During this project we quickly discovered that there were many options available to accommodate our observing goals; however, prices ranged from $750 for an 8' (DYI) wood-domed kit to $19,500 10' fiberglass dome structure.

    Since we were talking about a lot of cash, NONE of which could be financed, the decision of the dome manufacturer was about quality, bang for the buck and cash, plain and simple.  Initially, when looking for an appropriate observatory design for this project visual diameter was the first consideration followed by cost and a dome versus a roll off roof type of observatory.

    At first, I planned to construct this observatory by utilizing a roll off roof. However; because of the significant Mexican Free-tail Bat population of South Central Texas and their tendency to climb up into very small places such as cracks under rooflines, this plan was quickly eliminated. Sure, the odds of having a significant bat population within your structure is probably pretty small but I really didn't want to take the chance after spending all the time constructing my structure simply to have it destroyed by bats.

        I considered four different manufacturers who offered different sizes of domes and construction materials. The size of structure I had chosen severely limited the amount of funds that had left to spend on the dome. For a time I even thought of constructing the dome myself based on plans I received from a gentleman in Australia (Barry Armstead of the A.S.I.G.N Observatory) who constructed his own geodesic dome from a wooden frame overlaid with fiberglass material. While I was impressed with his design, I was quite overwhelmed by the amount of time and still significant costs that would be involved when constructing this dome. I considered the following manufacturers: Sirius Observatories, The Home Dome, Ash-Dome and of course Polydome's Explora Dome.

 

         In the end Explora Dome offered the size of dome that I required along with minimal installation requirements because the dome is cast as one piece. Additionally, you can order the dome in Red, Forest Green, Blue or of course White! Also available are items such as a convenient mounting ring, one-piece roof panels and a rotational system which comes complete with polycarbonate wheels and a clip retention system to allow the dome to sustain strong winds without blowing off the structure.

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                          The wife and Daughter pitch in     Here the dome sat until mounting

        I can confirm the Explora Dome CAN easily withstand 60+MPH winds because mine actually has on several different occasions!

      The story of the Explora Dome observatory was based on a company which initially produced dome structures for newly born calves. As the story goes, amateur astronomers modified these structures to serve as observatories and one of these astronomers approached the company about dedicating a product specifically designed for astronomy. Hence, the Explora Dome was born. At the present it appears that the company is small and is very willing to work with customers on both the delivery and customization of items they want when ordering their system. I can personally recommend this product and feel comfortable doing so because although the structure is flexible, it is also very durable and rugged. When my dome was delivered on March 20th 2007, it sat on the ground in front of what would eventually become the observatory and it easily survived TWO severe hailstorms, 50+ mile an hour winds and the daily punishment of a Central Texas sun.

        When we initially moved the dome on top of the observatory we noticed that there was very little penetration of water and absolutely no insects on the inner portion of the dome. Because system is flexible, it allows you to gently readjust any piece that does not fit perfectly within the provided mounting ring. I would highly recommend spending the money on purchasing the mounting ring rather than constructing it out of wood, it saves time and a big headache.

        The instructions for the Explora Dome are currently being re-written and this will greatly improve the ease of mounting the dome.  Previously, the instructions assumed several steps which caused much confusion for users.  As far as performance, the dome does not have any leaks and freely rotates around its axis. It's my understanding that they have improved this product recently and incorporated customer suggestions into the new design.

 

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