The Observing Area Build

[cajen2]

All looking good, Alan. 👍

Note for @Mike Q and any other Transatlantic friends: "Khazi" is British slang for "toilet", especially an outside one! 😉😄

[Alan White]

Finally some clear when I can get out, set up and Bino- view of Lunar, grabbed some WL solar just after work as well.

Worth all this ongoing work 😃

Got to try my replacement Pentax XW 7mm and now the second 12.5 Pseudo Masuyama Ultima

Edited June 11, 2022 by Alan White

[Alan White]

Final 12v electrics sort out, plugs soldered on, 
12v Distribution board wired in,
The PSU set up and live.
I now have 2 x 12v (13.1 in reality) on 5mm plugs out of the pier.
No idea what they might be used for as of yet, other than dew heaters for now,
but things always move on, as I have proven with this thread itself.

I have started pondering a push away over the pier to be honest, but that's not for 2022,
the build and fettle never ends does it, even on a simple rectangle of concrete.

Edited June 16, 2022 by Alan White
Add pictures, typos as well

[Alan White]

I must add how nicely the AZ75 mount sits on the pier, solid as a rock.
This is the testing mount that Rowan have kindly left with me for a while after testing has been completed.
If you want to see my thoughts etc and @Stu we both were testers and have threads in the mount section.
 

 

 

Edited June 17, 2022 by Alan White

[Alan White]

Yet another update....

After much thought and pain, I have concluded that my pier was a mistake the first time, a mistake repeated again.
I have no imaging aspirations, visual observe and need to be mobile for club days, when I want to see planets etc.
So pier removed and will go up for sale.

I will replace the pier with a Dob mount for my 10" OOUK and an AZ75 on a Uni tripod for other smaller scopes.

Another circular journey that has ended up with a replacement 10" yet to dob mount and a mobile refractor etc.
Funny old world.

I will however add a Dob House / shed to store the dob and tripods etc alongside the pad for ease of access and 
temperature stabilty of the reflectors.

Funny in that it took my dropped ED103 to bring my thoghts into focus as my scope went out of focus!
 

Edited November 21, 2022 by Alan White

[Guest]

All that work and effort to come to the conclusion that a dob was all you needed in the first place.  Isnt it strange how that works out 

[Guest]

Before you buy the 10 inch give real thought to going bigger.  Last i looked FLO still had a 16 inch.  

[Alan White]

18 minutes ago, Mike Q said:

Before you buy the 10 inch give real thought to going bigger.  Last i looked FLO still had a 16 inch.  

I hear what you say Mike, but 10" works for me, it fits across my little cars back seat.
And I have already bought a used 10" OOUK tube already 1/8 wave optics etc.

 

And I may go bigger one day, you never know, but this will do for now and my light polution levels

Edited November 21, 2022 by Alan White

[Guest]

Big and bigger maybe?  One for daily one for best? LOL 

[maw lod qan]

When I first saw you talking about your "khazi" I thought brilliant! 

Why hadn't I thought of that? But I see you are just using it for storage.

Never fails for me. Early morning hours, 2 cups of strong black coffee and just when I have the scope focused, I'm running, carefully, to the house.

[Alan White]

Sadly the Khazi is a joke name, but I too sometimes wish it was as named and could be used after coffee, tea or water intake.

 

[cajen2]

Time to install a Porta-Potti?

[Alan White]

On 24/11/2022 at 11:12, cajen2 said:

Time to install a Porta-Potti?

Hmmmm, now that’s an idea, the drains are too far away 😏

[cajen2]

I have one for my campervan - clean and easy.

[Alan White]

Funny how the original plan still needed more work even after all this time.
I said back in 2018/19 that the pad had an 'Area for Shed Store in future'.

Well after a lot of discussion at home and looking at what others have done etc. 
We are go for a store / shed in the original marked space.
The 10" Dob in the Dining Room and lots of scope bags and cases have won the day and a store is required I have been told,
so not wishing to upset anyone, clearly under suffernace I have agreed 😉

Played with long sticks in place of roofline and it does not cause me a problem seated at low level with my 103, may limit me with the 10 just a little,
but scopes and mounts in shed, accessible and away from the accountants eyes as well, a double win.

The plan is a metal shed like this one 6 feet wide 4 feet deep, its just a store after all. 
Others have used them as observatories, so I am sure it will make a decent enough store.



Only doing this as the ongoing solution until we downsize and I can build a sliding roof observatory (I hope).
Thats in the future and for now is a cheap solution with employment uncertaintity looming in my life just now.

So any thoughts or pitfalls others can think of?


 

Edited June 12, 2023 by Alan White

[Swoop1]

Metal sheds can be quite loud when opening/ closing- particularly sliding doors. Also, if you bump into them in the night....

I would look at a plastic shed if I were in your position as they are not so loud and assembly can be easier.

[Guest]

Well at least you are proving to me that the observation area will be a ever changing and evolving project.  Now i dont feel so bad lol. 

[Alan White]

On 12/06/2023 at 16:50, Swoop1 said:

Metal sheds can be quite loud when opening/ closing- particularly sliding doors. Also, if you bump into them in the night....

I would look at a plastic shed if I were in your position as they are not so loud and assembly can be easier.

Thanks for that input, appreciated.
The noise point is well made and noted, hence the rethink.

A Wooden shed is now the likely contender, it can be more easily taken down and moved for any future move.
6x4 Pent, No windows with side double doors opening onto the pad area.
 

Edited June 14, 2023 by Alan White

[Alan White]

6x4 Wooden pent with double doors on order with local shed maker.

ETA early July 🤞 watch this space.

[Guest]

6x4?  Your Khazi is almost that big lol 

[Alan White]

6 hours ago, Mike Q said:

6x4?  Your Khazi is almost that big lol 

Mike the Khazi is 3 x 18” deep.

6x4 is the size of the base left and a fence panel wide in standard uk sizes.

[JeremyS]

7 hours ago, Alan White said:

6x4 Wooden pent with double doors on order with local shed maker.

ETA early July 🤞 watch this space.

How many khazis will you have Alan, when all said and done?

Edited June 23, 2023 by JeremyS

[Alan White]

The new facility may have en-suite 🤣

[Alan White]

Well following the good advice given on shed types,
the wooden store has just arrived and been put up.

This is work in progress and will go Green in near future, but a notable step onwards.
Electrics to run between Khazi and Store for lighting and a socket too.

Before the Store

And with the Store

A nice solid job, very pleased with the quality from my local maker Falcon Sheds.

 

 

Edited July 4, 2023 by Alan White

[Guest]

Thats a nice looking unit there.  So it will be roll out instead of roll off