My Observatory Tent Modifications

[carastro]

As discussed on another thread, https://theskysearchers.com/viewtopic.p ... 55#p253655
I thought I would post the many modifications I made to my Camping Observatory to make it "up to the task" together with some photos!!

I think it has the name SkyTech or Astro-Tech on the side, (It's all folded away in it's bag now so can't check).

I love it, but I can't say the original design was up to the job, I have had to do a lot of modifications. But now it is great.

Modifications:
1. It arrived with a silly roof cover that hardly fitted over the edge of the roof, kept on with Velcro. I decided right at the start to add a 10" pelmet and also added clips to attach it to the sides when the roof is in place. (that helps enormously with getting the roof back on in the dark.

This is the original Roof provided, as you can see it fits where it touches. :

[carastro]

So I looked on Ebay and managed to buy some matching shower proof fabric and made a 10" pelmit. I also decided to attach some plastic clips to aid putting the roof on and off and making sure it stayed in place (also bought off Ebay).

[carastro]

So we now have a camping observatory looking like this:

[carastro]

2. The roof poles went into small triangular pockets giving only the side fabric of the tent as the part that took all the pressure and on first use one of the poles went straight through the side of the tent!!!

So I had a think about it and constructed some strong double pockets that would take the pressure (made from an old rucksack that I cut up). I also added channels for the actual rods - not only giving a second layer but were more likely to hold the rods upright.

[carastro]

3. There are supposed to be 4 doorways, all are arched with nylon zips (also under tension). One camp the zips all failed/broke and I was left with 4 open doorways!!! So after scratching my head, I decided to stitch up 3 doorways, and constructed a Square door NOT UNDER TENSION) for one doorway and bought some heavy duty zips. (I love Ebay lol).

[carastro]

So now we have this. I left a small slot open in one of the doorways to pass my electric hook up cable through.

[carastro]

4. The pieces that the wall rods and the tent pegs go into, several have split and had to get some more 3D printed.

[carastro]

5. The rods at the top form a circumference to keep the top round and steady, these are also under tension, and were starting to shatter into long strips. Unable to find any replacement rods the right size or length, I have had to strap them round and round along the length with tape. That seems to be working OK.

I don't currently have a photo of this, Here's me sitting in it at the last camp. I have taken a screen shot of the horizontal rods and zoomed in, you can possibly just make out the rod is grey and in some places white (depending on which tape I was using) instead o being black where I have wound tape around the rods in places to stop them splitting.

So all in all, a lot of work to make it "up to the task".

I do wonder how long the rods will last and I have had difficulty getting rods of the right width and length to replace them.
May have to improvise with something else, (any ideas?). Was wondering about some sort of metal cable.

[messier 111]

very good these modifications, there seems to be a lot of room inside, thx.

[yobbo89]

i like it, looks like plenty of room for camping

[carastro]

Thanks, it does a good job as a wind barrier and keeps a lot of the damp out. Not 100 % water tight but keeps 95% out. So i still loosely put a cover over the rig.

It also keeps things more comfortable for me when l am sitting at the laptop. Once l was there and had no idea it was frosty outside until l came out of the obsy tent.

Carole

[Juno16]

That is really nice Carole. Great work on the modifications.

Looks very roomy. Do you sleep inside? Or, is it just for your gear/imaging?

[Graeme1858]

Excellent engineering skills there Carole! Looks like you modified just about every part of the tent! It will last you years now.

Graeme

[StarHugger]

Nice tenting indeed, cool you are getting it all durable and cosy...

Makes as difference blocking a bit of wind too I bet.

[pakarinen]

Wow. Looks like it's a nice thing to have, but that is a lot of mods to get it up to snuff.

[AstroBee]

Very nice. Impressive and very handy modifications you've made to it too!

[carastro]

Wow. Looks like it's a nice thing to have, but that is a lot of mods to get it up to snuff.

It is but l didn’t do them all at once, so soread over a frw years it wasn’t so bad.

When l was at Kelling Heath Star party last year another female with the same tent came to look at all my mods as she had some problems too. I ended up doing a PDF for her if the roof rod pockets as too difficult to explain. I must contact her to see how she got on.

[Lady Fraktor]

Excellent modifications Carole, hopefully it will last for many years.

[carastro]

That is really nice Carole. Great work on the modifications.

Looks very roomy. Do you sleep inside? Or, is it just for your gear/imaging?

I thought l had replied to this but must have mucked it up.
No l don’t sleep in it as l like to retreat to my cosy cabin and watch DVDs while the imaging is chugging away.

I did see another guy with the same tent once who was an observer who slept in his - he didn’t have the roof extension so l am glad it didn’t rain. With a table, chair and laptop in there, there is not much space for sleeping and l would be worried about knocking the tripod legs and messing up the PA.

I guess you could if you were desperate though.

[Juno16]

That is really nice Carole. Great work on the modifications.

Looks very roomy. Do you sleep inside? Or, is it just for your gear/imaging?

I thought l had replied to this but must have mucked it up.
No l don’t sleep in it as l like to retreat to my cosy cabin and watch DVDs while the imaging is chugging away.

I did see another guy with the same tent once who was an observer who slept in his - he didn’t have the roof extension so l am glad it didn’t rain. With a table, chair and laptop in there, there is not much space for sleeping and l would be worried about knocking the tripod legs and messing up the PA.

I guess you could if you were desperate though.

I hear you there. I would be afraid that I would kick something during the night!

That really sounds great! I need to do this someday.

Thanks Carole!