Your fully remote observatory - Forums

Hi all.

I'm looking into getting a fully remote observatory like the NexDome, ScopeDome etc. The dome will be located a couple of hundred km. from my home.

What I'm really interested is what your remote observatory setup is, like:

What observatory you're using and what pros and cons it has
What foundation it's placed on (wood, concrete etc)
Do you use a pier or tripod?
How do you handle power, moisture etc.
What software are you using to control the dome?
What would you have done differently with the knowledge you have today?

I've done a lot of research but nothing beats experience, so if you feel like sharing your experience to a "a hopefully future owner of an observatory" that would really appreciated.

I'm in a similar boat, doin alot of research in preparation…. I can't provide any experience, but I can say everyone I've talked to says 'Don't get a dome, get a roll off roof' Just my 2 cent input.

Brian Puhl:
I'm in a similar boat, doin alot of research in preparation.... I can't provide any experience, but I can say everyone I've talked to says 'Don't get a dome, get a roll off roof' Just my 2 cent input.

Hi Brian

I’ve read similar viewpoints. The issue is that I don’t have the space for a roll off :/

Hi Lasse,
Now retired, I am fortunate to have been able to realize a life long dream of an observatory after more than 50 years. Here are links to construction projects for a recent addition of a CDK17. The pictures chronicle its design and construction.

***************************************
https://www.astrobin.com/xzpojv/BE/

10ftDome and Telescope Project.pdf

https://cdn.astrobin.com/ckeditor-files/14617/2023/7731b0ae-eeca-46ff-aa72-8a804642acf7.pdf

***************************************
This is my 3rd dome project on this site. I have helped make a couple of rolloff roof observatories back in the early 70's and they work well. Be sure to check local codes and permitting.
A dome is a more efficient structure and a 10' dome will likely not need a permit being under the 120sq' limit. I considered a A 10'x12' roll-off but a permit was required due to the structure supporting the roof when deployed, thus a roll-off large enough for the CDK17 would require a permit. Permits are an issue in my area, and a good friend has horror storys and years of delay getting permitted for his roll-off.

I also would have needed to cut trees, most of were 100years+ old. I cut NO TREES for this project. I have noticed the air is more stable even a few feet off the ground. Dust is reduced by elevating as well. I never get dew in any of the (3)domes. I get <1arc second seeing in the 10' dome often and have fans to stabilize things on the rare occations when needed.

A good friend of mine just completed a roll-off roof, and another is considering one.

Best regards,
Dave

Hi Lasse,

I setup a remote observatory ~50km from my home nearly a year ago. I ended up going with a scopedome 2M which has been just fantastic. There is a little work sorting out the dome geometry at the start, but it’s great knowing the dome can shut at any time regardless of what position the telescope is in. The only downside of the 2M is the size if you plan on getting a really big scope in the future, but it was the right size for my site and having it arrive largely assembled saved a lot of time.

One big bonus has been the lack of dew inside the dome, and I have now removed all of my dew heaters from my scopes.

I have a few photos at https://www.cosmic.kiwi/blog/new-observatory if you’re interested.

CS,
Mat

Hi Lasse, I have set up two remote observatories in the Italian Alps since 2015, at 1500m altitude, decent Bortle 3 skies. Here are my two cents:

What observatory you're using and what pros and cons it has

I build them. They have an alluminium frame (box like, southern facing wall shorter then northern wall), walls are one inch thick beads of pine wood. Roof is a three panes sliding, each pane sliding on top of the other. The roof is sold in Europe, quite popular in Italy (Tecnoshelter); I simple install it on the observatory frame and it is controlled by a motor through an Ethernet relay. The only cons is in case of big snow event (say over 50cm, very unsual lately), it's prudent to clear it off. The roof is tilted so snow/rain drops southward.

What foundation it's placed on (wood, concrete etc)

they are placed each on a 2 x 2 meters concrete platform, some 20cm above ground

Do you use a pier or tripod?

