Highwinds Observatory construction
Most of the work I did myself in the summer of 2003. I
received help from some friends and family members who assisted in
building the roof trusses and roller support structure. I went with
a larger structure (11' 6" * 11' 6") since I have a very large yard
and now that I have collected other gear, I'm glad I went with that size.
CJE design plans can't be beat. Saved me a lot of time and it was exactly what I was looking for. The only real blunder I made was having the door face West, and I used to get a little moisture by the door due to the high winds and driving rain we get up here at 1,000 feet elevation in Geneseo. I have added a storm door to eliminate the moisture problem, which has worked out great. I do like having the door facing the house however.
Since I have a 12" Meade LX-200 Classic SCT on a Milburn wedge, I can't begin to tell you how much more enjoyable my observing sessions have become since I don't have to break everything down. I just put back on all of the lens and scope covers, roll the roof back, secure the 6 turnbuckles and go to bed.
Clear skies !
All text and images on these pages are Copyright © Roger K. Slade 2007