Astrokev's ROR - The Build

[Gina]

I first used them for dew heater control.

[Yawning Angel]

I’m plumping my leds into Amazon Alexa, since the controller is both remote control and Wi-fi, so why not. 

“Alexa, scope room light red”

[Rusted]

With so many colour options I could spend years just trying to make a decision. It beats cloud watching. 

Cables, or flex, and lots of movement are not a marriage made in heaven.

I have mains LED bulbs overhead in my dome and have to stop and unplug them all the time.

I've tried long and short runs and neither works without a hollow PA shaft.

The very long linear movement of an ROR might be much simpler running on battery LEDs.

With the battery in the moving roof along with the lights they power.

Rechargeable batteries could be "topped" up when the roof [or dome] is not in use?

[Astrokev]

2 hours ago, Rusted said:

With so many colour options I could spend years just trying to make a decision. It beats cloud watching. 

Cables, or flex, and lots of movement are not a marriage made in heaven.

I have mains LED bulbs overhead in my dome and have to stop and unplug them all the time.

I've tried long and short runs and neither works without a hollow PA shaft.

The very long linear movement of an ROR might be much simpler running on battery LEDs.

With the battery in the moving roof along with the lights they power.

Rechargeable batteries could be "topped" up when the roof [or dome] is not in use?

Different coloured LED's to suit your mood!

Yes that's another good option for roof lighting.

While I agree that flex of cables is best to avoid if possible, drag chains are specifically designed to deal with linear moving parts. In the robots in my last work place, drag chain cable failure was measured in months/years and that was with them operating with a < 1 minute cycle time, 24/7. A ROR roof will only cycle a few hundred times a year at most (probably much less with British weather ?) and I wouldn't have thought would be a problem. 

Edited February 3, 2019 by Astrokev

[Rusted]

47 minutes ago, Astrokev said:

Different coloured LED's to suit your mood!

Yes that's another good option for roof lighting.

While I agree that flex of cables is best to avoid if possible, drag chains are specifically designed to deal with linear moving parts. In the robots in my last work place, drag chain cable failure was measured in months/years and that was with them operating with a < 1 minute cycle time, 24/7. A ROR roof will only cycle a few hundred times a year at most (probably much less with British weather ?) and I wouldn't have thought would be a problem. 

Yes I'm familiar with drag chain conduits from CNC machines.

No idea what cables they had hidden inside the protective shield. 

Certainly quite a bit posher than pulling mains plugs every time. 

Suits you, Sir!  

[RayD]

You don't need to have the lighting on the rolling part of the roof.  My scope room has 2 x twin weatherpack fluorescent fittings, one high up on each side wall, for when I want it to be bright when working in there with the roof closed, and then separate to this I have a red bulkhead.  In the warm room I have the same (single fitting) and the addition of the LED strip lighting for my keyboard, which is stuck under the desk above the keyboard so I can see it easily without it needing to be very bright.

 

 

 

Edited February 3, 2019 by RayD

[Astrokev]

31 minutes ago, Rusted said:

 

Suits you, Sir!  

Too posh for me! It's @JamesFwho is considering this ?

I'll just nail the cables to the wall!

[RayD]

1 minute ago, Astrokev said:

I'll just nail the cables to the wall!

Love it

[Astrokev]

3 minutes ago, RayD said:

Love it

Great to see your pics there Ray. Giving me some ideas. 

Yes, just to be clear, I won't be putting lighting in the roof. I can put it on the walls since they are quite high. It was@JamesF who is considering this. His obsy has knee-high walls ? so roof lighting may be a better solution. 

[RayD]

Just now, Astrokev said:

Great to see your pics there Ray. Giving me some ideas. 

Yes, just to be clear, I won't be putting lighting in the roof. I can put it on the walls since they are quite high. It was@JamesF who is considering this. His obsy has knee-high walls ? so roof lighting may be a better solution. 

Ah, sorry Kev my dimness shines through again as usual! ?

[Astrokev]

If I can be nosey, In your warm room pic, what's the function of the electrics on the left?

[JamesF]

Indeed.  The tops of my walls are just below shoulder height for me, so wall-mounted lighting may not be ideal when actually working on the mounts/telescopes etc.  I wouldn't have a problem with red lighting being at that height as I think it will mostly just be there so I don't bump into things.  Either way it's not a major worry as hopefully I can roll the roof off when I need decent lighting.

James

[JamesF]

3 minutes ago, Astrokev said:

If I can be nosey, In your warm room pic, what's the function of the electrics on the left?

12V supply I think, Kev.