Pier is a must

How do you handle power, moisture etc.

Power is from local grid, a power box provides some 30 minutes autonomy in case of blackouts. No issues about moisture, wind, rain dripping inside. Each observatory has each own pc (Shuttle barebone units) always on. I connect from home via Anydesk or Teamviewer.

What software are you using to control the dome?

Since I don't have to rotate the roof, the sliding panes are opened at the begining of the cession and closed at the end, through the relays.

What would you have done differently with the knowledge you have today?

Basically the layout of everything is a good project, might have done different some details concerning the relays, cabling etc. Mount and observatory pc have to be very reliable. You don't want a dead pc during cessions or a mount that loses connection.

Check it out here: http://www.astrofiliadassalto.it/Astrofiliadassalto%20%28master%29/Webcam/webcam.html
(need to wait for daylight, IR webcam lights are off)

stefano

Dave Erickson:
Hi Lasse,
Now retired, I am fortunate to have been able to realize a life long dream of an observatory after more than 50 years. Here are links to construction projects for a recent addition of a CDK17. The pictures chronicle its design and construction.

***************************************
https://www.astrobin.com/xzpojv/BE/

10ftDome and Telescope Project.pdf

https://cdn.astrobin.com/ckeditor-files/14617/2023/7731b0ae-eeca-46ff-aa72-8a804642acf7.pdf

***************************************

A good friend of mine just completed a roll-off roof, and another is considering one.

Best regards,
Dave

Hi Dave

Thank you very much for sharing. That's a interesting project

Mathew Ludgate:
Hi Lasse,

I setup a remote observatory ~50km from my home nearly a year ago. I ended up going with a scopedome 2M which has been just fantastic. There is a little work sorting out the dome geometry at the start, but it’s great knowing the dome can shut at any time regardless of what position the telescope is in. The only downside of the 2M is the size if you plan on getting a really big scope in the future, but it was the right size for my site and having it arrive largely assembled saved a lot of time.

One big bonus has been the lack of dew inside the dome, and I have now removed all of my dew heaters from my scopes.

I have a few photos at https://www.cosmic.kiwi/blog/new-observatory if you’re interested.

CS,
Mat

Hi Mathew

Thank you very much for sharing your setup. The idea of a fully (almost) assembled dome is something i quite drawn to. May I ask how you power the dome? Are the cables embedded in the concrete (in a cable tube)?

Stefano Pesci:
Hi Lasse, I have set up two remote observatories in the Italian Alps since 2015, at 1500m altitude, decent Bortle 3 skies. Here are my two cents:
What observatory you're using and what pros and cons it has

I build them. They have an alluminium frame (box like, southern facing wall shorter then northern wall), walls are one inch thick beads of pine wood. Roof is a three panes sliding, each pane sliding on top of the other. The roof is sold in Europe, quite popular in Italy (Tecnoshelter); I simple install it on the observatory frame and it is controlled by a motor through an Ethernet relay. The only cons is in case of big snow event (say over 50cm, very unsual lately), it's prudent to clear it off. The roof is tilted so snow/rain drops southward.
What foundation it's placed on (wood, concrete etc)

they are placed each on a 2 x 2 meters concrete platform, some 20cm above ground
Do you use a pier or tripod?

Pier is a must
How do you handle power, moisture etc.

Power is from local grid, a power box provides some 30 minutes autonomy in case of blackouts. No issues about moisture, wind, rain dripping inside. Each observatory has each own pc (Shuttle barebone units) always on. I connect from home via Anydesk or Teamviewer.
What software are you using to control the dome?

Since I don't have to rotate the roof, the sliding panes are opened at the begining of the cession and closed at the end, through the relays.
What would you have done differently with the knowledge you have today?

Basically the layout of everything is a good project, might have done different some details concerning the relays, cabling etc. Mount and observatory pc have to be very reliable. You don't want a dead pc during cessions or a mount that loses connection.

