Clones

	Clones?

	Since posting this website I have been in correspondence with a number of people who have also built their own run-off roof observatory. Much to my surprise many found my design ideas and construction experiences relevant and useful to their own situation. This page is dedicated to these individuals.
		Andrew Munson: Colchester, Essex, UK. The observatory is positioned at the NE far end of my garden, this being a compromise between what I can see and at the same time not spoiling the look of the garden too much so as to keep the wife happy. The size is approximately 7ft long and 6ft wide. The wall height is approximately 5ft which allows me to point my telescope above the wall section and at the same time will enable me to store it without hitting the roof. Total height of the observatory is approx 6ft 8” above ground level. A 8” diameter metal plinth was bolted into a 4” thick concrete base, and the wooden floor, which rests on wooden bearers, has a hole cut in it to allow the plinth to pass through. I have wrapped chicken wire along the length of the observatory at the ends of the bearers to stop unwanted guests! The plinth is sited off centre. This enables me to see over the roof section more easily and gives some partial cover over my head along the short wall where I place my laptop. My telescope is a Celestron 8” GPS NexStar and it is fitted with a JMI Crayford focuser and also a Dewbuster with Dew-Not heaters which work very well. I use my telescope to view both planets and deep space, and have started using a Toucam for imaging.

	Mike Kinns: Eastry, Kent, UK Before designing my run-off roof observatory, I obtained valuable advice from Paul Andrew, Ashley Fuggle and Mark Salisbury, who had all constructed observatories of this type. The overall design features correspond most closely to those used in Paul Andrew's observatory at St. Margaret's Bay. The observatory was constructed during 2001-2002 with the help of two friends: Will Ruthven, who constructed the frame, but sadly died in December 2001, and Simon Roscoe, who provided valuable expertise, helped me assemble the observatory, and made customised castors for the run-off roof . The observatory has a solidly built wooden frame, which is covered by sheets of 0.5 inch thick compressed wood. The E-W sloping roof overhangs the sides and has a flap at the rear so the roof can be opened over the top of the telescope. It is moved manually, using the castors which run in welded steel rails, bolted to the sides of the shed and supported by steel posts at the other end. Mains power to the observatory is provided by 2 waterproof plugs, each with two 13amp sockets. The observatory dimensions are 7ft(w) x 9ft (l) x 5.5 ft(h) (when open). The maximum height when closed is 7.2 ft with a downward slope to 6.8ft, to allow for drainage. The observatory is orientated N-S and I have good views to the North and West. There are houses to the South, and bushes to the East, but I can still view objects at an elevation of >25^o-30^o. At present I have a Meade LX200 10" Classic Schmidt-Cassegrain mounted on a BCF equatorial wedge on top of a metal pier filled with concrete and sunk to a depth of over 3 feet into the concrete base. I use the telescope for visual observing and for CCD imaging with a Starlight Xpress MX916 monochrome camera. To obtain LRGB images I use a Flip Mirror finder and Red, Green, Blue interference filters, together with an IR blocking filter. As a member of SEKAS (South East Kent Astronomical Society), I look forward to many years of observing with this set-up.


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