New home observatory WIP
- Gordon
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New home observatory WIP
My wife and I knew when we were looking for a place to move to that we wanted a good spot for placing the telescope. So with that in mind I thought I would share a few photos of our new location and give you and idea of our plans.
Right now I'm still having to do a setup and tear down when I want to use the scope, and will probably have to continue doing so until I can figure out with the HOA approval of what I want to do.
I'm currently using a dolly to move my EQ6 mount as it's a bit heavy for this 70 year old body. In this milk crate that says 'do not remove under penalty of law' are all of my electronics (bundled cables, fasteners, usb hub, power supplies etc etc. Even though it looks a mess it's all organized and only takes a minute to place on the scope / mount. Then the milk crate becomes a chair. Here's a cabinet I purchased to put all of my scopes / accessories in. It's really handy having everything in one place. On top of the cabinet is my eyepiece case along with the bags that contain my imaging cameras. I also have an EQ5 mount that I use sometimes. I can load this on the dolly to move it around also. Once I use the dolly to move the mount outside I place it on these 3 pads. Each is drilled so that the points on the bottom of the legs line up with the holes. Once in place I'm really close to having the mount polar aligned. Here's the views of my sky. Pretty much anything above 25 degrees is clear sky. The trees in the area shouldn't get much taller (at least in my lifetime!)
Northern sky Western sky Southern sky Eastern sky And finally here's a photo of the general area. All of my equipment is stored just inside the door. So as it is it takes me about 10 minutes to set up and tear down.
Scopes: Explore Scientific ED80CF, Skywatcher 200 Quattro Imaging Newt, SeeStar S50 for EAA.
Mounts: Orion Atlas EQ-g mount & Skywatcher EQ5 Pro.
ZWO mini guider.
Image cameras: ZWO ASI1600 MM Cool, ZWO ASI533mc-Pro, ZWO ASI174mm-C (for use with my Quark chromosphere), ZWO ASI120MC
Filters: LRGB, Ha 7nm, O-III 7nm, S-II 7nm
Eyepieces: a few.
Primary software: Cartes du Ciel, N.I.N.A, StarTools V1.4.
- JayTee
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Re: New home observatory WIP
Very cool which makes me a bit jealous. Hey, in the last image that shows the sundial on a short pedestal, is the house to the north or south of that pedestal? I hope it is to the north as you probably don't want to exclude any of your southern skies if you have a choice.
I hope you can move things along to get it built and functional in a short-ish period of time.
Cheers,
JT
∞ AP Scopes: #1: TPO 6" f/9 RC #2: ES 102 f/7 APO #3: ES 80mm f/6 APO
∞ G&G Scopes: #1: Meade 102mm f/7.8 #2: Bresser 102mm f/4.5
∞ Guide Scopes: 70 & 80mm fracs -- The El Cheapo Bros.
∞ Mounts: iOptron CEM70AG, SW EQ6R, Celestron AVX, SLT & GT (Alt-Az), Meade DS2000
∞ Cameras: #1: ZWO ASI294MC Pro #2: 662MC #3: 120MC, Canon T3i, Orion SSAG, WYZE Cam3
∞ Binos: 10X50,11X70,15X70, 25X100 ∞ AP Gear: ZWO EAF and mini EFW and the Optolong L-eXteme filter
∞ EPs: ES 2": 21mm 100° & 30mm 82° Pentax XW: 7, 10, 14, & 20mm 70°
Searching the skies since 1966. "I never met a scope I didn't want to keep."
- Bigzmey Online
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Re: New home observatory WIP
Mounts: SW: SkyTee2, AzGTi; iOptron: AZMP; ES: Twilight I; Bresser: EXOS2; UA: MicroStar.
Binos: APM: 100-90 APO; Canon: IS 15x50; Orion: Binoviewer, LG II 15x70, WV 10x50, Nikon: AE 16x50, 10x50, 8x40.
EPs: Pentax: XWs & XFs; TeleVue: Delites, Delos, Panoptic & Plossls; ES: 68, 62; Vixen: SLVs; Baader: BCOs, Aspherics, Mark IV.
Diagonals: Baader: BBHS mirror, Zeiss Spec T2 prism, Clicklock dielectric; TeleVue: Evebrite dielectric; AltairAstro: 2" prism.
Filters: Lumicon: DeepSky, UHC, OIII, H-beta; Baader: Moon & SkyGlow, Contrast Booster, UHC-S, 6-color set; Astronomik: UHC.
Solar: HA: Lunt 50mm single stack, W/L: Meade Herschel wedge.
