2.1m Classic Dome (Slit dome)

The wish to have one’s own observatory somewhere out in the countryside under a sky with little light pollution is certainly the wish of many amateur astronomers. Let us be honest: searching for easily accessible and suitable observing sites, the constantly recurring setup and dismantling of bulky instruments, colorful cable chaos on the ground, empty batteries, and PCs on shaky camping tables is not everyone’s idea of fun. Not to mention the wind whistling around your ears, dew forming on tubes and eyepieces, and freezing during the cold season. That was certainly the case for me. But from day x, when the construction of a private observatory became a settled matter for me, until the arrival of the Baader company truck with dome, pier, mount, and various optical items (including a Mark V large-field binocular), a great deal of water still flowed from the Hinterrhein into the North Sea.

Anyone who believes that here in Switzerland one can simply erect a building in complete seclusion — no matter how small — is mistaken. The bureaucratic horse also has to be ridden and paid for here. Extensive documentation in multiple copies made the rounds through many offices — all the way up to the federal capital Bern, where my application was finally approved subject to various conditions.

The construction of the observatory was associated with requirements as well as wishes. Thus, the building had to meet certain aesthetic standards, as it stands in a prime location and is visible from afar. A permanent power supply instead of batteries is a must for the smooth operation of the various electrical systems. However, this required the construction of an underground cable line.

A roll-off roof was never under discussion. The reason: effective protection from wind, cold, and stray light was required. Only a dome can provide that! Not to forget the massive concrete pier with the steel column and a precise GOTO mount that can easily carry two telescopes and can also be conveniently operated with a hand controller without a PC.

Long before the workmen on site began the excavation, laid the underground cable, poured the foundations, and constructed the building, I had examined various offers for the technical equipment. The decision in favor of Baader Planetarium was easy for me. The reason: it quickly became clear to me that at this address I was dealing with professionals who can also provide advice and take the necessary time to do so.

I drove to Mammendorf twice, where I was received very kindly. Mr. Baader showed me his company and introduced me to the various products that came into consideration. In the showroom, I also found my desired mount: a stainless-steel gray 10Micron GM2000 QCI.

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Since the observatory was set up by the people from Baader Planetarium until the writing of this report, much water has again flowed from Switzerland into the North Sea. And x times during this period, after entering, the following scenario has taken place:

1. Open the dome slit
2. Switch on the mount with the toggle switch on the control box
3. Select the desired object in the menu of the hand controller and confirm with Enter
4. Press Enter a second time so that the telescope can slew to the object
5. Use the remote control to move the dome slit into the correct position
6. Done!

The whole process does not even take five minutes. What more could one want?!

That makes it worthwhile in any case to go to the observatory even when the weather is uncertain. Apropos dome seeing: one reads and hears about it again and again. Personally, I have never experienced it to this day; the cause of shaky images has always been found in higher layers of the atmosphere …

Conclusion:

The dome is a real jewel and delivers what it promises. It withstands all weather conditions. The motor drive with the remote control for its rotation is a small luxury that I would no longer want to do without. My astronomical activity is primarily the visual observation of our solar system. It can well happen that the SolarMax II 90 Double Stack is pointed at the Sun for half a day. No problem for the 10Micron GM2000 QCI. Even after many hours, a look through the eyepiece shows that the tracking is extremely precise. The hand controller has proven to be very practical, and the extensive software with its many functions replaces the PC for me. One more thing: the Mark V large-field binocular has a not insignificant addictive potential: the view through it is so sensational (especially for the Moon and planets) that one simply cannot stop! The system has now been in operation for two years, and many people have come and gone there. I can simply say that the massive and professional construction of the individual components and their flawless functioning — be it the dome, the pier with the mount, the adapter system with the quick-release lock, the bino … — always makes a great impression on the visitors as well as on me. To this day, everything still works perfectly, in summer at 35 degrees heat as well as in winter at -20 degrees cold. At such sub-zero temperatures, of course, you can still feel the cold even under the protection of the dome. More comfortable it might be at home — but there is no steel pier there with an Italian beauty on top — meaning the GM2000 QCI — and the ceiling lacks the Baader dome with its slit opening to the free starry sky. More information at: www.sattenlegi.ch Willisau, 20 November 2013, Josef Bucher