Obsy build for the summer...

[fwm891]

UK Geological magnetic variance calculator: http://www.geomag.bgs.ac.uk/cgi-bin/gma_calc

With ± 8° on the mount azimuth adjustments I should be OK.

 

My site variation

 

Edited July 21, 2019 by fwm891
text added

[mckinnell]

Francis,

         Thanks for the reply, I really like the moulded foot blocks, very neat indeed; yes, i shall cast the slab and then position for the legs and drill accordingly. 

 

                                                                                              Thanks and very best regards,                    Tom.

[Rusted]

I haven't read the description but your excellent padlock hasp is only as strong as the smallest screwdriver which will remove the fixing screws.

A padlock hasp must always cover/conceal its own fixing screws when closed. Anything less is wide open to drilling with a cheap, rechargeable drill.

The screws must be the largest and longest possible and far more preferable, the largest bolts or machine screws which will fit.

With lock nuts and load spreading washers and/or steel , load spreading plates inside the structure. A small and light crowbar will easily apply tons of localized pressure.

The tools for burglary are readily available cost almost nothing these days. I speak as a victim who lost all his power tools to the scum from a [supposedly] padlocked shed/workshop.

[fwm891]

1 hour ago, Rusted said:

I haven't read the description but your excellent padlock hasp is only as strong as the smallest screwdriver which will remove the fixing screws.

A padlock hasp must always cover/conceal its own fixing screws when closed. Anything less is wide open to drilling with a cheap, rechargeable drill.

The screws must be the largest and longest possible and far more preferable, the largest bolts or machine screws which will fit.

With lock nuts and load spreading washers and/or steel , load spreading plates inside the structure. A small and light crowbar will easily apply tons of localized pressure.

The tools for burglary are readily available cost almost nothing these days. I speak as a victim who lost all his power tools to the scum from a [supposedly] padlocked shed/workshop.

Well the hasp/staples are on the INSIDE of the build, they're screwed and GLUED to the roof framing. Access to the build is via a low door with two 5 level dead locks - no exterior handle to grab hold of. I have two dogs which will bark with strangers around.....

[mckinnell]

Francis,

      I have just had an idea to embellish your advice which will be taken up my friend, and that is, if i mark out and drill either side of where the tripod end go into the drilled holes actual, then, would it not be a problem to form three metal bands, say S/Steel type, and then as a loop screw them in place to render the tripod end 100% unable to move, thus, as they say a "bib and braces" approach with a positive end, what do you think mate?.

 

                                                                                                                              My very best regards,                 Tom.

[fwm891]

59 minutes ago, mckinnell said:

Francis,

      I have just had an idea to embellish your advice which will be taken up my friend, and that is, if i mark out and drill either side of where the tripod end go into the drilled holes actual, then, would it not be a problem to form three metal bands, say S/Steel type, and then as a loop screw them in place to render the tripod end 100% unable to move, thus, as they say a "bib and braces" approach with a positive end, what do you think mate?.

 

                                                                                                                              My very best regards,                 Tom.

Tom - If your holes in the concrete are the right size then the angle of the legs lock the spikes in position. However the metal bands would lock the legs in place nicely. Trying to think back to my iEQ45 Pro's tripod the spikes I think were 8mm and I drilled 10mm holes in the patio slabs for the spikes to wedge into.

[fwm891]

Floors down now - Tri-pier sat in position...

[fwm891]

Too hot today to do much on the obsy but I have fitted some stop bolts to the track so the roof now opens fully. I have also been laying out the scopes along the back wall so they're convenient when I swap them over. I've ordered some Spur shelving uprights and brackets and will make some timber shelves and covers to secure them to and keep the dust off.

[fwm891]

Two adjustable shelves added to take gear. The plastic bulk pet food container carries two Maplin 7Amp regulated PSU's with 12 VDC feed cables to various pieces of kit (4 available) - the PSU's sit on hanging shelves below the top plate. An anti-surge mains sockets for smaller adapters all housed in the moveable container. I was going to break this down and put the PSU's on shelving but with the small obsy space decided I would keep the mobile as they were when using the iEQ45 Pro outside on the patio. The Tosh laptop will sit on a shelf to the upper left of the photo.

