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My 2.2m dome arrived today


tooth_dr

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Cant seem to get the Shelyak controller to connect to the PC.  Sometimes the message says Error read = 1 and sometimes = 0.

I've tried a USB to SERIAL, and SERIAL directly, no joy.  I've assigned the right COM port.

 

Any pointers?

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Well done, it’s not easy when you buy a bundle of second hand electronics. Just a note of caution, in my haste to beat the rain showers last night I ran my dome drive system with the hold down clamps in place and now the controller is not powering up, a visit further investigation and repair is now required.😕

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  • 2 months later...

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Progress update - After getting a few outstanding jobs done around the house, I decided to make a start on my observatory yesterday.

I wanted a round base.  I dug out a centre cube, and a circular area around it.  I cut up a sheet of 6mm ply into 16cm strips and set about making a circular form.  I set it into ground as a test.  There is 10cm below ground and 6cm above.  I plan to peg it into the ground later, remove anY braces on the inside to ensure a smooth casting, and cut off all the screws protruding through with a grinder so they don’t get stuck in the concrete.

I bought 50mm pipe and some ends to lay underneath the floor.

Question - how close to the inner edge of the dome itself should the ducts emerge? Where is the best place for the computer to sit - NSEW? I don’t have any bays.

My power and internet is coming in from behind the fence.

 

 

Thanks

Adam. 
 

 

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Anyone suggest best location to base pc and monitor? About to dig in tracks and ducts.  Are metal piers hollow up the centre ie can the ducts and cables run up the centre of the pier? Or if not what diameter is the average base plate?

 

Thanks. 

Edited by tooth_dr
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I have done some rough measurements and my scope extends 104cm from the centre of my current pier (closest to North wall of my 8x8 shed). If I place my pier in the centre of my new 2.2m dome the scope will hit the wall of the dome. I could add counterweight to the front of the scope and slide it further back on the mount? Or offset the pier to the south. If I do the latter is that going to mess up viewing through the slot? Shelyak software can account for this offset but will I lose viewing at high angles.

Any advice?

Edited by tooth_dr
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Hi Adam,

I'm in discussions about a dome at the moment, can I ask how you managed to make a perfectly round frame?

I'm tempted to make mine oversized and then have my bricky build a 3 high brickwork base on top with air bricks in to keep the air moving and then build rafters for the floor, my existing pier block is fine and would just need isolating.

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15 minutes ago, Jkulin said:

Hi Adam,

I'm in discussions about a dome at the moment, can I ask how you managed to make a perfectly round frame?

I'm tempted to make mine oversized and then have my bricky build a 3 high brickwork base on top with air bricks in to keep the air moving and then build rafters for the floor, my existing pier block is fine and would just need isolating.

It actually worked out as well as I had planned in my head.  I bought a sheet of 6mm plywood, and cut it into 16cm wide strips using my table saw (and my wife helping with the large sheet).  This left a small 5cm strip that I used for bracing.

I started by laying two bits together end to end, and a third piece on top, exactly in the middle.  I applied a good amount of wood glue to the top strip before setting it is place.  I continued until I had three strips on the bottom, and three on top, staggered as below. I put some short screws into the plywood, but take care as it is thin and rings easily.

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I set it up on its edge and got the wife to hold one end, and brought it round into a circle, and screwed it together.  As expected the inner sheets have a shorter circumference than the outer, so I went round each joint, and removed the screws to release the pressure on the inner layer.  After I had done this will all the joints the form was in very decent circular shape, and was 2 thicknesses of plywood, so total = 1/2".  I added 5cm stripes to the outside as reinforcement at the joints.  I left it sitting in a circular shape overnight, to allow glue to harden with it in the right shape.  I went over all the screws today and cut the sharp protruding end back flush to the wood with a 4.5" grinder and flap disc.

I have a few stakes cut out to ensure it's level with I go to pour it, but that's on hold due to my local concrete supplier currently being closed.

 

HTH

Adam.

Edited by tooth_dr
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  • 3 weeks later...

I'm trying to get my pier made up, and have decided to go for a modified version of the Pulsar pier.

The mesu base plate is 220mm diameter which is consistent with the OD of 8" pipe, so I'm going to go with that.

I was planning on keeping the base 450mm, as this will tie in with where my ducts are run to in the centre.

I was thinking of 10mm base plate, 8mm fins/supports and 6mm tube (schedule 20), and get the steel painted black (or maybe galvanised)

I will weld the mesu adapter plate directly to the top of the tube, and have an opening to run wires though and to access the bottom of the bolts.

 

How does that sound?

 

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Also pics of base, just waiting on concrete to harden for 2-3 weeks before drilling it.

 

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Adam, would you like the drawings for my pier so that you could give them to your engineers?

All you would need to do then is get a modified top plate made for the Mesu.

When I changed from the AZ to the iOptrons I only needed to take the measurements to my mate and he quickly drilled and tapped a new plate.

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12 minutes ago, Jkulin said:

Adam, would you like the drawings for my pier so that you could give them to your engineers?

All you would need to do then is get a modified top plate made for the Mesu.

When I changed from the AZ to the iOptrons I only needed to take the measurements to my mate and he quickly drilled and tapped a new plate.

Thanks John, that should be helpful.  My engineer is a guy I know, he welds heavy stuff at work, so should be able to source materials and do the work.  He said can get it painted too.   Can you PM it over?

 

Cheers

Adam.

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  • 3 weeks later...

My friend has my pier welded up. A few edges to round off and then he’s painting it tomorrow. Looks really good I think. 

With the diameter of the holes on the mesu wedge an 8” pipe wouldn’t work. He managed to find a 4’ long piece of 6” pipe with 11mm wall thickness locally and went from there.

 

 

 

 

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Edited by tooth_dr
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Nice installation and pier. Are you going to bolt the pier direct to the concrete base? If so I would suggest the concrete is ground quite smooth. On my base the surface was a bit uneven and the pier was only making point contacts with the 4 bolt pattern, @Tomatobro turned up 8 adjustable steel jacks to go under the flange  which stiffened the Pier installation up considerably.

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