!

mmm great minds.....

I was just thinking about such an enclosure last night....