Mike's Low-Budget Home Observatory (WIP)

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chartram United States of America
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Re: Mike's Low-Budget Home Observatory (WIP)

#41

Post by chartram »


Here is a quick video. I am not much of a narrator.

Mike Chartrand
Scopes: WO Star 71 Gen-II (F/4.9), Astro-Tech AT115EDT (F/7), Celestron 8" Edge HD (F/10)
Cameras: ZWO ASI1600MM w/ Baader 1.25" LRGB & Narrowband Filters, ZWO ASI174MM mini, Starlight Xpress Lodestar X2
Mount: Skywatcher NEQ6 Pro
Guiding: Orion ST-80 (f/5) w/ADM MiniMax (side-by-side), ZWO OAG
Software: PHD2, Sequence Generator Pro, PixInsight
Dark Site Transportation System: 2020 Telluride SX
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Re: Mike's Low-Budget Home Observatory (WIP)

#42

Post by chartram »


Ylem wrote: Mon Aug 30, 2021 9:55 pm Very nice Mike!!!!
I have a similar shed and have thought about doing this.

That's awesome!
Thanks Jeff! It seems like a good way to go in the face of high lumber prices and portability. I will update this thread as I add bells and whistles or encounter or solve any issues.
JayTee wrote: Mon Aug 30, 2021 9:35 pm This thread is just chock-full of great ideas. Thank you Mike.

Cheers
Thanks JT! Hopefully this will help someone at some point. I found it to be very intimidating at first. But once I got going, it wasn't that hard at all! As mentioned in the video, I am not good at these kinds of things, and got through it just fine.
Mike Chartrand
Scopes: WO Star 71 Gen-II (F/4.9), Astro-Tech AT115EDT (F/7), Celestron 8" Edge HD (F/10)
Cameras: ZWO ASI1600MM w/ Baader 1.25" LRGB & Narrowband Filters, ZWO ASI174MM mini, Starlight Xpress Lodestar X2
Mount: Skywatcher NEQ6 Pro
Guiding: Orion ST-80 (f/5) w/ADM MiniMax (side-by-side), ZWO OAG
Software: PHD2, Sequence Generator Pro, PixInsight
Dark Site Transportation System: 2020 Telluride SX
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Re: Mike's Low-Budget Home Observatory (WIP)

#43

Post by MistrBadgr »


I think your observatory is really nice. It should serve you very well. I enjoyed you video and thank you for sharing! :)
Bill Steen
Many small scopes, plus a Lightbridge 12, LX 70-8R,6R,6M
Many eyepieces, just not really expensive ones.
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Re: Mike's Low-Budget Home Observatory (WIP)

#44

Post by chartram »


Shed got its first occupant just in time for a rare couple of clear nights. Usually the skies in this part of Georgia are crap from late May until about September/October.

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Even though I run it from the patio or in the house, added some lighting to be able to see when/if I'm out there after dark. Plus it looks kind of cool :lol:

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To commemorate the grand opening, here is the first official image captured from Aim High Observatory:

Image
Mike Chartrand
Scopes: WO Star 71 Gen-II (F/4.9), Astro-Tech AT115EDT (F/7), Celestron 8" Edge HD (F/10)
Cameras: ZWO ASI1600MM w/ Baader 1.25" LRGB & Narrowband Filters, ZWO ASI174MM mini, Starlight Xpress Lodestar X2
Mount: Skywatcher NEQ6 Pro
Guiding: Orion ST-80 (f/5) w/ADM MiniMax (side-by-side), ZWO OAG
Software: PHD2, Sequence Generator Pro, PixInsight
Dark Site Transportation System: 2020 Telluride SX
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Re: Mike's Low-Budget Home Observatory (WIP)

#45

Post by Lady Fraktor »


That looks very good Mike, congratulations on a great first light :)
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Re: Mike's Low-Budget Home Observatory (WIP)

#46

Post by chartram »


Hello,

I made a few temp and humidity control upgrades. Added a 6x6" vent toward the floor on the "cool" side of the shed to allow ambient air to flow in:

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Immediately after installation, it was easy to feel cooler, outside air flowing in.

