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strongmanmike2002 | profile | all galleries >> Observatory and Equipment >> "Eagleview" - The Highest Observatory in Australia >> Building Eagleview Observatory (2022) tree view | thumbnails | slideshow

Building Eagleview Observatory (2022)

The construction started on Australia's highest observatory on Tuesday 7 December 2021 and was fully completed 15 January 2023
It sits high in the Tinderry Mountains at 1450m AMSL, with views to die for!
The Plan
The Plan		 A serious remote astro location!
A serious remote astro location!		 Turning the first sod for Eagleview Observatory
Turning the first sod for Eagleview Observatory		 Site cutting starts
Site cutting starts
Site cut
Site cut		 Site cut nearly there
Site cut nearly there		 Pier footing hole
Pier footing hole		 Digging the hole for the telescope support column footing
Digging the hole for the telescope support column footing
Looking up to the observatory pad from the house
Looking up to the observatory pad from the house		 Clear open skies
Clear open skies		 Site cut finished...what a View!
Site cut finished...what a View!		 Road base arrives
Road base arrives
Pier footing formed up
Pier footing formed up		 Pier footing formed up
Pier footing formed up		 True North alignment
True North alignment		 A beautiful clear day at Eagleview
A beautiful clear day at Eagleview
Proposed rebar cage for concrete pier and footing
Proposed rebar cage for concrete pier and footing		 Anchor bolts
Anchor bolts		 Magnificent view from the observing site
Magnificent view from the observing site		 Spreading the road base
Spreading the road base
Spreading the road base
Spreading the road base		 Building the path down to the house
Building the path down to the house		 Observatory site finished
Observatory site finished		 Observatory site ready
Observatory site ready
Trees removed revealing this spectacular view!
Trees removed revealing this spectacular view!		 18 F4.1 GOTO Dob
18" F4.1 GOTO Dob		 Scopedome arrives at Sidereal Trading
Scopedome arrives at Sidereal Trading		 Scopedome arrives at Sidereal Trading
Scopedome arrives at Sidereal Trading
Scopedome arrives at Sidereal Trading
Scopedome arrives at Sidereal Trading		 Rebar cage for single pour monolithic pier and footing
Rebar cage for single pour monolithic pier and footing		 Rebar cage for pier and footing
Rebar cage for pier and footing 		Rebar cage with anchor bolts and template
Rebar cage with anchor bolts and template
Rebar cage in place
Rebar cage in place		 Top cover with concrete access holes
Top cover with concrete access holes		 Levelling the top edge to enable a nice flat pillar top
Levelling the top edge to enable a nice flat pillar top		 Formwork in place, side access covers and anchor bolts off
Formwork in place, side access covers and anchor bolts off
Side access covers and anchor bolts in place
Side access covers and anchor bolts in place 		Control room being picked up from Terroux Observatory
Control room being picked up from Terroux Observatory		 Control room being picked up from Terroux
Control room being picked up from Terroux		 Arriving at the top of the Tinderry Mountain road
Arriving at the top of the Tinderry Mountain road
Ready to unload at Eagleview Observatory
Ready to unload at Eagleview Observatory		 Unloading at a new much higher home
Unloading at a new much higher home		 Lowering control room into place
Lowering control room into place		 Control room in place with its nice new view
Control room in place with its nice new view
Like an Eagle, purched up looking down across the Monaro
Like an Eagle, purched up looking down across the Monaro 		Security Guard - La La the Chicken!
Security Guard - La La the Chicken!		 Observatory Goodies
Observatory Goodies		 Formwork ready for concrete pour
Formwork ready for concrete pour
Formwork ready for concrete pour
Formwork ready for concrete pour		 Slab formwork for 18 inch Dobsonian housing
Slab formwork for 18 inch Dobsonian housing		 Slab formwork progressing
Slab formwork progressing		 Father and son team
Father and son team
Slab formwork for 18 Dob housing and observing area - finished
Slab formwork for 18" Dob housing and observing area - finished		 Plastic under slab and path-telescope isolation joint fabricated
Plastic under slab and path-telescope isolation joint fabricated		 Ready for an early morning delivery of concrete
Ready for an early morning delivery of concrete		 Filling the column footing and agitating the concrete
Filling the column footing and agitating the concrete
Filling the telescope support column
Filling the telescope support column		 Filling the slab for the 18 Dobsonian housing
Filling the slab for the 18" Dobsonian housing		 Spreading, skreeting and floating, hard work
Spreading, skreeting and floating, hard work		 My life saving neighbour Allan
My life saving neighbour Allan
Kangaroo, wild pig, deer, wallaby and wombat deterrent fence
Kangaroo, wild pig, deer, wallaby and wombat deterrent fence		 What a viewing spot this is going to be!
What a viewing spot this is going to be!		 Concrete column and footing
