Gina's Observatory Build - Abbreviated - Main Construction

[Gina]

26 November 2011

The building is now weatherproof and basically useable. There are details to add outside and most of the inside still to do but it's now safe to install telescope etc.

This was when I had the Celestron EQ 130 MD - a 5" Newt. These photos show :-

1. The roof and east wall flap open with scope pointing at the sky
   
2. The roof and east wall flap closed and scope parked
   

[Gina]

Shiplap near corner.

Closeup of above showing drainage spout from warm room side gutter.

[Gina]

27 November 2011

Observatory First Light on Jupiter

This comment from the time - "Found it quite easily both visual and with DSLR in the viewfinder. Changed to 2.5x Barlow and still got it. The nice solid mounting makes an enormous difference - I can actually focus the scope - it doesn't move all over the place. The focuser is still too coarse but I can use it If I could arrange reduction gearing it wouldn't be too bad, even though it is a rack and pinion. I'll post photos later."

[Gina]

Report from that night :-

A few things came out of tonight's session :-

1. The solid scope mounting makes an enormous difference. It is now possible to focus the scope and it doesn't wobble all over the place.

2. The roll off roof is easy to move by hand and fold down flap likewise.

3. The scope needs collimating.

4. Spherical aberration is evident so is chromatic aberration and the field is far from flat over the size of the DSLR image sensor. But what else can you expect from a scope and mount bundle costing around £130?

I'll try using a webcam next time and also get the mount properly set up and tracking - tonight's shots were taken with an unpowered mount and nudging the scope with the mount locks partly on to keep the object in view. I found the battery in the power pack was flat so didn't have mount power. I'll be getting a mains power unit shortly.

Here is a DSLR image of Jupiter and moons taken this evening. It looked better in the viewfinder And I'm sure I saw 4 moons.

[Gina]

28 November 2011

Some photos showing further work. The timber has been painted with wood preserver and the warm room south window has been put in. The warm room outer door is not yet complete, needing a piece of timber on the opening edge and a latch/lock.

Here we see the north and west sides. The white on the ROR window is plastic film that resisted removal.

[Gina]

29 November 2011 daily report :-

"Today is going to be a good test for the waterproofing of my building. Heavy rain and gale to storm force winds! It's already raining with a Force 6 wind.

"The rain's stopped and I've been out to the obsy and looked for leaks. There is one little gap where a small amount of rain has come in on the join between roll off and dividing wall at the bottom south side direct in the full blast of the SW gale blown rain we've had for a few hours today. Also, as expected, a small leak round the south warm room window where I haven't yet sealed it. No wet has come in along the roll off running rail or anywhere else so I'm quite pleased "

The gap where rain came in.

[Gina]

30 November 2011

Glued and stapled a piece of rubber membrane to seal the leak.

[Gina]

Not directly observatory build related but on 01 December 2011 ordered Skywatcher Evostar 80 ED DS Pro.

[Gina]

02 December 2011

New scope set up on mount. What a delight - a decent scope

Tree image full frame resized. Canon EOS 1100D DSLR set up on scope. Looking across the valley to the other side.

[Gina]

I set up a Philips SPC900NC webcam inside the observatory to show inside work. Only the framework has been done for the dividing wall. So scope room and warm room were all in one at this stage.

Here we have 1100D attached to ED80 scope being set up to take the tree image above.

Here we can see the camera with image on it's screen pointing at another target.

ROR and east flap closed.

[Gina]

Again not exactly the obsy build but the next few pics show the use of a hand hoist to take the weight of the mount and lower it to the floor, or onto sack truck or whatever. The top of the hoist was attached to the frame of the roll off roof allowing the mount to be moved away from the pier.

[Gina]

04 December 2011

Cut and fitted plywood panels to the scope room side of the dividing wall and started lining the warm room roof (the pic is looking upwards). However, I can't find the original pics ATM - I'll go on looking...

[Gina]

I've used the Snipping Tool to get the images out of the original thread having failed to sort out the originals.

[Gina]

05 December 2011

Another small but vital job. I took some scrap neoprene foam and cut a piece to fill the gap between pier and cable duct and floorboards, to stop draughts and things falling down the gap.

Detail of neoprene "skirt". Not the tidiest job but adequate

[Gina]

10 December 2011

Electric power wiring, sockets and RCD unit have been installed and now the lighting wiring is going in. Also polystyrene foam heat insulation in the warm room walls and ceiling.

[Gina]

More insulation installed and a latch/lock on the outer door. This evening I also took an image of the full moon which I was quite please with

[Gina]

11 December 2011

OK... a couple of photos of the warm room.

1. The west wall, insulated and panelled with white light and RCD unit. Power is coming in via an extension lead with some cable coming from the RCD to a 13A plug - prior to installing armoured cable from house.

2. Partition wall with white and red lights and dimmers, showing white light now working. It's on 2-way switching so that I can switch it off at the door as I go out (or on as I come in).

[Gina]

12 December 2011

Fitting out the warm room today.

In detail :-

1. Cut and fitted insulation in partition wall (north side).

2. Cut and fitted plywood panel on partition wall.

3. Cut and fitted insulation in warm room north wall.

4. Cut and fitted insulation in warm room south wall.

Photos of the work in progress starting with the partition wall before fitting insulation.

Insulation fitted.

Plywood panel fitted.

Insulation in warm room north wall.

[Gina]

17 December 2011

Been working on the dividing door frame today. Finished the door frame and fixed most of the sliding door gear.

Here are the details.

1. Cut remaining pieces of door frame.

2. Screwed the frame together.

3. Screwed on the sliding door gear brackets to the top of the frame.

4. Screwed the door closer plastic cam and aluminium guide channel to bottom of frame.

5. Put door frame into position and screwed sliding door gear to the batten at the top of the dividing wall, which I put up the other day for the purpose.

6. Hung door onto sliding gear.

Four DSLR photos today showing the work in progress.

Photo from the warm room side with door frame placed in rough position.

As above from the scope room.

Door frame hung on sliding door gear in the closed position.

As above in the open position. Note the aluminium channel on the bottom of the door still needs cutting to length.

[Gina]

18 December 2011

Been working on dividing door today. Plywood panels and insulation, plastic trims for draught proofing and acrylic window temporarily fixed in place.

Scope room side panel on door.

Insulation in door frame.

Panel on warm room side of door. Also, plastic strips used to extend doorway into scope room to reach sliding door.

Window pane held in place with four strips of wood to be replaced with some D shaped wooden moulding.

[Gina]

27 December 2011

Door edging strip cut to length, given two coats of wood preserver and when dry, screwed on the to the outer door.

[Gina]

30 December 2011

Sliding door handles fitted.

[Gina]

Another year here - 02 January 2012

Cut some D section moulding to form the framework to hold the acrylic sheets for the dividing door window, and screw them on. Replacing the temporary strips of wood on the scope room side.

[Gina]

05 January 2012

Been doing a bit more to the inside of the warm room.

1. Measured and cut two plywood panels for the north wall.

2. Screwed panels to framework.

3. Cut and screwed on D moulding to cover middle join in plywood.

4. Measured up for bench.

5. Measured and cut two panels for south wall.

[Gina]

07 January

More done in the warm room - framework for the bench, and the wall panelling below it. The wall panelling has to be in sections now as I'm running out of full sheets of 6mm plywood. All warm room walls and roof have now been filled with polystyrene heat insulation.