1st December 2024. An apology and OMG a new idea!

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  Sorry to those who are following my blog. Or found their way here by accident. Perhaps hoping for tangible progress on yet another, completely mad observatory or telescope scheme. Sadly I have lost interest in all my projects again. Since my wife died a little over two years ago I cannot sum up the enthusiasm to do very much at all. Every option seems to be insurmountable!

 Despite being skinny, fit, eating properly and very active I had a three hour operation on my blocked heart arteries in June 2024. So I have to take a load of tablets every day and have four stents. I have recently been through a course of physiotherapy to rehabilitate myself. More to follow in the new year. I continue to cycle long distances on my e-bike. More of an escape than anything else.

 My large back garden is completely hopeless for astronomy. The house is on the southern border and there are tall trees and hedges, literally on all four sides. 

 The idea of placing any telescope housing in front of the house is proving far too difficult. There is precious little room and any building would badly obscure the lean-to greenhouse and block the sunshine.

 I still have crazy ideas. Like building a platform. To house an observatory. With the floor at eaves height in front of or beside the house roof. Would I ever manage to build it? Who knows? Let's say it is highly unlikely.

My previous attempts to put trailer pilot wheels on a tall pier proved unstable. Too risky to push a loaded pier from the security of the back garden the 130 meters along the drive just to find the low sun. At 77 I am no longer immortal and able to carry. Let alone lift 30kg telescopes above head height!

 Hang on: Let's be more realistic: Just for a change: I have just bought a smaller trailer. To match my smaller car. Even loaded with firewood logs it is so easy to push and pull around. It would make an excellent base for a telescope pier. 

 The mesh sides are bolt-on additions. For carrying bulky garden waste and logs and are removable. Bringing the side height to 33cm. The telescope will never hit the sides in normal use. See the red lines.

 I would not want to be using the same trailer for astronomy. Lifting massive piers and heavy scopes into the trailer. Every time I want to use them. Is now beyond me. Besides, the present trailer is usually busy. Or left half full of something.

 The cost of buying another completely basic trailer for astronomy is not too exorbitant. Not in comparison with the price of the astronomy kit it will support. I'd probably have to add outriggers to kill any wind rock. Would I be imaging in very windy conditions anyway? Highly unlikely.

 The astro trailer would be towed slowly to the end of the drive. With the telescope already fixed on its mounting on the pier. For a clear view of the sun over the surrounding fields year round. There is plenty of room to park there undisturbed.

 A normal pier height is all it would need. Not some towering edifice needed for observing at high altitudes from the ground. The trailer adds almost two feet in extra height. Well, 55cm to the bed level actually. Just measured. A solar imaging scope doesn't need me praying on my knees. Squinting upwards for inspiration.  

 I have a massive cast iron pier from an old drawing board stand. 130cm high or lower on demand. It would just need a flange to support the equatorial mounting on top. Add a coat of white Hammerite paint to stop it absorbing solar heat.

 The car battery could provide power for the imaging laptop and the mounting drives. I would be outdoors while I am imaging but that's not the end of the world. It gets cold here in winter but the dome slit used to collect whatever cold wind was blowing. I could just sit in the car! OMG! Have I finally found a realistic option for solar/lunar imaging? 

 Potential problems? There are always things I haven't thought of!

Telescope or equipment detachment underway along the drive? I'd just have to secure it for travel. Though I won't be going far. No potholes!

 Polar alignment? Mounting and drive software dependent.

 Tilting of the parked trailer? The latter can be easily overcome with a builder's level and outriggers. 

 Weather exposed telescope/mounting/equipment when parked in the back yard? We could be back to the calf hutch as a fixed garage. This would take care of security too. Or I build a proper garage with all the materials from the observatory build/demolition. I need one for my veteran car anyway. I'd just make the garage long enough to take the trailer as well. I have had no good reason to complete the demolition of the observatory, until now.

 

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