Shocking Observatory Costing!

[laser_jock99]

Well I sat down tonight and added up all the bills for materials and came up with a figure of £3500!! see attached xls file.

Thats just materials for a 3m x 3m obsy- my labour is free, additional tools like cement mixer I needed are not included. Could have bought a nice scope (or two) with that money. A large portion of the money went into making the terrace the observatory sits on, probably adding over 1/3 of the cost.

OBSY COSTING.xlsx

[Tiddles]

Have you got a picture?

[laser_jock99]

Have you got a picture?

Album link Cambrian Mountains Observatory pictures by laser_jock99 - Photobucket

[Tiddles]

Very nice. :icon_salut:

[malc-c]

Ouch ! - but then it is a fantastic build.

[DaveGarland]

That looks like a lovely place to live too. Beeeuuutiful sky!

[LongJohn54]

Worth every penny and worth moving half a mountain to build it.

Great job!

John

[laser_jock99]

Looking at the figures again it's surprising how much the smaller parts have cost- nuts, bolts screws & brackets, the kind of thing you don't think about have cost. Also not included are the wood preserver, paints & creosote I used- not to mention all the 'free' timber & parts I had already. I have also left out any astronomy kit from the build cost- that's probably even more frightening!

It's certainly well worth logging what you have bought for your observatory to keep an eye on the overall build costs. I dread to think how much it would be to get some one else to do the labour as well?

On the plus side the cost has been spread over nearly three years since I started the build in September 2009. Not sure if it's added to the value of our house or not....no big demand for garden observatories I guess?

[pete_l]

Sounds like the moral of the story is to not keep your receipts

[Tiddles]

Sounds like the moral of the story is to not keep your receipts

Or at least hide them from the other half.

[robbie c]

That looks great and you got some nice views up there

[Chris H]

Nice work worth every penny I'd say. I like the way you've made it made it dual use, observatory and alfresco dining area. I see most of your suppliers are Newtown/Llanidloes my inlaws live in Llanidloes, Gorn Rd.

[Gina]

I may add up how much I've spent (or not ) but main timber alone came to over a grand. Then there was another order for 10 sheets of 6mm plywood, roofing rubber sheet and adhesive, acrylic sheet, several orders from Screwfix for misc hardware... plus many smaller purchases from the local shops for screws, bits of wood and various hardware. I think it will be at least £1500 and wouldn't be surprised at 2 grand. But it's a really solid and quite deluxe build

I can work out the main lots of items but all the local bits and pieces I very much doubt. I should think I've also spent another 2 grand on astronomy equipment - that's a bit easier to add up. This is NOT a cheap hobby But then again most hobbies aren't cheap. My view is that money is to make your life more enjoyable once you've bought the necessities - no point in saving too much

[malc-c]

Just looked at the costings for my build

£1850 Total for materials (bricks, cement, all the wood including conti-board for the cabinets). By the time I factored in hire charges, fitting out the warm room with a desk and chair, plus all the other sundries the cost came to £2207. The only other expense I didn't factor in was the £150 spent on a compound mitre saw and electric tacker gun, mainly as I needed these for other jobs as well and it wasn't bought for the observatory project alone. I also had things to hand like two boxes of carpet tiles that were free.

I've probably spent a further grand upgrading the mount to an HEQ5, guidescope, guide camera and dual 24" monitors, but hadn't initially planned on doing that from the start so haven't included that in the project accounts

I know what you mean about the little things adding up. As we were getting rid of the spoil (top soil) we bagged it up in thick refuse bags so it could be loaded onto a trailer. I think we used close on to 100 bags with a cost of over £80 !! - Still it was cheaper than hiring a skip and a friend at work had the benefit of not having to buy 2 tonne of top soil for her garden !

I echo Gina's comments, if life is good enough to put you in the position to afford something then go for it - life's too short, so enjoy it whilst you can. I must add that since building my observatory I love using it, being in the office / warm room, and it has really made my observing sessions a pleasurable experience.

[Tinker1947]

As has been said many time, you can't take it with you, my 25' x 16' workshop cost 5k for materials, that was 12 year ago, what would it cost now, i would think double plus some..