Observing: DSOs: 3106 (Completed: Messier, Herschel 1, 2, 3. In progress: H2,500: 2180, S110: 77). Doubles: 2461, Comets: 34, Asteroids: 261
- sdbodin
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Re: New home observatory WIP
Steve
Cameras; Atik 460ex mono, Zwo ASI1600MC-cool, QHY5L-II color and mono
- Gordon
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Re: New home observatory WIP
The pedestal is on the north side. As it turns out, the town of Cottonwood is in the southern direction so I need to be a bit higher in that direction to keep out of the sky glow.JayTee wrote: ↑Mon Dec 09, 2019 11:45 pm Hi Gordon,
Very cool which makes me a bit jealous. Hey, in the last image that shows the sundial on a short pedestal, is the house to the north or south of that pedestal? I hope it is to the north as you probably don't want to exclude any of your southern skies if you have a choice.
I hope you can move things along to get it built and functional in a short-ish period of time.
Cheers,
JT
Scopes: Explore Scientific ED80CF, Skywatcher 200 Quattro Imaging Newt, SeeStar S50 for EAA.
Mounts: Orion Atlas EQ-g mount & Skywatcher EQ5 Pro.
ZWO mini guider.
Image cameras: ZWO ASI1600 MM Cool, ZWO ASI533mc-Pro, ZWO ASI174mm-C (for use with my Quark chromosphere), ZWO ASI120MC
Filters: LRGB, Ha 7nm, O-III 7nm, S-II 7nm
Eyepieces: a few.
Primary software: Cartes du Ciel, N.I.N.A, StarTools V1.4.
- Gordon
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Re: New home observatory WIP
I had a brief discussion with the "main man" when I mentioned "garden shed" his eyes rolled. But he has been by (along with most of my neighbors) when I'm out setting up, and they are very interested in what I'm doing. So hopefully with keeping the discussion going they will let me put in a sky pod or something similar. If not, what I'm doing works.
Scopes: Explore Scientific ED80CF, Skywatcher 200 Quattro Imaging Newt, SeeStar S50 for EAA.
Mounts: Orion Atlas EQ-g mount & Skywatcher EQ5 Pro.
ZWO mini guider.
Image cameras: ZWO ASI1600 MM Cool, ZWO ASI533mc-Pro, ZWO ASI174mm-C (for use with my Quark chromosphere), ZWO ASI120MC
Filters: LRGB, Ha 7nm, O-III 7nm, S-II 7nm
Eyepieces: a few.
Primary software: Cartes du Ciel, N.I.N.A, StarTools V1.4.
- Bigzmey Online
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Re: New home observatory WIP
If the place was designated as International Dark Sky Community they better allow obsy installations. Otherwise, take it to the mayor.Gordon wrote: ↑Tue Dec 10, 2019 12:55 amI had a brief discussion with the "main man" when I mentioned "garden shed" his eyes rolled. But he has been by (along with most of my neighbors when I'm out setting up and they are very untested in what I'm doing. So hopefully with keeping the discussion going they will let me put in a sky pod or something similar. If not, what I'm doing works.
Mounts: SW: SkyTee2, AzGTi; iOptron: AZMP; ES: Twilight I; Bresser: EXOS2; UA: MicroStar.
Binos: APM: 100-90 APO; Canon: IS 15x50; Orion: Binoviewer, LG II 15x70, WV 10x50, Nikon: AE 16x50, 10x50, 8x40.
EPs: Pentax: XWs & XFs; TeleVue: Delites, Delos, Panoptic & Plossls; ES: 68, 62; Vixen: SLVs; Baader: BCOs, Aspherics, Mark IV.
Diagonals: Baader: BBHS mirror, Zeiss Spec T2 prism, Clicklock dielectric; TeleVue: Evebrite dielectric; AltairAstro: 2" prism.
Filters: Lumicon: DeepSky, UHC, OIII, H-beta; Baader: Moon & SkyGlow, Contrast Booster, UHC-S, 6-color set; Astronomik: UHC.
Solar: HA: Lunt 50mm single stack, W/L: Meade Herschel wedge.
Observing: DSOs: 3106 (Completed: Messier, Herschel 1, 2, 3. In progress: H2,500: 2180, S110: 77). Doubles: 2461, Comets: 34, Asteroids: 261
- sdbodin
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Re: New home observatory WIP
Steve
Cameras; Atik 460ex mono, Zwo ASI1600MC-cool, QHY5L-II color and mono
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Re: New home observatory WIP
Clear, Dark Skies
- Gordon
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Re: New home observatory WIP
I had already picked out 'passionate pink' with 'periwinkle' trim.
Scopes: Explore Scientific ED80CF, Skywatcher 200 Quattro Imaging Newt, SeeStar S50 for EAA.
