I motorised my Observatory roof!!
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- Опубліковано 30 вер 2024
- Finally was able to motorise my observatory roof after watching the videos from Glenn (Astrobloke) and Joe (Joe's Astrophoto) who recently motorised their roofs using sliding gate motors (see links below).
Channel links:
Astrobloke: / @astrobloke
Joe's Astrophoto: / @joesastrophoto
Sliding Gate kit: www.richmondnz...
Instagram: / logans_astrophotography
#astrophotography
#observatory - Наука та технологія
MEOW!! better hide the button so that cat doesn't wear it out.
Too late, she hid it from me 🤣 🐈
Hey Logan! - that's a lovely neat install mate, very impressive! :) Even the cat can't resist the allure of the button! haha :D
Thanks Luke. Yep, she’s a sneaky 😺 🤣
Box in the the moter from inside the dry room
@@alangriffiths1432 I was actually going to but I need access to the keyhole to release the motor from engaging if I need to move the roof manually.
Your design and build is very clean and well finished. Nice rool off roof observatory
Thanks Jesus. Still need to electrician to come over and wire up a couple of powerpoints for the motor but otherwise it works like a dream.
That’s a great install Logan! I wish I had room to build one! But then being a builder, I’d probably build it with a built in coffee machine and a bedroom! Not over the top at all😀😀
Sounds like you have the perfect design in mind already 😂. (Now where can I install a coffee machine in mine 🤔).
Hi Logan - kia ora - greetings from Diamond Harbour, Banks Peninsula. Great video - very inspirational. Please can you advise whether you went for the 800kg or 1200kg Richmond Gate Kit. I would like to know if you have added plenty of capacity of increased drag. Thank you. By the way are you aware that there is a Safety Recall Notice on the 1200kg Kit? Take good care. Charlie
Thanks Charlie and nice to hear from another Kiwi. The Richmond gate motor I got was the GTR064 MKII which I don't think they sell anymore (couldn't find it on their website and the link in my description now doesn't go to the item anymore). The manual says it is for gates up to 1000kg. The person who built the roof said it was about 250kg weight total so I assumed a 1000kg gate rated motor would be plenty. It doesn't seem to have any problem opening and closing the roof and, in fact, I would prefer it to go a bit slower but there is no speed adjustment on mine. Once it has opened and closed once, it will remember roughly where the ends are for opening and closing and so it will slow down before it reaches fully opened and closed. But if you turn off the power (or there is a power cut), the next time it runs, it forgets and will go full speed until it reaches the magnetic cut off so expect a bit of a clunk as it reaches fully open or fully closed the first time and then it will re-learn.
Cheers
Logan
Thanks for your reply Logan. It is always good to have a little (power) available in reserve. An observatory is all part of the retirement plan things to do. This has been deferred and put on hold due to our plan to relocate from Diamond Harbour and downsize to Kaikoura. The flat market has messed things up - but it will happen. Kind regards, Charlie
I also added 2 magnetic reed switch, 1 on each axis in series so that when I park my mount it triggers a momentary relay timer that closes the roof automatically. SGP parks the mount (mine is sideways) after a session and the roof closes on its own.
Great idea. I have another video showing how the roof is now connected to and controlled by NINA so the open and close roof routines are part of the programmed sequence. So effectively works very similar to your setup. Now what I need is a cloud remover :)
Hahaha so cool Logan!! I love it and thanks for the shout out as well, I'm glad I was able to give you some ideas!
Definitely wouldn’t have happened if I hadn’t seen your vid and Glenn’s vid.
Very nice Logan and thank you for the mention. Thats a nice neat install. I still open and close mine even when cloudy. If anyone asks its for testing purposes
🤣🤣
lol
Nice work there ! may i ask what's that hexagonal pattern on the roof ?
Thanks. It’s basically a chicken wire mesh to help hold the building paper in place.
@@LogansAstro aha, thought that might be it. Got an observatory myself for 2 years now, love it, but can't help kicking myself why i didn't make it for 2 scopes.
@@Miguel_Noppe I’ve been kicking myself over the same thought
Nice! I'm just a bit jealous... was planning a new telescope purchase next year.. maybe I should get the Obs built instead. Don't wear out that button!
Having an Obs has made a big difference to my imaging time. Previously on nights I would normally not even consider setting up my scope etc before having the Obs, now, even if the skies clear for just an hour, I can whip out and start imaging within minutes then close up the roof once the clouds come over.
Awesome setup. I wish I could do the same. Have to settle for my bank pier !
Thanks, the observatory certainly has made a difference to the amount of imaging I can do.
Nice job. You don't have to point the remote to use it. I love watching people point their car remote controls while locking their cars.
Ususally not but several months ago one of the neighbours must have gotten something new that they have on during the day which blocks all signal from remotes so to open the car i have to point the remote right at the drivers window to open the car and sometimes it'll take 10 to 15 pushes to get it to work. Very annoying. Fortunately the thing blocking the signal must be off at night so no problems opening and closing the observatory roof :)
That is so awesome. The next step is to tie it into your imaging software so it can shut everything down and close the roof while you sleep.
Yes that’s the hope. Joe is working on an arduino solution to tie in with NINA.
That's looking pretty sweet Logan.
Thanks Ollie. It actually turned out to be more straight forward than I had anticipated. However, because I motorised it.......clouds, rain, clouds, rain, lightening.......
Hell Logan, really nice obs. Hope you don’t mind me asking what the internal dimensions and height of walls are.
Thanks Krish. The walls are 1.85m high and the internal dimensions of the the warm room part are 1.1m x 2.7m and the telescope room part is 2.6m x 2.7m
@@LogansAstro Sorry Logan, didn’t realise I missed the o in hello of my last message. Thanks for the information.
@@krishnaidoo1210 lol, I just thought you were super impressed with the obs 🤣
Thats really cool :)
It was surprisingly easy to do.
Cool roof!
Thanks