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She's up... The West Country's answer to Mt Palomar :-)

NickH

By NickH
in DIY Astronomer

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NickH

NickH

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Here's my observatory...ready to be painted, wired up..dehumidifier fitted, red lit....but she's up..

8x6 run off roof pent, 6ft high, solid as a rock, same spec as certain commercial ones...for £1200 all in inc delivery. build costs...etc.

Pier inside was supplied by Ambermile (earlier model of the ones FLO are now doing), and the company who made the obs, are now putting together a package/price list for obsy's in the West Country.. (M4 corridor from Bristol to W London, down as far as Exeter to Southampton/Portsmouth..they think)

Build time was less than 7 hours all in.. I (Ian Pass and I..mainly Ian...lol) dug the foundations out, but they can (for extra) do all that too..

Chuffed to meatballs would be an understatement...as size wise it's perfect, the C11 fits fine, the twin refractors ditto..and the two netbooks, alarm, webcam monitoring system and cables etc, all fit like a treat... me...will be sitting in a similar sized warm room about 4m away...remote desktopping in to the whole thing

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NickH

NickH

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Steve

Will do. They are a local firm, have spent months researching this (given them loads of books/tips etc), and also given them costs of other companies. They've done the homework...and this thing arrived literally in kit form this morning..

Thanks everyone. the "Palomar" thing is very tongue in cheek of course...I am just so chuffed..

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NickH

NickH

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Thanks Kevin

Yes...ordered the carpet tiles (thin ish...to go around the pier area), alarm systems (thanks to some good info from one of our members here), locks, lighting, electrics, dehumidifier, network links, and other bits today, going to get the wall lining tomorrow, and hopefully then sort out the shelving and small (very small) seating area, in the corner (for setup/config only)

Gonna be a busy few weeks before she goes live..

Well chuffed

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NickH

NickH

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Jon

They are a small company, and I think Alexanders are probably closer. The idea they have is to cover the West Country as far east as W London, and as far West as probably S Wales/Bristol.

They are now working on some finer details, and I hope to have mroe info soon

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barkis

barkis

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Wow, now your cookin Nick. The real business that is, and you will be rooted in there mate.

Even when just sitting in there doing nothing, it feels like your own castle. Internal pics. when kitted out please. :D:D.

Ron.:D

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  • 2 weeks later...
NickH

NickH

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Almost locked and loaded...should get some more pics up soon.. am still chewing the cud on whether or not to put interior walls/lining in. The scopes are in and wired up/tested. Just setting up laptop 2 for the guide work (lappy 3 running RDP to 1&2), desk from Argos this weekend...and the electrics and ethernet should finish her off..

Webcam security and alarms all running well so far too.

So many wires....

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NickH

NickH

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Some pics, and it's been test imaging NGC281 for the past two nights (300 mins in H-A in 10 min subs and then 180 mins OIII in 10 minute subs, just got the SII data to add now). Going to run the flats off tonight and then process in work tomorrow (better machines than the netbooks, and my old HP)

Interior walls still not in, but the desk is...and it's all working beautifully. Scope parks well, and hits target pretty much bang on from the handbox. Guide adjustments seem minimal (not graphed it yet)

Anyway...next step is to wire it up properly (as hoping this was going to be done this weeked), and then fit the shelving in to the rear side to old the other kit. 8x6 is mroe than fine space wise..as the pier is sligjtly offset to one end (doesn't limit me as there is a tree on that side which blocks my view). All shots here from my iphone, so nothing that special...or staged, it's still awaiting conduit for the cables on the floor and me to fit cable ties to lock the trailing stuff up a bit.

Then the step after that is to replace the ED80 with something much much better, and also maybe a camera upgrade, though the 314L is so good, it will have to match it and give a bigger FOV to be of any interest.

Amazing though...why I didn't do this sooner....ho hum (5 mins to start imaging, including Atik cool down time)

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