Suggestions please

[Jonny_H]

Hi all,

I thought i would ask on here in the hope that you can give me some suggestions.

Like many, I don't have an observatory. The position of where I would have to have one just isn't possible, I.e. smack bang in the middle of the patio. Similarly I cannot install a permanent pier there either for the same reasons (I would have no issues putting a pier there but Mrs Jonny H definitely won't have it) 😁

So this leaves me with lugging my mount and equipment from A to B.... then from B back to A when I'm done for the night. Polar alignment each time etc etc etc....you know the score.

So.......my question is when you do not have the luxury of installing an obsy or fixed pier....what are the alternatives?......besides moving house 😂

Any thoughts welcome.

 

Thanks,

Jonny

[Astro Noodles]

I wonder if you could make a pier and artfully disguise it as a bird bath/table or other patio feature.

[teoria_del_big_bang]

I am not sure there really is an alternative.

I am same as you, well maybe not quite because I could probably at least have a permanent pier, and probably an obsy if I ever had the time to get on with it, but mu gear is quite heavy and I am getting on so soon something will have to give.
In all honesty it is not just being unable to fix a pier or obsy but for three years we have been meaning to downsize, but so far not seen anything suitable and Covid didn't speed the move up  help all, so I was a bit wary of doing all the work then moving it all before I really got to use it.

There are things to make moving the gear in and out such as piers on wheels, or some form of wheels to move the setup out, or at least marking the patio for the position of the tripod feet (big washers superglued to patio or similar, so that tripod goes back in almost exact same position each time. Yes you still need to polar align properly if imaging, probably okay for observing. But even when imaging you can align in 2 or 3 minutes at you are almost there anyway.

Apart from that is there nowhere you could fix a pier, smack bang in middle of patio may be ideal but is there nowhere you could talk the missus into being  OK with it ?

Steve

[Shimrod]

I don't think there is an alternative either - I'm in the same situation and with local light pollution and restricted views I'm not sure even a pier is a justifiable expense. You could consider what you can do to reduce set up time  - I found an iPolar to be one of the most useful purchases - it allows me to get set up and polar aligned before it is really dark enough to observe. It also (for me at least) reduces the length of time it takes to  polar align.

[John]

I'm in the same situation here. I don't image though so I can keep my scope setups very low tech, portable, and with quick setup and tear down times.

My scopes all live in and around our dining room. I observe on the patio which is a short carry out through the french windows.

I have owned more sophisticated scopes in the past but they didn't get used too much after the initial burst of enthusiasm. I've owned a couple of very heavy setups as well with similar results.

I'm glad that I have resisted the lure of imaging (so far) because I think the setting up requirements to get decent results would drive me nuts

 

[Jonny_H]

Hmm.....ti's a tricky one this. Looks like I will have to negotiate with the wife! 

Re: the wheels solution - that could be viable along with marking out the position of the mount somehow on the patio.

Re: the wheel options - are there any off-the-shelf solutions or do I need to get into a bit of DIY?

[doublevodka]

What about something like this? https://www.firstlightoptics.com/sky-watcher-mount-accessories/skywatcher-pillar-mount-support-for-heq5-eq6-series-mounts.html

Has the wheels and stability and maybe you could put a small shed in the corner of the patio to store it in? Something around this size so you could just wheel the setup to the middle of the patio?

https://www.diy.com/departments/shire-shiplap-wooden-3x2-tool-storage/5060490130323_BQ.prd?storeId=&ds_rl=1272379&ds_rl=1272409&ds_rl=1272379&gclid=CjwKCAjw95yJBhAgEiwAmRrutB13DgX5cnGHeAMkhFQcRPG6CvivskNwiPvbq6wSZH6gtdgM-7x2CBoCLQIQAvD_BwE&gclsrc=aw.ds

 

[ScouseSpaceCadet]

Depending on the size and shape of your garden, plus your observable sky from various positions, you could maybe lay a dry viewing area. When we had a new patio laid in our small urban garden , the NW corner of the garden also had nine flags laid next to an extra high fence blocking a street LED. The western view is restricted somewhat but the rest of the sky isn't so bad. It's the darkest part of the garden, and just far enough away from the house to avoid central heating exhausts etc. The flags have been marked with the tripod leg positions. I'm toying with building a small, just big enough to sit in, insulated astro shed not much bigger than an assembled 2" tripod next to the paving, so I can pick up the assembled mount and move it a metre or so to the observing position, with a folding table, chair and red light.

