I love that name: "AstroBloke's Village". The "Village" is nearly complete now and soon you will fire up the scopes. Won't do much good right now though with your super short nights, but you are now ready for the longer nights forthcoming. BTW, it appears you owe Simon a boatload of beer for all his help.
Thank you Pat, my wife did well indeed with that name. Its very bright at night now but I still get out there. Got to get it all tweaked and ready for the darker nights. Hope you are keeping well, CS
Congratulations on your achievement! You clearly demonstrate your practice skills and your ingenuity. A clear message for those who are tempted to build an observatory - much more to the project than immediately meets the eye.Make sure you have Glen’s skill and patience.
Great job! It's a dream of many astrophotographers to have an Observatory like yours. I've got a shed out my back garden and an ever itching trigger finger on my circular saw 😅
Wow, thanks! It has certainly been a project but I am really pleased with the end product. Just need those clear nights now to enjoy. Thanks for watching
Congratulations Glenn with this very beautiful observatory ! Great work you did there and I really liked the series to follow along. Looking forward to what is coming next on your channel. Enjoy this great place you build there, I am jealous
Congratulations my friend, with the most fantastic homemade opsy I`ve seen :) It`s so inspiring to follow your work and it gives me many ideas for my own project. Now you can relax in your office, enjoy a cold beer and say; "well done!
Thank you so much Arnstein. Your support and kind words mean a lot. Its great to now be able to enjoy all the hard work. I am sure your project will be great too
What an absolutely stunning build Glen. You must be so proud of the observatory.....it might have taken you a bit longer but you know its built so solid. Congratulations Glen truly amazing observatory
Thank you so much Paul, really appreciate your supporting comments. I am really happy with how it has all turned out. There were times I was feeling it was all too much but 90% of the time I loved it and really enjoyed having such a big project. I feel like I have my dream build and feel very lucky. Clear skies mate
Thank you so much Tony, I really appreciate the kind words and support you have given me through this project. Will get back to Photon catching for sure now. Clear skies
Hi Woody and thank you. I do like the reflectors. I have a small refractor (Z61 like you) and who knows maybe one day I'll splash out on a larger one. There is a little landscaping to come. Do my jobs ever end?? lol
Hi Chris and thank you, really appreciate your kind words. Had a great time building it but I am sure an even better one stargazing and photon catching from it, clear skies
@Astrobloke I've loved your unique approach to a home obsy...it's definitely different than most of what you see out there. I quite like your flat(-ish) roof design for the roll-off portion! I'll be considering some of your design queues if/when I finally build my own!
Wow Glenn! Fantastic job! I love the attached warm room as well. It looks aesthetically pleasing in addition to being very solid. Congrats on a job well done. PS: The roosters will keep you company while you are imaging. - Cheers Kurt
Hi Kurt and thanks for dropping by and checking out the build, I am certainly very lucky to have such a great space. Yes the Roosters like to get involved, I wondered if anyone would pick up on them while I was doing the roof.
Simply stunning Glenn! You should be so proud of your achievement and I’ve enjoyed every minute of the progress you’ve made these last few months. A brilliant result and a great watch
Hi Ian and thank you so much for watching and taking the time to comment. Really appreciate the support. Going to enjoy it now all the hard work is done
Congratulations Glenn! First class job and final result. Thanks for capturing the project. I have way too many tall trees to build one here but always enjoy construction projects. I have shared with a friend of mine who is building one now. Take it easy and enjoy the use of your observatory!
Thank you for your kind words and support Richard. I am glad I did capture it but at times I was cursing myself for adding that extra element to an already hard and busy job. Good luck to your friend who is building one, hopefully they are letting you have use of it once done. Clear skies
Congratulations Glenn, you’ve created a fantastic space (pun intended)🤣 It’s really come together nicely, you and Roy have worked like troopers and done a brilliant job👍 So glad it’s done, now you can enjoy it, and I can’t wait to come and claim my chair 🤣 Clear skies mate!
