Pico-Observatories and Equatorial Mount Space

[IanL]

OK so I'm seriously contemplating building a Pico-Observatory (Picobservatory?) for imaging purposes using one of the Suncast slide-off roof mini-sheds.  They're not cheap for what they are but it seems to me to be the least effort I can find (wouldn't be able to get much help lifting roll-off roofs or similar), and the overall price would probably be less than a metal or wooden shed conversion.  I need to get planning now, so that I can be ready for the three or four days sometime in early May where the clay soil is in transition from 'Bring a canoe' to 'Bring a pneumatic drill' and I can actually dig the pier foundation.

My first thought was how to fit the NEQ6 and scopes in to the thing.  Space is limited so I need to get this right.  I put every term I could in to Google and couldn't find any guidance on figuring it all out.  Most builds are of full sized observatories and fitting in an equatorial mount plus observer seemed to work on the basis that you would just make it 'big enough', whatever that means.

So I put my thinking cap on and figured it all out from first principles.  Now I am sure for the mechanically minded amongst you, the conclusions will be obvious, but they weren't at all obvious to me without a fair bit of head scratching.  Anyway, I've written the whole thing up here:

http://www.blackwaterskies.co.uk/2013/12/observatory-planning-and-german.html#more

Hopefully I have got it all right; plenty of time to re-evaluate if not so could someone with more brain than me cast an eye over it and let me know either way?  (N.B. The illustrations are just examples, not actual measurements of the mount and scopes, which I plan to take this weekend if there is time.

Cheers

[yesyes]

That link doesn't seem to work.

[Earl]

I will be dropping an EQ8 in mine next year

[IanL]

That link doesn't seem to work.

Puzzling, it works fine from here.  What error are you getting?

Maybe try going to  the main page and it's the first story:

http://www.blackwaterskies.co.uk

[fink-nottle]

I note that neither IanL or Earl followed through with the idea of a Suncast slide-off 'pico-observatory'.

Would either party care to comment on what decided them against the mini-shed?

[IanL]

Nothing other than a lack of time to put my plan in to action yet. Maybe this year...

[Earl]

I note that neither IanL or Earl followed through with the idea of a Suncast slide-off 'pico-observatory'.

Would either party care to comment on what decided them against the mini-shed?

I did finish mine and still use it.

With a small widefield refractor style setup its fine, however with my c9.25 its not ideal due to the facing of the opening on the doors and the direction i want to view.

Essentialy its a E to SSW setup and at present its setup with the doors opening south, problem with this is my OTA focuser, filterwheel and Camera are too close to the side wall.

I need to rotate the shed so its doors open to the NW ish so as everythign sticks out the open doors without any problems.

visually forget it they are not viable.

My orgonal orentation was to allow for simple PA via the polar scope in the mount.

Again, perfeclty fine for a small refractor setup to image with.

[Earl]

I have moved the shed to allow for a better configuration E to SW and aloows the camera and stuff to be sat outside of the obsy rather than accross and to the inside .

It makes PA  much harder but using it easier

[Earl]

Oh this has just created a whole heap of issues with the c9.25 it just does not work...... :|

[fink-nottle]

Awesome!

Thanks for all the feedback guys, much appreciated.

Obviously, I'm planning to set up an small refractor for imaging ... hence my interest. 

This model box was on my shortlist of readymades, along with the hinged lid Suncast (with suitable counterweights) and the Biohort Store Max.

I'd imagined that access would be a bit of a squeeze. On the other hand, it would seem they're fairly weather-tight.

Now if only I could get my southern hemisphere pier converted for northern hemisphere use.