Idea's please? All year pier?

[SlipperySquid]

Hi all, hope you had a proper chrimbo and have a great new year!

The missus has given the go ahead for me to build a roll top obsy BUT having looked into where it would have to be built and the surrounding tree's etc it just wouldn't be worth it (I may have to do some drastic "tree" surgery under the cover of darkness) so I was thinking of a pier set with some sort of circular paving design around it to make it look aestheticaly pleasing to my womans eye (Maybe hanging a couple of Gucci handbags on it would suffice?).

Anyways does have anyone have any idea's as to how or what you can cover a pier with so I could leave heq5 head connected to it all the time and not worry about the electronics becoming corroded over time due to moisture build up etc? If I have to remove the ehad everytime I finish an imaging session I may as well stick with the tripod!

Thanks in advance,

Matt.

[CGolder]

Upside down water butt?

[ollypenrice]

A large fibreglass bust of Shakespeare's head painted in Sandex Matt to make it look like stone...

Hmmm, tricky one, being serious. Could you make something like a sentry box that wheeled like a wheelbarrow into position over the mount. This would be a mini version of the roll off sheds I use.

Another way would be like Sir Partick's split roll off which rolls away in two halves, one to the right, one to the left, as it were.

In either case an attracive wooden finish might meet planning approval.

I bought a small MIG welder from Machine Mart to make mine. Incredibly useful and so easy that even I could learn to do it. You can see some of my efforts on my website at :: Sun * Star * France ::

Edit, sorry, this probably gives a better view. Mine run on rails but rubber tyres would be fine as long as the roll off located itself in an immovable way against the pier. Mine cover scope and mount so are far bigger than they would need to be for mount only. I also use them as computer or chart rooms when rolled off.

Not bringing all your stuff in at the end is one of the greatest joys in amateur astronomy, that is for sure.

Olly

[astroimpulse]

One of my thoughts (still not sure on the best position for an obs) was if I had to have just a pier I could disguise it as the central column of a patio table with the ability to have the parasol in it.

Sounds naff but it works in one of my many plans

An electronic rising one (like those drive protectors) would be cool. But it would be as unstable as a tripod in reality. But I could put it bang in the middle of the garden and raise it at my leisure lol

Still, an obs is a must. Might end up putting it in the loft with a roll off roof! haha

[Coco]

Get your pier sorted then ask an engineering shop to make a block male/female dovetail

You can then pop your mount on it and remove it when its no being used... if the blocks done properly job done!

I have grave reservations leaving a mount under a builders bucket

[NickK]

One option is creating a sundial top? You'll need to remove the mount and leave just a flat top (or with bolts to hold the sundial in place).

Problem is that moving things results in setup time and to be honest you may as well spend the money on a heavy duty mount instead.

[ollypenrice]

Guy has a point...

I forget the UK weather.

Olly

[Psychobilly]

I would still take the head off every time.. depending on the pier adaptor design then the mount should go on pretty much smack on eveytime...

I just slacken one of the two AZ adjusters (left side) when removing the head from the pier - actually just thought about adding a lock nut to the "fixed" (right) one

Billy...

[saturn5]

Heres a link to a thread i posted regarding a pier which enables me to remove and replace the mount accurately each time.

May be of help.

http://stargazerslounge.com/diy-astronomer/66613-pier-design.html

[SlipperySquid]

Cheers for the replies gent's, the William Shakespear bust isn't to bad of an idea Olly!! S5 that's a great design you have there mate, can you get me one

Will have to scratch my head and have a good look around and see what I can come up with! If I can ake the tree's down at the back of my garden I'd go with the obsy...hmmmm...decisions...decisions