Gallery · 18. May 2014
Neither the joists nor the floor planking is in contact with the concrete pier footing.
Gallery · 11. May 2014
Vibrations from the floor must not propagate to the telescope. Therefore, the concrete footing does not touch the floor, joists or battens. The pyramid-shaped footing is in contact only with the bedrock and the compacted gravel layer over the bedrock.
Gallery · 01. April 2014
The model name DDM 160 is an abbreviation for “Direct Drive Mount, 160 mm”. Direct drive means that torque is transferred directly to the polar and declination axes without gear reductions. The polar axis is 160 mm in diameter.
Gallery · 26. March 2014
Astrosysteme Austria (ASA) has designed this large pier with a goal of maximizing stability with a minimum footprint. Mated with the DDM 160, it allows 360 degrees rotation in right ascension without hitting the pier, even when pointed at the pole.
Gallery · 23. March 2014
Astrosysteme Austria (ASA) made the pier in 11 millimeter thick steel. It is designed as a "knicksäule", a bent column which is custom-made to the observatory's latitude and the telescope's back-focus and instrument package.
Gallery · 20. March 2014
A four meter dome provides little space for a 62 cm telescope with an f3.4 primary and accessible prime focus. Had the prime focus not been accessible, then the optical tube assembly (OTA) would have been considerably shorter.
Gallery · 12. January 2014
With a little imagination, it is possible to assemble a ScopeDome without a crane truck. My kind neighbour stumbled upon the idea to construct a gantry crane with an electric hoist.
Gallery · 04. January 2014
The dome ring apron collar is made of fiberglass-reinforced polyester. It consists of five segments. There are pre-drilled holes for stainless steel countersunk screws and bolts that fasten the segments securely to the rotation ring.
Gallery · 02. January 2014
In order to lift the seven fibreglass and steel dome elements into position, we are building a gantry crane with a hoist trolley. The trolley carries an electric hoist having a lifting capacity of five hundred kilograms.