Great job. I just built mine very similar too using your method. We have no frost line here in Florida, but using a spade, I dug down about 15 inches square. The spade kept the soil on the sides undisturbed so it would act like a strong form. I made a form above ground three inches high, added tied rebar and filled the whole thing with concrete. The rebar extended 30 inches up from the ground. I let that set for a week then placed the 10 inch Sonotube on top of that. For the steel plate, I used 12 inch long carriage bolts. That should hole my AM5 really good!
Been loving this series! Please continue it with finishing the inside and stuff as well! I feel like that is always missing from these builds on UA-cam
Nice work on the J bolts and adaptor plate. Normally running the ethernet cable in the same conduit as power is a no, no but I suppose it is only a short distance.
Nice job on the build. FYI, If you vibrated the concrete during the pour it would’ve minimized the air pockets but using it indoors should never be a problem.
I've got the same tube for my build, can you tell me how many bags I need to get to fill the tube?. I like the way you put in the all thread, good idea!
I have an identical concrete pier arrangement. Just FYI - due to the underlying ground swelling and shrinking due to water content, the concrete pier may tilt very slightly at times. To be safe, I do a very quick polar alignment using my ASIair Pro prior to each observing session. It is almost never off by more than an arc minute or two, but I always try for 20 seconds or less in polar alignment error to improve my guiding. Your pier may be less susceptible to ground movement than mine. Good luck.
Actually used an electric sander to vibrate the outside of the tube, also the rebar is anchored 3 inches into the concrete, iv only re polar aligned mabye 4 times since the build, very happy with it
Hi! Awesome to talk to someone from Australia. I was originally going to use concrete anchors to thread the rod into but instead tested one in a hole drilled about a 1mm smaller than the rod, then grinded a small bit of the thread off the rod and hammers it into the concrete, it trie to pull it too with all my strengths lol and it wasn’t budging so I did all for rods the same way and they weren’t going anywhere. Thanks and clear skies mate from the top side of the world lol!
@@AstroPilotchannel Thanks mate much appreciated. Every other pier build, they dig a hole and cement into the ground however I already have a ready-made room that I'm going to convert. Has a cement floor, your solution is exactly what I need. Thanks again. 👊
I’d say so, can’t go wrong with concrete, it’s way cheaper than any steel pier that you can buy, iv heard some bad things about possible vibrations in steel piers too.
@@AstroPilotchannel Well, in professional hosting facilities they use steel piers. Only 1-2 counterweights of my system are heavier than entire your system. No vibration is seen at FL>4000mm. But these piers are more expensive; you’re right.
For your underground network/power conduit, stuff both ends with steel wool. This will keep Mice from crawling into the conduit and causing havoc. Typically they get to the first elbow, get stuck, and croak. This is not a good thing. We had this happen in a 2" PVC conduit required by building code to vent a gas line to a kitchen island.
Great job. I just built mine very similar too using your method. We have no frost line here in Florida, but using a spade, I dug down about 15 inches square. The spade kept the soil on the sides undisturbed so it would act like a strong form. I made a form above ground three inches high, added tied rebar and filled the whole thing with concrete. The rebar extended 30 inches up from the ground. I let that set for a week then placed the 10 inch Sonotube on top of that. For the steel plate, I used 12 inch long carriage bolts. That should hole my AM5 really good!
So, using a coffee can to pour the cement, not bad! You've given me some ideas, thank you!
Been loving this series! Please continue it with finishing the inside and stuff as well! I feel like that is always missing from these builds on UA-cam
Nice work on the J bolts and adaptor plate. Normally running the ethernet cable in the same conduit as power is a no, no but I suppose it is only a short distance.
Nice work Trevor, looking really smart mate.
Great job cowboy, very nice. It’s good to have a solid base, you will notice a big difference in your imaging 👍
Nice job on the build. FYI, If you vibrated the concrete during the pour it would’ve minimized the air pockets but using it indoors should never be a problem.
I've got the same tube for my build, can you tell me how many bags I need to get to fill the tube?. I like the way you put in the all thread, good idea!
I have an identical concrete pier arrangement. Just FYI - due to the underlying ground swelling and shrinking due to water content, the concrete pier may tilt very slightly at times. To be safe, I do a very quick polar alignment using my ASIair Pro prior to each observing session. It is almost never off by more than an arc minute or two, but I always try for 20 seconds or less in polar alignment error to improve my guiding. Your pier may be less susceptible to ground movement than mine. Good luck.
How did you vibrate the tube? How deep did you put the rods into the ground?
Actually used an electric sander to vibrate the outside of the tube, also the rebar is anchored 3 inches into the concrete, iv only re polar aligned mabye 4 times since the build, very happy with it
Or use the sports vibration gun athletes use. Get the big ball attachments and go low settings all around the pier to help pier concrete settle best
Hey mate, Stu from Australia. How did you initially lock your bolts in the concrete at the base.
Hi! Awesome to talk to someone from Australia. I was originally going to use concrete anchors to thread the rod into but instead tested one in a hole drilled about a 1mm smaller than the rod, then grinded a small bit of the thread off the rod and hammers it into the concrete, it trie to pull it too with all my strengths lol and it wasn’t budging so I did all for rods the same way and they weren’t going anywhere.
Thanks and clear skies mate from the top side of the world lol!
@@AstroPilotchannel Thanks mate much appreciated. Every other pier build, they dig a hole and cement into the ground however I already have a ready-made room that I'm going to convert. Has a cement floor, your solution is exactly what I need.
Thanks again. 👊
Nice work. That will help ensure some very sharp stars!
Do the high sides of your observatory limit you regarding how low you can view above the horizon?
Is concrete better than steel pier from Paramount, Parallax or Pier-Tech?
I’d say so, can’t go wrong with concrete, it’s way cheaper than any steel pier that you can buy, iv heard some bad things about possible vibrations in steel piers too.
@@AstroPilotchannel Well, in professional hosting facilities they use steel piers. Only 1-2 counterweights of my system are heavier than entire your system. No vibration is seen at FL>4000mm.
But these piers are more expensive; you’re right.
Hmm! I don't know why I thought the pier would go through the slab 2 or 3 feet into the ground! 😮
For your underground network/power conduit, stuff both ends with steel wool. This will keep Mice from crawling into the conduit and causing havoc. Typically they get to the first elbow, get stuck, and croak. This is not a good thing. We had this happen in a 2" PVC conduit required by building code to vent a gas line to a kitchen island.
Awesome