There is a chair with your name on it mate. Been a real slog at times but to say I am happy is an understatement. The ultimate man cave and astro space indeed.
Fantastic series Glen, I’ve really enjoyed it and found it incredibly helpful. I hope to build one myself after I move to darker skies in a year or so.
Thank you very much Ken, That will be great for you and although a lot of work, well worth the effort. Good luck and always drop me a msg if I can help with any questions
Hi Glenn, great to watch the build progress, it’s now time to enjoy the fruits of your labour. Myself and my Astro buddie James are building obsys based on Simon’s build, we also have the same rigs as he. I have installed the motor on the outside of the shed as you did on your previous obsy. I have a small problem with track juddering for a couple of seconds after starting opening the roof. It may be that the motor is too powerful for the weight of the roof. I did notice in your last video that you are using a voltage reducer and wonder if you could give me an idea of what you are using? May I also take this opportunity to thank you and Simon for your knowledge, guidance and also entertainment from your channels. You have both been a great help in our builds. They do say “imitation is the sincerest form of flattery” Please pass our thanks on to Simon when you meet. Kind regards David Lowndes and James Cowlan
Hi David and thank you for the kind comments and indeed compliments. I am really happy the videos have been useful and hope your Obsy's are coming along nicely, You'll wonder how you ever lived without one after having it. I did find the start of my roof motor a little violent even though is had a supposed slow start feature. Anyway I bought and added this voltage regulator amzn.to/445eset and that has really helped smooth it out. It now starts very slowly and even the overall speed of opening and closing is ever so slighlty slowed. You turn it down too much or the roof won't move but for me it has made a good improvement. I would love to see images of your builds if you are happy to share? Astrobloke@outlook.com I have plans to make a video showing all the builds I have helped with, or inspired or just seen. Think it would show others what can be done. Its great to see everyone's little tweaks and unique ideas. Anyway, best of luck and of course clear skies
Glenn, what a cracker. Well done. You have done a super job. Hopefully I will be in a new house soon and creating my own Obsy, you have given me a great start in the preperation works. Thank you for all your efforts in sharing your building experience👍👍 P.S. I love your chairs in your warm room. Would you mind sharing details?
Thank you for all the kind comments Peter. I wish you all the best for your project and if I can help with any questions please do not hesitate to msg me. The chairs I got via The Range. Here is a link to where I ordered them from. www.therange.co.uk/furniture/sofas-and-chairs/chairs/leather-swivel-office-chair-and-stool/?gclid=CjwKCAjwsvujBhAXEiwA_UXnALnZZtsGRApd2t9YPDpHZEgFkCkMxMHFN4taF4MUDWtbh_XJJ2NEcRoCxewQAvD_BwE#8632518
Glenn, just astonishing project! Many congrats on seeing this through so brilliantly. One question, I know you allowed for wood movement in terms of the side rail, but what about the central toothed track moving away from the cog (if the wood expands over time)?
Beautiful design and execution. I have two questions that I should have included in the build videos. 1) Did you put a wood preservative on the wooden walls of the office to protect it from the weather? 2) Your scopes seem low compared to the observatory's horizon line. This precludes imaging anything lower than what to the horizon? Once again, congratulations.
Hi Robert and thank you for watching and commenting. The office walls come pre pressure treated so already protected but will need topping up every year or so to also keep it looking nice. I had lots of deliberations re the walls and heights and settled on what I did for a few reasons. Mainly I wanted the roof to clear the scopes in any position so no danger of collisions as I will use this when away from home by remoting in. I have trees all around which stops any imaging much lower than the walls horizon but I have a mobile rig I can set up to get those targets. I can still get objects 30deg and above though. Finally Newts are great wind sails so higher walls provide that extra wind protection.
Great job! I was wondering why you didn't use a chain to open and close the roof like a garage door uses? My garage door opener uses a rubber belt and it's really quiet. Are you going to add a couple of cameras so that you can see what's happening when you are remotely using Astrobloke's Village?
