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Re: [APML] OT:Roll-off Roof Observatory
I'm lost as to who asked the question - the site everyone is mentioning
( http://www.seds.org/billa/obs/obslist.html ) is really good. Alan's
comment about a "roll down" roof reminds me that if I had mine to do
over, I would not do what I did so I share this for what it is worth:
I had the idea that instead of conventionally rolling my roof North,
I'd roll it down and South - I would thus have a lower Southern wall
without the hassle of some kind of fold-down affair. Now, what I learned
immediately is that for a country with a lot of snow, my roof was HEAVY
so I ended up using pulleys and counter weights to make it easy to winch
up but the next problem was that I ran cables up both side walls and
then into the centre of the North wall where both cables were winched up
together - BUT! each time the roof was pulled up, the cables climbed
over each other and so the tension on each side was different each time
and the roof would twist and bind in the channels. Now I have TWO
winches, one for each side, and it is pretty comical but it works fine.
I wouldn't do it again though.
Stuart
Alan Voetsch wrote:
>Chuck, Gary and all,
>
>--- Chuck Vaughn <aa6g@aa6g.org> wrote:
>
>
>>Good timing! I'm in the same boat and am looking for any plans that
>>might be out there.
>>
>>
>>> I am thinking about building a small observatory and was
>>>
>>>
>>wondering
>>
>>
>>>if anyone knows of a website or source of info on building one?
>>>
>>>
>>I'm
>>
>>
>>>looking for something fairly simple and inexpensive.
>>>
>>>
>
>Check out Bill Arnett's link:
>http://www.seds.org/billa/obs/obslist.html
>
>OTOH, I modeled mine after an article in the May '93 S&T. A roll down
>roof design. I made no plans, the pics in there just inspired me to
>make it up as I went along. I had it visualized and that's all I
>needed. Opens and closes in about 30 seconds. However, mine is 8' by 8'
>and would probably not be a practical design for something much larger.
>Who knows, necessity is the mother of invention.
>
>Alan
>
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