Roll Off Roof Observatory Construction
Wheel diameter is 4 or 6 depending on the roof size.
Roll off roof observatory construction. See my original thread here. In 1997 we acquired 2 000 m of land close to la coruña in the northwest of spain where we live. Planning the site viewing requirements conforming to by laws and orientation of the structure. Some are built on housetops and some are built on stilts to see above trees.
Originally i only planned to put up a pier new shed but the good people here on sgl encouraged me to go for a full observatory. The roller assembly consists of a bent steel plate with a v groove roller assembly welded to the plate. Pier astro shed eventually i settled on the idea of a roll over roof. It is located on top of a hill with unobstructed few to all sides and has still fairly dark sky.
Without measured drawings of your observatory you might run into the problem of not providing the necessary clearance for the roll off roof. Roll off roof observatories advantages almost full sky access home owners associations can be home made cost less than a dome disadvantages roof can be very heavy extra area needed for roof truss system high walls. Many are classic domes that scream observatory when you see them. We will construct a small guesthouse a main house and of course want to include a small observatory as well.
Building a roll off roof observatory is unique covering all aspects of designing a roll off roof observatory. Our backyard observatories are made to ensure years of reliability and enjoyment. A roll off roof observatory is the simplest and by far the most popular observatory design for today s practical astronomers. Roll off roof observatories now in our 18th year of providing the highest quality ever customizable observatories available.
I got lucky on mine. With high quality residential type construction they are virtually maintenance free for years to come. Observatory solutions is a consulting firm located in southwest colorado that develops customized solutions for astronomical observatories that integrate site design style and equipment configuration. Some are spartan and utilitarian and many are lavish with amenities and decorations.
For building the roof frame i used a 2 x 6 for the main cross beam and used a 2 x 4 support to level and hold in place. My design is probably quite unconventional and uses an off the shelf 12 x 8 shed as a starting point. I followed the plans from skyshed for the the gable and roof construction again using deck screws. A small roll off roof observatory.
Track sections are 10 feet in length and come with pre drilled 3 8 holes for lag or through bolting to the observatory side walls and roof support system.