DaveS's Obsy Build Thread

[RAR_MI_USA]

2 hours ago, DaveS said:

This is the view from my bedroom window.

Normally I can see the hills in the distance.

I guess it is true what I have read a long time ago. There are palm trees in England!
It is so green there for February (No green flora survives winter and the snow where I am. It's desolate.). What are the local temps like now?
P.S. I am watching your progress eagerly. Nice work so far!

Edited February 28, 2020 by RAR_MI_USA

[DaveS]

Currently we're looking at low single figures Celsius but we've had warmer days, and even had night time temps around 10 C or so. This has been an unusually mild winter, even for the south coast. We've not had any real snow, and very few frosts.  What we have had is rain, rain, and yet more rain breaking all records and leading to major flooding in some parts.

[Jkulin]

Dave, two questions as following this with interest: -

1. Where are you going to bring your electrics in?

2. Are you going to just mount the pier on the floor or do you have an alternative idea?

[DaveS]

Regarding the electrics, I have been giving this some thought  and decided to bring the cable in through the north east corner roughly at the wall height. This is about 2 metres off the ground so plenty of headroom. I'll mount a series of IP65 double sockets on the east wall and take power from there. I may have to run cables across the floor, if I do I'll run cable covers over. I've done this a lot in theatre. The cable will be supported by a galvanised steel straining wire when it passes over the path.

The pier will be bolted down to the floor, but I'm not too worried about vibrations, as firstly there's over 8 tonnes of concrete and stone in there, and secondly I expect to be running this remotely during an imaging run, only going in for maintenance and setting up. There will also be external grade Cat5e connected to the home network. the cable's all ready to go in.

[Astrokev]

Looking good Dave. 

Did I read that the roof will roll off to the south?  Do you foresee any problems with this blocking the area of southern sky?

[Astrokev]

On 24/02/2020 at 19:28, Gina said:

Yes, that's how I built mine, except that i used screws rather than nails.

Agree. Never use a nail where you can use a wacking big screw!

My obsy is probably over-engineered but that's the way I tend to do things

[JamesF]

23 hours ago, Gina said:

You can't rely on good weather in this country!!

It has been said that "Britain does not have a climate.  It just has weather."  These days however it feels as though we don't even have weather; just persistent rain

James

[DaveS]

1 hour ago, Astrokev said:

Looking good Dave. 

Did I read that the roof will roll off to the south?  Do you foresee any problems with this blocking the area of southern sky?

Yes, it will block a bit of the south, but I have a sodding big tree blocking part of it, belongs to a neighbour so can't chop it down, plus there's a pole-pig in the way too. However, the roof will roll of quite a way beyond the end of the shed to minimise its impact. I did investigate rolling the roof off to the west, but the garden drops down in terraces that would make support problematic, and to the east is the greenhouse. I also considered a dome, but the cost projections looked horrid.

[DaveS]

2 hours ago, Astrokev said:

Agree. Never use a nail where you can use a wacking big screw!

My obsy is probably over-engineered but that's the way I tend to do things

I'm hopefully over-engineering my obsy too, since it is bad enough to lose the roof in storm, having your whole obsy ending up in the next field is not a good idea. So angle brackets *and* long angled screws into the sole-plate too.

[DaveS]

Just ordered 4 IP66 double outlets from that long river place, plus a colour changing dimmable rope light for illumination, so I can have bright white during the day for work, and dim red at night if I need to go in there.

[DaveS]

6 hours ago, JamesF said:

It has been said that "Britain does not have a climate.  It just has weather."  These days however it feels as though we don't even have weather; just persistent rain

James

Met office have confirmed this to be the wettest February since their records began.

[Gina]

Surprise, surprise!!!

[JamesF]

17 minutes ago, DaveS said:

Met office have confirmed this to be the wettest February since their records began.

I wonder how the temperature looks against the records.  January was the sixth warmest in the last 140 years or thereabouts.  I noticed today that despite the wet weather we have elder coming into leaf and the hazel here has had catkins on since the start of December.  There have pretty much always been insects about too, and I think we've only had two nights, possibly three, where it has been below freezing.  It feels as though it has been an exceptionally mild winter, so it will be interesting to see the actual stats.

Of course given what's happened in the last few years there's no guarantee it won't suddenly turn cold and snow heavily some time over the next six weeks.

James

[Astrokev]

26 minutes ago, DaveS said:

Just ordered 4 IP66 double outlets from that long river place, plus a colour changing dimmable rope light for illumination, so I can have bright white during the day for work, and dim red at night if I need to go in there.

Still need to get some LED strips for my scope room. To be honest though, the weather's been so cr*p for the last few months I begrudge spending yet more money on something that's getting no use whatsoever!

[Astrokev]

25 minutes ago, DaveS said:

Met office have confirmed this to be the wettest February since their records began.