Check it out here: http://www.astrofiliadassalto.it/Astrofiliadassalto%20%28master%29/Webcam/webcam.html
(need to wait for daylight, IR webcam lights are off)

stefano

Hi Stefano

Being able to build observatories is, for me, impressive. Respect

Thanks for the mention of Tecnoshelter. I've never heard of that before and I'll look into that.

IMHO, and having built or helped build three observatories, it is much safer and easier to rent space in a commercial facility. I have experience with building three sites.

Link to: ARGO (now defunct, built in the 1990's)

Backyard rolloff (aka Raptor)

Orion New Mexico (coop):

What did I Learn?

1) Roll-Offs are always better than domes (better seeing and less complicated/expensive) - except in one situation - windy conditions
2) Backyard is best - except for light pollution and/or weather issues so depends
3) Avoid coop efforts, people and circumstances change and what is great today may suck in 5 or 10 years.
4) Avoid owning your own unless it is located at your house.

So I am now where I have two spots, the roll-off seen above in my backyard and a rented space at a commercial site. Probably 90% of my images come from the better conditions at the commercial site. The disadvantages of the commercial site come down to one - ongoing monthly cost. Everything else is an advantage - better seeing, better security, darker skies, always on site help, and more.

Building your own is not only expensive and a lot of work and travel, it means dealing with the annoyances of security, insurance, realtors, contractors, and the inevitable hassles of permits and other government nonsense. Finally, what do you (or your heirs) do with it when you no longer need it or your situation changes? Not exactly easy to sell! I have concluded that my enthusiasm for the hobby overcame my common sense when I did these projects.

So if it were me, and it has been, I would just rent space and be done with it unless you can do at home backyard in a dark and often clear place.

NOTE: When I say avoid cooperative efforts, I mean when building sites. I have done cooperative systems at commercial sites and those are fine - mainly because they are easy to modify or discontinue if either party's situation changes.

I am sure this will be ignored

- it always has been.

but had to try......

Bill McLaughlin:
IMHO, and having built or helped build three observatories, it is much safer and easier to rent space in a . I have experience with building three sites.

Link to: ARGO (now defunct, built in the 1990's)

Backyard rolloff (aka Raptor)

Orion New Mexico (coop):

What did I Learn?

1) Roll-Offs are always better than domes (better seeing and less complicated/expensive) - except in one situation - windy conditions
2) Backyard is best - except for light pollution and/or weather issues so depends
3) Avoid coop efforts, people and circumstances change and what is great today may suck in 5 or 10 years.
4) Avoid owning your own unless it is located at your house.

So I am now where I have two spots, the roll-off seen above in my backyard and a rented space at a commercial site. Probably 90% of my images come from the better conditions at the commercial site. The disadvantages of the commercial site come down to one - ongoing monthly cost. Everything else is an advantage - better seeing, better security, darker skies, always on site help, and more.

Building your own is not only expensive and a lot of work and travel, it means dealing with the annoyances of security, insurance, realtors, contractors, and the inevitable hassles of permits and other government nonsense. Finally, what do you (or your heirs) do with it when you no longer need it or your situation changes? Not exactly easy to sell! I have concluded that my enthusiasm for the hobby overcame my common sense when I did these projects.

So if it were me, and it has been, I would just rent space and be done with it unless you can do at home backyard in a dark and often clear place.

NOTE: When I say avoid cooperative efforts, I mean when building sites. I have done cooperative systems at commercial sites and those are fine - mainly because they are easy to modify or discontinue if either party's situation changes.

I am sure this will be ignored - it always has been. but had to try......

Hi Bill

Thank you for your input. You raise some interesting viewpoints.

What would you consider a fair price for renting at a commercial facility like you talk about here?

“Building your own is not only expensive and a lot of work and travel, it means dealing with the annoyances of security, insurance, realtors, contractors, and the inevitable hassles of permits and other government nonsense. Finally, what do you (or your heirs) do with it when you no longer need it or your situation changes? Not exactly easy to sell! I have concluded that my enthusiasm for the hobby overcame my common sense when I did these projects.

