Muddy lawns

[Mr Fiery Jack]

I have, due to LP have only a small in our garden to observe. By the end of the winter the lawn is in a bit of a state. I was considering laying a few stone flags down at one point but was put off after reading somewhere about not observing over concrete as the surface stores, and then releases heat and spoils the viewing.

What do we think? Have we got any patio observers out?

[cantab]

Concrete will be less forgiving of drops. I probably wouldn't still have my 15x70s if I'd been observing on a patio!

[Planetesimal]

Hi Fiery Jack... I have a small area of patio next to the house (about 3 sq metres) and a larger area of lawn (about 40 sq metres). I've never noticed any impact of heat rising from the patio (certainly not at this time of year!). I think the main issue is more likely to be of heat rising from the roofs of nearby houses with their central heating up and no roof insulation.

When I started out observing I used to move the tripod onto the lawn to get away from the house, but I lost one of the rubber feet in the mud and discovered these can't be replaced! A few hours of digging the next day and I managed to recover the foot but I've learned my lesson. I currently use a large square of mdf which I store in the garage and just move to wherever I want to stand on the lawn. It's not the ideal solution as it isn't a stable platform, but it's better than being stuck next to the house and not being able to observe the southern sky at all!

[JamesF]

I don't know how small an area you can buy, but it is also possible to get plastic "matting" that compresses into the soil and allows the grass to grow through it. You can mow over it to cut the grass and it really helps keep the mud at bay. My father in law put some down that gets walked over at least half a dozen times a day every single day and it whilst the grass is looking a little tired at the moment, it certainly isn't muddy.

James

[opticalpath]

Before I had a permanent observatory/ shed I used to set up on the back lawn. I kept handy some plywood 'mats' to stand on, in order to stop churning up the ground. I put the tripod feet on separate small concrete slab offcuts resting on the grass. I later improved on that by burying three tin cans in the lawn just below ground level and filling them with concrete, making a small dimple in each one for a tripod foot. Very unobtrusive when the grass grows around and an easy way to get pretty good alignment each time out.

Adrian

[Carbon Brush]

I have some decking tiles like these...

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/140895612371?ssPageName=STRK:MEWAX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1438.l2649

They seem to be available in various pack sizes.

Bought them a few years ago with the intention of making paths in heavy traffic areas. I have clay soil that of coursae drains very poorly. The tiles start to bed into the grass fairly quickly, so present no problem to the mower and you don't stu your toes on them. Eventually grass starts to grow through the spaces between the planks and the tiles are unobtrusive. Some have been in place for 4/5 years now without the wood rotting. In fact I dug up a couple recently that had vanished completely!

For observing though, it is mainly in the shed.

Hope this helps.

[ArmyAirForce]

When was it last hot enough in Yorkshire ( or any part of the country ), for patio heat to be an issue to seeing!!!! :-) I observe/image from a 4mtr sq patio at home, and I've done it from grass elsewhere. I can't say I've noticed any difference.

[Astro Imp]

When I set up on my lawn I stand each tripod foot on a small wall tile I had left over from refurbishing my kitchen.

[Mr Fiery Jack]

OK, that seems encouraging, I might go for some stone flags stones, my wife loves that garden so it got to fit in with the English cottage garden theme. Its to plop the onto, I can move the frac about . Its the observing chair that does the damage.