Obsy Spring Cleaned and Stained

[stevewanstall]

I built my 'observatory' (= shed) in February 2019. It's a 6 x 6 shed, with the roof opening from the centre. One half of the roof has an overlap and a     'seal' made out of plumbing  pipe insulation. This is the heavier side and I have a couple of counterweights to help lift/lower it and it rests on a wooden support when open . The other side is easy enough without counterweights and rests on the fence.  The two halves over the roof hinge on three brackets. The shed is rests on paving slabs but I have a waterproof layer between the slabs and the shed floor (£5 of sheet plastic used for damp courses). I have a power cable to the shed and a 12 volt supply coming off that.

The shed cost £280 from Ebay (all tongue and groove, even the roof). Hinges , screws , maybe another £10 .

Originally I had a tripod inside, but in June last year I got hold of some old plastic water pipe, dug a hole inside the shed about 3 deep, hammered in some metal rods even further then filled the whole pipe with concrete, with the studs for my homemade mounting plate sticking out the top (SW EQ6 Pro mount). Mount went straight on. The pier is separated from the floor of the shed  and polystyrene packed in so there is no vibration when moving around the shed or opening/closing the door. The gable ends of the shed aren't a problem when observing; one gable end is where the LP is worst and the other  is actually low in the sky from the telescope so I wouldn't be trying to image at that angle anyway.

Pier cost around £40 , mostly for concrete and stainless steel studs/nuts.

 

 

 

It's the best thing I have ever done in terms of astronomy, I should have done it years ago. Before I had to carry everything outside, set it up, get it calibrated, etc, then watch the clouds roll in, get it back in and so on. Now, 5 mins and I am observing. At the end of a session 2 mins and its all safe and sound.

 

It has now lasted over a year, been through a very wet winter. I haven't had to  do any repairs apart from adding a lower of waterproof material  to the exposed corners. 

 

So, its now had its spring clean and  a coat of stain and is ready for another year! 

 

Edited April 5, 2020 by stevewanstall

[Swoop1]

A nice and easy modification to a shed that seems to work perfectly for you.

I just wish I had the room.

[Alan White]

Very nice and simple.
I like simple.

That pier has just fed into my ideas for my upcoming pier project, thank you.
Out of interest, what size is the tube you used?

[stevewanstall]

The internal diameter is approximately 24 cm , external about 27. To be honest , I had a bit of that size and about the right length , so that was what was used. I did toy with the idea of making a box but decided it would be too fiddly and ugly to boot!

Edited April 5, 2020 by stevewanstall

[stevewanstall]

Well, if you can, try and squeeze it in! 6 X 6 was the right size for me, at a push, 5 X5 would have done ,depending on scope.

[Anthonyexmouth]

My obsy will get jealous, all it ever gets is a shake to check for spiders. 

 

 

[stevewanstall]

22 minutes ago, Anthonyexmouth said:

My obsy will get jealous, all it ever gets is a shake to check for spiders. 

 

 

  I vacuumed the little devils and relocated them to the garden. I expect they are all back inside by now!

[stevewanstall]

25 minutes ago, Anthonyexmouth said:

My obsy will get jealous, all it ever gets is a shake to check for spiders. 

 

 

I guess most of the time you keep the cameras, scopes and mount indoors, then set them up on the pillar for a session?

[Anthonyexmouth]

47 minutes ago, stevewanstall said:

I guess most of the time you keep the cameras, scopes and mount indoors, then set them up on the pillar for a session?

No, been setup like that for over a year. Everything stays on the pier.