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Last Updated
03/31/2019
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Detailed entries for one subject from the INDEX TO HOW TO DO IT INFORMATION. |
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OBSERVATORY xx ASTRONOMY xx TELESCOPE A mini-observatory for your backyard. A simple 2x4 frame covered with plywood is used to protect an outdoor mounting pier and equatorial mount. The telescope tube is kept indoors. Includes tips on building pier and pad. Tips on doing telescope observing from inside a house by placing the telescope in an open window. Build a backyard observatory. A simple shed features a roof that rolls off onto outriggers during observing. Wooden floor is raised above ground level, eliminating the need for pouring concrete. The telescope pier passes through the raised floor into a concrete footing. Building Owl observatory. Build a well-designed 10x10-ft. observatory with a roll-off roof. Est cost: $1,500. Part 1. Foundation. Building Owl observatory. Part 2. Floor and walls. Building Owl observatory. Part 3. Roof and finishing touches. What is that thing in your backyard? Five readers share observatory designs that don't bother their neighbors. Build a backyard observatory. Convert a two-car garage kit into a roll-top observatory for less than $12 per square foot. Gimme shelter. Innovative designs in commercially available portable observatories. Most of the six designs reviewed are similiar to tents. Details of an observatory built by John Wikswo and his son. Includes instructions on making and mounting a 16" reflecting telescope and the mechanism for rotating the observatory dome. Thin mylar film can be used to keep cold air out of observatories while not affecting the quality of the image being observed in any significant way. Tips on its use and sources of supply. Photos and text describe a sample of personal observatories. Notes on stargazing through Mylar. How to cover an observatory dome slit with Mylar and keep enough tension on the material to prevent distortion. Photos and descriptions of several personal observatories and the telescopes which they protect. More photos and descriptions of various Poncet platform telescope mounts, including a large platform designed to rotate and position an entire observatory hut. Photographs of a garage-top observatory complete with a rotating dome controlled by a microcomputer. Rotating dome observatory is built from wood and aerospace surplus parts. Photographs illustrate the construction of a 10-ft. diameter fiberglass observatory dome. How good is your observing site? Several simple tests you can perform to check weather, transparency, sky brightness, etc. A mobile observatory. Description of converting a used golf cart into a mobile, yet stable, platform for an 8" telescope. Design for an observatory roof which dumps snow outside when the viewing window is cranked open. A portable observatory, big enough to house an 8" Schmidt-Cassegrain and one person, can be assembled in 10 minutes. Octagonal structure is built of thin plywood, weighs 125 pounds, and collapses into a stack of folded panels measuring only 24"x48"x14". A garage-roof observatory. Cut an 8x8-ft. opening in the roof of a garage and use the attic as an observatory. Two removable hatches seal the opening when not in use. Novel arrangement of nine plastic hoops made from PVC pipe and a cloth parachute are used to fabricate a portable observatory 10-ft. in diameter. Double-shutter dome (9-ft. diameter) is made of wood and rests on 150 golf balls that roll within a smooth wooden track. An observatory built for good seeing. Tips on building a backyard observatory which retains the advantages of an open-air observatory. A merry-go-round observatory. The entire floor of this 8x8-ft. backyard observatory turns by means of a gear-and-chain drive assembly. The floor is supported on a central pillar and four industrial casters. Photos show a small observatory with a corrugated-plastic roof that pivots off to one side. Observatory for a 6" refractor is shaped like a small A-frame or "pup tent". The building splits near the peak and each half rolls aside on six casters. Tips on keeping everything inside an observatory at the same temperature as the outdoor air. Log-cabin style observatory features a roll-off roof. A heated observatory on wheels. Overview of the design and construction of a climate-controlled, turret-style observatory that is fitted with an external reflector telescope and a fixed interior eyepiece at eye level. The turret holds two observers who revolve along with the telescope. This mobile structure is transported on a separate 2-wheel trailer and sits level on the ground by means of three adjustable pads (feet). A roll-down-roof observatory. Instead of the entire roof rolling backward off this small building, each side of the peaked (gabled) roof is rolled down to ground level, resulting in an A-frame shape. Elevated observatory on stilts. Limited design and construction information for this all-wood structure that is 13-ft. above ground to rise above the trees. Geodesic domes for amateur observatories. Tips on using solar power to operate a small observatory. Two 6-volt batteries are charged by solar panels and used to operate a rotating dome, CCD-equipped 12" telescope, dewcap, laptop computer, and lights. A do-it-yourselfer's primer for digital deep-sky imaging. Tips on building and using a CCD camera. Also includes tips on building a simple backyard observatory with a slide-off roof. A garage-rooftop observatory. Four flat doors allow a center section of the peak roof covering a garage to be completely opened. An amateur robotic observatory. Description of a remotely-controlled 8" Schmidt-Cassegrain telescope equipped with a CCD camera that is housed in a secure enclosure. The control signals and observing data are communicated via modem to an observer 35 miles away. A do-it-yourself dome observatory. Tips on constructing a professional-looking telescope housing at modest cost. An unusual bicylinder-shaped observatory that's relatively inexpensive and simple to build. A roundup of personal observatories. Several different approaches illustrated. Includes a list of observatory mistakes to avoid. Doghouse detail. Advice on designing and constructing a simple shed with a roll-off roof as an observatory. A solar-powered observatory. Using batteries charged via solar panels to supply electrical power for