· Get a Cloudy Nights T-Shirt · Submit a Review / Article Click here if you are having trouble logging into the forums Privacy Policy | Please read our Terms of Service | Signup and Troubleshooting FAQ | Problems? PM a Red or a Green Gu… uh, User You are not logged in. [Login] Entrance · Main Index · Search · New user · Who's Online FAQ · Calendar Equipment Discussions >> Observatories Previous   Index   Next   Threaded   Pages: << 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 20 | 21 | 22 | 23 | 24 | (show all) Crow Haven Pooh-Bah Reged: 01/09/09 Loc: Betwixt and Between Re: Crow Haven Observatory - a small nested ROR de [Re: Wouter D'hoye]       #4081657 - 09/29/10 08:47 PM Edit   Reply   Quote Quick Reply   Thanks for your comments, Wouter, I am really enjoying the observatory! Post Extras:       andyschlei professor emeritus Reged: 03/05/06 Loc: Los Angeles, CA Re: Crow Haven Observatory - a small nested ROR de [Re: Crow Haven]       #4088063 - 10/02/10 04:17 PM Edit   Reply   Quote Quick Reply   Maya, Perfectly designed and beautifully finished. Wow! --Andy Post Extras:       Crow Haven Pooh-Bah Reged: 01/09/09 Loc: Betwixt and Between Re: Crow Haven Observatory - a small nested ROR de [Re: andyschlei]       #4088662 - 10/02/10 09:24 PM Edit   Reply   Quote Quick Reply   Thanks so much, Andy! I'm thoroughly enjoying every minute observing there and have been lucky with the weather recently. It's amazing how much more observing can be done when it's all ready to go in a moment's notice, and how easy it is to just park the scope and go back to the house when the session is done -- no more lugging heavy equipment around and trying to pack everything up stumbling around in the dark when you're exhausted from a long evening/morning of star gazing. Now I've ordered a Moonlite focuser for the C6R-GT and can hardly wait for it to arrive and install it! Post Extras:       andyschlei professor emeritus Reged: 03/05/06 Loc: Los Angeles, CA Re: Crow Haven Observatory - a small nested ROR de [Re: Crow Haven]       #4088778 - 10/02/10 10:52 PM Edit   Reply   Quote Quick Reply   Having an permanent set-up really does change the dynamic when thinking about observing! Post Extras:       Crow Haven Pooh-Bah Reged: 01/09/09 Loc: Betwixt and Between Re: Crow Haven Observatory - a small nested ROR de [Re: andyschlei]       #4109278 - 10/12/10 01:59 AM Attachment (103 downloads) Edit   Reply   Quote Quick Reply   How right you are, Andy! Well, here's the lastest improvement for the C6R-GT residing on the pier...I decided to get a better focuser for it and chose a MoonLite CF2 dual-speed with lock and the compression 4.5 drawtube. The color was the hardest thing to pick! The red looks nice, as all the other colors do too, but I finally settled on the gold. I'm so happy with how smooth it is and well-made -- a work of art! It adds some weight at the eyepiece end to balance with the lens end better, which is nice. Here's a pic of it as I installed it on Saturday and got to test it out tonight---perfection! Post Extras:       Dain Boogie Man Reged: 03/24/05 Loc: ADK Mountains/NGC 4565 Re: Crow Haven Observatory - a small nested ROR de [Re: Crow Haven]       #4408348 - 02/24/11 12:57 PM Edit   Reply   Quote Quick Reply   Maya! Ok, 5 months have passed and I'd like to know how things are going at the observatory! I hope yall are having tons of fun! I betcha are! Post Extras:       Crow Haven Pooh-Bah Reged: 01/09/09 Loc: Betwixt and Between Re: Crow Haven Observatory - a small nested ROR de [Re: Dain]       #4408697 - 02/24/11 03:57 PM Attachment (74 downloads) Edit   Reply   Quote Quick Reply   Hey Dain -- good to hear form you! Things are going well with everything but the weather recently -- loads of rain and some snow this morning, but it's nothing compared with what you're used to I'm sure. The newest change to the observatory is a new CGEM mount which will soon be set up on the pier. This will be a nice improvement for the C6-R and can handle up to a C-11 for visual. I'm keeping the CG-5AST mt. for use with smaller scopes on its original tripod with a pier extension. This summer we may get to doing some walkways around the observatory with tripod setup pads. Here's the CGEM while it waits for its installation on the pier. I really like the ADM dual saddle plate -- really well-made and secure. I'll post