Roll off shed

[scorpius]

Hi Ray and folks: Activity has been very low since I left ASWA in June, what with the weather, health and home issues. However, with all the lovely gear I have accumulated I have decided to put a roll off shed outside my room with cabling** into the house to my computer, which incidently crashed when a hard drive developed the click of death and I lost all my photos :( Still I can take them again and probably a lot better :)

Roll off shed you say? I have a colorbond fence out front this will form part of the shed wall. I have laid the slabs and the shed is on order. This will be modified so one panel will be removed, and wheels fitted so the shed can be "winched" back and forth to expose the 10" on the EQ6. Which will be very accurately aligned and set up. Hopefully as funds permit, I will "plant" a steel mount in place of the central slab to replace the tripod. (I think an old "Hills Hoist" post may be good for this from a scrap yard)

The shed will be moved using a geared stepper motor drive. ( I have several "big" stepper motors and gearboxes)

** I have already made and tested a complete remote cabling system which controls the EQ6, focuser and cameras. which worked very well with my Compaq HP laptop. I will also have a radiocam mounted so I can physically see what the scope is doing, this will be displayed on a small 7" portable monitor.


Watch this space for further info and photos and eventually results
The shed is on order and should have it in a couple of weeks. I have to add a couple more half slabs and the track for the wheels

Cheers Dave:biggrin:

[GS-Rob]

Cool Dave
Let us know the progress report
I'm building at the moment and as soon as access to the site is allowed
A "ROR" obs is going in albeit a small 1 to suit the Vixen "GPDX" with an ed80 on board :tongue:

[rmcpb]

Why are you using a stepper motor to move the shed? Is it because you already have one? Any motor should be able to move the shed as it is not a precise operation.

[scorpius]

Why are you using a stepper motor to move the shed? Is it because you already have one? Any motor should be able to move the shed as it is not a precise operation.
I have several stepper motors and gearboxes which have incredible torque. I also have a hand controller I made for a different project which was abandoned. So its a case of an off the shelf set-up which whilst being overkill will do the job. and its all 12v which is ideal for outdoor work.

[Radar]

That looks like an awesome project Dave. What are the dimensions of the shed going to be?

Ray

[scorpius]

Hi Ray. Gonna be a 2 metre cube. My son Mark just bought himself a small MIG welder, so that will come in handy for any "ironwork".. Just got to learn how to weld now :)

Cya Dave
Time fer bed its 0130 been watching the Paragames opening, quite specky..

[scorpius]

The roll off Astro shed has materialised and here are the photos. As they show, the fence will form the fixed end of the shed ( I now have a spare wall :) I have braced the open end and added a short section at the top to strengthen and also fill the gap between the shed and the fence as the shed is a tad higher.

The FOV is pretty good looking over the shed is the house (SE) and over the fence (NW the street and a dirty great street light) But mostly I will be concentrating on the vertical aspect of the sky as my horizons are littered with light pollution. I have a small section of material spare which I can also make a "screen" mounted on brackets that I can hook on top of the fence to reduce light intrusion from the street light.

I have made up the harness for remote control of the EQ6/Camera/Focuser etc and that all works fine, did that about a year ago to use a laptop in the field. now I can use the laptop in my room using extension cable (lo loss USB and phone cable) Or... I can sit in the shed on a decent night with the laptop. Since the photos were taken I have also run a power point in a weather proof box to be mounted in front of the fence on a post.

All I need now is some clear skies to align and test the system out. Perth forecast is cloudy and rain for the next week. Grrr why me !!

:crazy::crazy:

Photos: Shed closed Shed open
wheels are 3" tyred wheels with roller bearings from Bunnings $2.65 ea
I have not done anything to motorise it as it rolls quite freely on the wheels, may need to just add some guides on the slabs.

[hpcoolahan]

Looks simple and efective there Dave, well done.:woot:
Is there any way of securing it down if you get a good storm with strong winds??
Id hate to see it take off on you!!:crazy:

Cheers
Patrick

Keep these updates coming.

[Radar]

Very nice Dave. Are you going to use a pier at some stage? Either way, that shed will make life nice and simple.

Ray

[centroid]

That's an interesting concept there Dave, and they do work well, as quite a few guys here in UK, use the same principle.

As Patrick says, needs securing down though, as even your 'Freemantle Doctor' can blow a bit a times:smile:

BTW, just had a look at your website, and found it a very interesting read.

Surprising how many radio amateurs are also amateur astronomers. I was licensed as a G3X in 1968.

Oh yes, I live not very far away from HMS Ganges, which is still there, along with mast. Its future is still very much undecided, but for quite a few years, the Police used as a training establishment.

Both my father and his younger brother started their RN life at Ganges.

Dave

[scorpius]

As Patrick says, needs securing down though, as even your 'Freemantle Doctor' can blow a bit a times:smile:

BTW, just had a look at your website, and found it a very interesting read.

Oh yes, I live not very far away from HMS Ganges, which is still there, along with mast. Its future is still very much undecided, but for quite a few years, the Police used as a training establishment.
Dave

The Fremantle Doctor blows from the SW and so the shed is protected by the fence when close up. however I do have security plans (both physical and electronic) to secure the shed, more so to prevent cockroaches from rolling it off and rocking off with the contents.

I have considered a pier, cost is mainly the factor, a lump of steel pipe is not cheap. I tested it out last night and almost aligned right I used an illuminated reticle plossle on Jupiter and a small drift over 10 minutes which I will address. The control cables and mains power will be completed this week.

I recently had a "look" at Ganges at Google Maps and the area is hard to recognise after 58 years of re-development. But as you say the mast is there and the outlines of where the dormitories used to be can be seen.

I still shudder at the thought of early morning "mast and boats" !!!! Over the half moon and down to the river to row a whaler or cutter in the freezing cold, showers, breakfast, parade then school....all before 0900! Today's youngsters would never survive the routine. It was brutality and abuse at its worst. But it did produce some very fit and capable personnel.

[centroid]

Dave, have you not considered a brick or concrete pier?.

I've seen pictures of concrete piers being cast in plastic pipe, scrap air-con ducting, and even cardboard like tube (called sonotube, or something like that).

I'll be seeing the WA cockroaches for myself on Saturday :smile:, as we arrive in Perth for a five week stay with our daughter. She tells me that the 'mozzies' are biting really well at the moment:frown:

My dad, who finished up as a 'CPO GI' (Gate & Gaters :smile:), joined Ganges in 1922 age 14, and served 22 years, being based at Chatham. I heard the stories of the brutality 'dished out' by the instructors at Ganges. Dad had his ribs broken after being hit with a yard broom, by one of them.

Dave

[scorpius]

Hmmm Had not thought of concrete.... May give that a go.
I have sent you a PM Dave with my location etc.

Don't know about mossies, blinking cloud is back and rain for next few days.