13 replies to this topic

[peculiar_polar_ring]

Hi Everyone, I’m sure most of you all already know me from my Stella Venator build thread, but given that the build thread is 10 pages by now and will probably keep growing, I wanted to consolidate my experience with all the major amateur dome manufacturers so people just starting their journey have direct comparisons at their fingertips.
My goal was to build an observatory on my property with a fully automatable setup, so my experiences with domes are catered to that. If you only do visual work, and don’t need a dome that can open and close on its own or rotate, my experience doesn’t apply to you. Also bear in mind that unless I specifically mention it, these experiences are from the perspective of a single person experiencing a single experience. In short, your mileage may vary.

 

Here's a short summary of my experiences, and then I’ll go into more detail after if you want to read everything:

Home Dome/Technical Innovations: This is the same company, can’t say enough good things about my Super Robodome
NexDome: Avoid, absolutely avoid. Babek does not stand behind his products, will ship you something that doesn’t work and will fight to keep the money. This shyster has taken $9k from me and left me with scrap.
Skyshed: Did not buy a dome from them but did get my pier from them. Wayne is an outstanding person, stands behind his product, and bends over backwards to help. I didn’t buy a dome from him, but I’m sure it would be top-quality.
ExploraDome: I never got past presales questions with them. I inquired twice about pricing discrepancies and they never responded. Have no idea what their domes are like, but if their customer support is like their pre-sales support, I wouldn’t expect any help from them.

 

 

The non-tl;dr version:

 

Home Dome/Technical Innovations:

I don’t know why the company has two names and two domain names, but they do. Makes it confusing to review them. My experience with this company has been nothing but outstanding. After conversing with Jerry, their owner for a good few months pre-sales, I made the plunge and bought a Super Robodome that I am very happy with. This company has a phone number you can call that is regularly staffed during normal business hours, and responds quickly to pre-sale questions and post-sale support. I had a special issue with my order and needed to delay paying for it for several months, Jerry was more than happy to hold the dome for me, without a deposit until I could pay.

In the end, I purchased the Super robodome and put it on my own substructure. I also paid for the skirt to do this, it takes the base of the robodome from a circle to a square and makes it possible for my carpentry skills to work with. I also splurged for the pre-assembly, it’s a little extra (although he was running a deal on the 6’ pods with it included for free), but it makes a world of difference when it comes to do the actual assembly. With pre-assembly, they build it in their factory, get everything functional and then take it minimally apart for shipping. This meant when it arrived, I was mostly just reassembling the big pieces, all the holes were already drilled so it was easy to tell if I lined it up correctly and if things were balanced, and in square or not. All the hardware was already attached except for a few bigger pieces or things that could be damaged in shipping.

 

It's a heavy, stout fiberglass building, expect to need two people to put it together, but it goes together pretty easily. The manual for the thing is over 100 pages and is fantastic. Any question we had about assembly we could find the answer for. In the back of each section there were technical specification drawings that if you couldn't figure out the text, you could look at the drawings and piece together. For the dome controller, there’s even a PCB layout. I wasn’t missing any hardware except one small nut that I had spares of on hand. Extra hardware was included as well.

 

With the pre-assembly, this was very hard to assemble incorrectly, and the design of the dome permits a lot of tolerance for assembly mistakes. For example, instead of a cog and gear track for rotation which requires precise placement and alignment of both parts, the rotation is managed by a set of hard rubber wheels pushing against a gritted ring. Lots of wiggle room in that design, though I’ve heard people complain about traction issues when it ices over, I’ve not experienced that this summer. The shutter system is also highly tolerant of assembly issues, it’s a windlass system and uses cables that you trim to size. The shutter design itself is high quality and is very stable.

 

In short, if you get a robodome, I wouldn’t expect you to have any issues. I will say the robodome isn’t the biggest, if you have mobility issues or do a lot of visual work, it might be a good idea to splurge for the 10’ dome. I didn’t have the budget for it, otherwise I would have. Maybe in a decade when I move!

 

 

NexDome:

 

If this post accomplishes one thing, I’d hope it would be to make people think twice about ordering from NexDome. I ordered a fully automated 2.2m dome from them with two bays and it has been an absolute nightmare.

 

Before starting into my experience, I want to point out a few things about the company. They have no phone number, no mailing address. There is no person listed on their website as an owner. The only way to contact them is through a presales contact form connected to their one and only email address. If you communicate with them through that, they do not sign their emails.

