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After too many nights of hauling gear into the frost, rebalancing, recalibrating, and freezing while the sky taunted me, I finally broke. Instead of suffering another winter setup, I built an observatory.
A Tree Became a Telescope House
The observatory isn’t just a shed — it’s the reincarnation of a dead city tree.
Paid to fell it.
Paid again to haul it.
Milled it into planks.
Let it season for a year.
Built the observatory.
Used the leftover funds to buy the mount.
That tree now houses my telescopes and keeps them safe under the skies of Sweden.
Autonomous by Design
This isn’t a manned dome. Kepler 7 runs on its own:
USB relays, motor controllers, and limit switches automate the roof. (Parts still in the post)
Weather sensors, all-sky camera, and a CloudWatcher guard against unsafe conditions.
Python logic enforces safety rules: roof won’t open unless the mount is parked, dew control runs before optics fog, emergency shut-downs are instant.
Three computers split the load one for imaging, one for processing, one as a watchdog.
The goal: predict, not react. Learn the sky, anticipate dew, and exploit every clear patch automatically.
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Gear & Optics
Mount: iOptron CEM70 (7″ PE, guides at 0.3″–0.2″ RMS)
Widefield: Sharpstar Z4 100mm Petzval (f/5.5, 550 mm)
Galaxies: 8″ RC carbon-truss with adaptive optics (~2000 mm)
Camera: ToupTek ATR 26000M mono APS-C
Filters: Antlia 4.5 nm Ha/SII/OIII + full RGB Pro V
Accessories: ToupTek GMP 462 guide cam, Pegasus PowerBox Advanced, Falcon rotator, autofocus, heater bands, flat panel.
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