So if it were me, and it has been, I would just rent space and be done with it unless you can do at home backyard in a dark and often clear place.”

I completely agree with Bill. For a few years, I got very excited about the idea of building my own observatory out in a dark region in the deserts of central Oregon. I even visited various parcels of land that were for sale to see how they looked. One of the most memorable had a 360 degree, tree-less horizon and it was located a reasonable distance from a highway so I could easily drive there. BUT, there was no power and a network connection would have been wireless only (this was before Starlink was operational). All of the road signs in the area were pocked with bullet holes which meant that security would be an issue.

It didn’t take much of a calculation to see how much it would cost to set up my own remote observatory and how much effort it would take to keep it running. I then compared that to the cost and services of simply renting a pier at a hosting site, where I’d get network, power, support services and be under much better sky conditions. The one and only disadvantage of the hosting site is the annual rental cost, which is not insubstantial. Here is how I waved my hands at it. Cost to buy land and build my own facility: ~$100,000 + carrying costs ~$2k-$3k/yr. Cost to rent a pier in a world class location: ~$10,000/year - interest on saved capital/year. Putting aside the possibility of rent hikes, that means that after a period of say 9-11 years, I’m money ahead by simply renting a pier. After that, the hosting option becomes more expensive. The one substantial additional cost you get if you decide to go remote in Chile are the costs to ship your equipment along with VAT and duty to get your stuff into the country. Of course you don’t have to go to Chile to have a great experience with a domestic remote observatory. Just keep in mind that with the hosting option you might get double (or more) the number of clear nights (with better conditions.

I personally would love to have an observatory in my backyard but I’d have to move for that idea to make any sense. Regardless, building an observatory would be super fun; but in my view, that scratches a different itch. It would be a fun project but it’s not the best way to optimize your imaging efforts.

John

John Hayes:
All of the road signs in the area were pocked with bullet holes which meant that security would be an issue.

As a fellow resident of Central Oregon, I have to agree with that ! In fact, the spot where the original ARGO observatory (see first link in my post) was located is referred to by the local sheriff's office as "felon flats".

Lots of remote areas are inhabited by the "double wide trailer and junk car" type who might think one's equipment is a tempting source of drug buying money.

I will chime in here. I think it comes down to 2 things.
What part of the hobby interest you the most
and where do you live.

I see two parts to this hobby.
1-the mechanics of using the equipment and gathering the data and
2-the processing to get the final image.

For me, the handling of the equipment, changing scopes for different FOV, and so forth, is the most enjoyable part of the hobby.
Processing comes second. If you are at a remote facility, unable to touch the equipment, you might as well be buying data from another source and not spend money on the equipment or rent.
But this also brings in my second point, where you live.

I spent 25 years driving out to a dark site in the desert every new moon to collect my data. But I live in a location that has excellent dark sky's for 7 months of the year. So I built a small roll off observatory in the back yard a couple years ago, but still go out to the desert in the winter when I have dew at home. Again, for me, handling the equipment is most of the fun. Can't do that when your equipment is a few hundred miles away.

Also on a side note, putting an observatory in the yard created a gathering point for several of my friends in the hobby. Always more fun with a group.

Scott

Scott Lockwood:
For me, the handling of the equipment, changing scopes for different FOV, and so forth, is the most enjoyable part of the hobby.
Processing comes second. If you are at a remote facility, unable to touch the equipment, you might as well be buying data from another source and not spend money on the equipment or rent.
But this also brings in my second point, where you live.

I spent 25 years driving out to a dark site in the desert every new moon to collect my data. But I live in a location that has excellent dark sky's for 7 months of the year. So I built a small roll off observatory in the back yard a couple years ago, but still go out to the desert in the winter when I have dew at home. Again, for me, handling the equipment is most of the fun. Can't do that when your equipment is a few hundred miles away.

Also on a side note, putting an observatory in the yard created a gathering point for several of my friends in the hobby. Always more fun with a group.

