New Sliding Roof Mini Garden Observatory Build

[Domain105]

1 hour ago, M40 said:

That look brilliant, very well done 👌

Thank you for the kind words

[Domain105]

1 hour ago, AstroNebulee said:

Love it! You've done a fantastic job there, blends in really well too. I hope you get many happy sessions with your new obsy, congratulations 👏

Thank you. Just waiting for clear night's now but from what I have done, the setup time is now minutes compared to an hour or so before. 

[Jannerland]

I really like this obsy build, so much so that it feels perfect for my needs and am planning to replicate it. Just curious to know, now that you've had a bit of time to use if there is anything you'd change or add?

ta! Rob

[Domain105]

 

On 18/01/2022 at 11:56, Jannerland said:

I really like this obsy build, so much so that it feels perfect for my needs and am planning to replicate it. Just curious to know, now that you've had a bit of time to use if there is anything you'd change or add?

ta! Rob

Hello Rob. Thanks for the kind words. I've been using it since the summer and it working perfectly. I am getting dew on the concrete pier on the outer plastic tubing but nothing on the scope or camera it self.  One thing I have changed is that I still had to get up out of my comfy bed in the middle of the night to close the roof if rain was forecast over night.  So what I have now done is add a motorised roof system to it. I'll try upload some pics but essentially it uses a motor (12v high torque low RPM) with some sprockets and a roller chain to pull the roof close and open. I've connected it all to a WIFI relay switch which I can control from my mobile. Now I can close the roof once done without having to get up. I also installed a wifi IP cam in the obsy so I can make sure the telescope is in the horizontal position before I close the roof. 

As the 12v motor I used was self locking so without power, the roof cannot be opened. I got a small 12v 7AH battery, a solar charge controller and a 50W solar panel which I will connect to the roof motor so I can open and close without connecting external power. It was not really necessary but I wanted to add some solar panel elements to it.

I've only set the polar alignment once using Sharpcap and not touched it since. I can do 5 mins subs with no trailing using PHD2 so that is working fine.

It is a bit cramped in the obsy but I don't really go in it much. 

My imaging routing is now...

• connect the external power via the commando socket
• Turn on the mount power
• Turn on the DSLR
• Take off the telescope and finderscope covers
• Connect my laptop to the USB cable from the USB hub (which everything else is connected to)
• Turn on the laptop 
• Go inside and connect via RDP to the laptop and image.

Once done, I put the scope in its horizontal home position and close the roof. All done 🙂

Everything has been weather proofed but I am looking out for wet patches if any occur. Not found anything so far luckily.

Give me a shout if you need anything etc Happy to do a video for you or even a video call and give you a guided tour if you like. I'm here if you need any help mate. 🙂 

 

[Domain105]

On 30/10/2021 at 12:04, Domain105 said:

Thank you. Just waiting for clear night's now but from what I have done, the setup time is now minutes compared to an hour or so before. 

Some images I've taken since setting up the obsy. I live in a Bortle 8/9 zone and only have a modded Canon 450D (hoping to get a Asi294MC at some point) on a HEQ5 with a SW150PDS and a 9x50 finderscope with a QHY5 guide cam.

Subs are 5 mins each using a CLS filter for the light pollution. The images are a lot better now as I can expose for hours rather than the short times I did before.

[AstroMuni]

On 20/01/2022 at 22:19, Domain105 said:

Some images I've taken since setting up the obsy. I live in a Bortle 8/9 zone and only have a modded Canon 450D (hoping to get a Asi294MC at some point) on a HEQ5 with a SW150PDS and a 9x50 finderscope with a QHY5 guide cam.

Subs are 5 mins each using a CLS filter for the light pollution. The images are a lot better now as I can expose for hours rather than the short times I did before.

Great looking images. Just a tad too reddish for my taste though 🙂 What tools are you using to post process the images?

Edited January 31, 2022 by AstroMuni

[Domain105]

Hello, I really struggle with colours. I'm VERY red green colour blind so what looks normal to me often offends my missus 😄 . Not an ideal situation when you are trying to eek out colour from images. I use a CLS Clip in light pollution filter which really messes up the colours anyway. They all seem very red / green to me. Hoping to move to the IMX571 sensor (ASI2600) in the near future along with L-pro to control the light pollution which I am hoping will give more truer colours.

From a image processing point of view, I have a mix of Gimp, Photoshop and had Topaz denoise for a while on trial. I really do need to move up to something like Pixinsight at some point too.

 

[GrumpiusMaximus]

Those dust lanes in Andromeda are beautifully captured.  Personally, I quite like the red too.

Amazing that this is from a Bortle 8/9.  Really great work and lovely little observatory.

[Len1257]

Have a look at SIRIL it has photometric colour correction wheich seems to do a good job. Amazing software considering it's free.

