Wood Wonders - Imaging Workstation
https://www.wood-wonders.com/
Travelling to a dark astronomical site is always an adventure. You
have a game plan of what to image, and the equipment is
meticulously packed and loaded. You have the telescope,
eyepieces, cameras, mount, filters, electrical system, cable
s and laptop ready to go. You might have a portable stand to put
your laptop on or perhaps set it up in a tent. This gets a bit more
difficult when you are doing solar observations. You need to have
the laptop at the telescope in the bright sun, even if only briefly to
get focus.
In this article I want to talk about the Wood Wonders Imaging Workstation. Its advertisement claims that “The daytime cover allows you to use your laptop during the daylight hours, even in direct sunlight, a must for solar imaging.” And “for night time imaging there are 4 red LEDs, powered by a 9v battery and controlled by an on/off dimmer.” Dave purchased the product and I was happy enough to put it through its paces.
OUT OF THE BOX
The imaging workstation comes in two boxes and is packaged well. You can see the quality of workmanship that goes into the piece and it is as beautiful as it is functional. There are 5 pieces in all, and only four screws and two bolts for assembly. Names used to describe these pieces are for this article, and not necessarily used by the manufacturer.
ASSEMBLY
The unit arrives with no assembly instructions. Assembly is very easy, but you don’t know that when you first get it. Assembly is somewhat intuitive by looking at the completed picture. But let’s take it step by step.
1) Attach the leg to the tripod.
2) Open the tripod.
3) Slide the mouse pad shelf down the top and set it in one of the two slots halfway down the tripod.
4) Attach the computer hood to the computer base using the four screws.
5) Slide the computer base and computer hood down the top of the tripod and set it in the first slot. Open the hood.
Issue- One of the screws had pulled out from the computer hood frame when I received it. It was easy enough to screw it back in, but there’s always the concern that the hole now is stripped and too big. So far not a problem.
ATTACHING THE OBSERVING HOOD
The Imaging Workstation didn’t come with an observing hood, which goes over the observer to keep out stray light. It was an error that the manufacturer quickly resolved. However, I had to install it myself. Again there were no instructions, but he did include some help in the email. There are five grommets that need to be installed on the computer base frame. Hopefully these are already installed on the unit you receive, if that’s the case then to attach the observing hood, just snap the hood onto the grommets. If it is not installed then follow these instructions. IMPORTANT: you need to predrill the holes or you risk cracking the wood. I would also install the grommets by hand using a Philips driver rather than with a power driver which may overtighten and again crack the wood.
Three grommets go across the top and one on each side. Tools needed: a small power driver with a 1/8 drill bit. A Philips head screw driver.
1) Start by finding the center along the top rail, this is easy because there is a small screw at this location. Remove the screw. Carefully drill a small pilot hole through the canvas over this screw hole. Using a Philips driver attach the first grommet by hand.
2) Stretch the observing hood out and the next grommets will go close to each edge along the top rail. Carefully mark the spot for the grommet and drill a small pilot hole. Using a Philips driver attach these grommets by hand.
3) The last two grommets attach on either side just above the screws holding the computer hood in place. Stretch the observing hood down the side and carefully mark the spot for the grommet, and drill a small pilot hole. Using a Philips driver attach this grommet by hand. Repeat for the other side.
USE – DAYTIME
How many times have I stood outside at the solar setup in my own
backyard with laptop in hand, towel over my head and straining my
eyes to achieve critical focus. With the Imaging Workstation this is
a thing of the past.
Setting it up next to the telescope where you can easily reach the focus and yet be comfortably shaded with no computer glare was perfect. The observer hood is wonderfully spacious and comfortable. I left the laptop under the shroud for an hour in the hot summer sun, and it was still cool to the touch. This is really a must for solar imaging. Wood Wonders also makes an adjustable observing chair that can be used with the workstation or for applications at the telescope. I didn’t get to review this product.
USE – NIGHTTIME
I have my own observatory where I can work comfortably, and using ASIair with my portable setup I don’t really require an Imaging Worskstation using a tablet. However, it is a very clever design for the observer who frequents star parties and likes to do imaging.
The laptop table is not a solid piece of wood, so it has plenty of room to bring cords into the computer from either side, and the separate mouse pad shelf is adjustable and out of the way yet still allowing easy and comfortable access to the mouse. It’s a very clever design. Across the top are four adjustable LED lights controlled by a handsome wooden knob. The range of brightness is quite good, and this would’ve been a god-send before I got the laptop with the backlit keyboard. This a very comfortable and functional setup.
PORTABILITY
Again, the design is very clever and functional. It is easy to take down and setup by simply lifting the computer base off over the top of the tripod and doing the same for the mouse pad shelf. Simply close the tripod and you are set to go. Just three pieces, and this can easily be achieved in less than a minute. There is no case for it, and the footprint is quite odd for the pieces so you’ll have to best figure how to transport it safely. Wrapping it in a blanket I think would be a good start to protecting it for transport to the observing site.
SUGGESTIONS
I had a friend who is a carpenter take a look at the Imaging Workstation, and asked him how much it would cost to make it. He told me somewhere between 3-4 hundred dollars. It sells for about $350, so the price is good, and the quality is outstanding. Then he told me there was one thing that bothered him about it. There is some beautiful cut woodwork of Saturn and a starry sky at the front of the laptop desk. It’s the focal point really. He told me that the beauty of it is diminished because of the four screws that attach it. I didn’t really think about that, but now that he mentioned it I would have to agree. It would be simple enough to hide the screws. He said that the wood was too thin to inset them for plugs. But the piece could be attached with glue and dowels or the Ikea method with the metal plugs and inset screws quite easily. The same could be done for the mouse pad shelf, but this didn’t bother him as much since it’s away from the focal point.
CONCLUSION
It is an ideal piece of equipment for solar and nighttime imaging, but for the price is it worthwhile to purchase the Imaging Station? There are less expensive options of course, but considering what you get and the quality that goes into the product, it is a good deal. Consider the following: functional, well thought out design, easy to take down and setup, good, fast customer service, and very professional looking. It’s a piece of observing equipment you would be proud to setup and make your imaging sessions more enjoyable.
Update: September 30, 2021
No comments:
Post a Comment