SG-Home Observatory-aka: home window or Balcony!

[timatworksg]

Hi to all!

Firstly, not sure if this is the right place to post this, but am curious and wish to hear on each ones home set up...more for nostalgia and how easy/cumbersome it is to set up at home. Also perhaps it can give the beginners/newcomers on the insights of setting up at a window and how good or bad it can be from different locations and views!
If this topic needs to be moved elsewhere, Mods, please do so...thank you!

Ok,...the Home set up! I'm sure we all have peeked our scopes out of a window. Curious to know, no matter how crazy it may be, how each of us set up, view limits, light pollution, serious set up, easy simple set up, etc etc. Even if it sounds zany and suicide (no sitting on window sills please!!!) please post it. It may seem like desperation to view something, but as long as it works for you,...lets hear about it!!

I'll start...

I mostly Ob from my 2nd Floor Balcony which has a great view of the East to South skies!! Milky way dead center!! Light Pollution...Terribly alot!! I have a huge walkway lamp outside!!! Sometimes I jump to another NE facing room for other views...as long as I wait for the star/DSO/planet to clear the tree!
I have set up from simple, scope and EQ mount, no alignment, just scanning the skies. Mid set up, aligned, scope, goto with mains power to serious set ups, scope, aligned mount, goto, tracking with PHD and finder guide scope hooked to Meade DSI, DSLR camera, laptop, chair, small fan blowing, multi socket plugs for everything and a cup of coffee or beer..lol!

I only have about 30mins, sometimes less, of good viewing space when it clears the light polluted horizon to the top of my window. Have many times gone with ellaborate set ups, then wait, and a cloud moves in and I tear everything down and goto sleep. I can mostly do 2 star alignment. But most East views and killed by the blooming lamp!!! The lamp also makes me pretty apparent in the balcony and I may seem like an old bugger (chee-ko) looking into peoples rooms!! eeeek!! Have even used large blankets to shield the lamp by hanging it from my balcony window. If I crave longer views, I have to move the tripod after 30mins or so to get a little more seeing time. Which means realignment again!! My 80ED gets the most seeing from my balcony and my GP mount. I sweat more than anything and an eye patch is extremely useful here!!

Still trying to keep things simple overall. Difficult mostly to view anything, but I do have a small window (pardon the pun) of opportunity to see something and perhaps photograph it...though light pollution is bad here. Heck....at least I tried!

So what/how crazy are your home obs?? Let us know!!

[VinSnr]

I think most of the people home obs here are in Mersing every weekend.

[Chris]

I do obbing from my balcony. East coast area 25th floor. Awesome view of southern sky. Some times I go up to the rooftop (31st floor) to do obbing with friends. It is above all the light pollution so I can see lots of things, including all the stars in the big dipper and in a clear night, more than all the stars in centaurus can be seen.

[Airconvent]

Its always ideal to be able to ob from the comfort of your home. Food, drinks, PC and bed within reach! And no weight limit on transport of equipment!

[timatworksg]

Don't forget lavatory convenience!..haha!

@Gary : envy your floor level! Sometimes I wanna shoot the lamp outside so it doesn't spoil my view!

[ajitbm]

For me, very restricted view... I stay on 02nd floor and smack in front of my living room window is another block.. on the left, another HDB block... Light pollution is also bad as my living room window faces a street with street lamps.... Waiting for Aug, when I will move to my new house with bay windows and on 07th floor with little obstruction facing the western skies....

[VinSnr]

I do obbing from my balcony. East coast area 25th floor. Awesome view of southern sky. Some times I go up to the rooftop (31st floor) to do obbing with friends. It is above all the light pollution so I can see lots of things, including all the stars in the big dipper and in a clear night, more than all the stars in centaurus can be seen.

Dude, with a rooftop access, you should buy a 22" Obsession UC with a servocat. It's astro nirvana.

[Chris]

Dude, with a rooftop access, you should buy a 22" Obsession UC with a servocat. It's astro nirvana.

Yeah, lots can be done on my rooftop, even taking milky way is possible.

Well, I am more of an astro-imager... currently saving up for EQ6 mount then an apo.

Is there anyone with that sort of 22" fire power in sg currently?

@ timatworksg: There is a way to 'kill lights' without to permanently kill them, but is not so orthodox. For Geminids star party last year, we had ppl climbing on lamp posts to cover the lamps with cardbox boxes. I use a black cloth with fishing weights and strings attached to the sides so that I can flop it over the nearest light source when obbing in places like ECP. I don't think the cops will like it though, but its for the love of science!

[timatworksg]

22" Firepower??....with a rooftop and fellow astronomers...its an Ob Orgy!! or Obgy for short???...duh!

Where in East Coast are you???
Nice idea for light killing without really killing it! My sidewalk lamp is kinda some distance....hence I'd rather shoot it...haha! And yeah...anything that is used to cover them,...even though harmless is still classified as Vandalism. Just do the usual..."sorry Sir,..ok sir...(remove)...check...put back! Then if caught again....Run like Hell!!!"

Anyway I may solve my light prob once I plan out my balcony planter box pier. Basically a short pipe flange with top plate to mount the scope. Allowing it to stick out of the home a little more giving me some extra degrees skyward and the ability to point away from the lamp!

[vivid]

Lens hood would not work? I mean lens shade in this hobby....