Mounts: Orion Atlas EQ-g mount & Skywatcher EQ5 Pro.
ZWO mini guider.
Image cameras: ZWO ASI1600 MM Cool, ZWO ASI533mc-Pro, ZWO ASI174mm-C (for use with my Quark chromosphere), ZWO ASI120MC
Filters: LRGB, Ha 7nm, O-III 7nm, S-II 7nm
Eyepieces: a few.
Primary software: Cartes du Ciel, N.I.N.A, StarTools V1.4.
- helicon Online
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Re: New home observatory WIP
Refractors: ES AR152 f/6.5 Achromat on Twilight II, Celestron 102mm XLT f/9.8 on Celestron Heavy Duty Alt Az mount, KOWA 90mm spotting scope
Binoculars: Celestron SkyMaster 15x70, Bushnell 10x50
Eyepieces: Various, GSO Superview, 9mm Plossl, Celestron 25mm Plossl
Camera: ZWO ASI 120
Naked Eye: Two Eyeballs
Latitude: 48.7229° N
- Gordon
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Re: New home observatory WIP
Yup. I've gotta work on that!
Scopes: Explore Scientific ED80CF, Skywatcher 200 Quattro Imaging Newt, SeeStar S50 for EAA.
Mounts: Orion Atlas EQ-g mount & Skywatcher EQ5 Pro.
ZWO mini guider.
Image cameras: ZWO ASI1600 MM Cool, ZWO ASI533mc-Pro, ZWO ASI174mm-C (for use with my Quark chromosphere), ZWO ASI120MC
Filters: LRGB, Ha 7nm, O-III 7nm, S-II 7nm
Eyepieces: a few.
Primary software: Cartes du Ciel, N.I.N.A, StarTools V1.4.
- Lady Fraktor
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Re: New home observatory WIP
Hopefully the skies will enjoy them soon.
See Far Sticks: Elita 103/1575, AOM FLT 105/1000, Bresser 127/1200 BV, Nočný stopár 152/1200, Vyrobené doma 70/700, Stellarvue NHNG DX 80/552, TAL RS 100/1000, Vixen SD115s/885
EQ: TAL MT-1, Vixen SXP, SXP2, AXJ, AXD
Az/Alt: AYO Digi II, Stellarvue M2C, Argo Navis encoders on both
Tripods: Berlebach Planet (2), Uni 28 Astro, Report 372, TAL factory maple, Vixen ASG-CB90, Vixen AXD-TR102
Diagonals: Astro-Physics, Baader Amici, Baader Herschel, iStar Blue, Stellarvue DX, Tak prism, TAL, Vixen
Eyepieces: Antares to Zeiss (1000101)
The only culture I have is from yogurt
- Gulf Coast Guy
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Re: New home observatory WIP
You ought to be getting some beautiful Milky Way wide field shots. Dang, now "I" can't wait for your skies to clear.
GCG
Mount/tripod's: Meade LXD-75 EQ; Orion Starseeker IV ALT/AZ; Celestron Heavy Duty ALT/AZ Farpoint UBM (Universal Binocular Mount)
Eyepieces:Meade - 26mm plossl, 12mm Astrometric; GSO (OPT badge) 2" Superview 50mm & 30mm 1.25" 15mm; TMB Planetary Series 9mm, 6mm, & 4mm: 10mm & 23mm 60° that came with the 80mm f11.2
Barlows: Orion 2x Shorty; Meade 4000 Series 3x
Binoculars:Brunton 10x50 Celestron Skymaster 15x70 Oberwerk 25x100 IF delux
- JeffBevan
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Re: New home observatory WIP
patience!
- JeffBevan
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Re: New home observatory WIP
patience!
- Gordon
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Re: New home observatory WIP
Hi Jeff
It appears you are attempting to 'attach' and image from your computer.
When you post to a topic you can 'add' an attachment by scolling down just a bit more on the page and you will see a tab called "Attachment" just click on it and you can upload your image there. Note that it gives you an option to "Place in line" I suggest using it as it will place your image where you wish in the post.
Scopes: Explore Scientific ED80CF, Skywatcher 200 Quattro Imaging Newt, SeeStar S50 for EAA.
Mounts: Orion Atlas EQ-g mount & Skywatcher EQ5 Pro.
ZWO mini guider.
Image cameras: ZWO ASI1600 MM Cool, ZWO ASI533mc-Pro, ZWO ASI174mm-C (for use with my Quark chromosphere), ZWO ASI120MC
Filters: LRGB, Ha 7nm, O-III 7nm, S-II 7nm
Eyepieces: a few.
Primary software: Cartes du Ciel, N.I.N.A, StarTools V1.4.
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