Jump to content

Banner.jpg.b89429c566825f6ab32bcafbada449c9.jpg

Starting summers observatory project


Magnus_e

Recommended Posts

I've noticed that your mount, the RA is aligned with the box, as in parallel to the side walls. See the picture of my box, green line is my RA and orange line is yours.

I designed my box with this in mind (mount straight in the middle, parallel to side walls), however after installing the box which could only be in a very specific position, as I didn't factor the relative position of Polaris I had to rotate my all pier/mount so it ended up as per the green line you see.

With the mount parked as in your video, horizontal, the end of the telescope and the camera were very close to one corner of the box (bottom corner. in that picture), bear that in mind if you cannot position your box directly toward Polaris.

mountRA.jpg

Link to comment
Share on other sites

16 hours ago, Gonzo said:

I've noticed that your mount, the RA is aligned with the box, as in parallel to the side walls. See the picture of my box, green line is my RA and orange line is yours.

I designed my box with this in mind (mount straight in the middle, parallel to side walls), however after installing the box which could only be in a very specific position, as I didn't factor the relative position of Polaris I had to rotate my all pier/mount so it ended up as per the green line you see.

With the mount parked as in your video, horizontal, the end of the telescope and the camera were very close to one corner of the box (bottom corner. in that picture), bear that in mind if you cannot position your box directly toward Polaris.

mountRA.jpg

Hi.

Thankfully the house is very close to polar aligned, so the box will be pointing fairly straight south :)

Also the point on the scope that is the furthest away from the center of the mount is the thumb screw on the guide rings, so it should work even if I have to rotate a few deg. (I will need some space to open the dust cover to take flats, and to have room for the flat light source)

For the polar align I will rotate the scope clamps 180 deg, so I can use the red dot finder for stars close to the celestial equator by the meridian. So I should be able to visually align the first star. Think I will just use the All Star Polar Align function in the Celestron controller for that, and then do the fine tuning with software. Think I will try the polar alignment in Ekos first, as it's built in, but will have a look at the PhotoPolarAlign.

 

I have started taking everything apart to paint and get ready for the install. Hopefully it will go as planed.

Painted the inside of the roof, will paint the inside of the obsy black too, and paint the outside white after it's installed.

 

DSC_0439.JPG

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 2 weeks later...

HI Gonzo.

Sketchup took some getting used to, but there are a lot of easy to follow video tutorials that will make it easier :)

In Ekos, do you mean the min - max alt in telescope control or the alt > x in the scheduler?

I was thinking that some time in the future the alt > x scheduler option could be used to set up a weekly schedual? By setting a order of objects to be observed so that a new object is in the legal position when the previous goes below x. Then just making a sequence as a loop to be continued to termination.

However, I'm not going to dive in to the robotic operation any time soon.

As for the min - max limits in telescope control, I'm not sure I will be using them. I have a 180° eSw view that varies from alt +10 - +20, but I will be parking the mount at alt +1 and I'm not sure if the limit will affect parking. If I'm imaging a object remotely I will just check when the object gets to about 20° and set an alarm :) The box is also big enough so the telescope can't collide, so really no need for limits.

 

Progress is a bit slow now as I started in a new job two weeks ago on monday. I will try to talk a friend of mine in to helping me install the observatory next weekend. Fingers crossed for no rain :)

Link to comment
Share on other sites

That looked useful, Thanks for the link :)

Ill have a look at in KStars later. I saw that the limits is not exported to the mount, but if KStars can act on the edited horizon as the horizon I figure it will not slew to objects below the virtual horizon or keep tracking below it?

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

2 minutes ago, Magnus_e said:

That looked useful, Thanks for the link :)

Ill have a look at in KStars later. I saw that the limits is not exported to the mount, but if KStars can act on the edited horizon as the horizon I figure it will not slew to objects below the virtual horizon or keep tracking below it?

 

 

When you set the horizon correctly (still haven't figure it out how to do it....), and you enable it, the mount will not slew past the set limits.

I've figured this will be important to have in our cases as one side of the box is obstructed (lid), and you do not want the mount to carry on slewing when it reaches the top of one side of the wall. If you see what I mean.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Figured it out :)

As my scope is above the walls, I do not need to add those, but I added a test of the houses awning and the observatory roof.

Steps:

  1. Open artificial horizon and add region (+ button)
  2. In the points section, select points from the sky map
  3. Start from the horizon (Click in the green area from where you want to start)
  4. Click point 2, 3, 4, 5, ... ending under the horizon (Green stuff)
  5. Complete the poligon by going back to point one. (I added a point to follow the curve of the horizon, but this is probably not necessary)
  6. You should now see region is valid in the points window.
  7. Apply.
  8. Now you can at any time open the artificial horizon window to toggle region on and off.
  9. You could probably repeat with a East and West view to add the walls

And pictures :)

new-region.pngselect-points.pngvalid-region.pngactive-region.pngtoggle-region.png

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 2 weeks later...

A small update as I started this build 6 months ago this weekend. Cannot say I'm the quickest builder, but the obsy is done, even the inside painting. Just have to get someone to help me carry it up to the balcony ;)

So what have been done? The painting and the process of flat packing everything to get it up stairs.

DSC_0459.JPG

DSC_0463.JPG

DSC_0466.JPG

So in the end, were I happy that I wore a mask when spraypainting the insides?

Answer... Would have been a pain to have that in my lungs!

DSC_0461.JPG

 

Im also happy that the (rat box) on the pier did not end up as tall as on the initial sketchup! It's actually at the minimum height to be able to unscrew the center bolt.

