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CNers have asked about a donation box for Cloudy Nights over the years, so here you go. Donation is not required by any means, so please enjoy your stay.

Post a pic. of your observatory!

Started by Rick Needham , Apr 10 2006 04:40 AM

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2065 replies to this topic

#126 adkstars

Vostok 1

Posts: 109
Joined: 11 Mar 2006
Loc: Au Sable Forks,NY

Posted 05 March 2008 - 09:18 AM

As I read my guest book I was amazed to find a post that insulted the posters intellegence as well as my love of Astronomy. Oh well ,it takes all kinds. Rick.

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#127 Scott Horstman

Posts: 15,897
Joined: 11 Mar 2004
Loc: Up on the A1 by Scotch Corner just like it used to be

Posted 05 March 2008 - 09:42 AM

Gee Rick. I'd say the post in your guestbook is pretty amusing. The person is obviously grossly under weight and has no gear. Jealous post from an infantile mind.
Nice reply to the shmuck too :lol:

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#128 Umberto De Boni

Explorer 1

Posts: 53
Joined: 08 Dec 2007
Loc: Ontario Canada

Posted 05 March 2008 - 09:51 AM

And here is mine from last fall. Now under 2 ft of snow. More details in my album in "photos". Interior details to be posted when snow is gone.

Umberto

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#129 csa/montana

Den Mama & Gold Star Award Winner

Posts: 118,172
Joined: 14 May 2005
Loc: montana

Posted 05 March 2008 - 03:44 PM

I read that Rick, very hostile & immature of the poster; your grace in handling was wonderful!

Carol

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#130 1965healy

The Snarkster

Posts: 10,930
Joined: 23 Jun 2007
Loc: San Antonio, TX

Posted 05 March 2008 - 04:21 PM

Rick, seems to be a "nasty" virus going around lately. I've seen it pop-up in other areas of the community as well. Let me take this oportunity to tell you that I like your site, great pics and it tells alot about you and your interests. Some day when all the work is done on my obs I'll probably start one as well. I've been looking at alot of the amateur sites for ideas and yours is very well laid out and informative. Not sure just who the rude fellow was who left the comment on your site but I think you handled it beautifully. Clear skies.

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#131 adkstars

Vostok 1

Posts: 109
Joined: 11 Mar 2006
Loc: Au Sable Forks,NY

Posted 05 March 2008 - 06:46 PM

Thanks everybody. As I said before it takes all kinds.I just hope someday that individual finally finds true peace in their life.Rick.

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#132 Mr B

Sputnik

Posts: 27
Joined: 31 Jan 2006
Loc: Southern California

Posted 08 March 2008 - 05:55 PM

Here is our new Explora Dome Observatory.

It was delivered in very good condition, and I added their one piece bay, and 10 wheel rotational arrangement. It rotates with one finger. It houses the reliable LX200 10" Classic, and will be used for digital imaging.

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#133 csa/montana

Den Mama & Gold Star Award Winner

Posts: 118,172
Joined: 14 May 2005
Loc: montana

Posted 08 March 2008 - 10:24 PM

Mr B: Really nice looking Dome! Thanks for posting yours! Beautiful yard, also! :grin:

Carol

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#134 Troy

Vostok 1

Posts: 133
Joined: 31 Aug 2004

Posted 18 March 2008 - 06:52 PM

Can I just say I hate all of you? I would love to have an observatory for my 20" or even my 10"SCT! No space and I live in a redwood forest. Kinda defeats the purpose!

Troy
20" #1141

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#135 1965healy

The Snarkster

Posts: 10,930
Joined: 23 Jun 2007
Loc: San Antonio, TX

Posted 18 March 2008 - 07:12 PM

You'd need a ALOT of lumber and a really TALL ladder. Or you could mount a dome on a trailer like Snaproll! :imawake:

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#136 leewk

Lift Off

Posts: 4
Joined: 18 Mar 2008
Loc: Singapore

Posted 19 March 2008 - 02:28 AM

Installed this 4.5m Astrodomes (from Australia) on top a roof terrace apartment; holidng a Meade 14".