Also decided to install some radiant barrier on the roof and southwest wall. I used some of the left over 2x4's, split them long-ways and made beams to hang the barrier:

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They are screwed directly into the roof panels with screws long enough to hold them in, but not long enough to pop holes in the outer roof layer. The wood for the inner framing is not treated, so it is very light. It is a must for creating the airspace required for radiant barrier to be effective. Did a lot of homework on this. Also left gaps at the base and the top of the roof so warmer air will flow up from the bottom and into the roof ridge where it will be expelled out of the gable vents. The natural airflow will help prevent any moisture from accumulating between the barrier and the inner roof as well.

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After completing the radiant barrier installation, added a second radiant barrier in the form of a Telegizmos scope cover.

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Finally, I added a second solar fan (not pictured) to the other gable vent.

The vent, radiant barrier and the second fan made a very nice difference in temperature... and the DampRid Mega tray seems to be effective in controlling the humidity. When I first got the shed, temps inside were anywhere from 130 to 140F (40+ degrees hotter than ambient) on a hot day. Today, the temperature was 87F and max temp inside the shed was 107F. Sounds hot, but it is well under the scope/cameras etc. max storage temps, and I don't plan to be out there much in the daytime. As for humidity, we have had a couple of mornings where the humidity was right at 100%. Max humidity I've seen since doing all of this was 88%. Most of the time it's about 65-70% in the mornings when the humidity outside is well in the 90's, and gets lower as temps rise throughout the day. With the scope cover, the telescope and attachments are lukewarm to the touch, money well spent.

Next projects will be to add a 100W or 200W solar panel to the roof, and get a second, dedicated laptop or micro PC for wireless telescope control.

Hope this info helps anyone interested!

Mike
Mike Chartrand
Scopes: WO Star 71 Gen-II (F/4.9), Astro-Tech AT115EDT (F/7), Celestron 8" Edge HD (F/10)
Cameras: ZWO ASI1600MM w/ Baader 1.25" LRGB & Narrowband Filters, ZWO ASI174MM mini, Starlight Xpress Lodestar X2
Mount: Skywatcher NEQ6 Pro
Guiding: Orion ST-80 (f/5) w/ADM MiniMax (side-by-side), ZWO OAG
Software: PHD2, Sequence Generator Pro, PixInsight
Dark Site Transportation System: 2020 Telluride SX
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Re: Mike's Low-Budget Home Observatory (WIP)

#47

Post by MistrBadgr »


That is a really nice observatory, Mike! I hope you get a lot of use out of it. :)
Bill Steen
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Many eyepieces, just not really expensive ones.
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Re: Mike's Low-Budget Home Observatory (WIP)

#48

Post by chartram »


Got a couple more cheap, but effective things done recently.

Although wireless operation is in the future, I currently operate the scope from the patio via a 12m USB cable. To optimize wired operation, I installed a USB pass-through and a weatherproof outlet cover. Previously, I had to run cabling over the wall, which was ugly and a tripping hazard- Now I can just turn everything on and 'plug in'.

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Added a 5ft diameter decorative outdoor carpet.

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Still need to put radiant barrier on the back (southeast) wall. But even with that wall exposed, temps are very nice, only 15-20F above ambient on the sunniest days. The DampRid refillable tray does a great job of pulling excess moisture out of the air. Highest humidity I've seen in the shed was 88% on the nastiest, stormiest morning. Most of the time, humidity is in the 60's-70's, even when ambient humidity is 90-100%.
Mike Chartrand
Scopes: WO Star 71 Gen-II (F/4.9), Astro-Tech AT115EDT (F/7), Celestron 8" Edge HD (F/10)
Cameras: ZWO ASI1600MM w/ Baader 1.25" LRGB & Narrowband Filters, ZWO ASI174MM mini, Starlight Xpress Lodestar X2
Mount: Skywatcher NEQ6 Pro
Guiding: Orion ST-80 (f/5) w/ADM MiniMax (side-by-side), ZWO OAG
Software: PHD2, Sequence Generator Pro, PixInsight
Dark Site Transportation System: 2020 Telluride SX
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Re: Mike's Low-Budget Home Observatory (WIP)

#49

Post by pakarinen »


Great area rug you have there!

