Astronomy, Photography and Weather

Looking forward to capturing and observing some of our great sights in the night sky, not wishing the light evenings away but it won’t be long before the sky is suitable for observing our wonderful stars, planets and nebulae at a reasonable time and not silly O’clock. In preparation I have desiged and constructed and pier for the Sky Watcher 150P for a more  rigid mount. All the fixings used are Grade 2 stainless steel so wont rust.

To the sky and beyond !!

(http://redditchweather.com/scope-pad-2.jpg)

(http://redditchweather.com/scope-pad-1.jpg)

That's pretty cool Anton!  A nice rigid mount is the way to go and really enhances viewing.  Hopefully we'll get some clear skies sooner rather than later...

That is quite the setup Anton. I don't think the breeze will be bothering you at all. Very smart with the nut/bolt leveling system. The sonotube concrete pier idea is exactly what I did with my first homemade 8" equatorial when I was about 16. 45 years later, I think the present homeowners still use the pier to hold a large flower pot, lol. I can't tell from the 2 photos, is there a concrete pad to stand on? It does wonders to keep your feet out of the damp grass, though it can be rough if you drop an eyepiece!! Thanks for sharing and good luck when the skies clesr.

Thats a sweet looking set-up, looks well up to the job-best of luck with it  :)

Yeah, that's the issue. Also you don't want the footway to be transmitting vibrations to the pier. IMO a wooden decking with a hole in the middle to clear the pier is better than concrete though you do need to be careful to avoid having vermin use the "shelter" so provided.

Thanks all, the next stage is to build a small shed with a roll off roof so will go with a wooden floor with a centre cut out for the pier avoiding any contact with the pier base. Agree regarding the vermin so will need to consider how to get a perfect seal around the pier but yet still avoiding any vibration.

Thanks

Although I doubt if the weight of one or two people walking on a structural concrete slab is going to transmit through to the concrete pier causing vibration, a structural concrete slab would be a much better support for a shed and roll-off roof. Leave a 1/2" gap between the slab and pier, place foam backer rod and a good construction caulking sealent and you're ready to go.

You'd be surprised ... don't forget a scope can be sensitive to disturbances of less than half an arc second.

There are other issues here. Frost heave is more of an issue with a large area of slab. Best foundations for a shed are trench founds running under the walls. A wooden floor supported by the walls is good but a free standing wooden floor is better. IMO when the floor is kept reasonably dry covering it with an old carpet is a good way of creating a dust & vermin proof seal with the pillar - the carpet will also help protect your eyepieces from damage when dropped.