[GraemeC]

This is a really good build, well done!

[fwm891]

Decided against a fixed wall shelf and made a little platform to sit on top of the trolley. That way I thought it would negate trailing leads across the obsy when I needed to move bits around...

[MarsG76]

Great progress...

[fwm891]

The replacement mount arrived earlier today so thankfully the weather has remained dry (though cloudy) and allowed me to try the different scopes and mark the dovetail bars, counterweight bar and saddle where the resective balance points are. Tried slewing around the sky using CdC as the pointer.

Photos show the mount with the 115 EDT mounted plus the SX Trius 825. At it's coest to the walls the camera has about 50mm clearance with the 115 +SX Trius. The other scopes Edge HD 8 and the little William Optics ZS 73 are no problem.

So need some clear skies now please 🙂

[Mick J]

Love the little Tortoise observatory, slide off roof ? 

[Rusted]

Congratulations! It's all coming together nicely! Enjoy the fruits of your labours.
But, if you were responsible for today's cloud: Stop doing whatever it is you're doing. 

Guard dogs can be good. A new neighbour has one which lives outside.
Barks briefly if you clear your throat at 50 yards. Sounds suitably big and fierce too!
We're calling it NW, for short. Because it is. On both counts. 

[fwm891]

Broken cloud last evening but woke early to clear(ish) skies and spent a hour adjusting the PA with drift align. Down to sub 1 arc minute.  Have another go hopefully Tuesday night which C.O. is telling me should be OK....

[Alan White]

Looking great Francis,

Pleased you have the replacement mount.

I await the full cabinet finish replacement for the plastic pet food psi/ workbench solution 😉

[fwm891]

22 hours ago, Alan White said:

 

...I await the full cabinet finish replacement for the plastic pet food psi/ workbench solution 😉

Thanks Alan, The pet food tub is actually very convenient, being on wheels it easily moves around to where it's needed. Having had a couple of set-up sessions now I'm really liking the built in hub on the CEM60 - it means now I just have the one short USB lead from the mount to the lappy and one mains feed cable to the plastic tub. Much better than the long USB cables from the mount/camera etc back to the lappy before.  Looking forward now to doing some imaging.

It's not beyond bounds that I might produce a cabinet of sorts for the obs...

[Rusted]

2 hours ago, fwm891 said:

Thanks Alan, The pet food tub is actually very convenient, being on wheels it easily moves around to where it's needed. Having had a couple of set-up sessions now I'm really liking the built in hub on the CEM60 - it means now I just have the one short USB lead from the mount to the lappy and one mains feed cable to the plastic tub. Much better than the long USB cables from the mount/camera etc back to the lappy before.  Looking forward now to doing some imaging.

It's not beyond bounds that I might produce a cabinet of sorts for the obs...

I've just ordered an IKEA all metal drawer cabinet for my accessories. The cabinets come in various sizes and cost peanuts.

I'll let you know how it goes. It can't be any worse than building with Meccano. Can it?

[fwm891]

Meccano - wonderful stuff - hours spent in my youth with spanner, screwdriver, cogs, wheels, shafts... - memories 😀

Edited August 5, 2019 by fwm891
text added

[sloz1664]

44 minutes ago, fwm891 said:

Meccano - wonderful stuff - hours spent in my youth with spanner, screwdriver, cogs, wheels, shafts... - memories 😀

I was given a meccano set for my birthday and inspired me into being an Engineer. I wonder if I'd been given a chemistry set, would I have been a chemist/scientist?

Steve

[Gina]

Oh yes, great stuff Meccano!!   Very hard wearing too.  Great for boys and "Tomboy" girls 😀

[fwm891]

Look who's moved in 👍

[Rusted]

55 minutes ago, fwm891 said:

Look who's moved in 👍

Roll off roof?

[fwm891]

Nah - retractable optics