Telescope Reviews: Re: New build

If your proposed roof design did well under a heavy snow load and it was the same size as you propose for your build then it may be sufficient. Remember though that yours will be a roll-off and may not possess the same compressive strength that being nailed to a side wall would give it. That can be countered by building the rails and rollers as sturdily as possible. Plans for the rails and rollers, as well as the structure itself, can be obtained from several sources. BYO and SkyShed both sell their plans and some of the components for rolling roofs as well. The plans are a good way of checking your build ideas against those of the pro's to make sure that you are not exceeding spans or loads for the type of structure you want to build. A four foot side wall design may suit you just fine for now and the forseeable future. My point in addressing the height was not to discourage you but rather to encourage you to think about where you want to be in a year or two. You may want to go with a permanent pier or a different scope/mount combo in the future and a bit more height now will leave those options a bit more open later. Also remember that you'll be in your obs with the roof open AND closed. Being able to move freely about the space without whacking your head can be a plus on a cold or rainy day when you want to commune with your astro toys. As for the roof color, it is what it is. In the winter you'll love it cause it'll absorb the suns rays and provide some passive heating. A big white canvas drop cloth and some bungee cords will help shed some of the suns rays in summer. There's always paint as well. Rv/trailer roofing paint is reflective and pretty good stuff since it's designed to live on a roof. Keep thinking and asking questions, it's the cheapest part of any plan.

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1965Healey (Karen)
Woodlawn Lake Observatory
Celestron CPC 800/FT MIcro/APT Wedge
SV NHNG 80mm #0261/CG5-GT
Celestron Omni 150 XLT
Losmandy rails/rings
Starizona CWeight system
Celestron Neximage
Sony a100 DSLR/ZigView S2
Meade DS60's w/Autostar (2)
Meade LPI/Meade DSI-C/DSI ProII
750cc Honda Shadow Spirit (Thanks Dad!)
1965 Austin Healey 3000 MKIII

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