DSC_0465.JPG

I'm at least happy I'm not missing any oppertuneties of first light. I's been clouded here for about two weeks with now clearing forcasted!

Stay tuned and hopefully by next post I have a outdoors observatory! :)

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Just now, Gonzo said:

Are you going to go live as soon as it's on the balcony or are you going to wait a few days in case you discover a water leak or else?

For once I'm hoping on some moist clouded weather! (I will probably newer do that again)

I feel it would be wise to let it sit for atleast one week, hopefully with some rain, to be reassured it's not leaking.

However I newer did figure out the inspection hatch on the back wall for the servers, etc... It will be a upgrade for next summer. This does mean that I have no way of getting to the server other then removing the cladding, cutting open the vapor barrier, and removing the styrofoam! So I'm going to install all the electronics when I set it up outside, but I'm not going to connect it to the mains before I see that It's dry inside.

A compremize to say the least, but I really cannot find anything suitable as an water proof inspection hatch on outside cladding.

If anyone has  a suggestion please let me know :)

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Had a similar issue in my last box, when the lid is closed... well if the electronic within went pop... I would had to get the screwdriver, move the box (forget the alignment then), remove the hinges then struggle with the lid etc...

I'm still in the thinking process to solve this issue on my new box, I might get myself an electrical enclosure IP65 and stuff all the electronic within. The door to the box will flush(ish) to the outside of the box.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

35 minutes ago, Gonzo said:

Had a similar issue in my last box, when the lid is closed... well if the electronic within went pop... I would had to get the screwdriver, move the box (forget the alignment then), remove the hinges then struggle with the lid etc...

I'm still in the thinking process to solve this issue on my new box, I might get myself an electrical enclosure IP65 and stuff all the electronic within. The door to the box will flush(ish) to the outside of the box.

On your new box. Could you not make a doubble wall like I did to have access to the electronics? (would still have to figure out the inspection door..)

 

21 minutes ago, Gonzo said:

One thing that I had on my previous box were four adjustable feet, as the balcony tiles are not 100% at the same level the box was wobbly, the adjustable feet fixed that :)

The flooring on my (parrents) balcony is quite flexible, and my obsy very heavy. I'm hoping the weight will straighten things out. The pier is atleast 45kg (30kg in concrete), the roof must be more than 30kg, then the AXV, the Equinox with guider and camera and the obsy itself.

Im supprized if it's less than 150kg!

To get tings in scope. A picture of me besides the obsy. I'm 182cm tall. The obsy with it's roof closed reaches my mother to her nose, but she is kind of short :)

DSC_0422.JPG

I should learn to smile in pictures....

Link to comment
Share on other sites

105KG for the box, not bad at all. My previous box was 56KG only and the new one will be lighter by at least 15KG if not more I hope.

At least you've made the effort to be in the picture... I avoid this at all costs... love taking pictures, hate being in one.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

1 minute ago, Gonzo said:

105KG for the box, not bad at all. My previous box was 56KG only and the new one will be lighter by at least 15KG if not more I hope.

At least you've made the effort to be in the picture... I avoid this at all costs... love taking pictures, hate being in one.

It's a saturday special! Won't happen often :)

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Out of curiosity, why have you insulated the walls?  I understand in your country the winters are quite a lot colder than here, but I would have thought it would help for the cool down of the telescope.

I did not use any insulation in my previous box (and none in the new one), every time I opened the box, winter or summer, the scope and pier were very cold to the touch.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Well, I figure everything would cool down when opening the roof. Winters will almost always have a period of less than -15C.

I have posted this picture before, probably in a different thread.. However this is my rig after ~5 hours in ~(-10C).

My obsy is 120 meters from a fjord leading to the north see, so it's also humid at times, and windy...

DSC_0013.JPG

Some insulation could not hurt, and it's also the cheapest priced material i bought :)

My hands was hurting after carrying this inside! Glad I soon have a obsy :)

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Of that looks cold.

The beauty of an observatory: you only have to polar align once, boom done.  oh clouds, close the roof, off to bed. Come back tomorrow, 10 sec to open the roof and off you go imaging.

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

I have some of the progress, but not the finished product. 

All connections are now in weather protected boxes for outdoor use. I have also installed the outgoing vent with the duct fan. I made the hole for the fans power vire a diameter of 5cm, an added a 5cm hole down low on the plate seperating the telescope room from the electronics. So the electronics should have good ventilation.

I could have used shorter vires so it would not look like a birds nest, but everything is properly insulated and safe :)

DSC_0286.JPG

DSC_0389.JPG

DSC_0384 (1).JPG

DSC_0382.JPG

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

1 minute ago, Gonzo said:

thanks, I'm looking to put everything into a single electrical enclosure, din rail, IP65/7 rated and only have one cable conduit going to the telescope.

That shoul be the safest when it comes to wather, but make sure the items iside do not create a unsafe combined heat!

If it's vather proof then it does not have a lot of ventilation. If you have powersupply for roof, mount, dewheaters, servers and more, then it can get hot without ventilating.

I have one 20amp 12v powersupply. This is either opening closing the roof or powering mount and dew. Then there are 2x 5.1v for servers and usb, one 12v power over ethernet for dlink ir camera, a 6.8v for Canon and the buildt in adapter for the Zyxel powerline netvork.

All of those can make some heat if in a small space without ventilation.

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Create an account or sign in to comment

You need to be a member in order to leave a comment

Create an account

Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!

Register a new account

Sign in

Already have an account? Sign in here.

Sign In Now
×
×
  • Create New...

Important Information

We have placed cookies on your device to help make this website better. You can adjust your cookie settings, otherwise we'll assume you're okay to continue. By using this site, you agree to our Terms of Use.