Description:
20210909...Graded Area looking west. This is an image of the area graded for the new observatory building. Yes that is smoke in the background from the Windy fire in Southern California.
The marked area, in red paint, is 20'x20' and toward the south "left side" is the 4'x4'x4' siesmic slab that will support the pier and rise about 10' above ground.
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Description: Here is a drone image of the observatory site showing the location of the new 10' dome.
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20210914..Scott and Martin start the dig:
Scott and Martin start digging the seismic slab and footings for the 10' dome project.
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Description: 20210914: Friend Scott digs the footings and the seismic slab with his Backhoe.
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Description: 20210915: I setup the Taurus 400 mount in my living room. The little fence is the diameter of the dome. This allows getting a feel for things as they will be in the dome, and testing placement and design of objects. This setup will be moved to the back yard under my Bortle 8 skies for star testing once the CDK17 arrives.
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20210918, Building Polar Alignment:
A theodolite is setup and ready for darkness. I use this setup to align the concrete and cinder block structure to “True North”.
One corner stake is placed, the theodolite is leveled and the stake is centered on the downward looking theodolite crosshairs.
After dark the theodolite is set to Polaris in altitude and azimuth,
An offset calculation for the alt az position of “True North” relative to polaris is made, based on local Sidereal Time.
The Theodolite Alt and Az are adjusted to true north.
Once theodolite polar alignment is achieved the next morning “only altitude” is adjusted such that the other markers are in line.
These two corners form a polar alignment reference for the concrete work.
Other edges of the concrete forms will be aligned parallel and orthogonal to this polar alignment reference.
A distant reference marker is painted on the control shed building.
Forms will again be checked prior to the concrete pour.
All of this is to simplify the initial polar alignment of instruments.
Taurus 400 mount
Seeing monitor
Allsky camera
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Description:
20210920:
The data and power trenching, ~1`00', is started and will be cleaned up by hand prior to placing the (2) conduits. One conduit for power and another for data. This keeps EMI from the power line form interfering with the sensitive data lines.
The Form guide strings are in place using the polar alignment references established with a theodolite and polaris at night..
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Description: The Concrete forms are almost ready for the (2)truck pour. One last chance to confirm Polar Alignment of the building...
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The Big pour was completed Monday October 11, 2021. Two cement trucks delivered 14.5 yards of concrete to the awaiting forms. During the pour there were high winds with gusts to 35MPH. After the pour we covered the curing concrete with tarps. That evening there was a light snow fall and the skies cleared at about midnight. With the clear skies came colder temperatures down to 16deg. F or -9deg C.
The plan is to remove the forms Friday 10-15-2021. With the concrete slab foundation set things are now ready for the cinder block pier and cinder block walls. The wall and pier construction phase of the project will start next week.
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Description: November 3,2021: The laying of cinder block for the Pier-Tower is complete. The cement cap with j-bolts and a 1" thick aluminum plate will be added next. Construction of the walls will start next week.
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Title: CDK17 F/4.5 One shot color camera and autoguider
Description: Work on the CDK17 is progressing nicely. The pier is complete and the walls for the building are in progress. I have completed a visual back, a monochrome sub arc second Nyquist camera with 7 position filter wheel and auto guider, and a focal reduced one shot color camera 2arc second Nyquist that operates at F/4.5 using Planewave's 0.6 reducer and an in line autoguider.
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Title: Remote Controlled Shutter for Darks CDK17
Description:
Remote Controlled Shutter:
Rather than consuming a precious filter position for a dark frame shutter. I opted to make a remote controlled shutter that simply covers the central baffle of the CDK17.
I found an aluminum pot-lid with the correct light trap profile. Then machined the perimeter leaving a cupped light trap. Added a few simple mechanics, an Arduino Nano, a couple of limitswitches, a simple Arduino sketch and volia a remote controllable shutter...
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Title: 20211211: The dome is safely stored in a shed for the winter.
Description:
The dome delivery turned into a bit of an ordeal. It was scheduled to be delivered to the remote site. The driver decided he wouldn't deliver the dome because the trip up the mountain from highway 395 was too dangerous.
So, after Thanksgiving I made arrangements to pick it up 120 miles south where it was stored by the trucking company. For me the most difficult thing was arranging an offload at the site. Luckily some neighbors on the mountain were able to help. The dome is safely stored in a shed for the winter.
The ground is now frozen and construction has stopped for the next couple of months.
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Title: Construction activities at the site are on hold until the weather warms in a couple of months.
Description: With the snow fall and cold weather construction has come to a halt. The brick portion of the building is about 1/2 complete. Construction activities at the site are on hold until the weather warms in a couple of months.
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Title: Retractable Flat Panel
Description:
12/21/2021:
Although construction on-site has stopped till warmer weather. Work on the observatory project continues. I have completed the design for a retractable flat panel and fabrication of the deviee has started. At the heart is a 24"x36" Electro-luminescent panel. This image shows the panel hanging on the wall in front of the CDK17. When completed the panel will be hidden in a safety wall at the south west corner of the dome. A linear actuator will lift the panel into the parked line of site of the CDK17. Flat frames will ensue. When Flats are complete the panel will be retracted out the telescopes line of site. Yes at 24"x36" the panel is larger than the 17" Clear aperture of the telescope.
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Title: Warmer Weather Brings Progress
Description: With the warmer weather work has been ongoing for more than a month. The cinderblock construction is complete, the floor rafters and sub-floor are in, and the wall framing is complete.
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Title: 10' Dome work for week ending June 6, 2022
Description: Framing is complete and ready for Tyvec vapor wrapping and T111 siding. The wooden dome ring is in place and ready for the fiberglass skirt. Things are progressing nicely.
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Title: Work for week ending June 12, 2022
Description: Completed vapor wrap on framing and added a couple of additional studs to better support the T111 siding. Fitted the skirt, interface between framing and dome ring. Things are all set for the T111 siding and dome installation.
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Title: Construction work for week ending 20220619
Description:
20220619 Image V :
With 4 days on site construction progressed nicely. Things are now ready for the installation of the dome. The base ring for the dome is inplace atop the fiberglass skirt.
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Title: Fit check of the Taurus 400 mount prior to setting the dome ring position
Description: One last check of things prior to drilling the dome ring, included assembling the mount and assuring the cross axis are close to the center of the dome. The model set this positionabout 2.5" forward to allow safer ladder access. After all of the construction it is within the model tolerance of 1/16 inch!
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Title: 10' Dome Assembly
Description:
The image above is the dome assembled on the controlroom deck.
The plan was to assemble the dome atop the tower. After looking into the structure the dome ring laberenth made this very difficult and risky. We will now rent a crane and lift the dome onto a partialy assembled dome ring atop the tower. Then reassemble the dome ring with the dome atop.
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Title: Dome and Telescope Lift
Description: Finally a crane became available and I managed to get it over the weekend. On Saturday July 9, 2022 we lifted the dome and scope in place.
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Title: A dusting of snow
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Title: Drone View of completer 10' dome structure
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Title: Remote image Inside 10' Dome
Description: Remote image using the dome camera of the CDK17 OTA Flat Panel and Dome Slit.
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Title: 10' Dome finish work nearly complete
Description: Work inside the 10' dome continues with wiring for courtesy lights, insulation and installation of T1-11 with trip. Work on the control system for the lighting and dome fans is underway.
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