semi permanent imaging setup?

[MyRomeo]

morning all

Given we are not getting dark skies until silly hours and this is very much just a hobby I have been thinking about how I can prepare for the dark nights by making getting up and running for imaging a bit quicker. Ive came up with two solutions:

1 - simple pier

2 - marked reference points for tripod legs (drilled points on paved patio)

Most my time is spent setting up, trying to align the EQ mount accurately so if I could get rid of this or reduce this time greatly I would have more time for imaging. I have a simple motorised EQ3 mount and use it predominantly with my DSLR and telephoto lens so weight is very low. 

both setups would involve removing the mount between sessions so would need to be accurately drift aligned initially and then returned to this reference point at the start of each session. With a pier I would simply remove the EQ3 mount from the pier whereas with the tripod reference points simply lift the tripod and mount away.

As my wife reminds me, I don't go out for hours and hours at a time so a pier seems overkill.

Whats your opinion? Does anyone who uses an EQ mount on a tripod have pre-aligned locations marked out so to get up and running you simply return the tripod to the known location?

Thanks

[Alien 13]

I use option 2 with my kit and provided that my tripod is fixed at its lowest position and everything including the tray is tight then i can get close enough to use a 50mm lens straight off longer lenses still require a tweek on PA.

I have considered mounting two small lazers on the head with targets situated in the garden to get precise repeatability.

Alan

[ChrisLX200]

I use option 1 and leave the mount outside under a cover (well, two covers - first is soft bag second is a waterproof cover). To setup I just mount the OTA and power up, perform a 'warm start' and that's it. I think option 2 will always leave you needing to tweak alignment no matter how carefully you try to replace the tripod.

ChrisH

[wxsatuser]

There is nothing like a permanent obsy.

Open door, powerup, imaging within 5minutes, shutdown 5minutes later, clouds!.

[ollypenrice]

I think the drilled patio idea will work at shorter focal lengths. I haven't tried it but I remember Bev at COAA saying that he used to do this in the early days and he is a competent soul.

Olly

[Scott]

I'm in ChrisH's camp at the moment, operating from a warm shed 10mtrs away . Eventually though, I want to put a roll off shed/phonebox over it.

[MyRomeo]

Thanks for the replies, lots of good feedback there!

First up, I would LOVE an observatory and the wife has said WHEN we have a larger garden I can build one. We live in an urban location now with a small garden so its not practical. We both want to move away from the city in the next few years and I've prioritised a village edge / rural location for dark skies! My wife is keen on this idea as whilst its me who loves my astro stuff she loves the peaceful settings typically involved. Win Win!

OK so pier - This is doable but for 90% of the time it would sit out unused. Seems like an unnecessary fixture in an already small and crowded garden. 

I think I will go with the drilled tripod holes. I always run the tripod at 50% height (first set of leg extensions at full, second not used). I don't mind a few minutes tweak, this would be easier than now where I have a complete restart every time. 

I typically use my 300mm lens which i've so far only managed around 8 seconds exposures with but without an accurate drift align so if I can invest a night in to an accurate drift alignment and use that as a reference hopefully I can push the exposure time much further than that.

With my smaller lenses, say my 35mm prime, I can get 10-15 minutes exposures no problem but then light pollution becomes a real issue.

[MyRomeo]

Oh - the nearest to a 'warm shed' I have now is I can operate the camera including live view entirely from my macbook... at the end of a long USB cable, in my kitchen so nice and warm

The only thinks I need to do hands on at the camera/mount are framing, setting the focal length and an initial manual focus.

[Alien 13]

I have just had another look at my tripod and have thought a bit more on the use of lasers let me explain.

Start off by loading up the mount and marking the tripod position on the ground, a more accurate method would be to hang a plumline from the center of the mount or a laser pointing down (this would involve cutting a hole in the center of the tray) the  tripod now has a fixed refrence point on the ground and a full PA can now be done.

A laser is then fitted to the counterwight bar (this would need to be permanent so it doesnt move) the RA axis is then positioned at zero so the counterweight is pointing straight down the laser will then indicate a pont on the ground for a "virtual" NCP so any future setup can be done with the normal adjustments to this point.

I have no idea if this would work but it should be very close.

Alan

[laser_jock99]

I use option 1 and leave the mount outside under a cover (well, two covers - first is soft bag second is a waterproof cover). To setup I just mount the OTA and power up, perform a 'warm start' and that's it. I think option 2 will always leave you needing to tweak alignment no matter how carefully you try to replace the tripod.

ChrisH

If you don't have room for an observatory and don't want the faff of setting up the mount each session then the semi permanent pier is a good idea. You have to be prepared to leave mount outside, on the pier well covered.

I operate an additional pier outside the main observatory for 'wide field' imaging. It saves a lot of setup time to just drop the scope on, calibrate the mount and start imaging.

[tekkydave]

I'm building a sort of half-way option where I will have a fixed pier and use a nearby shed to sit in and for equipment (PC, monitor etc). The pier I intend to install will be made from four 4" by 4" fence posts bonded together to make an 8" by 8" pier set in the ground. I will plonk my mount on top when I want to use it and remove when not in use. All cabling from the shed to the pier will be permanently installed with a waterproof box for connections. I am intending to have a wooden sleeve to go over the top of the pier when not in use and put one of those really nice metal sundials on top to make it look good. Got the posts and a few other bits today but as you will see from the pictures here http://stargazerslounge.com/topic/220310-tekkydave-low-cost-obsy-build I still have a pond to remove first.

