A Romanian Observatory

[jimao22]

Hi,

Back on astronomy now.

Because of the winter, I didn't make any progress on building but I've got some important parts for it - the motor, the metallic rails and the rollers - all from a garage door.

I will post in few days a .pdf document that shows you the basics of an astronomic system automation........ My English is not so good because I learned by myself and my grammar is poor.

This is the document I promise you for a such long time ago.

https://dl.dropbox.com/u/98966678/An%20astronomical%20system%20integration%20using%20ASCOM%20standard%20.pdf

Do not shot me for the formulation .

[red dwalf]

well i must say that you look like you`ve done your homework before the construction began, best to get it right first time round if possiable as nothing worse than having to do something again just to save a few quid.

looking forward to seeing more of the build

[Gina]

Hi,

Back on astronomy now.

Because of the winter, I didn't make any progress on building but I've got some important parts for it - the motor, the metallic rails and the rollers - all from a garage door.

This is the document I promise you for a such long time ago.

https://dl.dropbox.c...M standard .pdf

Do not shot me for the formulation .

Thank you for posting that It looks very well written and presented and I'll have a good read later - I think there's a fair bit of info in there that will be useful

[jimao22]

Hi,

After a while, I'm back in obssy business. The spring is here so I could start work again to my beloved observatory. Today I made a small brick base for the walls, mainly because the ground is sloping and I want to avoid water infiltration during the winter. This is the last heavy part to be done. What will follow is a pure joy.

[r3i]

Good to see you making progress once again - looking forward to seeing how the build continues.

[Gina]

Coming on nicely

[badgerchap]

Looking awesome - the pier is one of the sturdiest-looking ones I've seen on here, very nice.

[jimao22]

Few updates about my observatory.

Lately I was very involved in my business work and had no time to build more than it's shown in the next pics.

That's me daubing. First time in my life doing this...

...the job almost done.

[jimao22]

And few days later, the base wooden frames and some board shorts Z shape, to avoid water go inside the building...

That's the end of the second working day.

[jimao22]

And the structural frame, for the walls...

That's it for now. If the weather will get right (it was a very rainy weather this spring), perhaps I will show you some solid shapes appearing.

[Mattscar]

Truly amazing. Things like this make me want to go outside and start digging holes, although I don't think I would get anywhere near as deep as your monster foundations.

[Gina]

Coming on well

[jimao22]

Two good working days!

Unexpected, but the things are running faster .

We started to cut and instal the insulated panels for the walls. Yesterday we make this just for two panels, to see if we need something more and what problems we can encounter. Today, 3 walls are ready - cleaned, painted with some anti-rust paint and installed.

I painted the concrete / brick base of the observatory with some other special paint, hydro-insulating one, to avoid water infiltrating somehow during the winter.

The pictures below say more for me.

The color of the obsy will be white on the outside, don't worry . And a wooden floor will be added asap. But first, I need to close everything around and up.

Yesterday

And today...

[jimao22]

The cost of the materials and work until now is about 300£ (all walls included, window and door as well, motor, rails).

[JG777]

Fascinating stuff, and so far just £300, looking forward to seeing it complete and up and running. Good luck fella.

[nytecam]

Wow - that's the deepest handdug pier founds [in clay] I've seen for an amateur scope.

For minimum ground disturbance for my monster Newt scope cluster awhile back, I hand-awgered three 2m deep x 20cm diam piles into clay with concrete fill as drawing attached. Piles capped for blockwork pier above ground

[r3i]

Great work - it looks a lot bigger with the walls in place.

[jimao22]

Yes, indeed, it looks bigger. It have 3x3 mtr.

And yes, just 300 £, but a lot of work and good chance.

As I told you before, the motor is for free, I am in garage doors business and the motor and the rails are left for astronomy purpose because the motor shell is broken and no one will buy it, so it was my chance. The panels are from my old warehouse which now was rebuilded from the scratch and the old panels became stuff for my astro-madness. The pier was made for free because a construction company owe me some works (is quite complicated) and that was the direction where I redirect the debt.

But everyone have some skills or some opportunities, not necessary the same, and with a little bit of patience and perseverance, a low cost obsy is not a dream.

[Scott]

looking good jimao and you are right. with a little luck and some hard work you can make things happen

[Astrokev]

Looking excellent.

[jimao22]

Another hard work day to my obsy.

Today we (almost) close the fourth side of the observatory, installed the small window, close the upper side of the panels with an U shape profile used for plasterboards structures (to protect the panels on that side from moisture and UV light - which is the most destructive to the foam from inside the panels), pour the concrete base for the pillars that will sustain the rails outside the walls area and spread some sand to fix the concrete plates (one row for the moment) which will keep clean from dirt inside the observatory when muddy outside.

A full day and I am very tired but extremely pleased by the results.

A dream came to life...

Digging the holes and making frames for the concrete base

Mounting the U shape profile on the upper side of the wall panels

Pouring the concrete

Installing the window

End of the day

Frontal view - end of the day

[Gina]

Coming on nicely

[jimao22]

A small update:

I have left from my new warehouse 2 roof insulated panels 10 cm thickness. Initially, I raised them on my observatory just to avoid rain go inside to some tools left overnight there. But when I sow how nice and solid they are, I decided to swap to this idea for the observatory roof. The problem was I had just 2 pieces and I needed 3 to cover all. I made some investigation to find who the producer is and I found a very nice guy there who already produced for me a small panel 3.8 mtr long, same profile and same thickness. The only problem remained is that I find a way to bring that panel from 300 km away to my home (!!).

But the roof will be amazing... I cannot tell you how nice this panels insulate from the sun heat during the day time. And this is very important to have short times for cooling down the set-up when starting a new session.

I will be of for a week so nothing will happens until the Orthodox Easter week (starting with 5-th of May).

See you then.

[Gina]

That's looking very nice

[jimao22]

The obsy is now close all around - the door and the panels around the door - installed. Moreover, the piles and beams to support the roof when travelling, are ready.

Next steps: installing the metal rails for the roof, finishing the roof, starting to work on electric outfit, starting to work on wooden floor, painting everything.

Last steps: installing the closing sheets (corners, around the door), installing, programming and computer linking the roof motor, installing the mount

The very last step: PARTY.