Cost for a modest Home Observatory

Hello all,

I've started looking into building a Home Observatory for imaging purposes.

I'm not in a tax bracket that allows me to do everything all at once "top of the line", so...

Is there a logical way to incrementally add pieces over time, or is it better to save and do it all at once?

What do you wish you'd known prior to building your own?

How much over budget did you go?

What is your experience with the Exploradome brand?

Thanks,
Dave Cox

Hi Dave,
I have an Exploradome but haven't got it mounted yet. It looks pretty good. Please keep in mind just the dome and hardware cost me about $1977.00. I was lucky as most of that cost was in trade for scopes I parted with.

If you're on a tight budget and can work with basic tools, several styles of roll-off sheds can be done pretty reasonably. Five years ago I built a 6x12 foot garden shed for about $300. The concrete was already there.

One idea I had was a shed on wheels with a big door. You place your pier in concrete. The shed is built around it and protects the scope. At sunset you just open the door pull up two pins and roll the little shed away from the pier. It can sit ten feet away or be kept close. To cut down on electrical costs, just get a heavy duty extension cord and put a laptop on a little folding shelf.

The lower the budget you need to stay within, the more you have to consider pure functionality.

That's my two cents!
Clear Skies!
Steve
8)

I built my observatory for about $500. But I already had the foam I used on the dome. And I did all the work including mixing the concrete,setting the block, and fabricating the pier. My only regret is using stucco instead of just spending a little more and fibreglassing it.

Go check this out.

http://alexastro.com/Alex%20Home%20Page/Equipment/outhouse/outhouseindex.html

It is a pier sunk in the ground, with a G11 and a C9.25 on top.

Since the website write up, I have added a storage area on the side that opens up as a table where I can set my laptop. There are wires under the ground that go over to the storage area to connect the scope to the laptop. I can be obsering in about five minutes.

Alex

Everyone,

Thanks for the great information. I really have to keep reminding myself to ask questions on these forums.
I have a tendancy to re-invent the wheel instead of learning from others.

I think that good sequence for a prolonged observation build is:

1. Put in a pier and power with a bag over it(after setting up my equipment as a test for locations)
2. Build a deck around it (plus temporary shelter)
3. Get a 8' round ED
4. Interior build out (computer, chair, network, cable, mini bar...)
5. Dome rotation automation
6. Shutter automation / cloud sensor / planning/automation software

Am I missing anything obvious? I know each of the steps has multiple planning stages, but as an overview what have I forgotten?

Thanks again,
Dave Cox

Kind of a late Post to this topic....BUT I'll post anyway...

I have one of the original dozen 9or so Exploradome ever shipped and I build a 10x10 foot building, elevated it 7 foot off the ground to be able to see Polaris ...oh well...this allowed me to eliminate the doorway as I enter by climbing up as ladder and entering thru a 2x2 foot trap door in the floor... Heck of a lot easier then bending my old 66 years old body down and crawling thru a low door in the walls...

Cost of all the Lumber to build the building delivered was about $900.00 and that included the 6x6 posts and I also used 2x12 joists for the floor supports and spaced them 12 inches on center... so I have a good extra 100-150 in lumber then I would have needed if I went with standard building materials and did not elevate the observatory...


I'm a strong supporter of the 10x10 building.. I have a dehumidifier in one corner, a microwave in another corner and a desk in one corner and shelving all around and have absolutely nothing on the floor under the dome itself..so walking around is not a problem ... I have plenty of room inside... I DO NOT image...and do not need a super rock solid mount so I built a 4x4 foot deck 5 foot tall under my observatory (lumber included in the 900 buck figure I quoted above) and mounted a Portable pier on the small deck isolated from the buiding itself... This was "supposed" to be a Temporary solution but now after almost 4 year of use I no longer plan on replacing this set up as it more then meets my needs...(and wants)

Anyway since my Ed was a very early one I will not comment on
what I stole the ED itself for because of the special low introductory pricing ....lest just say I have more in the lumber then I do in the ED parts ...

Mine has been a joy to own...never even had the slightest problem ...no leaks no rotation issues, nothing...

Bob G

David Cox said:

Hello all,

I've started looking into building a Home Observatory for imaging purposes.

I'm not in a tax bracket that allows me to do everything all at once "top of the line", so...

Is there a logical way to incrementally add pieces over time, or is it better to save and do it all at once?

What do you wish you'd known prior to building your own?

How much over budget did you go?

What is your experience with the Exploradome brand?

Thanks,
Dave Cox

I have built FOUR bad observatories. The worst observatory is better than the best open air site.

The first observatory was 8X8 with plywood screwed to 2X4's. The end pieces situated such that they bolted together. Roof was a simple take off roof. Floor was pressure treated wood.

Total cost was $200. It is even cheaper today since wood prices have gone down significantly since I bought it.

For imaging....if you can do it remotely so would not need anything fancier.