CELEBRATING OUR 20TH ANNIVERSARY WITH EXCITING NEW POD MODELS & VARIATIONS!
For Astronomy / Astrophotography – Launch / LEO Tracking – Mission Tracking – Research –
Remote Monitoring
SkyShed POD-S is a new benchmark in mid-size observatories. Seriously.
Made from the same great material (LLDPE) as SkyShed POD and POD MAX. It’s really tough stuff. It can last for decades with a minimal amount of care.
Just as with POD and POD MAX, the only doubled-walled observatories on the market. Not a single-wall “eggshell” dome or wall. With up to 70% thicker/heavier material than SkyShed POD too.
POD-S will take on high wind speeds, large hail, snow, ice, pouring rain, dirt, pollen, harsh Sun. You name it. Pretty well everything nature can throw at it. Except a tornado. If a tornado hits, all bets are off, with any observatory.
Designed from the ground up to be operated manually, or on-site via our 24V motor/control system, with hand-controller or computer.
Plus remotely via LAN / Internet – PC, Linux, and your favorite ASCOM dome control software. I.E. The SkyX, NINA, SGPro, etc.
Simple, Robust, Industrial Strength.
Direct Shaft Drives
No “mickey mouse” friction drives, cable drives, sprocket drives, no plastic tracks, which are the norm. And which are generally not dependable, problematic, and poorly supported.
Up to 15 degrees per second rotation speed.
“Easy Roll” garage door track and quiet ball bearing/nylon roller Slot Cover System. Simple, strong. Works year ‘round.
The Slot Covers CAN’T blow off in the night as with some other mid-size observatories. They’re locked on. It will take a tornado to dislodge them. Yet very easy to roll at operating temperatures.
Past Zenith view with center mounted, offset mounted, or wedge mounted telescopes.
Leave the lower pivoting slot cover closed to obscure
local or neighboring lights when you’re concentrating on objects higher in the sky.
Great for solar observation and imaging when the sun is placed at a higher altitude.
Like POD, heavy tong-style steel dome brackets retain the dome in high winds.
Same footprint as original POD Clamshell. This means you now have 4 options to choose from. Original POD Wall/Bays or New Taller Wall/Bays.
Original Clamshell Style Dome, or new Slot Style Dome with or without Motor Control. Your choice. “Mix and Match”.
to their existing POD Wall and Bays.
Or add the New Taller Wall Panels, Door, and Bays to your existing POD Dome.
Or add the New Taller Wall Panels, Door, and Bays to your existing POD Dome.
Existing POD owners who would like to move to the new taller wall, can add the new SkyShed Pier Base Extension too. To raise your scope along with the wall height. Simple bolt on design. Using your existing SkyShed Pier bolt pattern.
Due to the new Taller Wall, Doorway, Bays, and New Dome Style, there is 111 cubic feet more room in a POD-S XL5,
with Tall wall/Bays vs. original POD XL5 with original wall/Bays.
Choose between zero POD-S Bay panels (5 Wall panels and one Door panel), or 1 – 5 Original Height POD-S Bays (Mark III), or 1 – 5 Taller POD-S Bays (Mark IV), which replace the Wall panels.
Model numbers are designated XL1 – XL5. Where the number after the XL represents the number of Bays. I.E. an XL1 has one Bay. An XL2 has two Bays. Up to an XL5 with five POD-S Bays. Be they original height POD-S Bays (Mark III) or taller POD-S Bays (Mark IV).
Debossed circles in the dome and wall panels add strength, look cool.
50% thicker, stainless steel dome flange track vs POD’s galvanized steel track.
New all black, even tougher, ball bearing wall-wheels. Tested to perform in temps from -40F to 230 F.
Renowned Support. Online Interaction. Dedicated Discussion Group. Personalized Support. Even 1-on-1 personalized by-the-hour support is available.
Available pre-assembly, wiring, and shipping with major parts assembled and installed. Shipped in a 20’ sea container to just about anywhere in the world. CONTACT US for more information.
AVAILABLE IN 7 COLORS! Lunar Gray, Discovery White, Midnight Gray, Cobalt Blue, Hunter Green, Forest Green and Desert Tan. The Dome and Wall can be different colors as well. For instance – A DiscoverY White Dome on a Desert Tan Wall / Bays.
If budget is limited, to help you decide between POD and POD-S:
At this time we estimate POD-S prices without motor/control system will be 30 – 50% higher than SkyShed POD prices.
The POD-S Motor/Control System will be an optional extra.
Taller Wall/Bays, and POD-S dome and full units, will cost more to ship than SkyShed POD with original height wall, due to being a larger/heavier shipment.
Production begins Q2 of 2023
Places for 2023 production will go fast!
We’re always busy with regular production and very thankful for that! Add POD-S pre-production on top of that, and we will be hard pressed to answer every POD-S question we receive. Please read everything on the website, including the very thorough FAQ page before sending questions. Your answer(s) might be right on the page.
If you’re thinking that POD-S might fit with your observatory plans, CONTACT US and tell us about those plans. We have 20 years and thousands of SkySheds of advice we can assist with. We’re active astro imagers too. We have a very good idea of where you want to get to. We’d like to hear about your particulars and help you get there. It’s what we do!
All deep-sky background images on the website are courtesy Wayne Parker, SkyShed Observatories Owner
We not only create great astronomical observatories, we’re avid astro imagers just like you!