….to be followed by the wettest March, and cloudiest Spring and Summer.....

[Astrokev]

10 minutes ago, JamesF said:

I wonder how the temperature looks against the records.  January was the sixth warmest in the last 140 years or thereabouts.  I noticed today that despite the wet weather we have elder coming into leaf and the hazel here has had catkins on since the start of December.  There have pretty much always been insects about too, and I think we've only had two nights, possibly three, where it has been below freezing.  It feels as though it has been an exceptionally mild winter, so it will be interesting to see the actual stats.

Of course given what's happened in the last few years there's no guarantee it won't suddenly turn cold and snow heavily some time over the next six weeks.

James

yep, normal weather systems and seasonality are totally screwed up. I seriously worry that amateur astronomy in this country is becoming a waste of time and money

Edited February 29, 2020 by Astrokev

[DaveS]

This is my worry too. If climate change is leading to milder, wetter winters, that also means more cloud. They also talk about dryer summers, but that's no damn use, since astronomy is nearly impossible in summer.

[Gina]

Oohh I don't know, we get a couple of hours of darkness in summer and TBH that seems to be all we are getting in winter!!!

I may concentrate on solar Ha in the summer.

Edited February 29, 2020 by Gina

[DaveS]

Question about cladding.

It's still a little way off, but I thought I'd canvass members' opinions on T&G vs Shiplap.

Any preferences? What did you use? And anything to steer clear of?

[JamesF]

I think either is fine to be honest.  I used featheredge boards on mine because it fits better with the surroundings, but shiplap or T&G probably look better in a more "formal" garden rather than our rambling estate.  Putting a breathable membrane onto the frame first is definitely a good plan, I reckon.  And using stainless nails (or screws, but nails will be a lot cheaper).  After that it's just a question of appropriate maintenance.  If I recall correctly Astrokev used T&G for his and made a beautiful job of it.  Well worth a browse through his photos to see how he fitted it all.

You can get plastic cladding if you want something that's less work to maintain, but I've never used it so I can't really tell you much more than that.

James

[TerryMcK]

My preference is western red cedar T&G. I have clad my workshop in it. No need to paint or varnish. It lasts for years without any maintenance and does not rot.

[JamesF]

12 minutes ago, TerryMcK said:

My preference is western red cedar T&G.

It is lovely stuff.  Not cheap, but lovely

James

[Gina]

I used shiplap on mine.  Something better than the usual but can't remember what now.  Redwood seems to ring a bell.  The hundreds of build posts should have the information buried in them somewhere!

On 25/12/2013 at 20:24, Gina said:

For reference, here is a list of my observatory threads :-

http://stargazerslounge.com/topic/103600-ginas-observatory/
http://stargazerslounge.com/topic/116563-ginas-observatory-the-build/
http://stargazerslounge.com/topic/173015-ginas-observatory-build-abbreviated-final-design-aspects/
http://stargazerslounge.com/topic/172981-ginas-observatory-build-abbreviated-overview/
http://stargazerslounge.com/topic/172984-ginas-observatory-build-abbreviated-site-preparation/
http://stargazerslounge.com/topic/172985-ginas-observatory-build-abbreviated-main-construction/
http://stargazerslounge.com/topic/166337-ginas-observatory-roll-off-roof-automation/
http://stargazerslounge.com/topic/172972-ginas-observatory-build-abbreviated-pier-construction/
http://stargazerslounge.com/topic/185706-ginas-observatory-build-abbreviated-pier-head-adapter/
http://stargazerslounge.com/topic/197084-pier-head-modifications-for-eq8/
http://stargazerslounge.com/topic/197589-preparations-for-new-eq8-mount/
http://stargazerslounge.com/topic/197940-ideas-for-pier-extension/
http://stargazerslounge.com/topic/172986-ginas-observatory-build-abbreviated-finishing-touches-and-improvements/

Edited March 1, 2020 by Gina

[DaveS]

Another quick update. The man from Wickes turned up this morning, very early while I was getting dressed, lol. I now have the East wall framed, and I think I'm just about ready for the electrician to come and connect power to the obsy. Amazon delivered 4 double IP66 sockets yesterday so I could have power on site without having to run an extension lead

Still a *lot* of work to be done, need to get the heavy stuff in,sowon't be able to frame the south wall until it's in. If I'm careful I should be able to lift the pier and equatorial mount in, as it's just within my back's limits, but I may well have to take a rest between heaves. Also have posts, postcrete, and a plumb-bob for fine setting N/S.

But at least it's taking shape.

Edited March 2, 2020 by DaveS
Added photo and text.

[RAR_MI_USA]

Looking good. I hope the rain lets up and gives you more time to proceed.
By the way, your surroundings have a serene, natural beautiful about them., and I see some of the spring daffodils are already in bloom?
Personally, I am hoping for a better spring and summer for star gazing. The winter was terrible for it. Fingers crossed