I just wish I had room for any sort of permanent observatory but yours is an inspiration, well done!

 

Edited February 20, 2022 by Len1257

[Jannerland]

Curious to know how you're getting on with motorizing the roof and which bits you used? I'm just about to start building the roof structure on mine 🙂

[Domain105]

On 10/07/2022 at 14:57, Jannerland said:

Curious to know how you're getting on with motorizing the roof and which bits you used? I'm just about to start building the roof structure on mine 🙂

Hello, I completed the motorised roof a little while ago. I will post a new thread with all the details of that. Sorry was hoping to do it sooner but work and life got in the way. I'll take some pics this weekend hopefully and update with a new thread. 

[900SL]

That's excellent work. Well done and i hope you get plenty of clear skies in use

I have looked at a HD slide roof like yours, the only thing I would add is a drop down post at the far end of the cantilever roof to take the strain off the slides when open for hours

[StaceStar]

This is brilliant! Just the thing I’m looking for . I notice you’re in Birmingham? I’m in south Birmingham myself  

 

(also very sorry for resurrecting an old thread!)

Edited February 8 by StaceStar
added a bit more

[inedible_hulk]

On 08/02/2024 at 11:42, StaceStar said:

also very sorry for resurrecting an old thread!

I’m glad you did! Missed it first time round 😊

[Soupir94]

Me too! Great build, very ineresting and tempting. 👍

[Domain105]

On 08/02/2024 at 11:42, StaceStar said:

This is brilliant! Just the thing I’m looking for . I notice you’re in Birmingham? I’m in south Birmingham myself  

 

(also very sorry for resurrecting an old thread!)

Hello, wow I am in south Birmingham too. Not far from South Birmingham College or Sarehole Mill. 🙂 

[Domain105]

Now that I have permanent obsy,  I decided to upgrade my equiptment so have ditched the DSLR and CLS filter with a Risingcam IMX571 and a Anlia-ALPT narrow band filter. The filter makes such a massive difference in Bortle 8 skies. some random images I have taken over the last year so. Most need more integration time but clouds have not been kind this year and last.  Most are 180s subs using the ALPT with some RGB stars. the heart is a 2 panel mosaic. all taken with a Skywatcher 150PDS

[StaceStar]

On 21/04/2024 at 14:44, Domain105 said:

Hello, wow I am in south Birmingham too. Not far from South Birmingham College or Sarehole Mill. 🙂 

have you got any written plans for your observatory? If so care to share? I'm looking and trying to get started...but need a bit of help i think!

I'm not far from you at all, at the home of MG rover. Have taken the pooch for many a walk over sarehole mill . Congrats on some lovely images with our rubbish skies!

[skybadger]

Very nice build. I'm planning to make something similar for my portable rig while at home and it would have to be as small as possible.

I'm interested in the details of the drawer slides since they seem to be bigger and stronger than normal drawer slides.

also, how do you get out when the roof is open? Must be a bit of a squirm?

Would you change that direction of roof opening to towards the house ? How does that end do in the driving rain since there is  little overhang compared to the long sides ? Would you extend the length of the roof to compensate ?

[Domain105]

On 22/04/2024 at 16:10, StaceStar said:

have you got any written plans for your observatory? If so care to share? I'm looking and trying to get started...but need a bit of help i think!

I'm not far from you at all, at the home of MG rover. Have taken the pooch for many a walk over sarehole mill . Congrats on some lovely images with our rubbish skies!

Thank you. Sadly I didn't create any written plans so all I have is what I posted. Happy to help / advise you as you get started, 

[Domain105]

On 22/04/2024 at 17:21, skybadger said:

Very nice build. I'm planning to make something similar for my portable rig while at home and it would have to be as small as possible.

I'm interested in the details of the drawer slides since they seem to be bigger and stronger than normal drawer slides.

also, how do you get out when the roof is open? Must be a bit of a squirm?

Would you change that direction of roof opening to towards the house ? How does that end do in the driving rain since there is  little overhang compared to the long sides ? Would you extend the length of the roof to compensate ?

Thanks for you comment. The drawer slides are still working perfectly. I spray some lithium grease on them about once a year but not had any problems at all.  Getting out when the roof is open is a a sqirm 😄 I have to croutch and shimmy low until I am out the way. Ideally I would have put the roof opening the other way but as the obsy is on the edge of my elevated section of the garden, the only way to open the roof was to pull it open. So had it been the other way, I would not have been able to open the roof from the lower section without a ladder etc.  I have since automated the roof open / close with a WIFI switch and some high torque motor pulling on a chain. Now there is no manual opening of the roof. 

Even with driving rain, the inside is ok. The little overhang I have (maybe 0.5cm) or so is enough to keep the rain out in in the wildest of weather. 

So far, it still seems to be working fine.  I have been keeping up with the external wood protection / stain once a year to keep it from fading in the sun.