TheSkySearchers

I'm in the market for a domed observatory for the backyard. My plan is to keep my AR152 in the obsy on its Twilight II mount. Considering it is a 6" frac that has a dovetail that is hard to attach without 3 hands, I think it is a good solution for my reluctance to haul out the scope in the dark. I also may keep the 10" Dob in there but oddly enough the Zhumell is more portable than the refractor is. The OneSky will stay in the living room for sessions on the deck as my grab-n-go option.

Any suggestions on a make/model?

I would look for a dome that you can walk into straight up instead of crawling through a hatch. Here's a kind that I believe will do that: https://optcorp.com/collections/pro-ser ... bservatory . A member of my astronomy group has bought one of these if I have the right brand, he bought it especially for that feature. I would too, being 6'3" myself. When the dome is turned you may have to turn it back on the opening to get out. The side walls can be configured as tall as you choose.

BTW without automation, are you not better off with a roll off observatory? With manual scopes, you have to first move the dome then the scope so you can't easily surf around the sky. To me that would be annoying. And for the Dob you need something with low walls. Now of course if you want to use this for AP in the future, that's a different story.

SkyHiker wrote: ↑Fri May 28, 2021 3:39 pm BTW without automation, are you not better off with a roll off observatory? With manual scopes, you have to first move the dome then the scope so you can't easily surf around the sky. To me that would be annoying. And for the Dob you need something with low walls. Now of course if you want to use this for AP in the future, that's a different story.

Thanks Henk. That's probably more than I would want to spend, but it sure does look good. There is something special about having a real dome that looks like a classic observatory. I hadn't thought of a roll-off yet, but that is more practical and I could probably build one myself. I also have a contractor on file who recently re-built one of my decks for less than $10k, so I could ask him as well.

Also, for AP I would probably want a pier. I am a fledgling APer who has captured some shots of the moon with my ASI monochrome. Still have a lot to learn about post-processing.

As Henk indicated with dome you have to implement the way to synchronize dome rotation with your scope movement.

Most of obsies in our club have roll off roofs, manual or motorized. The most popular design has two rails (marked by the arrow in the pic below) and the roof slides on rollers.

helicon wrote: ↑Fri May 28, 2021 4:05 pm

SkyHiker wrote: ↑Fri May 28, 2021 3:39 pm BTW without automation, are you not better off with a roll off observatory? With manual scopes, you have to first move the dome then the scope so you can't easily surf around the sky. To me that would be annoying. And for the Dob you need something with low walls. Now of course if you want to use this for AP in the future, that's a different story.

Thanks Henk. That's probably more than I would want to spend, but it sure does look good. There is something special about having a real dome that looks like a classic observatory. I hadn't thought of a roll-off yet, but that is more practical and I could probably build one myself. I also have a contractor on file who recently re-built one of my decks for less than $10k, so I could ask him as well.

If you ever decide to sell your house odd features like domed obsy may turn some byers off, obsy with roll off roof is basically a well built garden shed or a man cave with sun roof.

Bigzmey wrote: ↑Fri May 28, 2021 9:16 pm

helicon wrote: ↑Fri May 28, 2021 4:05 pm

SkyHiker wrote: ↑Fri May 28, 2021 3:39 pm BTW without automation, are you not better off with a roll off observatory? With manual scopes, you have to first move the dome then the scope so you can't easily surf around the sky. To me that would be annoying. And for the Dob you need something with low walls. Now of course if you want to use this for AP in the future, that's a different story.

Thanks Henk. That's probably more than I would want to spend, but it sure does look good. There is something special about having a real dome that looks like a classic observatory. I hadn't thought of a roll-off yet, but that is more practical and I could probably build one myself. I also have a contractor on file who recently re-built one of my decks for less than $10k, so I could ask him as well.

If you ever decide to sell your house odd features like domed obsy may turn some byers off, obsy with roll off roof is basically a well built garden shed or a man cave with sun roof.

That's true. I'd have to sell it to an astronomy professor at Cal or some Ph.D. who works at the Space Sciences Lab (which is about 1.5 miles from my house). Even then they don't look through telescopes very much so even that is probably off the table.

You could try the ExploraDome. Some of us on here already have one, myself included. I built my ExploraDome on its own self contained deck in 2009, and moved it to its present location in one piece in 2013.

John Fitzgerald wrote: ↑Mon May 31, 2021 7:21 pm You could try the ExploraDome. Some of us on here already have one, myself included. I built my ExploraDome on its own self contained deck in 2009, and moved it to its present location in one piece in 2013.

Just checked out the website (OptCorp came up as a dealer). Price around $6300, not bad! Of course I'd have to build a deck below it. The most tree-free part of the yard is the eastern section which has about a 15 degree slope. The flat parts (yard to the west) are too shrouded by trees (oak, redwood, etc.) to be practical. Front yard also is flat but then I'd have to erect a privacy fence, I guess.

I didn't go through a dealer. I ordered it direct. They are very nice to deal with. With the 8 foot round building, the price for the 8 foot deluxe manual dome kit, is $4,747.