[JRWASTRO]

Greetings Dave

I had a look at the build . What sought of a view of the night sky do you get? Your pier appears to be quite close to the neighbors wall.

I 'd e interested to see your finished job.

Jeremy.

[tekkydave]

Greetings Dave

I had a look at the build . What sought of a view of the night sky do you get? Your pier appears to be quite close to the neighbors wall.

I 'd e interested to see your finished job.

Jeremy.

Where the pier will be placed there is a clear view to the SE over the top of a 5ft fence. The view to the S, SW and W is severely restricted due to my and neighbouring houses. To the NW, N, NE there are trees but only up to about 45deg so I can see polaris no problem.

There isn't really a better place to put the pier in our garden so its a case of make the best of what you have. If you have the opportunity to pick a location for your next house with your obsy location in mind you are very lucky.

I'm hoping to get the pier and shed finished to use it this winter and I might even buy a better mount. I'm considering the Celestron VX as the best option at the moment. It will allow me to continue using the Starsense and GPS accessories I already use with my 127SLT.

In time if I feel its worth it I may build a roll-off shed over the pier so I can leave the mount permanently set up.

[JRWASTRO]

Thank you for the detailed reply Dave. To imagine how things look, for me, i have to reverse all your directions. So to imagine your restricted views I imagine looking to N, NE and East. Now those directions present me with interesting northern objects like the Andromeda and Triangulum galaxies and M45. So if I had your restrictions I would get quite frustrated. To the east the horizon is 2 degrees below the distant hills and I get a great del of pleasure watching Orion rising during our summer months. The herald of our winter, Antares, is clearly visible just after it rises.

About the placement of your pier, i can feel for your frustration at not having an optimum location for astronomy. Yes one would be lucky if one could pick a house with a location such that it would be optimal for astronomy. That is the perennial problem a good spot will be far away from work etc. I would like to build an observatory but getting building permission here is a major problem so I have a pier bolted to a block of concrete and have to assemble the obs every time I want to image.

I am not familiar with the kit you mentioned but I googled the scope and it looks very nice. Setting up the tripod can be done using 3 pads the centres of which sit on the vertices of an equilateral triangle. The main thing is to determine the local meridian. The most accurate method of determining the local meridian is by observing the Suns' transit( local noon).

I hope all goes well in this effort,

Jeremy.

[MyRomeo]

Just a little update. I've convinced my wife that a pier would be a good idea if it blended in to our garden. As such I've tasked my father with locating a 4-5ft 8" diameter tree stump that I can sink in to the ground to make secure. I know it's not as stable long term as a metal or concrete pier but for how often I get out will be more than fit for purpose.

I'll knock up an adaptor plate that will be secured to the top with adjustable bolts for levelling. When in use my mount will locate into this with a reference point for alignment. When not in use I've said the mount will be removed and we can drop a bird table or ornament on it so it becomes a garden feature.

This will cut my setup time down massively although I expect to have a small optimisation at the start of each session to ensure things are still aligned correctly.

The tricky part is I have no view of polaris so the very first setup will take a whilst as I will have to drift align it. I have good views every direction but north, I say good, 30 degrees and above is clear. North is totally blocked by my house.

Exciting times!

[ollypenrice]

Well, your wife would love me (not!)  Tell her this old English gimmer in France has a rendered block built observatory of 2.2 x 4 metres, a 4-mount robotic shed 3 x 4M, a roll off of 2.2 x 2.2M, a rolling Dob shed of 2 x I.5M and two sentry box roll offs of 1.5 x 1.5M.  You should be home and dry with a tree stump after that!

My wife would love a swimming pool but I point out that we don't have room. Now that is living dangerously!!! 

Olly

[gingergeek]

+1 for swimming pool for when I visit 

[swag72]

You definitely need a swimming pool Olly   

[ollypenrice]

I should have shut up!

Olly

[JRWASTRO]

Good stuff. Please post pictures as you progress.

Have you made an estimate of the depth of the pier and the amount of concrete to fix your pier in the ground ?

About polar alignment. Once you determine the local meridian polar alignment is straight forward. Using a Wixey angle finder will make life easier.

Jeremy.

[kirkster501]

+ 1 for leaving the Tripod, NEQ6 mount (with weights) outside placed on top of 3x small slabs I have inset into the lawn in the best place I can get in my garden.  Leave it outside and just whip off the scope/camera and bring it inside.  Still waiting to see how accurate the PA remains over a few weeks.  IF this proves OK I will build a pier and repeat.  Without doubt the PA routine and getting the mount set up takes the most time,  certainly for me at any rate.

I throw a plastic camping ground sheet over the mount when done and tie it around the bottom of the mount so there is no possibility it will blow off no matter how strong the wind.

[teleskopjo]

Good but a tripod makes it difficult to seal well around the mount...

A box enclosure could be another idea but it needs a pier as well

[rodrigol]

I've gone down this path. Works great!

http://stargazerslounge.com/topic/207605-telescope-shelter/page-2

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