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Tree house observatory


x6gas

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OK, so I'm going to hold myself out for ridicule...

Here's my situation:  I live in a small cottage on a fairly large (1 acre) plot but the problem is I have a large number of ~20 metre trees around.  I usually image using a mobile set up in the garden but even the best spot doesn't have a great outlook especially to the east and west (north isn't much better and south isn't that great!).

My wife is up for an obsy - so long as it's hidden in the trees(!) so I've been seriously considering moving house to get a better obsy site (but don't really want to move otherwise).

I've been trying to think through all sorts of options.  From a vista point of view, a particularly wacky idea has come to mind.  I have a lime tree in the near centre of the plot - reasonably close to the house - and if I could build a stable platform up there it would be ideal for an obsy as it would get me above the treeline (and above the house) and the obsy wouldn't mess the garden up (my wife's biggest grumble).

The lime tree has a bunch of pretty solid trunks and I am almost managing to convince myself that with appropriate trussing for the platform I might get something stable enough to provide a platform for imaging.  Here's the (even bigger) hiccup though:  I want to be imaging at 2.8 m - the native focal length of my EdgeHd 11"

So feel free to tell me I'm bonkers and that this is madness... because I am seriously considering it...

post-11821-0-36386300-1396721477_thumb.j

Help me!

Ian

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Ian,

Yes, your bonkers and it is total madness...................................................................... so get on and do it  :evil:  

You'll never forgive yourself if you don't go ahead and try.

...and I can't wait to read about this build project.

Go for it... :icon_salut:

Les

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You obviously have no idea as to how much trees move about , it would be like observing from a boat , a totally pointless exercise , time for a Plan B ....  :p

Not observing from a boat, Steve - imaging from one... and at 2.8m focal length!  This is my plan B!

I am crazy aren't I.... please convince me that I shouldn't even try....

The way I figure it, if it really doesn't work I'll have a moderately cool (and very expensive) tree house.

Has this been tried before?

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OK I'm warming to my cause now.  This 'tree' has five trunks ranging from 8" to 12" at the height I want to build the platform.  With that tied together I wonder what the flex would be in conditions that I'd actually want to image in...  I'm tempted to at least build a platform, stick a tripod on it and see...

No?

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Surely the branch's would be in the way. If you cut them down i guess the platform would stand out like a sore thumb.

Yes, and I would cut them down but I'm not bothered about the platform sticking out:

post-11821-0-87048100-1396727605_thumb.j

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What about something on hydraulic's, raise it up when needed  :rolleyes:  :grin:

http://youtu.be/qUQAwQ7MXMk?t=55s

Way, way ahead of you their Laurie!  This was the wife's suggestion.  Massively expensive for not much gain at ground level, though and trying to do this in the roof of a timber framed garage surely wouldn't be any better than a tree house.

I've done lots of bonkers things before in my life: none of them has ever worked.  This is my big chance! :-)

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How about a conventional observatory away from the trees but painted to look like a bush?

.... Or an observatory hidden by shrubs?

No?

Have you tried bribing the wife?

Frequently.  It's only a short-term solution, though!

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Oops. Chair, not hair. On the wine:ph34r:

And I'm on the single malt, Houston... so perhaps sense will kick in in the morning but at the moment I am definitely up for building a rudimentary platform and giving it a try.

A tree house would be cool, right?

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I built a raised deck with pier although I have a less restricted outlook than you  http://stargazerslounge.com/topic/186704-raised-observation-deck-and-pier/?hl=%2Braised+%2Bdeck#entry1944774 

There have been adapted garages used for obsies in the past but putting it in an ideal spot for stargazing and getting planning for it might be a problem.

 http://www.atticbluffsobservatory.com/observatory

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