I wonder if I could get away with painting a compass rose on my deck. Um....no.
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Re: Mike's Low-Budget Home Observatory (WIP)

#50

Post by Graeme1858 »


pakarinen wrote: Fri Oct 08, 2021 3:02 pm Great area rug you have there!

I wonder if I could get away with painting a compass rose on my deck. Um....no.

Why not? I was planning on scribing a circle and some cardinal points on the brick patio where my telescope goes at some stage!

Regards

Graeme
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https://www.averywayobservatory.co.uk/
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Re: Mike's Low-Budget Home Observatory (WIP)

#51

Post by chartram »


So just a quick one-year update now that the shed has been through all four seasons...

- In spring of this year, I added radiant barrier to the back (southeast) wall. For this entire time, temps in the shed never got over 18F above ambient, even on the most unforgiving 100-degree days. Most of the time, temps inside are about 10-15F over ambient. Between the radiant barrier, vent and solar fans, I could not be more pleased.

- The DampRid Mega tray has done a good job of sucking out excess humidity. I have had to refill the crystals about every 4-5 months, so they last quite a while. Humidity in the shed when closed up has stayed well below ambient.

- The wood on the gantry where the tracks are warped a little between the sprinklers, rain and constant heating/cooling. However even though the 4x4's are treated, this was to be expected, and it has had no effect whatsoever on the roof rolling open/closed. Also, there is not a single nail in the build, so even with the worst case, individual pieces of wood would be a snap to replace.

* Even though life has not allowed me very much time to chat on this forum and post images, I have gotten more images over the last year of having this shed than I ever could have hoped for. It has been SOOOO nice being able to just pop the roof open, flip a couple of switches on, then go back to the house, connect everything up, hit the 'start' button and hang out with my wife or go to sleep. In the morning, shutting down, closing the roof and putting the battery back on the charger takes <2mins. Not to mention getting to image during the work week, which was virtually impossible before.

Another great thing has been not having to worry about 'wasting'' an entire clear night on those few targets that are only in shooting range for a couple hrs per night between the shed roof and my neighbor's tree... or others that won't clear the roof until 10-11pm... or when the skies won't clear until way past bedtime... or when clouds roll in in the middle of the night and I wake up to useless data.... but it's no big deal because I wasn't out a bunch of setup/teardown time, and there's always tomorrow lol.

Guess what I am trying to say is that this is the best $1,845 I've spent on this hobby- this shed has more than paid for itself in its first year of existence. If you are reading this and planning to build a DIY obsy- DO IT! Doesn't matter if its wood, resin, dome etc... Your only regret will be that you didn't do it sooner :lol:

Clear Skies!

Mike



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Mike Chartrand
Scopes: WO Star 71 Gen-II (F/4.9), Astro-Tech AT115EDT (F/7), Celestron 8" Edge HD (F/10)
Cameras: ZWO ASI1600MM w/ Baader 1.25" LRGB & Narrowband Filters, ZWO ASI174MM mini, Starlight Xpress Lodestar X2
Mount: Skywatcher NEQ6 Pro
Guiding: Orion ST-80 (f/5) w/ADM MiniMax (side-by-side), ZWO OAG
Software: PHD2, Sequence Generator Pro, PixInsight
Dark Site Transportation System: 2020 Telluride SX
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Re: Mike's Low-Budget Home Observatory (WIP)

#52

Post by Rasalgethi »


chartram wrote: Fri Nov 18, 2022 6:46 pm
Guess what I am trying to say is that this is the best $1,845 I've spent on this hobby- this shed has more than paid for itself in its first year of existence. If you are reading this and planning to build a DIY obsy- DO IT! Doesn't matter if its wood, resin, dome etc... Your only regret will be that you didn't do it sooner :lol:

Thats a very inspirational summing up Mike.

Thanks for the construction detail. Thanks for the thread, it has been a pleasure to read.
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