1. What is the difference between a HOME-DOME and a PRO-DOME?2. How does the dome attach to the foundation?
3. Can motors and automation be added later?
4. What is the right size dome for my telescope?
5. Do I have to pay tax on the dome purchase?
6. Does the dome carry a warranty?
7. Is it OK to use a tripod in the dome, or should I switch to a pier?
8. Can we mount the dome on a building that we design?
9. What if we want to put the dome on a rooftop?
10. Do you make an 8' diameter dome? (or 12' dome?)
11. How does the infra-red Dome Trak work?
12. When I'm ready for computer automation, do I need anything besides Digital Dome Works?
14. Will you comment on the dome products of your competitors?
15. I have lots of questions about ROBO-DOME.
16. Can you answer some questions about ROBO-FOCUS?
1. What is the difference between a HOME-DOME and a PRO-DOME?
In general, the HOME-DOMEs are smaller than the PRO-DOMEs (HD-6 and HD-10 versus PD-10 and PD-15.) There is no difference in the overall design or in the quality of the materials.The HD-6S and HD-10 are designed to be mounted on another structure, for example a dormer on the roof of a garage. All other models have a door in the wall, and are designed to be mounted on a deck or concrete pad or flat roof building.
The PD-10 and PD-15 have hardware not included with the HD models - a lock on the front shutter, a door section in the base ring and in the matching wall rings, and additional rollers.
At the bottom of the base ring (or wall ring if you are using them) is an inward flange that is about 3" wide. You will drill down through this flange into your foundation and fasten the dome down with anchor bolts.Every dome must be anchored to a strong foundation. The foundation keeps the dome from lifting, twisting or sliding away during windstorms.
Yes, you can add any of our electric equipment after the dome is constructed. Depending on the observatory design, it is sometimes easier to install hardware during the initial assembly, but it is not essential to do so.
The "right" dome size depends on telescope size, but also on other factors, such as your budget, the type of scope and mount, other equipment that must be in the observatory, and how many people will be using the dome.Short tube telescopes, such as Schmidt Cassegrains, will fit in almost any size dome (in general, the 6' diameter dome will work with scopes up to 11" diameter). Longer tube telescopes, including Newtonians and long refractors require larger domes. Dobsonians are the hardest to fit in a dome, because the pivot point of the scope is at the bottom. This means your wall must be low and the diameter large. It is often wise to change the mount of the OTA to make sure this telescope will fit in a smaller dome.
Schools and other public institutions must take into consideration the requirements of the Americans with Disabilities Act when selecting dome size, and, in particular, in designing dome access.
See our Dome Dimension Worksheet, or call for more details.
Only those products delivered in the state of Maryland are subject to the 5% Maryland sales tax.When international shipments arrive in the destination country, they are usually subject to duty/taxes which must be paid by the purchaser before the shipment is released from the customs warehouse.
Yes. In fact, we have two warranties.First, we a guarantee all fiberglass products and dome hardware against defects in materials and workmanship for one year. For electronics, this warranty period is 90 days.
Second, if you decide within 60 days of shipment that it is not satisfactory, you may return it to us. Returned items are subject to a restocking fee and you must get an authorization from us prior to returning the product. You also pay return shipping charges.
Request our brochure for the full statement of warranties and disclosures.
The answer depends on what kind of astronomy you will be doing. If you enjoy general visual astronomy and your foundation is quite strong, a tripod may work just fine.However, we generally recommend that you switch to a pier if possible. A pier takes up much less floor space than a tripod, so moving around in the dome is lots more convenient. Also, the properly designed pier allows much more precise observing, as needed for astrophotography and other viewing styles that depend on special equipment. See "At Home in a Dome" for a chapter on pier design.
Certainly! Many of our customers do this, and you will see examples of their creativity in the photo section of this web site. We often review building designs for customers, and you are welcome to ask us for feedback on your ideas.
