Fully remote observatory for imaging

[Graeme]

On 22/06/2023 at 00:03, adyj1 said:

I followed astrobloke-and-joe's ROR guide (with a few tweaks) with this motor from Amazon (currently £140,got it pre-pandemic for just over £100)

CO-Z Electronic Gate Opener Kit Automatic Sliding Gate Opener for Gate Up to 600KG 200W Gate Opener Motor with 8 Gear Racks and Remote Controls (200W)

 

Cheers Adyj, just ordered mine!

Graeme

[adyj1]

18 minutes ago, Graeme said:

Cheers Adyj, just ordered mine!

Graeme

 

Ah, Mr Heath! Meet Mr Robinson 😆

(the other end of the 'shelf' on which the motor sits is attached to an adjacent shed just out of shot.)

My top tip was to use galvanised steel cable channelling (95p/m) to guide the roof along the beams, rather than the very expensive heavy duty track normally used with proper gates;

(the other way up 😉 )

 

Ady

 

[adyj1]

Apologies to OP for hijacking the thread. I'll repost to @Graeme's build thread and comment there.

 

To get this thread back on track, @VilleM, what do you use to heat your roof track? The only time I have had problems with my roof was when the track was covered in ice... (thankfully not that common)

Ady

 

 

Edited June 23, 2023 by adyj1

[VilleM]

I use self regulating heater cables, I think they are used in camper vans and such to prevent water pipes icing over and are commonly available in hardware stores. They just are plug-n-play solution as they don't need any kind of controller, as ambient temperature gets colder they heat up and vice versa.
I don't have a good photo of them, but I think you get the idea of how they are installed (the green cables next to tracks). This solution has worked flawlessly since day one in temperatures below -30C on some nights without any ice forming on the tracks.



On to other things, I visited the observatory last weekend to bring my new toy in - a modded 10" f/4.7 Sky-Watcher Newtonian. I replaced the primary mirror springs, reinforced the tube with aluminium bars and upgraded the focuser for a Baader SteelTrack. This replaces my trusty Esprit 100mm f/5.5 - if it holds collimation. At least I cant see any flexing with collimation tools but I guess a real world testing is still needed for a peace of mind. I got this for a real bargain, only 100 euros as the previous owner just  wanted to get rid of it so I decided to give it a go with upgrades mentioned above.

And before you laugh at my zip-tied "counterweights", they are not a permanent solution (although fitting as my scope is not the prettiest anyways ) I just wanted to test how much more weights I need to bring on my next trip to the observatory before imaging season 2023 starts here up north. Still two long months before astronomical darkness returns!