Budget Observatory under £250

[solwisesteve]

I'm curious what people do about pier/scope height. I've been running some ideas through my head for a suitable obs. but one of the potential issues I see is the scope being high enough to see over the sides of the shed but not so high you need to step ladder to reach the eye piece! One option is to build it so that when the roof rolls off the rolling sliding piece is the roof and some of the wall.... so perhaps the 'cut' line is 2/3rds of the way up the walls from the ground. But then you have the issue of the door... perhaps a stable door design there then? The other problem, for me, is the amount of land space the shed plus roll-off area take up. I wondered if some form of clam shell design might solve these problems.

[StaceStar]

1 hour ago, Astro_king said:

Hi mate,

 

It is this shed on sale on Ebay: https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/788-Refurbished-Yardmaster-Metal-Garden-Store-Max-Size-6-6W-x-3-11D-x-4-4-High-/292506175036?clk_rvr_id=1496978973556&utm_medium=cpc&utm_source=twenga&utm_campaign=twenga&utm_param=eyJlcyI6MCwicyI6OTcyMDIzNywiY2kiOiIwMzgwYzA0MTZmNTBjZGRkNTYzZGQ2NmVjODU1Y2Y5OCIsImkiOiIyOTI1MDYxNzUwMzYiLCJ0cyI6MTUyMzUyNTg2NywidiI6Mywic28iOjE1MDAsImMiOjEzOTk1Nn0%3D&rmvSB=true

 

I bought a refurbished shed as well. However, In hindsight, I wish I had bought a bigger shed that is taller as well. This does the job and I have a table on the side where I sit and control things but a bigger shed (as in bigger than 6 x 4, maybe 6x6 or more) would have helped in observing sessions.

 

Thanks so much for this, and for the points you raised. Hoping to get my garden sorted this summer (if it ever arrives) and a budget observatory is part of the plan!

 

I have a lot to think about, but it gives me hope that it can be done. Might even be able to do the base myself...after a few lessons from my retired bricky dad