Wifeosaurus wants her offground entertainment deck , been pressuring me to get this project moving ( hopefully before summer returns ).
So revisited the layout , and will be looking for a 36 - 42 sqm steel (boxspan) structure to be erected at the back of our home.
Will be topped with HardieDecking ( I don't fancy having to restain hardwood decking every year or 2 or fancy the price for situable exterior hardwood decking , too high maintenance for my liking , nor do I fancy plastic fake decking = a false economy imo ).
Since it's been 2 years since my last quote I need to seek out fresh quotes , and check with council regards dev permit needed or not .
I don't want to repeat the same mistake of the dope who was living next-door ( who's been forced to sell up to pay his $45,000 fine for his illegal shed and then illegal shed conversion - new neighbours soon - wife hopes they are nice people and not too noisy .
WE WILL NOT these people who lived as our north next-door neighbours , been more bother and problems than they were worth
We
> wont miss the pack of guard dogs ( barking at all hours , never made a sound when stuff was stolen from shed and yard ),
the working at unsociable hours ( ignorant people ),
loading / unloading truck / trailor at midnight in the dark ( up to no good IMO , believe he was knicking timber and hardware from work ) ,
the cars / trucks parking all over my greenstrip ,
the yard invasions and junk invasions ,
the thieving ( I believe he stole my fishing rods , my collection of berry and fruit plants , and other stuff ) ,
the attempts by hubby to bully us whenever I objected ,
the loud horrible boom boom music ( their son plays ).
Good riddance.
Likely deck will be 8m x 4.5m , either lined up wth NE corner of our house or centered on our back door ,
or
12m x 3m lined up with the NE corner of the our house
WIll also buy an kit Colorbond Garden Shed with a gable roof to have installed in my yard , this will be on a metal framed offground deck between the back of our house and the highest 3m x 1.5m raised bed .
This is will be converted to a ROLL ON ROLL OFF ROOF observatory to house
my 10" f/4.6 home built dobsonian ,
my 10" f/4 foamcored carbon fibre tubed Astrographic Newtonian ( all I need to is assemble and collimate it - been on hold and in storage in a parts in a 150L tub ) mounted on my Vixen New Atlux computerised GOTO GEM ,
< I'll invest in a 90D or maybe a 9D when it's released ( to go to a 35mm sensor) or maybe a one shop color cooled AZI astrocamera ( they have very good reviews in astrophotography circles but as not useable for happy snaps like a good DSLR is ) >
my AUTOGUIDER CONVERSION ( I did the electronic conversion ) Celestron CG5 GEM camera platform / skypatrol platform ( will set up with my 60D + Tamron Ad2all SP 300mm F/2.8 LD-IF 60B super telephoto
+ side by side w/ my 50D with either my
Tamron Ad2all SP 80-200mm F/2.8 LD 30A superzoom or
Nikkor 180mm f/2.8 AIS or
Nikkor 135mm f/2 AIS or
Tamron Ad2all 24mm F/2.5 01B superwide angle or
Tamron Ad2all17mm f/3.5 SP 51B superwide angle
so I can finally get back into deep space imaging again and check off one of my life long bucket list items ( ie backyard observatory with very good astrographic telescope permanently setup ).
Yes I have a gap in my focal lengths , that is covered by
Sigma 50-150mm f/2.8 EX DC HSM APO Zoom ,
Sigma 18-200mm F3 5 6 3 II DC OS HSM Zoom , which are part of my camera kit.
I'm eyeing the following lenses
Sigma 24-70mm f/2.8 DG OS HSM Zoom or Tamron EF SP 24-70mm F/2.8 Di VC USD A007
Sigma 85mm f/1.4 DG HSM ( a Canon 85mm f/1.2 L glass would v-nice but I can't justify > $2000 for it even 2nd hand and a Nikkor 85mm f/1.4 AIS is too pricey for 2nd hand ( up near $1000 on Ebay )
I spent the day working on my RORO design , and working out the best location in my backyard , was considering either
building it on the Nth end of the 3m garage slab extension
<< pros - flat concrete surface already there + vgood S and SW and N and NW viewing/imaging
<< cons - concrete and shed will take long time for thermals to disappear => bad air for longer + loose use of 2.4m x 3m of the 3m x 6m avail working room
or'
between the hockeystick bed and the back of the house
<< pros - very good S , SE , N and NE viewing , close to under house AC outlet ,
<< cons - loose sky w of zenith , need to build a small offground platform to put building on,close to driveway so seeing will be effected by thermals while driveway cools + from house roof , constraints on space
or
on the old slab at the NE corner of my house
<< pros - can build on existing slab (saves $) , can fix steel pier to existing slab , good viewing E of zenith , can install AC to ROR very easily
<< cons - loose viewing S of house , loose viewing W of zenith , issues with thermals from slab and house
or
on the big deck when it's built'.
<< pros - same position as above but 2m off ground , larger part of sky than above (on old slab) will be able view well W of zenith & more of S sky , very convenient location ( straight out bk door , no steps , no uneven - sloping ground to walk on or carry gear & laptop over , running AC to RORO will be v-easy
>> cons - will have to wait for deck , will need to reinforce & stiffen deck where astrograph will be mounted ( expensive ? ) , vibrations will upset tracking/imaging , more light pollution from street light on NW corner of my greenstrip (BAD) and from Pacific HW on west of Mt Kahibah (VBAD), and in street below my street (VBAD) but can be eliminated by imaging in narrow bands or using a LP filter or taller walls on the RORO.
Settled on the spot shown in the layout over 1.5 yrs ago when I decided three 3m x 1.5m bed would do - next to Nth bdry fence between W 3m x 1.5m raised bed and old slab
> pros = best compromise on sky limits , best location to block max local light pollution , minimal thermals , makes good use the location while having minimal impact on the plants I'll grow in the beds , less grass to mow , blank canvas ( area of land )
> cons = running AC to ROR will be expensive involving trenching - will add at least one 160W solar panel + solar charger + a 200 AH deep discharge Gel battery + inverter to get 12V and AC if I decide I need it
< cons = need footing to fix the steel pier to and to install a timber deck on to install RORO on .
So I'll price the prefab colorbond gable style garden shed and concrete footing and 2.4x3m off ground deck and boxspan roof rail and garage panel lift door roller h/w & roof reinforcements first while I wait for quotes to do the big entertainment deck , and see if I can get a tradie to do my build.
Seen kit colorbond sheds in the right size settling as flatpacks for under $500 ( these are a good staring point , can be erected in a day by a couple of workers if the slab / deck is ready ).
As usual , I'd do my own design calcs for the deck , footings, and rolling roof supports . Then I'll scketch it up and see quotes to assemble to my design and specs.