My personal observatory Project.

[JayTee]

It looks like if you open your Obsy roof in the daytime, your doggies will get some shade! Cool.

[AstroBee]

It looks like if you open your Obsy roof in the daytime, your doggies will get some shade! Cool.

Indeed! In fact, because it will rarely be opened during the day, I plan on mounting some pergola style lattice work under the outriggers so the kids have some full time partial shade out there.

[AstroBee]

It's been a really long time since I've made an update here. I had to take a long pause because by buddy that has been helping me build this had to go back to Florida to deal with getting his father transitioned into an assisted living facility. He was gone 5 weeks. Then, just before he returned, I got Covid AGAIN and that knocked me down for 2 weeks. Just in time for a really busy work schedule, yada, yada, yada. My point is...since my last post in November, I think we have only worked on the obsy 3 days. And those were partial days because it was too cold in the morning for our desert-rat blood.
We hit it full speed today and got a great deal accomplished as you can see in this photo. The diagonal piece of 2x4 is just temporary until we get the osb down. Once that gets laid down the roof will stay square which is extremely important to keep the roof rolling on the track smoothly. As it is right now, the roof rolls butter smooth. I can push it on and off with a single finger. Having 11 garage door wheels on either track helps!

[Graeme1858]

Moving on nicely Greg.

What you putting on the rafters to form the roof? I used 11mm OSB and with the felt the whole thing is quite heavy. I'm confident with a bit of wind but the 8 x plastic casters struggle with initial movement. I'm considering changing them to steel castors with bearings.

Graeme

[AstroBee]

Moving on nicely Greg.

What you putting on the rafters to form the roof? I used 11mm OSB and with the felt the whole thing is quite heavy. I'm confident with a bit of wind but the 8 x plastic casters struggle with initial movement. I'm considering changing them to steel castors with bearings.

Graeme

We are using 3/8” (9.5mm) OSB with felt paper and then the roofing material is this super lightweight foam polycarbonate material sold by Home Depot.
https://www.homedepot.com/p/Suntop-26-i ... /100096415
We bought 5 of these 12' (3.6m) and I was able to carry them all at once by myself.
Hopefully that will help keep the weight down a bit.
My plan is to put a gate motor on it that is rated to move 2500lbs (1134Kg) so it should be ok.

[Graeme1858]

That sounds like it will do the job! Mine is 200W 600kg.


Graeme

[AstroBee]

We managed to get a fair amount of work done today. We got all of the battens installed between the rafters, installed the OBS sheets and got the felt paper on and tacked down.
We didn't wrap up till after dark this evening so no photos. I'll try and remember to post one tomorrow morning. I'm working Fri-Sun so we will not get the final roofing panels on until Monday.
The roof is quite a bit heavier now with 2.5 sheets of 4'x8'x 3/8" OBS installed but the roof still rolls very easily and smoothly.

[AstroBee]

Work & Weather is really stretching this project out but I can finally see light at the end of the tunnel. I just hope it's not a freight train headed my way.
I spent the day today caulking everything and filling in the screw holes with putty. I'm hoping to be able to get the door installed next week and get the exterior painted.

[Gordon]

Just about time for the beer cooler and TV set!

[AstroBee]

Just about time for the beer cooler and TV set!

Haha, I will not be spending enough time out there for a cooler and TV.
I've got fiberoptic and Cat6E ran to my office inside the house.

[JayTee]

I've got fiberoptic and Cat6E ran to my office inside the house.

Nice!

[AstroBee]

A short little video of the yard and progress.

[jrkirkham]

Very Nice! Thank you for keeping us updated on your progress.

[Gordon]

Very nice!!!

[Graeme1858]

Very smooth roof roll.

I see you have ventilation on the north wall. Will you be automating it?

Graeme

[AstroBee]

Very smooth roof roll.

I see you have ventilation on the north wall. Will you be automating it?

Graeme

Yes Graeme, There's a vent on the lower northwest corner and on the east side gable of the roof. Original plan was to put the second vent on the west gable so they matched but my friend that is helping me build this reminded me that most of our high winds come from the west and southwest so it would be a direct intake for flying dust. This is what it's like around here at times... https://youtu.be/VKagREmdQz4?si=89UBHKiCq3hceQfH&t=14
I do plan on automating it eventually but I want to give it at least one season so see if there is any settling or other issues. For now, it's so easy to just walk out into the backyard and open it, even my wife can handle the weight.

[carastro]

Very nice, I do like to see a video too.
I made a mistake when I bought my observatory as I bought it very early on in my imaging "career" and thought it was good and easy to assemble and open and close, but hadn't thought about the problem with the Zenith as it is a SkyPOD.

I now have a Pod Zenith table, but it is a "tour de force" getting it on and off.

Hope you will post some more of the inside when you are ready.

Carole

[AstroBee]

Thank you Carole. I'll be giving the tour as soon as I have my scope installed.

[starfield]

A little late to the thread and I can't wait for the tour when it's finished. --Steve

[Graeme1858]

This is what it's like around here at times...

What, like, you get a sandstorm and Tom Cruise chases you like a thing possessed?