Pier, hiding in plain sight

[souls33k3r]

Hi All,

I'm getting super serious about putting a pier in the garden, yes just the pier and no shed structure around it.

I have two concerns;

1) My back garden is exposed to the back street so i can not leave my kit out under the covers all the time but i can potentially leave the mount head if clear nights are in succession. How do you (if you have an exposed garden like mine) cover your mount so it doesn't look obvious as to what is underneath it

2) Got to keep the wife happy. So rather than a metal tube sticking out in the middle of the garden which will take up the kids playing area, what can be done to make it part of the garden and looks not out of place (maybe this might tie in with the concern above).

Examples by a way of pictures would be super helpful.

Thanks in advance.

[kippford]

Sundial with a removable gnomen and a thread for attaching a mount?

[spillage]

Bird table?

[souls33k3r]

Bird table isn't a bad shout if I'm being honest but I'll have to engineer the hell out a pier to do that. Remember, my mount will be on it most of the time. 

I really don't know what I'm looking for right now but something that doesn't put the pier out of place and away from the preying eyes. 

[kippford]

Bird house then.  https://www.telegraph.co.uk/gardening/tools-and-accessories/need-bird-house-two-garden-ones-buy/

You could just lift it on and off to cover the mount.

 

Edited March 20, 2019 by kippford

[souls33k3r]

My only concern about the bird house is that it won't be secured to the pier but then it doesn't need to be. 

A friend of mine suggested hanging flower pots off it which isn't a bad idea at all and one that could actually work. 

If I leave my mount outside, it will be under a 365 cover of some sort so I don't think bird house will be big enough to accommodate the cover? 

[kippford]

A bird house is as big as you want it to be.

It would be very easy to have it attached. and easily released.

 

[souls33k3r]

5 minutes ago, kippford said:

A bird house is as big as you want it to be.

It would be very easy to have it attached. and easily released.

 

Will most certainly keep an eye on this idea. Cheers mate 

[Gina]

Imitation dovecote?

[souls33k3r]

3 minutes ago, Gina said:

Imitation dovecote?

Beautiful but some cheap way out?

[Davey-T]

Drop a rotating washing line cover over it and it will look like a washing line 

I've got a custom made green cover over mine so it looks like a washing line at a glance.

Dave

[souls33k3r]

3 minutes ago, Davey-T said:

Drop a rotating washing line cover over it and it will look like a washing line 

I've got a custom made green cover over mine so it looks like a washing line at a glance.

Dave

With the mount still on the top of the pier? That's my thing, I'd like to keep my mount out at time and then have it covered too without it looking obvious that there's something expensive underneath. 

[kippford]

A beehive.

With real bees.

And lasers.

[Davey-T]

12 minutes ago, souls33k3r said:

With the mount still on the top of the pier?

Yes.

Dave

[spillage]

Many moons ago I used to just use a 1ton dumpy bag over my pier and mount with a bungee cord to hold it in place. Once on it does have the shape of a rotary washing line.

[Davey-T]

If they made these in green it would blend in.

Dave

 

[souls33k3r]

6 minutes ago, Davey-T said:

Yes.

Dave

Got an image by any chance mate? 

2 minutes ago, spillage said:

Many moons ago I used to just use a 1ton dumpy bag over my pier and mount with a bungee cord to hold it in place. Once on it does have the shape of a rotary washing line.

Interesting idea, I suppose moisture wasn't a problem for you? 

2 minutes ago, Davey-T said:

If they made these in green it would blend in.

Dave

 

I understand this is the 365 version of TG covers, this reminds me of that I think I've seen some B&Q breathable covers that looked just the same and they were green too. 

[Craney]

You could shorten one of these...  an outdoor patio heater cover.   It has more or less the correct shape for just a mount head and pillar.....  and will make it all look like a ...errr.  ..patio heater.

[souls33k3r]

7 hours ago, Craney said:

You could shorten one of these...  an outdoor patio heater cover.   It has more or less the correct shape for just a mount head and pillar.....  and will make it all look like a ...errr.  ..patio heater.

This is a very neat idea, thank you for that.

I have been trying to find a washing line cover as Dave suggested but can't seem to find one wide enough to encompass the mount head.

[Jkulin]

I leave my mount out all the time secured now with security torx bolts and I use a large Telegizmo 365 cover over not just the mount but also my OTA if planning on a lengthy target, I then cover with one of ENS's waterproof breathable covers for extra protection https://ensoptical.co.uk/index.php?_route_=telescope-covers/tempest-large-long-cover

It might seem like over £250 worth of protection, but it save so much time.

[souls33k3r]

11 minutes ago, Jkulin said:

I leave my mount out all the time secured now with security torx bolts and I use a large Telegizmo 365 cover over not just the mount but also my OTA if planning on a lengthy target, I then cover with one of ENS's waterproof breathable covers for extra protection https://ensoptical.co.uk/index.php?_route_=telescope-covers/tempest-large-long-cover

It might seem like over £250 worth of protection, but it save so much time.

Great solution but slightly an overkill in my situation. Only because i won't be looking to leave anything other than the mount head, not always but most of the times. The scope will come back in side because i'm not really that confident on leaving expensive kit outside. 

All what i'm looking for are some ideas (some great ones have been suggested above) on how to sort of hide the mount and pier in plain sight when covered up

[spillage]

Can you not use a bicycle chain/lock to wrap around the mount and attach to the pier. I guess I am making the assumption that nobody is going to arrive at your property armed with the correct spanner to remove the mount (security bolts could be used).

[souls33k3r]

11 minutes ago, spillage said:

Can you not use a bicycle chain/lock to wrap around the mount and attach to the pier. I guess I am making the assumption that nobody is going to arrive at your property armed with the correct spanner to remove the mount (security bolts could be used).

Will indeed be taking an extra security measure for sure but truth be told i wouldn't want to give anyone the idea that some expensive thing is underneath the covers. That's the whole point. 

[Gina]

One reason I made my observatory a rough looking garden shed albeit with a funny looking roof.

[souls33k3r]

2 minutes ago, Gina said:

One reason I made my observatory a rough looking garden shed albeit with a funny looking roof.

I was thinking, maybe make the whole thing look like a greenhouse of some sort at some point.