I am not particularly handy, and had only one helper, but the dome went together in 3 days and the walls in an afternoon. The assembly videos were an excellent resource. Hoping for clear skies, so I can have first light in the next few days.

Thank you to Wayne Parker and everyone at SkyShed Observatories and its partners for a phenomenal build experience.

I looked at just about every small observatory that is available to the USA. I have a friend that has a SkyShed POD that is almost 20 years old. He had communicated with Wayne Parker (SkyShed Owner) in the past and told me he was an upstanding guy. After reading some horror stories about other brands, I decided to go with a SkyShed POD-S. It arrived exactly as ordered and I followed the detailed assembly video provided by Wayne. It all went together perfectly, and it does not leak when it rains. Furthermore, I assembled it almost entirely by myself and I am 68 years old and had a knee replacement 10 weeks earlier. In my opinion, SkyShed is the absolute best choice when I consider quality, customer communication, and cost.

The POD-S has amazing build quality and incredible stoutness -- nothing in its class of mid-sized observatories comes close. If you’re looking for a reasonably priced, relatively maintenance-free, weatherproof home for your expensive astronomy gear, look no further.

Bought my Skyshed POD about 12 years ago. And it was a game changer. Quality was phenomenal and owner Wayne Parker always available if needed. Now the POD-S is again a game changer. Terrific construction as expected. Changes who can own a fully observatory very reasonably priced. Thank you for changing my life at 75.

My SkyShed POD-S experience. I was tired of setting up my astronomy equipment every time I wanted to use it. I started researching observatories and after an exhaustive search I decided on a SkyShed POD-S. Every aspect of the process was smooth and professional. Wayne Parker the owner-designer gave so much personal service. He answered every contact personally. I could not believe the quality and workmanship when it arrived. Video instructions for assembly were clear and easy to follow. Now I have a solid and safe place to keep all my astrophotography equipment so in five minutes I am viewing or imaging. It will last much longer than I will and it is beautiful in my backyard. Even my wife likes it.

Bottom line is I love my POD-S and am sitting in it right now at 11 in the morning! This is probably too much, but I do get carried away when I talk about my observatory! POD-S and a SkyShed Pier were the answer to my observatory dreams. I selected the tall walls version of the POD-S with 3 bays and a SkyShed Pier. The cost, including shipping to Southern California from Ontario Canada, was within our fixed income retirement budget. They come complete with instructional videos, manuals and all the parts and hardware that you will need and if you're at all handy you likely have the necessary tools. My wife and I are well into our 70's and we put the whole observatory together in 2 days and installed the Pier in another day. The only time we needed assistance was putting the dome on the walls and for that we gathered a group of young men who had it up and on in no time. I Love my POD-S and Pier and a side benefit is I now belong to a community of other SkyShed customers who share information about their PODs, Piers, astronomy, astrophotography, the weather, and much more.

The POD-S is head and shoulders above the competition. The hardware is heavy duty and precise, the fit and finish are top notch, and the materials used will last a lifetime. The movement of the dome and slot covers is easy and smooth, and the Bays allow plenty of room for computer gear and storage. It’s a great design backed up by great support from the SkyShed team. No regrets in buying this!!

The SkyShed POD-S is amazing. For an amateur astronomer, the simple joy of your gear being there, ready to use at the moment you have clear skies is a dream - POD-S makes that dream a reality. In my case the observatory is in Muskoka (northern Ontario) and being able to easily extend the observing season into cold autumn and winter (when sometimes the skies are the most crisp and clear) is also a game-changer. Having the observatory has also been a delight in that it's become a local community thing, and opened up the eyes of neighbours to the amazing universe which is there to view with humility by just looking up. The build quality and instructions were clear. Wayne and the community around SkyShed POD and POD-S have provided exceptional support. That support extended beyond the observatory itself to recommendations on gear, astrophotography software, and more. Looking forward to the full automation, and will be an early customer without a moment's hesitation.

My decision to have a POD-S was driven by a life-long passion for astronomy and for owning a personal observatory where I could have everything permanently configured and always ready for use. After researching home observatories for a long time, and then committing to owning a SkyShed pier and POD-S, I can attest these products are not only far superior in design and functionality but Wayne and his team provide the absolute best in first-person support for the buyer. Aside from marrying my wife, it has been the best decision I ever made!