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Light Shield (Cheap)

Started by cbmeeks, 04/24/2003 01:27AM
Posted 04/24/2003 01:27AM Opening Post
Hello all. First time poster!

Anyway, I live in a somewhat light poluted area and my neighbor always leaves their backporch light on which is like a beacon flooding my whole backyard with light.

Anyway, I found this site:
http://www.darkskystuff.com/

I think their product is kinda cool but expensive. I mean, it looks like simple PVC pipe with canvas. We are thinking about getting one of those 10' x 8' metal stoage buildings that costs like $200. My idea was to build a couple of these light shields. I would basically keep my telescope in the storage building and when I wanted to observe, I would just pull it out and setup my light shields.

Anyone doing something similar to this? What I am really having trouble is finding the canvas material to use. I have guestimated that the PVC cost would be about $10 per panel. Lowes around here has some tarp material but when I hold it up to the store lights, I can see through it. I want something that blocks light. Any ideas? I even considered using cardboard and spray paint it with some type of weather-proofing stuff to keep the dew from destroying it.

Thanks for any help.

cb meeks
Posted 04/26/2003 10:02PM #1
Hi Guys, as for a cheap light and wind shield, I posted this item here quite a while ago. I put together a quick and easy setup that I built and showed it off to some of our Astronomy club members at a couple of our "star parties" and it was well received. Altho' I made it of pretty heavy (large) tubing, it was just some stuff I had laying around after building a "shed" for my car, so I think that smaller diameter tube could be used as well as PVC to make this enclosure, it works very well I think it is a simple and cheap way to go. I will post a couple of my photos, and you can see that it is pretty effective. As for a time with any wind, you can simply fill a couple of five gallon paint containers and place them at the four corners of the "shield" like a tent and that should hold in a light breeze.(if it were really windy, I'd wait for a calmer night)But this is really good for blocking light. It is about seven feet square and six feet high. of course you could make it any size to your needs. both previous mentioned sites have the same basic idea and they are good also.
I think I will have to upload the photos seperately. So have a look, good luck and clear dark skies.
Jim


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