[Jonny_H]

On 26/08/2021 at 08:30, doublevodka said:

What about something like this? https://www.firstlightoptics.com/sky-watcher-mount-accessories/skywatcher-pillar-mount-support-for-heq5-eq6-series-mounts.html

Has the wheels and stability and maybe you could put a small shed in the corner of the patio to store it in? Something around this size so you could just wheel the setup to the middle of the patio?

https://www.diy.com/departments/shire-shiplap-wooden-3x2-tool-storage/5060490130323_BQ.prd?storeId=&ds_rl=1272379&ds_rl=1272409&ds_rl=1272379&gclid=CjwKCAjw95yJBhAgEiwAmRrutB13DgX5cnGHeAMkhFQcRPG6CvivskNwiPvbq6wSZH6gtdgM-7x2CBoCLQIQAvD_BwE&gclsrc=aw.ds

 

This looks to be a good contender. I shall further investigate.

Thanks all for your comments so far.

[johninderby]

Had the SW pillar but was not at all impressed. Vibration was a real problem as there is no bracing between the pillar and the outriggers on the bottom.

Other designs are better like this one.
https://www.harrisontelescopes.co.uk/acatalog/altair-red-pier.html?gclid=EAIaIQobChMIh_-Lw4_T8gIVS-rtCh2LRAbNEAQYASABEgK7bvD_BwE

Edited August 28, 2021 by johninderby

[CraigT82]

On 25/08/2021 at 21:55, Jonny_H said:

Hi all,

I thought i would ask on here in the hope that you can give me some suggestions.

Like many, I don't have an observatory. The position of where I would have to have one just isn't possible, I.e. smack bang in the middle of the patio. Similarly I cannot install a permanent pier there either for the same reasons (I would have no issues putting a pier there but Mrs Jonny H definitely won't have it) 😁

So this leaves me with lugging my mount and equipment from A to B.... then from B back to A when I'm done for the night. Polar alignment each time etc etc etc....you know the score.

So.......my question is when you do not have the luxury of installing an obsy or fixed pier....what are the alternatives?......besides moving house 😂

Any thoughts welcome.

 

Thanks,

Jonny

I use the skywatcher pillar for my rig. It is kept in the garage and I roll it out to the front garden or rear patio depending on where my intended target is. In the front garden I have three steel spikes in the ground and the pier feet sit on them.

Worked really well when set up and polar aligned (using sharpcap pro which took about 5 mins each time). I could regularly do 20 min exposures with no vibrations at 0.93"pp, when the seeing allowed.

I did modify it slightly though. I cut down the pier by about a foot, as I only use newts this was sensible for me. I also added larger castors to make it roll easier with almost 100kg riding on it.  Also the bolts that hold the pier adaptor to the pier are rubbish and needed changing right off the bat. 

If the forecast is good for a week or so I'll leave it in place and throw a motorbike cover over it and put it all back in the garage when the weather turns.

[M40]

I did a couple of things to overcome the lack of observatory challenge. First off I have three locations in the garden marked out with the tripod leg positions. The two on the grassed area I pushed short lengths of 1.5" waste pipe into the ground and filled them with pea shingle, you cannot see these unless you really look, then on the patio area I marked the floor with a permanent marker. These little tricks sped up the tripod positioning immensely. I then moved on and created a pier using a concrete column with a steel top. The steel top is a permanent fixture and is perfectly level but is multi purpose. This transforms from heq5 extension tube fixing plate, to table top mount to sundial mount and it's on the edge of the patio area so swmbo, who is always very positive in making things easier for me, is more than happy with the end result. By using the HEQ5 extension tube, the concrete pier is shorter, not in your face and one 10mm bolt later and the mount is fixed in position.  Enjoy