telescopes, computers, etc. A compact back-garden observatory. A kite-shaped structure built from 3 sheets of plywood, 2"x2" stock and ordinary hardware. It sits on a concrete slab with an area of about 15 square feet. Tularcitos observatory. Photos and text describe a conventional dome-top observatory built by Bob webb. Features a 54" wide slot, isolated pier, insulated walls, etc. The observatory is located near Carmel, California. How to build permanent piers for backyard observatories. Build your own telescope house. Use an ordinary prefinshed steel storage shed as an observatory and place to store a large (8") portable reflector. A concrete foundation, with bolts to anchor the building and telescope, and making the roof removable, are all that's required. Est. cost: $200-$300. A three weekend observatory. A 10-ft. square building, with a sloping (shed-style) roof. The walls are 3/4" plywood nailed to a 2x4 frame. The roof is corrugated aluminum roofing attached to a wooden framework. The roof rolls back off the building when the telescope is in use. Includes tips on building the pier. Scuppernong observatory. Homebuilt unit is 14-feet in diameter, with an aluminum dome set on an octagonal shaped wooden building. Uses conventional wood framing for walls and floor. The dome rotates and a convetional style slit opens for viewing. A ready made building for a backyard observatory. How to modify a Montgomery-Ward 10x10-ft. steel storage building for use as an observatory. Design shown uses a roll-off roof supported by an angle-iron framework. Mockingbird Hill Observatory. By Earl F. Dodds. A wooden shed uses "Stockade Cedar" fencing to cover the walls. Features pole style construction and a roll-off roof. Overall dimensions are 8-ft. wide by 18-ft. long, including the building and framework to support the roll-off roof. Complete instructions for building your own. An observatory for deep-sky astrophotography. Looks like a small barn, appropriate for the neighborhood. The entire barn roof opens up at the peak, and the entire barn can rotate 360-degrees on its motor driven foundation. Article includes tips on modifying a 10" and 4" reflector for use in deep-sky photography. Tip: Simple observatory is made by cutting a hole in the roof of a storage shed and providing a cover hatch which may be opened for viewing. Rectangular cloth curtains, supported by plastic pipes inserted into the ground, surround a telescope to shelter it from street lights. Estimated cost: $50. A rotating shed observatory. Simple square shed with a flat roof and a hatch, rotates on a circular metal track. Uses ball-bearings as wheels. Golden ridge observatory. A small shed (large box) encloses a small telescope permanently mounted on a pier. The pier is surrounded by a large wooden deck. The shed rolls back for viewing. Wooden screens keep wind and light away. A classic-style observatory and dome. The base is made of ordinary concrete blocks laid in a 10-ft. diameter circle. The dome is plywood over a wood frame, covered with fiberglass. Dome rotates on golf ball "bearings". Est. cost: $1000. How to build a garage-top observatory. Est. cost: $350. Rolling ridge observatory. Simple 2x4 and plywood shed features a roof which rolls off for viewing. Est. cost: $250. Constructing a club observatory. Photos and text describe the construction of a 13-ft. diameter building with a rotating dome roof. Tips on building observatory domes from wood and Masonite which will not leak. Design and construction tips for a traditional observatory dome built from fiberglass. Dome is 9-ft. in diameter and walls are 5-ft. high. Building a 12-ft. diameter prefab observatory which features a rotating dome, and can be assembled, disassembled and moved by only one person. Est. cost: Under $1000. Simple techniques for building a well-formed, structurally sound, leakproof spherical dome observatory. Construction of a 12" reflector with a run-off observatory is described. Building a geodesic observatory. Built using "Starplates", 2x4s, bolts and plywood. Each of the five triangular roof sections is hinged so it may be opened for observing. Est. cost: $200. Tracks and tracking systems for amateur domes. Flip-top roof observatory is constructed from a 3-meter square metal garden (storage) shed. A counterweighted roll-off roof observatory built mostly from wood. Construction of a 9-ft. diameter observatory with a rotating dome and a conventional-style shutter mechanism is described. Inexpensive observatory consists of a PVC plastic-pipe framework covered with a tarp. The entire framework is simply tipped over on its side to reveal the telescope. Rolling observatory. How a trailer can make observing more practical and more fun. Some tips. Home-made portable observatory. Ideal for protecting a portable telescope from wind while doing astrophotography. A frame of 2"x2" lumber is assembled using plastic corner fittings. The frame is then covered with a 16x20-ft. tarp. Est cost: $60. How NOT to build an observatory. Tips on mistakes to avoid when building a amateur observatory. Design your observatory for optimum seeing. The importance of building a structure that doesn't get hot and doesn't hold heat. Building a two-weekend observatory. Construction of a simple 8x8-ft. wood-framed observatory with a removable tarp covering the roof and fold-down gables. Est. cost: $200. Convenient cabinets help a crowded observatory. Storage cabinets extend through the outer wall of a backyard observatory. Constructing the W.J. Nichols Observatory. Description of constructing a 22x22-ft. one-story unit topped with a 16-ft. diameter rotating dome. Nightwatch observatory. 8x8-ft observatory is 1.5 stories tall and topped with a 2.5-meter dome. The first floor is insulated and equipped for storage and sleeping. The top floor is accessed via a pull-down stairway. Tip on using the round end from a large fiberglass tank as the dome for an observatory. Split roll-off-roof observatories. Advice on siting the observatory, architectural design, mechanics of the split roof, construction, etc. How to paint the outside of an observatory dome using an extension ladder supported by two ropes. Building a 14.5" f/6 yoke-mounted reflector for a hinged-roof observatory. Includes construction information for the 16" x 8-ft tube, yoke mounting, piers, and observatory. Tips on locating and building a simple observatory for a school telescope. | |||||||||
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