Viewing From the Attic

[JonnyAlpha]

Hi;

A little off topic but associated to observing.  We are about to get our roof re-tiled and thought we'd take the opportunity to get a Velux window fitted. The roofer mentioned two types (centre swivel or top tilt openings).

Which would be best or is there another type of window I could consider.

The window will be fitted to the South side of the house.

Thanks

 

[SteveNickolls]

Hi, So you are looking to emulate Curly Watts' attic observatory on Coronation Street? You will have very restricted views and suffer badly the effects of heat and turbulence from the house and roof. As for choice of Velux-no idea sorry. Do let us know how you get on.

Cheers,
Steve

[rockystar]

as above, but I suspect a top tilt won't open wide enough to get anything through - it'll need a low bracket for support. We have centre swivel and I occasional use my binoculars through them (the lip of the window provides a good rest), but far too restricted for a telescope, also too high.

 

[Ricochet]

If you are having the window fitted solely with the intention of observing through it then neither. No attic window is really suitable for observing through. Windows are not made from optical quality glass and will degrade the image. If you want to open the window for observing then the top hinge ones only open ~45° so you won't be able to really get the glass out of the way. Centre pivot windows probably open further but at best you'll have half of the window aperture to look though and in any case the thermal currents racing through the open window will degrade the views. Taking your telescope outside will always give better views and allow targets to be chosen from a much larger portion of the sky.

[xtreemchaos]

I would think anyone that opens fully, i do 99% of my imaging and vis from a indoor obsyroom due to a illness, i have no heating in there, there are advantages from shooting from indoors ie your allways set up, and you don't have to worry about your kit and afterall all the best telescopes around the world are indoors in there obsys "on top of volcanoes" the main problem with doing it from upstairs is floor movement and if somebody slams a door halfway through a sub. good luck .charl.

[RayD]

I've tried viewing through a Velux (centre hinge) at home and in my view forget it.  As noted above, "turbulence" was awful and as Charl notes, on wooden floorboards even your natural body movement made everything vibrate like a really vibraty thing.

Good luck with it, as if you are having the window fitted anyway it could be worth a stab.  From my efforts I would say top hinged, provided it opens up quite a way 

Edited July 16, 2017 by RayD

[JonnyAlpha]

We had decided on a velux window to offer some natural light into what is a reasonable attic space. The telescope mostly sits in a cupboard and rarely gets used so the idea of having set up ready would be advantageous albeit given the problems outlined above (many of which I had found already on this forum). 

I'll look for a top opening anyway and it may be good for some moon shots for the Grand kids :-)

Thanks and I'll post back later in the year with any results. 

[RayD]

7 minutes ago, JonnyAlpha said:

We had decided on a velux window to offer some natural light into what is a reasonable attic space. The telescope mostly sits in a cupboard and rarely gets used so the idea of having set up ready would be advantageous albeit given the problems outlined above (many of which I had found already on this forum). 

I'll look for a top opening anyway and it may be good for some moon shots for the Grand kids :-)

Thanks and I'll post back later in the year with any results. 

Sounds like a great idea, and for views of the moon for the Grandkids it will be ideal.  Don't forget to get a moon filter, as it can get pretty bright for young sensitive eyes 

[Nyctimene]

German amateur (semi-professional) Klaus Wenzel, Wenigumstadt, has been observing very successfully for more than 20 years DSO's and especially QSO's (at the moment, more than 100 visually!) from his roof observatory, which is fitted with a sliding window. He is equipped with a 16" Dob; the room is unheated.

Contact: wenzel.qso@t-online.de

Could be a solution to be considered...

Stephan

[triton1]

Just goes to show any things possible and rules can be broken?

[Cleetus]

Another German, Gunther Roth, also had  a telescope in his roofspace. I am  sure I saw a photo of this sometime in the long distant past.  Could be getting confused with someone else. Anyone remember his book?

 

 

 

 

[Peter Drew]

Obviously can be done, not ideal but maybe noother option. 

I seem to remember something about the Gunther Roth telescope. It might have been an external fixed objective fed by a siderostat, the view being transferred indoors. 

[JAG007]

I know i am late to this thread, but i am having my house redone and i was thinking of viewing from the attic, i just wanted to ask JonnyAlpha, how did it go?

 

[Pixies]

I'm afraid Jonny Alpha hasn't visited this site since September 20, 2017!

Hope he's not stuck in the attic!

[Carbon Brush]

The wisdom always passed to me is that the scope/pier and the floor are separate in any observatory.
This isolates the scope from observatory (floor and general) vibrations.

I have seen (1970s) two amateur radio aerial installations where a mast (50mm diameter) has gone from ground level to through the roof for other reasons.
As for a pier running floor to loft?

I think the shed in the garden is still the better option.

Edited November 7, 2021 by Carbon Brush

[JAG007]

For me its either the attic or outside somewhere where there is no light polution, i dont have a garden and the back yard is very small and the light polution is terrible, at the moment its Bino's throught the windows (still dipping in and out yet).

John

[bomberbaz]

15 minutes ago, jaguarxjsport said:

For me its either the attic or outside somewhere where there is no light polution, i dont have a garden and the back yard is very small and the light polution is terrible, at the moment its Bino's throught the windows (still dipping in and out yet).

John

Still not got a scope then john

[JAG007]

Nope not yet, funding at the moment, and sorting life issues out.

[MartinHiggins]

The best type of window for observing is an "escape type". Fakro do various sizes and you can choose whether it hinges on the right or left. 

I observe from my attic with a giant binocular and while not ideal from a pure observing point of view it is an instant set up and comfortable.

[Merlin]

One possible plywood currents-free solution might be to isolate the window from the room by making a small portable room within the room that you can bring up to the window and leave unheated, hence currents-free.

[AstroGee]

Another alternative - a balcony window.

As long as the upper window opens high enough

[mikeDnight]

On 16/07/2017 at 08:34, JonnyAlpha said:

Hi;

A little off topic but associated to observing.  We are about to get our roof re-tiled and thought we'd take the opportunity to get a Velux window fitted. The roofer mentioned two types (centre swivel or top tilt openings).

Which would be best or is there another type of window I could consider.

The window will be fitted to the South side of the house.

Thanks

 

In our last house, I had a sheet metal worker weld an aluminium flashing. My design had no window, but instead had an aluminium lift off lid. Sadly i have no photo's, but it served me well for 11 years. The opening was 3 ft by 4 ft, and the height of the rim was 7". It never leaked despite often very stormy weather. The lid was held down by two chains.

 It sheltered me from the wind and cold, and placed me above the towering sodium lights. At the time, our house was directly opposite the M65 motorway, where any observatory is better than no observatory.

[Andy R]

5 hours ago, AstroGee said:

Another alternative - a balcony window.

As long as the upper window opens high enough

So long as this doesn’t happen

[AstroGee]

6 hours ago, Andy R said:

So long as this doesn’t happen

Oooof! That hinge had one job!

[UKDiver]

1 hour ago, AstroGee said:

Oooof! That hinge had one job!

I winced. Back of the head, not nice.