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#137 Chris Schroeder

Cosmos

Posts: 8,533
Joined: 11 Dec 2004
Loc: N.E. WI Sky Glow & SWetFL

Posted 19 March 2008 - 01:03 PM

Welcome to Cloudy Nights and thank you for sharing the photos of your observatory, it is outstanding:goodjob:

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#138 Kaizu

Messenger

Posts: 472
Joined: 17 Aug 2007
Loc: Finland

Posted 20 March 2008 - 01:35 PM

Nice dome, nice scope but I'm not jealous. I'm not jealous att all. Try to beliewe that I'M NOT JEALOUS.

Kaizu

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#139 Paula E

Non-standard Title

Posts: 2,247
Joined: 13 Sep 2007
Loc: Dallas, TX

Posted 20 March 2008 - 01:52 PM

Installed this 4.5m Astrodomes (from Australia) on top a roof terrace apartment; holidng a Meade 14".

Now that is a seriously cool looking dome! Great location too. It definitely has that "welcome to my space-age bachelor pad" ambiance going for it!

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#140 leewk

Lift Off

Posts: 4
Joined: 18 Mar 2008
Loc: Singapore

Posted 20 March 2008 - 08:17 PM

Thanks for all the compliments.
Actually we installed this for a developer having an Astro Theme for their new Condo. These are 5 blocks of 12 storeys apartment each with block names like Aquila, Bootes, Centaur, Draco & Equuleus. The dome was installed on the roof terrrace of Equuleus and it use to be shared by all the residents.

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#141 Paula E

Non-standard Title

Posts: 2,247
Joined: 13 Sep 2007
Loc: Dallas, TX

Posted 21 March 2008 - 02:30 AM

That is too cool leewk - what a great idea!

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#142 tim53

James Webb Space Telescope

Posts: 17,047
Joined: 17 Dec 2004
Loc: Highland Park, CA

Posted 02 April 2008 - 05:10 PM

Here's my roof-mounted observatory. I live in a Victorian home with a large flat roof. The roof joists and hatch cover support structure give me 22 inches of space between the hatch cover above the scope and the ceiling below the scope. I have a door that slides in place under the scope when not in use or when I'm operating it remotely (which is necessary to keep heat from the attic from affecting the views).

-Tim.

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#143 Chris Schroeder

Cosmos

Posts: 8,533
Joined: 11 Dec 2004
Loc: N.E. WI Sky Glow & SWetFL

Posted 02 April 2008 - 06:05 PM

Very nice Tim, any photos of inside?

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#144 tim53

James Webb Space Telescope

Posts: 17,047
Joined: 17 Dec 2004
Loc: Highland Park, CA

Posted 02 April 2008 - 06:25 PM

Yep, sorry! They're kinda old now, though. I used to have doors underneath that swung down (like in this picture):

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#145 tim53

James Webb Space Telescope

Posts: 17,047
Joined: 17 Dec 2004
Loc: Highland Park, CA

Posted 02 April 2008 - 06:32 PM

ctd...

And the ladder you see there, for accessing the eyepiece (scary). But I used to bump into the doors all the time when they were hanging down, so I've put them in tracks routed into a pair of 2x4's screwed up to the ceiling (with the doors rotated 90 degrees to how you see them here, so they slide out of the way to the left in the picture).

This works much better now, and I'm also using a folding rollaway scaffold platform to get to the eyepiece, which is a lot safer and doesn't interfere with the doors at all (I used to have to either move the ladder to open the doors, or put it right in the middle so they'd miss it).

We're planning to insulate the attic roof and finish it off to use as a theater room with a big projection screen for movies, so when we do I'll make a new, single door on drawer rollers so it'll move more easily in the tracks.o

Because there's only 22 inches of space in the roof, I have to fold the scope horizontal for stowing. But with the weights I've put on the south end of my makeshift wedge, it's pretty easy to polar align and get to imaging.

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#146 tim53

James Webb Space Telescope

Posts: 17,047
Joined: 17 Dec 2004
Loc: Highland Park, CA

Posted 02 April 2008 - 06:40 PM

Oh, and here's my old rolltop desk ($200 at the local swap meet), all cluttered up and ready to go!

I use a Mac Powerbook G4, and an intel Mac Mini for imaging with two Point Grey "flea" machine vision firewire cameras (one of these is visible on the C 9.25" in the picture above), and Astro IIDC for video capture and image processing.

The HP laptop in the background is used mostly for operating the robofocus on the 9.25" (though Equinox Image and a few other mac applications can now do this). I also use it when I point the scope with TheSky6. On the Macs, I use Voyager 4 and EquinoX, both of which work nicely with the Nexstar.

-Tim.