Concrete column and footing		 After a final wet down concrete is finished
After a final wet down concrete is finished
A bit of work but after a final wet down...Ta daaaaa!
A bit of work but after a final wet down...Ta daaaaa!		 Completed concrete support pillar
Completed concrete support pillar		 3M Scopedome leaving Sidereal Trading in Melbourne
3M Scopedome leaving Sidereal Trading in Melbourne		 3M Scopedome arriving at Eagleview 2nd April 2022
3M Scopedome arriving at Eagleview 2nd April 2022
Unloading1
Unloading1		 Unloading 2
Unloading 2		 Unloading 3
Unloading 3		 The Eagle has landed!
The Eagle has landed!
Highest astronomical observatory dome in Australia
Highest astronomical observatory dome in Australia		 Deck started 6 April 2022
Deck started 6 April 2022		 Deck aligned precisely true North-South
Deck aligned precisely true North-South		 Deck stage 1
Deck stage 1
Posts set deep down into rock
Posts set deep down into rock		 Posts set deep into the ground
Posts set deep into the ground		 Solar power system going in
Solar power system going in		 Panels mounted at 32deg
Panels mounted at 32deg
Solar panels mounted
Solar panels mounted		 Solar panels mounted
Solar panels mounted		 Electrical setup
Electrical setup		 3.3 KVa pure sine wave inverter generator
3.3 KVa pure sine wave inverter generator
3.3Kva inverter/generator
3.3Kva inverter/generator		 Deck almost completed
Deck almost completed		 Stairs going in
Stairs going in		 Troy and Abbey of McPherson Homes
Troy and Abbey of McPherson Homes
Gabby McPherson handy with the tools
Gabby McPherson handy with the tools		 Finished
Finished		 Finished
Finished		 A deck above the clouds
A deck above the clouds
Whole observatory area is taking shape
Whole observatory area is taking shape		 Lovely Merbau deck
Lovely Merbau deck		 Deck supports at each corner
Deck supports at each corner		 Under the deck
Under the deck
Isolated support pier
Isolated support pier		 Concrete column isolated from deck
Concrete column isolated from deck		 Even the view from under the deck is spectacular :-)
Even the view from under the deck is spectacular :-)		 90% UV Shade cloth under deck
90% UV Shade cloth under deck
Electrical and data access will be via 90mm PVC pipe
Electrical and data access will be via 90mm PVC pipe		 Almost there...
Almost there...		 Telescope and mount at previous Terroux Observatory
Telescope and mount at previous Terroux Observatory		 Removing around 50kg of mount for its new home in the mountains...bah! easy!
Removing around 50kg of mount for its new home in the mountains...bah! easy!
Removing the 45kg central steel pier...
Removing the 45kg central steel pier...		 A car full of quite a few thousand $'s worth of astro gear...drive carefully!
A car full of quite a few thousand $'s worth of astro gear...drive carefully!		 Full..and ready for the trip to their new home up in the Tinderry mountains
Full..and ready for the trip to their new home up in the Tinderry mountains		 End of an era...
End of an era...
Gear all ready to be installed in the new dome
Gear all ready to be installed in the new dome		 Dome assembly 28 and 29 May 2022
Dome assembly 28 and 29 May 2022 		Ready for a clear night after the snow
Ready for a clear night after the snow		 Eagleview Observatory ready to rumble!
Eagleview Observatory ready to rumble!
Mount, telescopes, imaging gear assembled and cables routed...ready to rumble
Mount, telescopes, imaging gear assembled and cables routed...ready to rumble		 Power and data connected
Power and data connected		 Above ground piping for power and data cables
Above ground piping for power and data cables		 Pipes carrying power and data from the control room to the observatory
Pipes carrying power and data from the control room to the observatory
The dream is realised....
The dream is realised....		 Observatory in the snow
Observatory in the snow		 Observatory in the snow 2
Observatory in the snow 2		 Assembling the shed for the 18 Goto Dobsonian
Assembling the shed for the 18" Goto Dobsonian
Assembling the shed for the 18 Goto Dobsonian
Assembling the shed for the 18" Goto Dobsonian		 Assembling the shed for the 18 Goto Dobsonian
Assembling the shed for the 18" Goto Dobsonian		 Assembling the shed for the 18 Goto Dobsonian
Assembling the shed for the 18" Goto Dobsonian		 Assembling the shed for the 18 Goto Dobsonian
Assembling the shed for the 18" Goto Dobsonian
Assembling the shed for the 18 Goto Dobsonian
Assembling the shed for the 18" Goto Dobsonian		 18 inch Dobsonian housing finished
18 inch Dobsonian housing finished		 Shed for the 18 Goto Dobsonian
Shed for the 18" Goto Dobsonian		 Pristine air and sky, with visibility out to 83km!
Pristine air and sky, with visibility out to 83km!
Observatory with all infrastructure in place
Observatory with all infrastructure in place		 Observatory with all infrastructure in place
Observatory with all infrastructure in place		 Observatory with all infrastructure in place
Observatory with all infrastructure in place		 Solar panels
Solar panels

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joseantonio11-Jan-2022 05:21
very nice report.V
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