more pics when things get set up properly. I hope things are going great for you over there, thanks for the reply. Post Extras:       csa/montana Den Mama Reged: 05/14/05 Loc: montana Re: Crow Haven Observatory - a small nested ROR de [Re: Crow Haven]       #4409140 - 02/24/11 07:50 PM Edit   Reply   Quote Quick Reply   Maya; good to hear that things are going well with you! That is indeed a beauty, that will defintely look really nice in your beautiful observatory! Post Extras:       Crow Haven Pooh-Bah Reged: 01/09/09 Loc: Betwixt and Between Re: Crow Haven Observatory - a small nested ROR de [Re: csa/montana]       #4409216 - 02/24/11 08:28 PM Edit   Reply   Quote Quick Reply   Hi Carol -- Thanks! I'm really loving the observatory! I'm looking forward to more observing fun when this chilly weather moves on. I think the CGEM will be good for visual, and I may try a bit of AP eventually with it just to record objects found and favorites for putting with my observing logs. I'll try the 80mm OnyxEDF and/or piggyback the Canon EOS T2i for widefield with the autoguider on it. Keep looking up! Post Extras:       csa/montana Den Mama Reged: 05/14/05 Loc: montana Re: Crow Haven Observatory - a small nested ROR de [Re: Crow Haven]       #4409262 - 02/24/11 08:55 PM Edit   Reply   Quote Quick Reply   Looking forward to hearing about your future experiences Maya! Post Extras:       Bart Carpal Tunnel Reged: 05/28/06 Loc: Somewhere near Charlottesville... Re: Crow Haven Observatory - a small nested ROR de [Re: csa/montana]       #4484225 - 03/30/11 10:33 AM Edit   Reply   Quote Quick Reply   Thank you Maya, wonderful thread! Very informative. I hope you don't mind if I borrow some of the ideas that you have so graciously provided! Post Extras:       Peter9 Post Laureate Reged: 10/30/08 Loc: Yorkshire - Born & Bred Re: Crow Haven Observatory - a small nested ROR de [Re: Bart]       #4484640 - 03/30/11 01:37 PM Edit   Reply   Quote Quick Reply   It's a haughty charactor from Gilbert and Sullivan's "The Mikado". Regards. Peter. Post Extras:       islandsteve11 Carpal Tunnel Reged: 01/08/07 Loc: World Class LP of Las Vegas Re: Crow Haven Observatory - a small nested ROR de [Re: Bart]       #4484667 - 03/30/11 01:56 PM Edit   Reply   Quote Quick Reply   WOW!!!!! Based on Dave E's post from your "It's Here! My new EON 120 ED APO" thread about your observatory, I just finished reading this entire thread. What an incredible photo journal of the creation of your beautiful observatory! The details of your site prep, observatory construction, plumbing, electrical system, and polished interior are truly impressive, informative and INSPIRING! The attention to detail and advice given is just remarkable. This thread was also an unusally charming read! My hat's off to Jay, Paul and you, Maya. I wish you and Paul the best with your health issues (I have alot of the same ones). You have the most incredible home observatory I've seen on CN and have given much food for thought for any aspiring observatory owner/builder. I hope to build an obervatory on Mt Charleston (outside Las Vegas) some day. Can't wait to see pics your planned landscaping projects. Crow Haven is clearly a well earned earthly piece of astronomical heaven. I'm sure it will give you many, many years of enjoyment. Post Extras:       Crow Haven Pooh-Bah Reged: 01/09/09 Loc: Betwixt and Between Re: Crow Haven Observatory - a small nested ROR de [Re: Bart]       #4484852 - 03/30/11 03:20 PM Edit   Reply   Quote Quick Reply   Thanks so much, Bart! I would be delighted for you to use any of the ideas and discoveries we made in designing and building the observatory -- that is the purpose and hope in sharing this journey here with everyone who may be interested, that some of it could be helpful to others in their own quest to build their dream observatory. Thanks, too, Steve! It's a long read but it was all a labor of love to build and document. It's so well worth it, I'm loving every moment I spend in the observatory -- in fact I enjoy spending time on projects there even in daytime or when skies are cloudy. It's truly the best accessory I could ever have and I'm so appreciative of all that Paul and Jay have done to make it possible. Thanks for reading about Crow Haven Observatory (yes, the crows and ravens fly overhead commenting too ) and I wish you the best with