James

[Gina]

I have a string of LEDs around the top of my walls in my scope room.  Warm room has two ordinary wall lamps one each end individually switched and on dimmers.

[Astrokev]

2 minutes ago, JamesF said:

12V supply I think, Kev.

James

Thanks. As I've said many times, I'm a bit of a numpty when it comes to electrics ?

[RayD]

Yes, James is spot on.  They are 2 12v supplies, one small 8A one and one 30A one.  PC is under them.

[Astrokev]

1 minute ago, RayD said:

Yes, James is spot on.  They are 2 12v supplies, one small 8A one and one 30A one.  PC is under them.

My turn to be dim - so do these supply the hub I can see on top of your scopes, with the mount and everything else being supplied from the hub?

[RayD]

12 minutes ago, Astrokev said:

My turn to be dim - so do these supply the hub I can see on top of your scopes, with the mount and everything else being supplied from the hub?

Yes that's it essentially, Kev.  I have a different hub now and a slightly different arrangement, but the supply is the same.  I use the small one to power my mount only, and then the other one for the rest.

Under the desk I have my UPS, wireless access point and an IP connected switch which I connect to via 'tinternet and turn everything on and off (PC boots on power up).

Edited February 3, 2019 by RayD

[Astrokev]

1 hour ago, RayD said:

Yes that's it essentially, Kev.  I have a different hub now and a slightly different arrangement, but the supply is the same.  I use the small one to power my mount only, and then the other one for the rest.

Under the desk I have my UPS, wireless access point and an IP connected switch which I connect to via 'tinternet and turn everything on and off (PC boots on power up).

All magic to me ? .

im guessing having a separate supply to the mount gives a more consistent supply without risking fluctuations caused by other kit? (As you can see, I'm slowly trying to assimilate knowledge for when I plan my electrics set up!)

[RayD]

8 minutes ago, Astrokev said:

All magic to me ? .

im guessing having a separate supply to the mount gives a more consistent supply without risking fluctuations caused by other kit? (As you can see, I'm slowly trying to assimilate knowledge for when I plan my electrics set up!)

? I know that feeling, Kev!

So the theory goes, yes, but with a decent quality linear supply there really shouldn't be any issues anyway.  I only split them as I already had the small one, so it does mean belt and braces, but it would all happily run off the larger one through the Pegasus hub (and has).

[Astrokev]

 

4 hours ago, RayD said:

? I know that feeling, Kev!

So the theory goes, yes, but with a decent quality linear supply there really shouldn't be any issues anyway.  I only split them as I already had the small one, so it does mean belt and braces, but it would all happily run off the larger one through the Pegasus hub (and has).

Great, thanks Ray

[Gina]

I have a separate wire to supply the mount from that supplying the imaging rig.  Both originate in the warm room PSU and backup battery.  The earth wire which is the return or negative is very substantial and is the sort used in domestic earth bonding.  It goes from a 4ft earth rod outside the observatory to a point on the mount then through the pipework into the warm room where it connects to the negative of PSU and battery. 

[Astrokev]

Didn't get as much done today as I hoped. For some reason, the observatory gods conspired against me. First of all I broke the last of the drill bits I use to make pilot holes. I didn't have anything else of a suitable size, so ended up with a trip to Wickes to replenish stocks. Then I had to go to Tesco's to get some food in for the evening meal. Then my sister in law popped over to say hi, which delayed me by half an hour. Once back outside, I was then rushing to catch up lost time and ended up making stupid errors. Some days things just don't go your way!

Finished lining another wall in the scope room, which didn't take long. Then I started on the warm room ceiling. After cutting the first piece square and checking for fit, it was apparent that the room was slightly out of square as I had a 1cm gap between the ply and the end wall at the corner nearest the scope room. Not sure which bit isn't right but the bottom line was I had to trim the ply sheet opposite the door at an angle. In my haste, stupid me then goes and trims it the wrong way round, so I then had a 2cm gap at the scope room corner! Grrr. Long story short I eventually got it to fit OK although the light had pretty much gone by then.

The one good thing I found, though, is that although the warm room ceiling is a bit lower than I'd like (my head clears it just, but my son has to stoop!) I can hold the ply in place with the top of my head whilst I mark out and drill the pilot holes  

[JamesF]

A third hand is always useful, even if it is your head   The problem I get these days is that if I want to work close up at the same time my glasses won't allow me to focus on them except through the lower section of the lens, which makes it all a bit awkward.

James

[Gina]

Old eyes are a distinct nuisance!  Since I'm mainly short-sighted, I take my glasses off for close stuff, put them down somewhere and then can't find them.  Drives me up the wall.  OTOH things could be a lot worse...