 

Ask yourself, is a faceless, addressless, phoneless company a company that is operating above board and someone you want to send $10k to for a dome? If you still think it’s a good idea, check out their return policy. You cannot return anything that has been assembled, and you have to do so at your own cost. If you’re in the US, good luck finding a freight company willing to do international LTL shipping for you.
If you still think it’s a good idea, look through the classifieds at the number of still in the box nexdomes that are being sold and ask yourself why that is.

 

This is not a company you want to send your money too.

 

My personal experience with nexdome resulted in me purchasing their dome with all the automation and rain sensor kit. What I received was as close to scrap as you can get. To start with, the design requires precision to put together, there is no room for tolerance in the assembly. To make matters worse, the parts are handmade by Babak himself and he doesn’t particularly care. I got a wall that was stamped backwards in my dome, Babak knew it was stamped backwards when he made it because he couldn’t drill all the holes in it where it was supposed to have them. He shipped this to me anyway. There are multiple places on my dome where a whole was supposed to be drilled, one was started and then not finished.  Babak never checked to make sure the hole was all the way through. With that level of care, and the tight tolerances, do you think someone hand making these without much care sends you stuff that is within tolerances even assuming you do a perfect job? The answer is no. Also, there is no QA, things are just stamped, drilled and shipped.

 

The nexdome’s hardware philosophy is lazy. Instead of figuring out which holes need weather proofing, every hole has weather proofing. Instead of figuring out which screws need anti-vibration nylock nuts, every nut is a nylock nut. Instead of grouping hardware together, they’re all just thrown into one bag and shipped as a jumble. Oh, and it’s not counted before hand. You’ll have way more than you need of some stuff, not enough of other stuff. When I emailed NexDome about missing hardware, they shipped me the wrong hardware. They also weirdly shipped me a dome cover that I didn’t ask for.

 

Speaking of dome covers, if your dome is well designed and waterproof, why do you need to sell a tarp to throw over your dome? Mine leaked like mad.

 

The door for the NexDome is in a curved wall, good luck getting it weather proof. Sending Babak emails about it just creates nonsense replies blaming you.

 

Remember what I said about everything being hand made? The metal supports for the shutter are handmade, and made incorrectly. Not only were the holes in the wrong places, the angles were wrong for the pieces too. And the holes in the roof didn’t line up with the holes in the supports, and the shutter track has to go into those same holes and it all just doesn’t work. Never could get it functional. Also, the movement mechanism for the shutter is a bicycle chain and is precise. If anything is off in the length of the dome, it won’t work.

 

The rain sensor NexDome provided with my dome always said it was raining.

 

The rotation system was a joke, it’s a gear and track system with holes cut a precise places for the gear and everything is a soft plastic. When rotation works, you can watch chips of the plastic flying off as it spins. If you change direction too quickly it moves in random directions. Also a fun bit of design about the rotation track, it has channels that you slot in bare aluminum wire to power the shutter. This is exposed to the inside of the dome within easy reach and carries 120watts of power. It’s also where if condensation formed, it could drip down and short the contacts.

 

The last thing I’ll say about the dome’s quality is to look at it’s manual online. It’s something like 20-30 pages. Most of the instructions are “this is a picture of the assembled product, figure out how to make yours look like this”

 

My experience is not unique here, I’ve had several people DM me complaining about similar problems with their dome. Some of them were able to make it work, some where not.

 

For NexDome’s part, they stopped responding to my emails. I’ve filed a chargeback with Paypal and my credit card company, but Nexdome is contesting those.

 

Buy a better product, you’re worth it.

 

 

Skyshed:

 

I didn’t buy a dome from Wayne, as at the time of my purchase he only had the original skyshed pods available for sale and I needed access to the zenith. He has a new dome coming out, but at the time he couldn’t tell me when it’d ship or how much it’d cost. He’s released pricing (and is now shipping) the domes, except the automation part isn’t finished and there’s no data on how much the automation will cost. This new version is bigger and has view of zenith, but it just didn’t work out for me.

That said, I did purchase a pier from Wayne and I am very very happy with how it turned out. He’s very open and transparent and helpful about the piers, and later when I needed an extension for the robodome, he was more than happy to bend over backwards to help me out. Even going so far as to price out a custom extension and offered to cut up a made pier to send to me as a custom size.
Wayne can come across as a pushy salesman, and that’s part of why I didn’t buy from him the first time, but I think he just really believes in his product. My post sales support has been awesome for the pier. I’m sure his pods will be the same way.

 

 

Exploradome:

I don’t have much to say about these people. They show one price on their website, but a different price when you go to check out. I emailed them twice asking about it and they never bothered to return my email. I can’t say if their domes are quality or not, but their pre-sales customer support made me stay away from them.

 

 

I hope people find this useful. I’m happy to answer questions about my experiences, or if you want to post your experiences please do. There’s not a lot of comparison reviews of domes on the internet and it’d be nice to have a compendium.