I agree that setting up and using the equipment is one of the most enjoyable parts of imaging ( at least for me)! I like building and assembling equipment and IMHO people that don't are missing out on some of the fun and are producing images that are just that much less "their image".

BUT.... I seriously disagree that renting space is in any way the same as buying data! I designed my setup, bought the equipment, and (in my case) actually built some of the parts. I also travelled to and installed the equipment at the remote site and operate it myself. To equate this to buying data is just ridiculous.

Even a rented remote site is really just a building to put your stuff in and power and internet to connect to it!

Acknowledging that the discussion has devolved a bit from the OP topic of "what should I do to build my remote site", there is a point that is valid whether or you rent space or build your own space and that is the fact that you should not have to be messing with your equipment all the time!

If you do need to be working on it constantly, it needs to be set up better or be better equipment. I have both a remote site and one in my backyard and I visit the remote site once a year to clean, maintain, and upgrade. It is well enough set up that the observatory owner has to do very little.

Significantly, the same is true of my backyard roll-off 200 feet from my back door. During imaging season, I often go weeks w/o having to enter the observatory at all and when I do it is normally for a couple minutes to maybe remove a dust cover or something like that - I operate it entirely from the house over the LAN. I could easily set it up for even fewer 200 foot walks but do not bother with the extra setup/equipment since it is in the back yard - but I could if I wanted to. Once again, robust setup and good solid equipment, wiring, and such are they key, regardless of how far away the equipment is.

What that means for the OP is that whatever you do and wherever you set up, one thing is key and that is solid high quality equipment that is well thought out, carefully and neatly set up (no spaghetti monsters

) and well tested, usually for months, before it goes to the remote site (regardless of who owns the observatory land and building).

Lasse Skov:
What observatory you're using and what pros and cons it has
What foundation it's placed on (wood, concrete etc)
Do you use a pier or tripod?
How do you handle power, moisture etc.
What software are you using to control the dome?
What would you have done differently with the knowledge you have today?

So back to the OP questions:

For one of my sites (home) I built my own roll-off. V-roller tracks, rack and pinion 3 phase gear motor to open and close, concrete building footings and separate concrete pier base (about 1.5 yards of concrete in the pier base). Heavy steel pier (3/8 wall, 10 inch diameter and sand filled) imbedded in the concrete pier base. Metal siding and roof, no windows. Ultra secure door. I used the MaxDome control board (but there are now cheaper options). Motor operated by a single phase 120 V to 3 phase 240 volt converter. This allows ramping the start and stop of the roof movement.

Power is bought from my shop and is 240 Volt 40 amps at the observatory sub panel (probably overkill

). Equipment power is controlled with digital loggers switches over my LAN. There are 5 runs of Cat 7 cable connecting thorough 2 inch conduit to the house LAN with a 16 port switch in the observatory. I am using Lunatico's cloud and weather sensor as well as an SQM monitor. I have several security cameras and would recommend the Bosch starlight IP camera to monitor your equipment since it does not need an IR illuminator even at new moon. These can be picked up used on Ebay for a couple hundred bucks. Moisture has not been a problem since we are in the high desert.

The roof is controlled via MaxDome's ASCOM driver and then to NINA. I also have an old SBIG seeing monitor and allsky camera, since it was built in 2002 and upgraded in 2009..

The only thing I would do significantly different is to have the roll-off trusses made of powder coated steel instead of wood due to lower maintenance.

For the Orion site, we used Ash domes which are spendy but mega-robust if a bit "1955". At that time (2009) we had to roll our own control system but I think they now have something available from the factory that is ASCOM compliant.

For the remote site, as mentioned above, what I would have done differently is not to have done it at all but rented a space instead (which I have now done).

I would add one thing that is critical.

Make sure you have sealed your observatory, whatever you choose, VERY well against rodents.

