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Third Floor Observatory The first floor is concrete block, then poured. The seconds and third floors have concrete floors that were poured with a steel sub-structure |
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Second Floor and stairs This is the second floor. Concrete floor, steel beems and steel spiral staircase to the observatory, 23' above the gound |
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Third Floor, Pier The pier wall is 5/8" thick , and goes through the observatories concrete floor, and welded to the trusses on the second floor. The pier does not come into contact with the observatories concrete floor and is filled with 500lbs of sand. |
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Third Floor Observatory Structure of the second and third floor |
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Steel Pier This is where the pier has been attached to the structure. Welded to a steel plate that is 16' long spanning several of the trusses. Vibration on the pier is to a minimal, and would be cut to nothing had the pier gone all the way to the ground. Then again this would have cut space out of the first and second floors. This was a very nice compromise |
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Steel Pier Wider view of pier and attached plate to the trusses |
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Observatory Roof The Observatory roof is constructed of steel tubing. Here it is being welded together. We needed a flat surface to do this so the roof was put on the second floor for this process instead of the un-even ground |
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Observatory Roof Another angle |
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Observatory roof Here the Observatory roof has is layer of press-board then metal sheet roofing material screwed into it. The roof is being lowered now so that we can put the rollers on that the roof will be moving on |
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Obsevatory Roof Almost to the ground in order to attach the rollers. As you can see a crane was used in this |
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Rollers These are the rollers that the Observatory roof will be moving on. These were gotten from a ranch supply house, these rollers are used for giant cattle gates and each roller is rated for 2,000 lbs |
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Rollers attached On each corner of the Observatory roof we welded then bolted this steel piping that the rollers are attached to. On on each corner of the roof. |
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Observatory Roof The observatory roof is being elevated to its 30' perch high above the ground. The crane is raising the roof here as the clouds roll in |
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Observatory Roof Still rising |
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Observatory Roof Wide angel of the whole projest as the roof is raised |
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Observatory Roof The roof is being lowered in place here. |
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Observatory roof Making sure that the roof is being lowered so the wheels are resting on the track |
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Observatory Roof track and rollers Here is a close-up view of the track and rollers the roof is on. Looks like a roller coaster. There are rollers to keep the roof rolling smoothly and also the same rollers under a seperate track to make sure that the roof can not be lifted off by a wind. Tampa Bat area being the lightning capital of the country, we do get strong Thunder Storms for about 3 months out of the year, then a Hurricane can always occur |
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Observatory building The observatory is the third floor of this concrete block and steel structure. This is the back portion of the building |
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Observatory This is the third floor observatory. Roof in place, and the pier is in place too. Also the concrete floor as been poured |
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Observatory Building This is the lift we used to get the lumber and sideing up to the top |
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Observatory building Here we are on the top |
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Observatory enclosed Here is the first level of siding on the building and observatory. We left this opening so that we can get out to the second floor roof and to the ouside for now |
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Observatory Building Wide view of the structure |
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Observatory building Here is the other side of the structure. Roof is pulled back halfway and first layer of sheeting is up over the steel |
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Observatory inside Here is the pier in the observatory. The yellow ladder is an 8' ladder to give you prospective. The walls are 8' high. It took some thinking before realizing that the telescope needed to be right up to the top of the walls if I was going to be able to see as far down to the horizon as possible. This then produced another porblem. Having a pier so high off the ground and having to get to the scope itself. A 29" high platform around the pier measuring 10' x 10' was built. A metal railing was to be put on one side of the platform and the other side was to have two steps along it. |
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Observatory inside Another angle of the observatory. You can see that the walls are designed for full insulation, and wiring is running already through them. The right side here is where the spiral staircase from the second floor comes up from. There will also be a door here to close off the observatory. |
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Observatory Motor This is where the motor that moves the 3,000 lbs observatory roof. This is a 2 hp motor ona 75% reduction. The motor drives a chain on a track that moves the roof open and close. |
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Observatory Building Another angle of the building. The roof rolls off to the motor |
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Observatory Building Roof is partially open. And this is the opening to the second floor to let you into the building |
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Observatory Motor A close-up of the motor assembly |
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Observatory Building Final measuring of the Cedar boards being put up. The third layer on the second and third floors of the building are Cedar tung and goove. The second layer is black tar paper. |
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Observatory inside Everyone pitched in with this year long project. This is my understanding wife, painting the back wall of the observatory. The North side of the Observatory ceiling is 5' high. The right side opening is where a door will be going for a storage room. The same will occur opposite it. The Observatory has a 8' high ceiling 14' x 18' . Then it slopes down to the 5' hieght for 9' after the 8'. Making the total concrete floor 23' x 18'. |
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Observatory Inside Still painting. The wall are insulated. Then sheet rock went in. There are plugs inside and boxes for lights on the wals too |
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Observatory Inside On the left there is the door to the sprial staircase. The two openings that you can see are for the Air conditioning and Heat to the Observatory. On the top you can just about make out the ceiling starting to slope |
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Observatory MOVE-IN DAY First inhabitants were: Astrophysics 1200 mount ; Takahashi Mewlon 300 ; Takahashi FSQ 106; Takahashi FC-60 . As you can see in the forground the stell railing with just primer. Also the items on the floor are on the wood platform that was built. Also put indoor-outdoor carpet on the floor |
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Observatory Roof Trial Here is the moment of truth. Will the scope in the park position clear the roof. Since the Observatory is so high off the gound the scope needs to be mounted as high as possible to get as low as possible in the sky. |
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Observatory Roof Trial Trying out from another vantage point. You can also see the white sconcer on the wall. There are five of them in the observatory. All having red light bulbs in them and on two different swithes. Broken up in a bank of 2 then 3. These were later painted blue to match the walls |
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Scope peeking out Observatory roof opens to the North. You can just make out the tope of the scopes as the roof is open |
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Observatory building Taken from further back |
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Observatory Roof open Another vantage point |
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Observatory building Another image |
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Observatory Building This is the building as a whole. Dumpster in the foreground. |
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Observatory Building Another view |
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Observatory Roog Shows how the roof slides off towards the motor and opposite of the observatory |
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Observatory Inside Mewlon 300 set-up |
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Observatory Inside Another view |
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Observatory switch These are the two limiting switches for the roof. When the roof gets to the critical distance the swictch is touched and the motor can no longer move the roof in that direction anymore. In this picture the roof is open and the switch is no longer allowing the roof to open |
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Observatory Set-up Mewlon 300; FSQ; FC-60 looking up |
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Observatory Set-up Another angle |
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Observatory inside Here is the roof closed and the red lights on |
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Observatory Inside Another angle with the red lights on |
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Observatory Inside Looking from the platform inside the observatory towards the Coleman blow-up camping furniture |
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Observatory inside Another view. The platfore, railing, and table with the two ocular boxes |
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Observatory inside Another view of one of the Coleman blow-up furniture |
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Observatory inside Another inside shot |
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Another Inhabitant Here is the next inhabitant of the Observatory. Takahashi FRC300. The Takahashi FSQ is actually my second one. This is not the same one as in the original pictures with the Mewlon 300 |
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Observatory living Set-up getting ready for a night |
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Observatory Living Another picture |
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Observatory set-up This is my set-up for imaging. SBIG 237a on a FSQ, and SBIG 10xe with a Finger Lakes DF-2 focuser, and Optec IFW with Optec filters mounted. |