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Project

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Building a small observatory

1. Site


These are the steps that I am taking for my next project to build from a garden shed a small amateur astronomical observatory, the located near Manilva town, in an area known as the "Duquesa Hills".

It will be in an urban observatory opposite a golf course, with some light pollution limitations from nearby town and lights in the neighbourhood. The idea is to have a shelter that isolates me from some light pollution mainly from  a nearby street lamps and two neighbours at each side of my house. For astrophotograhy, I will place a fixed base (pier) that will house the Takahashi CCA250 telescope. Having the observatory will allow me to spend more time imaging than if I had to setup each time without it in the garden. 

I have the good fortune to live opposite a  golf course, with the garden facing it (no nearby buildings from the North up to the South).  My garden sky has a 360 degrees view at 60 degree altitude, just a tree nearby  towards the East and with very few obstacles.
After much thinking and searching the net about the shed size, material and weight,  I eventually decide to go a prefabricated shed, whereby the shelter's roof would be modified to slid open converting it to a roll-off roof.

2. The Shed


My original idea was to assemble and modify a prefabricated a wooded garden shed,Taking into account the available surface, and a certain degree of security I decided on a metal shed and in particular the  MALMÖ by Wolder. The surface area cover is 5,29 m2  with a wall thickness of 0.25mm is light enough to modify it. It dimensions are 1.87 H x  2.57  W x 2.06  L, The shed reference  is 16766050.

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The structure will be modified mainly on the roof, the concept is to cut the roof length equal to the floor size,to be able for the roof to slid (open/close) I will build a railing at roof high which will be supported by a wood beam (shown here as a red vertical line).



​3. Calculating the Distances


Having the real measures of the shed, a first approximation to the design is taking into consideration the height of the walls without the roof  to be at least 1,60m,  At this point I see light from the street lamp so a bit higher is ideal. I will build the Pier with the mount  to be higher then the 1.6m, the angle of the telescope at position 3 parked will overcome  the shed roof . 









4. Delivery of the Shed 

 Delivery of the Shed 


















































 
 5. Building The Based

The first step is to construct the pier based,  in my case I did a hole of 2 feet deep and 1 foot square. I used cement with stones to make the structure solid. 

Secondly we constructed a wooden platform to place the Shed on top.

 
​ 6. Building the Shed















































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