[nickb123]

I know some have issues with NexDome but here is my experience.

 

I purchased a NexDome early last year to replace my roll-off roof observatory. Assembled it by myself in two days, it was a wrestling match. Online instructions were good, all parts/hardware were included. It was much cheaper than other domes and was only a couple month wait. It has been remarkably water proof. Babak replaced one part that had a crack at no charge. It did take a little effort to get the rotation motor/gear working smoothly, but it works flawlessly now. Babak released a new dome rotation design this year, but I’m sticking with the old design since it works for me. Overall, I am very happy with it.

 

I should add that it did take some mechanical problem solving to fine tune, but that is probably true for all dome designs.

Edited by nickb123, 10 August 2024 - 03:15 AM.

[rimcrazy]

Interesting. I can't speak to the other domes but I have a 10' Home Dome and in no way could I ever recommend one.  The design, IMHO, is a disaster.  The shutter bearing is just a teflon strip that rides on an exposed fiberglass edge.  It is not a question of IF you shutter will fail, just a matter of when.  The dome rotates via an abrasive surface on the bottom of the dome sections to make a high friction surface for motor driven rollers to rotate the dome.  If you happen to be in a location that never gets snow this probably works ok.  In a snow environment just water vapor will form ice on that bottom surface and then the entire mechanism quits working or slips like the dickens.  The motors TI uses for both shutter and dome rotation are automobile windshield washer motors.  These DC motors use the casing as one terminal of the power connection.  Since a dome can rotate in both directions this means in one direction the external case of the motor becomes electrically "hot" to -12Vdc with a boat load of current capability.  That means if you just happen to say have a ladder or something else conductive that is grounded touching the motor casing you will have a nice light show in your observatory.  As a retired electrical engineer, you should NEVER have anything designed such that the external casing of a device is electrically hot.  I don't care that the voltage is low.  The current capability feeding those motors is quite high.  Just a very bad practice.  Lastly none of my dome components fit the measurements of the actual provided drawings and the manual is riddled with mistakes that I and numerous others have referred back to TI so they could correct and last time I checked they are still that bad.  Yes, Jerry is a nice person and they do work hard but that does not make up for a poorly designed product.  YMMV.

[eastwd]

Thanks for sharing your experiences with several dome manufacturers. I’m sorry to hear about all the problems you experienced with NexDome. Hopefully, your TI Home Dome will continue to satisfy you. On other CN threads, I’ve described my disappointments with a 15 foot Home Dome I owned for about five years, so I won’t reiterate those here. In keeping with the desire you expressed in your original post to provide useful information to folks who are considering a domed observatory, I’ll share that if I had it to do over again, I would have saved myself a lot of trouble by building an Ash Dome the first time around. While its higher costs would have required me to delay building it for a while to gather additional funds, it would have been the most satisfying and cost effective approach in the long run. My Ash Dome works perfectly every time.

I hope your experience with your current TI dome is great. Good luck to you, and clear skies!

Larry

[kathyastro]

Exploradome:

I don’t have much to say about these people. They show one price on their website, but a different price when you go to check out. I emailed them twice asking about it and they never bothered to return my email. I can’t say if their domes are quality or not, but their pre-sales customer support made me stay away from them.

I bought an Exploradome about 10 years ago.  My experience is that their hardware is bullet-proof.  You could probably balance a tank on top of the dome.

 

However, the plastic castings (dome and roof panels) are not high-precision.  My dome was not round: the dome skirt is about 8.5 feet in diameter, but it was shipped in a container that was less than 8' internal width, so it was squished out of round.  I had had to use brute force to try to circularize it.  The roof panels for the 10x10 building have corners that are closer to 85 degrees rather than 90 degrees.  The fit isn't good, and, if I was doing it all over again, I would build my own roof.

 

Their automation hardware is excellent, and I am still using much of it.  The automation software and electronics they sold me were a poor choice, and they have since changed vendors.  I hear that the new kit is better.  I ended up making my own controller, using their hardware.

 

Their customer support is ... well, to be charitable, they try.  But they are farmers, not astronomers or techies.  (Their main product is shelters for calves.)  They were quick to make good on hardware shortages or omissions, but it was not good that they had to.  Their manuals were out of date, due in part to their continuous tinkering.  When I was setting up my system, I found documentation on three different shutter pulleys, but none of them were for the ones in my kit.  I had to improvise, based on what looked like it would fit.