Thank you 2badger2. I know there are many different ways to automate roofs and I just chose the same system I had before as it worked without any issues and I already know how to control it all remotely. Noise was not a concern as my nearest neighbour is 200ft away but even so its not actually that noisy. I already have a camera in there as part of the security system I have fitted so can keep a close eye on things.
Top work, enjoyed the whole series and it looks so good. One question I have is that do you find using an observatory to limit the objects you can image, as you have to point your scope more directly at the meridian's zenith due to the sides?
Hi Tom and thank you for watching and commenting. Really pleased you liked it. It obviously does limit a little but then you get other pluses like permanently set up rigs and wind protection. I still have a portable rig so can grab low or blocked targets
Nice job Glenn, now time to sit back and relax. How do you find the voltage meter, I installed one on mine last year as the jolt when the roof set off was pretty fierce so needed to sort of tame it, mine needs at least 150 volts else it won't move, due to the weight I suppose, but your roof is way heavier than mine.
Hi Tony and thanks for watching and commenting. Its a nice thought to have the work behind me and a super space for my hobby going forward. The voltage regulator has done the job removing the harsh start and slowing it overall. Not sure I have dropped that low as like you the roof won’t move. I bought a really cheap one that has questionable build quality. I have ordered a better looking version that I think will also show the output so hoping to have more control.
Congratulations on a fantastic build. It looks like you have two great spaces there, one to keep you comfy and the other to keep the telescopes happy with tons of space to swing about. I do have a question about the voltage regulator you mentioned that you added to make the motor move a bit slower and smoother. My roof will automatically slow as it approaches the end but only if it can remember the last time it moved. I f I have a power cut, it forgets this and goes full speed at each end until it relearns where the end is. I want to slow the roof down overall so wondered how you went about adding the voltage regulator to the motor.
Thank you Logan and yes I am so happy to have 2 great spaces. Mine was supposed to be slow start (no slow stop option) but was still starting too violently. The voltage regulators here come in 2 flavours as far as I can see. Cheap which I went for (£7.99 Amazon) amzn.to/43kiOOW where you run the power to it and then into the motor so requires some wiring. Or a bit more for a plug in version amzn.to/3J0doRc . Only difficulty I had with the cheaper one was no instructions and all markings were in Chinese. Google translate helped me there. Works well although if you turn it down too low the roof won't move as it needs a certain amount to get over the initial inertia. Hope that helps but happy to chat more if you need to mate.
@@Astrobloke This is very useful Glen. I just took receipt of my gate opener, observatory is essentially complete and electric is partially installed - should complete that ext weekend. I've wondered about the initial jolt start on the gate opener - part of the reason I went to 2x6 lumber and overbuilt that wall, but may still need help so the voltage speed controller will help. - best wishes!
It's been a great watch.. but one key question I don't think you answered "how did you get it past the Mrs?" Me: I've got a delivery coming tomorrow.. a new camera.. the Mrs (2 days later after she's done her research) I've found a short notice booking in Madeira.. you've got nothing on so I've booked it" Should be absolutely rocking as the nights draw in..😀
Lol Andy. I am blessed with a Mrs that just lets me get on with it. In fact my initial plans were much more conservative and it was her idea to make it as big as it is. Possibly a plan to get rid of me of course but so far it all seems legit. I have promised to do some landscaping a few other house projects so not without some trade offs. Enjoy your holiday, oh and new camera of course, What did you get?
@@Astrobloke I do confess it wasn't just the camera.. its was the star tracker and lens too.. early this year I happened to be visiting friends just outside Edinburgh and one evening we were privileged to see stunning aurora.. I've never shot any astro with DSLR so I ended up with a modified cannon 60D.. a whole new challenge and something different:)
A1 job Glenn. In the old days I'd have just been racked with jealousy but seeing this completed now just makes me genuinely chuffed for you. May Astrobloke's Village give you many many years of trouble free imaging & man-shed stuff!
Thank you Nugsy. I feel so lucky to have such a great space. But any space works. I loved my old budget build and had some fantastic nights and experiences in that. Even took an APOD from it. Clear skies mate