your health and happiness and quest to build your own dream observatory. Post Extras:       Chris Schroeder Postmaster Reged: 12/11/04 Loc: N.E. WI Sky Glow Re: Crow Haven Observatory - a small nested ROR de [Re: Crow Haven]       #4485374 - 03/30/11 07:18 PM Edit   Reply   Quote Quick Reply   Looking forward to a photo of your new EON 120 ED mounted in your observatory Post Extras:       Crow Haven Pooh-Bah Reged: 01/09/09 Loc: Betwixt and Between Re: Crow Haven Observatory - a small nested ROR de [Re: Chris Schroeder]       #4485896 - 03/31/11 12:39 AM Edit   Reply   Quote Quick Reply   Thanks, Chris! I'm thinking of putting it on the CGEM -- especially when trying AP -- but right at the moment the C6-R "yard cannon" is on it (whoa, it looks even larger on that mt. as it's up higher, but that's actually better) and the weather is still rainy so I've got to wait some more to bring the EON up to test out. I hope there's some dry weather here soon (Portland, 4 hours north of here, has had 29 straight days of rain!). Post Extras:       starbob1 scholastic sledgehammer Reged: 03/11/07 Loc: IN Re: Crow Haven Observatory - a small nested ROR de [Re: Crow Haven]       #4486641 - 03/31/11 11:26 AM Edit   Reply   Quote Quick Reply   I also read your observatory thread.And totaly injoyed it,Here in Southern IN we get much better weather most of the year than you guys'and yesterday while it snowed rain and sleeted your build thread kept me from being depress.I also just got a new scope for my observatory and waiting for good weather can be depressing.It has been a bad winter here and many parts of the US and spring can't come a minute to early.Look forward to your post.Really like your Crow Haven and clear skys to you.BOB Post Extras:       Crow Haven Pooh-Bah Reged: 01/09/09 Loc: Betwixt and Between Re: Crow Haven Observatory - a small nested ROR de [Re: starbob1]       #4488350 - 04/01/11 12:55 AM Attachment (66 downloads) Edit   Reply   Quote Quick Reply   Boy, I sure agree with you there, Bob! This winter has seemed more harsh than usual, more rain here too, which got started in early Oct. and just has hardly let up. Congratulations on your new scope also! I'm glad you enjoyed reading the observatory saga. Today the sun peeked out for a while this afternoon and I managed to get the new EON 120 ED APO up to the observatory and set it up for now on the CG-5AST mt. It actually works out just fine for visual on that mt. but I have a pier extension to add to the mt. and raises it another 8" which will be just right for any of the refractors. I will use the EON probably on the CGEM mt when trying AP. The pic shows the EON in one part of the observing deck and the "yard cannon" C6-R currently on the CGEM which really is a better size mt. for that scope as it's just so long. The EON 120 has the sliding dew shield extended in the pic and it measures 35 1/2" in length that way (not including the diagonal, etc.) I find it is possible to run both mts. and dew heaters on the 12V DC regulator at the same time -- it has plenty of power to handle lots more and Paul will run an outside 12V DC outlet from it for any mts. used outside of the observatory. Here's the pics I took today just as the marine layer arrived around 6 PM PDT... and it's cloudy/rainy tonight again. Oh well -- let's hang in there! Post Extras:       Crow Haven Pooh-Bah Reged: 01/09/09 Loc: Betwixt and Between Re: Crow Haven Observatory - a small nested ROR de [Re: Crow Haven]       #4488356 - 04/01/11 01:01 AM Attachment (58 downloads) Edit   Reply   Quote Quick Reply   And here's the EON -- I was able to check the views with it in daylight -- very very sharp and no CA noticed around anything! It snaps into focus and I'm stunned at the sharpness -- that's a good sign to start with. I'm eager to get to star test it when possible next. Post Extras:       Chris Schroeder Postmaster Reged: 12/11/04 Loc: N.E. WI Sky Glow Re: Crow Haven Observatory - a small nested ROR de [Re: Crow Haven]       #4488649 - 04/01/11 07:51 AM Edit   Reply   Quote Quick Reply   Very nice Maya Post Extras:       Pages: << 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 20 | 21 | 22 | 23 | 24 | (show all) Previous   Index   Next   Threaded   Extra information 7 registered and 15 anonymous users are browsing this forum. 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