They can enter thru holes that are no bigger than a pencil, believe it or not. What they cannot do is climb vertical smooth metal surfaces so use that to your advantage. Mice got into a friend's Paramount ME at a remote site in NM (who shall remain nameless :sad-2

due to poor rodent control. It was a total disaster and had to go back to Bisques for reconditioning.

Hi,

I have a PierTech ROR and it is basically a turn key operation linked into ACP software. If you have lotsa time to tinker, build it yourself. At my stage in life have more $ than time.

There are certain disadvantages to a ROR, but it is very reliable with a good cloud sensor. Can go to sleep and forget it.

Anyway for sure you need a pier. Mine is on my roof linked to the main structural element of the house. I thought about a remote operation but there is always something going wrong and it needs fine tuning.

Pier-Tech in Spring Camo

Bill McLaughlin:
I would add one thing that is critical.

Make sure you have sealed your observatory, whatever you choose, VERY well against rodents. They can enter thru holes that are no bigger than a pencil, believe it or not. What they cannot do is climb vertical smooth metal surfaces so use that to your advantage. Mice got into a friend's Paramount ME at a remote site in NM (who shall remain nameless ) due to poor rodent control. It was a total disaster and had to go back to Bisques for reconditioning.

Good point Bill! DSW used to have a major problem with mice. I had a mouse get inside my AP1600, build a nest and nearly chew through some of the internal cables. I went nuts sealing absolutely everything running wires through conduit and making it impossible for mice to climb up the pier to get at the mount or scope. DSW then installed stainless siding and tried to seal the buildings. I don’t know how effective their efforts were. As you said, mice can get through the smallest holes, but they may have decreased the mouse population somewhat.

- John

Scott Lockwood:
I will chime in here. I think it comes down to 2 things.
What part of the hobby interest you the most
and where do you live.

I see two parts to this hobby.
1-the mechanics of using the equipment and gathering the data and
2-the processing to get the final image.

For me, the handling of the equipment, changing scopes for different FOV, and so forth, is the most enjoyable part of the hobby.
Processing comes second. If you are at a remote facility, unable to touch the equipment, you might as well be buying data from another source and not spend money on the equipment or rent.
But this also brings in my second point, where you live.

I spent 25 years driving out to a dark site in the desert every new moon to collect my data. But I live in a location that has excellent dark sky's for 7 months of the year. So I built a small roll off observatory in the back yard a couple years ago, but still go out to the desert in the winter when I have dew at home. Again, for me, handling the equipment is most of the fun. Can't do that when your equipment is a few hundred miles away.

Also on a side note, putting an observatory in the yard created a gathering point for several of my friends in the hobby. Always more fun with a group.

Scott

Scott,
I want to clarify something for you. Running a remote observatory is way more equipment intensive than you realize and it is NOTHING like buying data. Just look at my story of installing my 20” in Chile or read my stories (included with my images) about what I went through when I operated remotely in New Mexico. I’m installing a new 24” scope in Chile and I’ve spent the last 6 months building and testing equipment for it. I’ll spend two weeks in Chile setting it up and commissioning it, which will be my third trip down there. I could have saved a lot of money by simply buying data from the Chile Scope but that’s not why I participate in this hobby. Building, commissioning the equipment and running it are a big part of what I really love about imaging. For me, the processing is fun but it’s more like drudgery compared to dealing with the hardware.

I’ll add that I’ve been consulting a little with Adam Block on his new 24” project and I know that he would agree that it has been an incredibly consuming effort to assemble and configure that system. He’s been at it for over 6 months and he might have another 4-6 months to go before it in a crate on its way to the observatory. Frankly, configuring and running a remote system is often a LOT more difficult than running a scope in your backyard.

John

John Hayes:
Good point Bill! DSW used to have a major problem with mice.

One issue that is all too common (and not just at observatories) is people leaving doors open unattended. This happened all the time at the place I mentioned, it was often open for hours with no one nearby.

