Sliding Roof Observatory

The observatory is more or less exactly the right size for the telescope to sit in its horizontal stored position diagonally with the roof closed.

Sliding roof observatory. When the roof opens up the scope can pivot upward and get to most of the sky. Instead of having to lift off the roof of an observatory these roofs can be rolled to one side and easily moved back afterword to protect the equipment. Roll off roof roll off roof observatory design we create custom plans for roll off observatories and sell automated roof tracking systems. The new shed has a clampshell roof which can be opened manually.

The roof of the observation can be opened manually using handles. I got lucky on mine. The observatory was refiitted with a new sliding roof in february 2009 in order to permit the installation of a new taller telescope a 12 lx200 with larger diameter tube and longer fork arms mounted on a new larger equatorial wedge. This design is called flip top batwing or klappdachhütte german.

The skyshed plans called for laying down 1x10s for the floor however i decided to put a sub floor of half inch pt plywood and then add pt 1 x 10s. For example i planned my observatory as a split roof design where the roll off roof has to glide underneath the eave of the permanent roof covering the control room. The home farm observatories story started in 2010 when neil then the owner of a telescope shop was approached by a customer in edinburgh to recommend a good quality roll off roof observatory for the new equipment he was to purchase. The main challenge was making the rest of the roof structure rigid enough to keep its shape without making it so heavy as to be hard to lift in to place.

The two halves open at the peak of the roof and are hinged to the sides of the building. Without measured drawings of your observatory you might run into the problem of not providing the necessary clearance for the roll off roof. In addition because they look similar to traditional sheds our sky sheds still look nice sitting in your yard. Our designs are uniquely individualized for your installation.

Our roll off observatory shed is a great choice for all stargazing enthusiasts. The steel gate system is designed to support heavy sliding gates so i knew it would stand up to the weight of a small wooden roof.