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Shed of the Year

barkis

By barkis
in The Astro Lounge

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b_fillmore

b_fillmore

Posted
Posted

This was actually my one! We sadly didn't make the cut but it's still good to raise the profile a little of our hobby. Sadly the editors didn't quite marry my photos to the right objects but heyho.. Hopefully you enjoyed watching the show! Ben

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RikM

RikM

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Very nice to see a well designed and built obsy though Ben. I did something similar with mine. First time build and it all works fine. Well done for getting on the TV. :)

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Physopto

Physopto

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This was actually my one! We sadly didn't make the cut but it's still good to raise the profile a little of our hobby. Sadly the editors didn't quite marry my photos to the right objects but heyho.. Hopefully you enjoyed watching the show! Ben

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Do those trees not cause you some loss of good sky?

Nice obsy.

Derek

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b_fillmore

b_fillmore

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Thanks for all the relies! Yes that tree is slightly annoying to say the least.. It's on the neighbours side so I can't do much. But I get a great view south and East (and north) so it's ok. And we're unlikely to move for the foreseeable, so it was either work around it or not bother. Still would be glad to see it gone though!

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barkis

barkis

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This was actually my one! We sadly didn't make the cut but it's still good to raise the profile a little of our hobby. Sadly the editors didn't quite marry my photos to the right objects but heyho.. Hopefully you enjoyed watching the show! Ben

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

You certainly did that Ben.

My wife who actually alerted me to that programme, said your 'shed'

was superb, and why didn't I do mine like yours. I was a bit miffed by that,

but had to agree she was right. I think yours will certainly inspire more builds, so a job well done indeed sir.

Congratulations on getting in the mix anyway. :icon_salut:  :icon_salut: .

Ron.

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b_fillmore

b_fillmore

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Thanks for the praise but I really just followed those who had gone before me. I still worry that the roof is too heavy but if it fails I'll just have to redesign it lighter!

And if anyone is in the Amersham area and interested feel free to pop in and have a look..

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JamesF

JamesF

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I was interested in your design for the join in the roof with the overlapping section to cover it.  I'd thought about doing something similar here, but decided the risk of having rain driven into the gap and running into the observatory was too high.  We are fairly well exposed though being on top of a hill, and the south-westerly winds really can drive the rain into places you'd not expect when you're the first obstacle for miles.  I'm assuming it's not a problem for you.  Did you have to do anything specifically to prevent water getting in that way, or does it all "just work"?

James

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b_fillmore

b_fillmore

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Hi James. I'll start by saying we've never had a leak, not even a drop. I had expected a small amount but pleased to have had none. The overlap is about 9 inches but inside there is 2 inch thick foam on each side which join and condense when the roof is closed. I guess this is enough of a barrier to stop any horizontal rain seeping through. Whilst not as exposed as yours sounds it has seen some weather. I built it so the overlap is exposed to an Easterly and thus pretty rare rainy direction. Overall I would definitely build in this way again should the design warrant it!

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JamesF

JamesF

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My wife also wants to know why the smaller of your two OTAs appears to have some sort of patterned cover.  I was wondering if it was just to protect it from being marked by the rings, but I said I'd ask :)

James

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Tonynexevo925

Tonynexevo925

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Nice one Ben - really good job.

Your images were great as well.

Just one thing... You Could have asked them to say the scope set up was really quite cheap rather than £10k - that ruined many man math obfuscation opportunities... Also no doubt will raise retrospective analysis sessions

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Physopto

Physopto

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Posted

Thanks for the praise but I really just followed those who had gone before me. I still worry that the roof is too heavy but if it fails I'll just have to redesign it lighter!

And if anyone is in the Amersham area and interested feel free to pop in and have a look..

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Hi,

I watched the program obviously and was impressed with you observatory..

But please be careful about advertising where you are. You allowed the cameras in and the presenter then went on to tell the entire country that you had so many thousands of pounds of equipment in the shed. There is a thriving market for stolen astronomical equipment! To a thief your face is now known and if seen they just need to follow you back home to identify where the gear is stored. At least fit a really good LOUD alarm! Also if not done already fit a lock device inside to lock the roof shut, in several places.

Better safe than sorry. I applauded your offer to tell readers to just pop in to look but unless you know them, and that includes me, I would suggest extreme care. Don't advertise it would be soul destroying to loose everything. I had £10,000 stolen about 4 years ago when tricked. Took me quite a while to restart my enthusiasm for astronomy. My wife is still sore about it, to say the least.

Derek

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JamesF

JamesF

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Just one thing... You Could have asked them to say the scope set up was really quite cheap rather than £10k - that ruined many man math obfuscation opportunities... Also no doubt will raise retrospective analysis sessions

I have pointed out to mine that a significant proportion of that figure could well be the mount :)

James

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b_fillmore

b_fillmore

Posted
Posted

Yes they had rather exaggerated the total cost, rounding up but they wanted to know. Rest assured I've taken some steps to secure it, firstly the roof has heavy bolts that lock it together when shut, there is a motion alarm fitted, it's also a closed garden with no easy public access other than over four or five neighbouring fences.. And a good chunk of the value is in the mount which is bolted down to the pier with a multitude of bolts. My insurance would cover most of the value at risk, but I accept the risks of inviting strangers over. Tough as I'd like to encourage more to the hobby!

I had said all someone needs to get started is a pair of old binoculars but they edited it out.. Along with a lot else, but oh well.

Oh and the reason for the patterned fabric? My wife likes it and I wanted some extra padding between the tube rings and the ota, it's a mint tv genesis and I'd like to keep it pristine if possible!

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kerrylewis

kerrylewis

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Oh and the reason for the patterned fabric? My wife likes it and I wanted some extra padding between the tube rings and the ota, it's a mint tv genesis and I'd like to keep it pristine if possible!

I did wonder about that!

As an architect I must compliment you on the final appearance - very attractive. It even caused my wife to suggest that I might do something similar!

Well done

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barkis

barkis

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Thanks for the praise but I really just followed those who had gone before me. I still worry that the roof is too heavy but if it fails I'll just have to redesign it lighter!

And if anyone is in the Amersham area and interested feel free to pop in and have a look..

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Don't be so modest Ben, sure many of us have built our own ROR's, but most of us  if not  99.98%  didn't enter the Shed of the Year comp.

You did, and gained no little merit. The important thing you said yourself, it will have created more interest in Amateur Astronomy, and particularly, the means by which

it can be practiced, given the right conditions. Your site may not have been  perfect, but it is more than adequate.

Ron.

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