It has also happened to us at home with contractors doing the same thing and we twice wound up with a mouse in the kitchen because of them. My rule has now become to never leave a door open for more than 10 minutes if there is no one within 10 feet of the door. Cut that in half at night.

OTOH, my roll-off here at home and the one where I am at now have never had a single rodent in them, and mine has been here for over 20 years. So with care it can be done.

It seems I may have touched a nerve here. I did not intend to cap on those that work with remote locations. But, as you said John, you spend months setting up the equipment, then what? You push the start button, go to bed, and wait for the data to come in over the internet. I like to tinker with my equipment. Not because it is broke, but because I like to tinker. Think of it like the car buff. He doesn't get the classic and put it in the garage and go look at it once a month. He's out in the garage polishing the 1964 mustang or putting on a new shift knob not because it is broke but because he likes to work on cars. I feel the same about my equipment, my hobby. I like to tinker.

There are those that need the remote location due to seeing conditions, light prolusion and such. I get that, but that would be my second choice.
Also, once I decide on a target for the night or week, I need to pick the scope to match the target. Wouldn't want to image the North American with the 1800mm scope or M51 with the 500mm scope. Hard to do when the scope in miles away.

I'll retract my comment on buying data, but I stand by wanting to keep the equipment in the back yard.
No pushing the button and going to bed for this guy.

Scott

Scott Lockwood:
It seems I may have touched a nerve here. I did not intend to cap on those that work with remote locations. But, as you said John, you spend months setting up the equipment, then what? You push the start button, go to bed, and wait for the data to come in over the internet. I like to tinker with my equipment. Not because it is broke, but because I like to tinker. Think of it like the car buff. He doesn't get the classic and put it in the garage and go look at it once a month. He's out in the garage polishing the 1964 mustang or putting on a new shift knob not because it is broke but because he likes to work on cars. I feel the same about my equipment, my hobby. I like to tinker.

There are those that need the remote location due to seeing conditions, light prolusion and such. I get that, but that would be my second choice.
Also, once I decide on a target for the night or week, I need to pick the scope to match the target. Wouldn't want to image the North American with the 1800mm scope or M51 with the 500mm scope. Hard to do when the scope in miles away.

I'll retract my comment on buying data, but I stand by wanting to keep the equipment in the back yard.
No pushing the button and going to bed for this guy.

Scott

skip watching the auto guider, break out the illuminated reticle and guide by hand.

Oh, how I miss those days...not... I'd rather get some sleep...I love the hardware side, I build my stuff too and have deep respect for all those that do as well, Scott, John.

Dave

skip watching the auto guider, break out the illuminated reticle and guide by hand. Oh, how I miss those days...not... I'd rather get some sleep...I love the hardware side, I build my stuff too and have deep respect for all those that do as well, Scott, John.

LOL! I am old enough to remember hand reticle guiding of (gasp

) FILM! That was truly not fun at all. I can now sleep at night like nature intended and my age requires - but do not equate that with being lazy - it still requires skill and effort to set up the software and hardware to make that work properly!

Bill McLaughlin:
skip watching the auto guider, break out the illuminated reticle and guide by hand. Oh, how I miss those days...not... I'd rather get some sleep...I love the hardware side, I build my stuff too and have deep respect for all those that do as well, Scott, John.

LOL! I am old enough to remember hand reticle guiding of (gasp ) FILM! That was truly not fun at all. I can now sleep at night like nature intended and my age requires - but do not equate that with being lazy - it still requires skill and effort to set up the software and hardware to make that work properly!

Hi Bill.
There is so much challenge and skill required in whatever your approach.

I would manual guide for 1.5 hours for a couple of targets a night. So cold, so tiring, eyes would play tricks, guide star would invert, appear to move, etc. the slightest error and the image was ruined. No image processing or software stacking. I would drive home exhausted but so excited that I couldn't sleep until I processed the film...

Remote automated observatories are WONDERFUL, but a lot more work than being a traveler and setting up each session, I know because like many others here, I did traveler field astro imaging for decades, and still do on occation...Dave