Rooftop installations often give you better horizon views, but you need to take into account all sources of heat, humidity and vibration in the building you will be on.You will need to figure out access (e.g., from below via a trap door, versus an outside stairs?) and pier design (e.g., how will the pier be isolated from the observing floor?)
Rooftop installations usually require special review by the building codes officials in your jurisdiction, and/or your facilities management staff if you are at a college or research institution.
See At Home in a Dome for more details on all these issues.
No, but you can build your own structure with walls that are 8' on a side, then put the HD-6S on top. In fact, the walls beneath the dome can be any dimensions you want, so long as the top provides a strong, level bolting surface for the base ring of the observatory.
Four pairs of infra-red emitters/detectors are mounted on your telescope (using Velcro, not screws) along with the DT-1 control box. There is a lens in front of each emitter so the infra-red beam is tightly focused.When the scope is pointed toward the slot opening, the infra-red beam goes out into space. However, when the scope slews, the beam will hit the edge of the dome and bounce back into the detector. Then, the electronic logic in the control box tells the motors to turn on to make the dome align with the scope position so that once again the infra-red beam goes out the slot.
Probably not, unless you are going for very long distance control. Of course, we assume you already have motors on the dome, a computer controlled telescope and digital imaging equipment.The basic Digital Dome Works (DDW) is all you need for remote operation if your observatory is located near your control room, up to 400 feet distance. If your observatory is not adjacent to the control room, you will probably need a computer in the observatory and some sort of communication — phone or network link. In this case, you would probably also need either a general purpose remote operating system such as PCAnywhere®, which allows you to operate the in-dome computer from a long distance, or dedicated programs tailored for long distance operation of your observing equipment. (You can see photos and a description of our remote observatory by clicking here.)
For very long distances, i.e., many miles where it is difficult to visit the observatory, you will need more information from the remote site. For example, you would want remote weather instruments (with interlocks against dome opening), a video monitor in the dome (to check telescope operation, cable dragging, etc.), and some form of protection from power failures. These, and other features, are available as DDW options.
If multiple users will be having access to the observatory, you will also need to think hard about computer security, scheduling, and the like. Call us for advice.
All of our domes use the same drive motors, with larger domes simply having more motors. The motors drive their dome at about 6 inches per second. For a ten foot diameter dome, this is about 6 degrees per second. Higher or lower speeds can be provided on special order.The accuracy of the dome azimuth is set primarily by the azimuth movement sensor. Our standard sensor has a location precision of about one inch (i.e. one degree in a ten foot dome), which more than meets the needs for most applications. In actual use, accuracy of dome position is also controlled by the configuration settings that control how often the dome repositions itself.
We do our best to give you an honest assessment of product differences, but will not "tear down" another product. There are pros and cons to every observatory design, and you are fortunate to have a choice. There is room for a variety of products in the market; no one product is perfect for all applications.Here are a few general comparisons, and we can discuss more if you have specific questions:
We have recently been told that one vendor in the dome market is making false and near-libelous statements about our products. We are sorry to learn of this, as most observatory manufacturers have been respectful of one another's products.
- metal domes are more expensive than fiberglass, and have poorer temperature control; also installation costs are higher for metal domes because they weigh more
- domes with a bright white exterior will offer better UV reflection than unpainted or dark color roofs or domes
- clamshell domes and roll-off roof observatories have wide skies views but do not offer as much wind and stray light protection as in a dome
- dome designs that provide a slot opening from the horizon to beyond zenith offer the greatest flexibility for viewing
- tent-type observatories, including dome tents, are now available; those we have seen offer very good protection for overnight or weekend setups but they are not strong enough for permanent protection of your equipment
We urge you to evaluate us by seeing one of our observatories for yourself. Talk to one of our many satisfied customers or visit the websites listed on our customer comments page. And judge the source of derogatory comments by asking yourself why it is necessary for that producer to villify our products.
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