ScopeHut Observatory

With the observatory built, it was time for an upgrade. I buried three concrete blocks in the ground, each with small holes in the center. These holes allowed my tripod to sit consistently in place whenever I moved it in and out of the shed. This setup worked well initially. However, I soon realized that I wasn’t removing the tripod as often, and it became difficult to maneuver around it in the small hut. Once again, my DIY spirit kicked in.

It was time to build a pier. I started with the same landscape blocks used on the corners of the Hut. Using landscape adhesive, I stacked eight blocks with a 3/8 allthread running from bottom to top. Washers and nuts compressed the blocks as the adhesive set. Once built, I dug a hole in the Hut where I wanted the pier. I could only go about 10 inches deep before hitting solid rock. To ensure stability, I drilled a 6-inch hole in the rock. I adjusted the allthread to protrude about 5 inches from the bottom. Filling the hole in the rock with adhesive, I placed the pier in the hole and filled it with concrete. Six months later, it hasn’t moved. After building a custom birdcage to attach the ZWO pier extension, I placed it on the pier and leveled it. I’m happy to report that I haven’t had to relevel since installation. It’s been rock solid.