Where to put a second pier

[Gina]

Been looking at the various garden storage units, water butts and anything else ready made that I could press into use as a cover for my WF imaging rig but nothing seems suitable.  So it's back to "build it from scratch"   I still have some rubber roofing left over from my main obsy build.  It's only 30mm wide and 2m long but could be overlapped to use as roofing and used to cover wood to form a roof.  OTOH I have an old tarpaulin that has some areas free from holes that has rather more useful area.

The wooden box that hinges out of the way I described earlier in this thread seems a bit too complicated - I would like something easier to build.  I need to finish the imaging rig to the point where I can check how far out the weights on the mount need to be to balance it so that I can measure how big the cover needs to be first though.

[Earl]

I think the simplest way for you is a roll of shed, well not a shed more of a guard house with a door a plastic jobby will do what you want.

or a wooden one like this

http://www.tigersheds.com/product/tiger-overlap-toolroom/?option=69&utm_source=Google_Products&utm_medium=Google_Products&utm_campaign=Google_Products&gclid=CNG9kOSq78ACFSuWtAodOSEATQ

[Gina]

I think the simplest way for you is a roll of shed, well not a shed more of a guard house with a door a plastic jobby will do what you want.

or a wooden one like this

http://www.tigersheds.com/product/tiger-overlap-toolroom/?option=69&utm_source=Google_Products&utm_medium=Google_Products&utm_campaign=Google_Products&gclid=CNG9kOSq78ACFSuWtAodOSEATQ

Thank you for your suggestion   I've had another look at the possibility of this but still find there are problems   The terrain is not suilable for arranging a roll off shed (or guard house).  It would have to roll off to the north, towards the house, which is uphill and and the rails would present a hazzard on the route to my main observatory.  Also, I want to limit the height to avoid obscuring the view from my lounge window and to reduce windage.

A plastic cupboard something like this Garden Storage Utility Box with the doors facing south could be hinged along the back bottom edge (north side) and tipped over backwards but I think this would be awkward.  I would rather have a fixed bottom part and hinge just the top (like my earlier wooden design).   This is just about wides enough and deep enough but would have to be hinged about 400mm above ground level.

[kalasinman]

Hi Gina, Did you get your PSU sorted? For future reference the big auction site has a ton of DC-DC buck converters, a simple device that will up or down convert DC within it's usually wide range. Some even have a built in meter. Cheap and easy!--Jack

[Gina]

I could use an inverted plastic storage box as long as it was suitable for outdoor use and big enough and just lift it off for imaging, then build a box over which it would fit and arrange fastenings.  Unfortunately these have rounded corners which would be awkward to seal.  Being up in the hills we get plenty of misty damp days in the winter and the damp will be hard to keep out.  I'll probably need a dehumidifier inside the box anyway.  I need one in the main obsy.

TBH I'm going off the idea of a solid top that either lifts off or hinges off in one piece.  Now I'm thinking of either fold down flaps with sealing at the edges or even a mini roll off roof.  The more I think about it the more I like the idea of a roll off roof   It would be easier to weatherproof than flaps.  I think it could roll off roughly westwards like the main obsy as the view is limited in altitude by trees.  Unlike the main obsy, it would only need to be big enough to cover the imaging rig in its parked position more or less horizontally.  Of course, thinking moves further on to the idea of a remote controlled ROR with everything controlled from indoors   This is turning into a full blown mini observatory.

I'm thinking now that this thread has moved on past the original topic and would be better continuing in another thread relating the building of this new mini observatory.

[Gina]

Hi Gina, Did you get your PSU sorted? For future reference the big auction site has a ton of DC-DC buck converters, a simple device that will up or down convert DC within it's usually wide range. Some even have a built in meter. Cheap and easy!--Jack

No, at least not yet.  These PC PSUs don't seem to have any adjustment so I'll probably buy (or make) a separate supply for the mount.  Or alternatively use a spare car battery that I no longer need for a winch to pull a wheelchair up the ramps outside the house.  The now spare winch can be used either for a hoist in my main obsy to swap scopes or for auto ROR in the new mini obsy.

[fwm891]

Hi Gina - not sure how far your down the housing construction route but sometime ago (when planning mine) I had a thought - ouch!

http://stargazerslounge.com/topic/152610-roll-away-shed-obsy-thoughts/page-2    (post #27 half way down)

Making the obsy hinged at the base and let the whole structure fold open to use and fold back to close....

[Gina]

Thanks Francis   Yes, I had thought of something like that   Unfortunately, the south side is too close to the fence to use that idea.