[JamesF]

This is NOT a cheap hobby But then again most hobbies aren't cheap. My view is that money is to make your life more enjoyable once you've bought the necessities - no point in saving too much

Very good points. Beekeeping, skiing, scuba diving are all the same. I imagine most hobbies that rely on having "stuff" that sells in relatively small volumes are always going to be expensive. Even reading is an expensive hobby the way I do it. At least my ski clothing doubles up for astronomy and my books work as house insulation. And the bees earn their keep, if they're good.

As you say; you might as well spend it. You can't take it with you.

James

[GJBC]

well worth every penny and that will become more apparent the more you use the observatory. and you also have the daytime benefit of a lovely deck to wind away the afternoon until Pims o clock ..

[SaraG]

Why not just buy a cheap balloon and launch your telescope into LEO?

[laser_jock99]

Why not just buy a cheap balloon and launch your telescope into LEO?

Not as daft as it sounds- you can get good Infra Red signal from a baloon telescope. Might be able to do it cheaply.....

A night time flight with with IR camera anyone.........?

[ollypenrice]

Mine seemed to cost about £1500 here in France. I already had a mixer and most of the base was there already. It isn't as smart as those on here, I don't think, though render will finish it off in the Spriing when it isn't going to freeze. I used Breeze blocks which are a euro apiece and lined the warm room with a fibre board sheet. The roof structure is in steel tube. As you say, wood coating products are a monstrous price. I used block in the end because our extremes of climate (very cold winter nights, blazing sun even on winter days) do give wood a very hard time.

But what a pleasure it is to use, and since I'm active on maybe 250 nights a year it is a Godsend. Forget the cost and enjoy what you've made.

Olly

[jfox61]

I am thinking of doing one too. Although fairly handy with tools and constructing stuff, I really don't have the time. As a result I am looking at buying a custom made one. Still to decide what type though as still researching it. Either a Dome (preferable) or a shed type with roll on roll off roof.

And yes, you are right most hobbies are as expensive as you want them to be.

20k for Matchbox cars and 5k on Scalextric cars (had to stop collecting as storage space became premium

10K worth of RC gear, Cars boats planes and subs,

about 600 plastic models (god knows how much they are worth now, but my double garage has room only for my wifes Motorcycle).

And finally around 12K worth of wargaming and boardgames.

I don't smoke or drink, and my Children are up and away from the nest. So as you rightly say, life is too short so enjoy it while you can.

I don't use much of that stuff now but it gives me pleasure to get them out and look occasionally, and when I pop off this mortal coil the family can do what the hell they like with it.

[Gina]

Good attitude IMO I know a few people who just mope about, no hobbies, everything is "too expensive" or "not worth it" I'd hate to be like that - life is for living I say and money is to be used for what makes you happy after the basics of life. I am constantly broke but I try to make the best of things and enjoy life. I consider myself lucky, my health is quite good though my age shows at times, I enjoy recycling and making things from household rubbish, I think I'd be bored if I were rich and could just afford to buy everything. But having never been rich I don't really know. Oh I get frustrated at times having to wait for things I want but that has always been the case. I am always amazed at how easy youngsters seem to have it these days but they don't seem to be any happier for it - more the opposite.

Sorry, I'm rambling on again

[Merlin66]

The cheapest and most effective observatory I've built so far, is the one in current use. Built three years ago in the UK and now relocated to Belgium. Always being in rented property limits the amount of earthworks (and location!) but you can always work around things.

The Argos tin shed, 8' x 6' cost around 185gbp, another 80gbp or so for the timber and 20gbp for the wheels and fittings...all up around 300gbp.

For me, a great investment. Hopefully it may even survive the trip back to Oz when the time comes...

[JamesF]

Sorry, I'm rambling on again

And you're not even dressed for it

I think you make a fair point though. Sometimes I do get the feeling that for the last twenty to thirty years society generally has reinforced the idea that "Not only *can* you have everything you want, but you *should* have everything you want, and you shouldn't have to wait for it. Just borrow more money." Which may go some way to explaining the world in which we now find ourselves.

As a result of the prevelance of that kind of attitude many people have, I think, become permanently unhappy with their world. Perhaps having to work for and/or wait to achieve something or be able to purchase it is what really gives something value, and if you live in a society where almost everything is disposable and so much is perceived as having little intrinsic value, can you really be happy?

Or perhaps I'm just becoming a grumpy old man who thinks youth is wasted on the young

James

[Gina]

I think youth is wasted on the young too