MORNING STAR OBSERVATORY
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      • VTVMs and Multimeters >
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        • Supreme Model 562 Audolyzer circa 1941
        • Supreme Model 562 Audolyzer circa 1946
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      • Other Test Equipment >
        • Heathkit IT-28 Capacitor Tester
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MSO Observatory

Picture
Our new location for the observatory is at about 1100 feet elevation nestled in the South Branch Valley of the Potomac Highlands. The valley's ridges, which run more or less North to South, are around 2000 to over 2600 feet high to the East and West of the new location. This is a view looking to the West. The observatory will be built out in the field.
Picture
This is a view looking East from the observatory site.
This site has borderline Bortle Class 3 skies according to a couple of online conversion charts for converting SQM readings to the Bortle Scale. I've been taking SQM meter readings occasionally in the field and the average sky quality is reading around 21.32 so far. Once things settle down I'll start taking SQM readings on a more regular basis to get a better picture of how the skies vary from season to season.
The new observatory dome will be the 12-1/2' metal "Lancaster" dome I've had stored for the last decade. It's construction is a lot more involved than that of the smaller one-piece Exploradome I was using.
More about the Lancaster dome...

Picture
​Actually, the first phase of building the new obs is finishing out the 14x30 metal building on site. It's been insulated and the interior walls completed, and houses my electronics lab, all my other hobbies, and will serve as the warm room for the observatory computers. I'm installing all the needed infrastructure, including a gigabit network running back to the house where it ties into a fiber Internet connection, and will eventually continue over to the observatory dome which will be about 200-feet away from the house.

​The server and workstations are up and running and I've been installing astronomy-related software. And I can start integrating the equipment and configuring software for the mount, cameras, focuser, and filter wheel in the comfort of the lab.

Picture
The parts of the Lancaster Dome are waiting to be assembled, but that won't start until spring. Since I don't have detailed drawings or an assembly manual, it needs to be at least partially assembled just to get accurate dome dimensions for drawing up the building and wheel base. And I need to confirm there are no missing pieces.

The dome could be built in place on top of the obs walls or constructed on the ground first, to make the work of cutting the aperture and fitting the panels easier. But it would still likely need to be at least partially disassembled to move and install it on the observatory building.
Building the new dome...

Picture
I picked up a used steel pier I found listed on Astromart, that was only a little over an hours drive away. It's 10" in diameter, 39" tall (adjustable) and has a 13" diameter top plate.


more to come...
Page created 7/24/2022
​Last edited 3/10/2023
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  • Home
    • About
    • Contact
  • Astrophotography
  • The Observatory
    • The New Observatory
    • - About the ExploraDome
    • - About the Lancaster Dome
    • - Building the Lancaster Dome
  • Equipment
    • CCD Cameras >
      • Orion Starshoot Pro
      • QSI 683WS
      • ZWO ASI-178MM
    • Eyepieces
    • Filters
    • Mounts >
      • Orion HDX-110 (EQ-8) >
        • New HDX-110 Setup
        • Orion HDX110 EQ-8
    • Observatory Computers
    • Telescopes >
      • Astro-Tech AT6RC
      • Celestron C-11 XLT
      • Zhumell 152mm Refractor
  • Projects
    • Arduino Focuser
    • C11 XLT Mods
    • Orion SSPRO Camera >
      • Disassembled Views
      • Noise Reduction Mod
      • Temp Controller Mod
    • Ultima 8 Mods
    • Zhumell Refractor Mods
  • Non-Astronomy
    • Amateur Radio >
      • Boat Anchor Radios >
        • BC-348N Receiver
        • Collins 51J4 HF Receiver
        • R-392 HF Receiver
      • DIY >
        • Station Boom Microphone
      • Ameco >
        • Ameco AC-1
        • Ameco OCM
        • Ameco PT-2
        • Ameco R5A
      • Heathkit >
        • Heathkit SB-102 Station
      • Knight-Kit >
        • Knight Kit Span Master II
      • Yaesu FT-817 >
        • Yaesu FT-817ND
        • LDG Z-817 Autotuner
        • Windcamp LiPo Battery
    • Antique Radios >
      • Building A Radio Workbench
      • Radio Dial Neon Clock
      • Radios >
        • 1938 Zenith 6-S-254
        • Echophone EC-1
        • Eltz Radione 2
        • Panasonic RF-5000A
        • Silvertone Model 4465
    • Geiger Counters >
      • AN/PDR-27G Radiac Set
      • Lionel CD V-700 Geiger Counter
      • RCA WF-12A Geiger Counter
    • Test Equipment >
      • DIY Test Equipment >
        • DIY Curve Tracer
        • DIY Signature Tracer
      • Military Test Equipment >
        • BC-221-AF Frequency Meter
        • LM-21 Frequency Meter
        • TS-323/UR Frequency Meter
        • TS-465 C/U Sweep Generator
        • TS-505D/U VTVM
        • TV-3C/U Tube Tester
      • Tube Testers >
        • Alternating Current Sink
        • Drug Store Tester
        • EMC Model 200 Tube Tester
        • Hickok Model 6000A Tube Tester
        • Hickok OZ-1 (550X)
        • Precise Model 111 Tube Tester
        • Precision Model 10-12
        • Supreme Model 385
        • TV-3C/U Tube Tester
      • VTVMs and Multimeters >
        • B&K Model 290 Hi-Low FET Multimeter
        • Hickok 225K VTVM
        • McMurdo Silver VOMAX 900
        • Micronta 22-220 FET Multimeter
        • Simpson 360-2 Digital FET DMM
        • TS-505D/U VTVM
      • Hickok >
        • Hickok 19X RF Generator
        • Hickok 225K VTVM
        • Hickok 288X RF Generator
        • Hickok OZ-1 (550X)
        • Hickok 6000A Tube Tester
      • Simpson >
        • Simpson 360 DMM
        • Simpson 360-2 DMM
        • Simpson 480 Genescope
      • Supreme Instruments >
        • Supreme 385 Automatic
        • Supreme 560 Vedolyzer
        • Supreme 560A Vedolyzer
        • Supreme Model 561 AF/RF Generator
        • Supreme's Model 562 Audolyzer
        • Supreme Model 562 Audolyzer circa 1941
        • Supreme Model 562 Audolyzer circa 1946
        • Supreme Model 563 Audio Generator
        • Supreme Model 576 RF Generator
      • Other Test Equipment >
        • Heathkit IT-28 Capacitor Tester
        • Rider 162 Chanalyst
        • Tektronix 326 O'scope
        • VU-Data Model 941B Oscilloscope
    • ---------------
    • Fossils
    • Rocks and Minerals
    • Star Trek >
      • Star Trek Rock Mood Lamp
      • Star Trek Communicator