[MJB87]

I echo what kathyastro reports above with regard to ExploraDome.  Once installed, it has worked well. Installation was a pain. There was a complete absence of useful documentation and I had to figure it out from first principles. The bracket that holds the dome rotation motor was not configured properly. To their credit, they send one that had been altered to fit within a couple of days.  I don't really like the shutter communication system and would much rather use Bluetooth or WiFi. But after much trial and error I got it to work and it has worked since for three years now.

 

In my case, coming from three generations of roofers, I was comfortable having my own roof installed rather than using ExploraDome's roof panels.

[pgandy]

Echoing my own experience, and what some others on here have said before, I would wait until all pre-fab dome/wall assemblies arrive before building supporting or adjoining structures to save time and avoid adjustments later.

 

Paul

[BKMaynard]

I don't think there is a product out there that someone hasn't had a nightmare experience. I've even seen a thread or two for Astrophysics which is about as close to perfection as you'll get. It is very unfortunate that anyone has to go through so much trouble to resolve issues. My Nexdome is 3yrs old. They have answered all my questions, they've given assistance when I upgraded the circuit boards and replaced the rotation motor - free, including shipping.

I don't know why some folks get the opposite treatment. I'm not pointing a finger or suggesting anything but our approach to any vendor when there is a problem -unfortunately - is critical.  

[MJB87]

Agree that how one approaches a vendor is critical.

 

But that is no use for shipping a product that requires complex assembly and electrical hookups without ANY documentation on how that assembly and how the connections should work.  Zero. Nada. Thank goodness I could turn to the good folks on CN for assistance in this case.

[peculiar_polar_ring]

This is why I wanted to post this, I'm one data point, and other people have different experiences. It's good to collect them all together, so it's easier to evaluate.

 

I am curious though, for those of you who had good experiences with nexdome, when did you get yours? If you check out posts on nexdome's website, they were all mostly positive up until a few years ago. Wondering if there's a trend here, or if it's just that people who are mad are more motivated to post.

[jfaldo]

My 3 year old Nexdome is destined for the scrap heap in the near future. I'm just tired of trying to make it work properly. Curious how anyone can get support from them  these days with only one way to contact them that's almost impossible to get a reply.

[Genoafire]

My PD-10 was purchased new 2 1/2 years ago.  I went with four wall rings and the split door option to be able to fairly easily enter the observatory through the door without having to open the shutter.  I also purchased the DDW full automation package.  For the last two years it has worked perfectly, both for daytime solar imaging and fully automated from startup to shut down for deep sky imaging using Starkeeper Voyager.  I control everything from inside the house using windows remote desktop, only going out to the backyard observatory to remove the lens cap.  

Every phone call I have made to either Jerry or Jeremy at Technical innovations has been answered immediately and professionally.  I have found the cost of spare parts from them to be reasonable and they are always willing to discuss any operational concerns along with a solution. I always keep extra parts on hand for all mechanical devices as moving mechanical stuff does eventually wear out.

 

The above being said, the PD 10 is definitely a “tinkerers” dome when you initially purchase it.  From what I have read on the various forums pretty much any dome in that price range is also a tinkerers dome at the beginning.  But if you take the time and have the patience to make small adjustments and find the appropriate software to control the dome, in my case it being Ascom device hub versus digital dome works, you will eventually have a Technical Innovations dome that works flawlessly.  The nice thing with the PD-10 is parts are easily replaced and it is basically a very simple motorized device, that does require precise adjustment in the beginning to find the sweet spot of smooth reliable operation.  But once you make the minor tweaks and adjustments it definitely performs as designed.  My dome is completely watertight, after I used silicone sealant inside every single bolt hole, wall ring, base ring and dome seam.  I am very satisfied with my  purchase of the PD-10 and would not hesitate to purchase again from Technical Innovations.  
All the best,

Bob

Edited by Genoafire, 17 August 2024 - 11:52 AM.

[Blackhawk163]

While I didn’t buy any of my two (since sold one off) Exploradome’s new, I found Dustin being extremely helpful on the phone and knowledgeable. Not sure if he’s since gotten help, but when I called it was a one person show over there.

[Katz]

My 8' Exploradome continues to be painful. If not for Terry White and Kathy I would have given up 2 years ago.  I emailed and called for a new shutter assy because mine is warped and I want to BUY a new set of shutters. No response. They don't even answer the phone.

 

I do not recommend ED unless you have serious help. See my thread on the "Black Cat Observatory". And all of the pain isn't even in that thread. And be prepared to WAIT, as long as 2 years, for anything resembling a full dome kit to be shipped if you order it..

 

BTW, Midwest Motion gearmotors supplied with the dome are NOT intended for outdoor -25 to +105° temps. They stated that when their grease in the planetary set broke down and I reached out to them about a new motor for dome rotation - $697.