Our Managed Hosting - What's it all about?

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Why we offer Managed over Standard hosting

Managed hosting

  • More time to process images

  • I will say time once again as it is your greatest enemy, it can take many months for a first time installer to arrange all this yourself, get the installation to a standard where it is reliable every night. We know of some people that still struggle after almost 2 years

  • Zero gremlins - that’s our job to deal with and get your system up and running without an average person’s countless revisits to iron out unforeseen issues

  • We supply a heavy duty pier for your equipment

  • No extra outlay for software

  • No extra outlay for remote I.P. switching equipment , UPS, surge protection, network infrastructure, control cabinets or even a high end PC, this can run to between €2000-5000 depending up specifications

  • No need to worry about installation, weather or even the complexity of running a remote IP based installation with all the reliability required. not having to learn the complex scripting languages required for remote automation startup, shutdown and weather intervention protocols to name a few

  • Knowing your equipment is installed in a safe observatory surrounded by only high quality installations, rather than some remote installations performed by low experienced people that are electrical death traps and fire hazards. we have seen and help fix plenty of these in other observatories

  • Proven reliable company with a track record in running remote installations not to mention getting the best out of your equipment

  • We use purpose made software with very powerful Moon & priority based algorithms in order to make your equipment imaging time as efficient as possible, this maximises the amount of data you can acquire in any one year.

  • Imaging portal area to place jobs and keep track of acquisition progess

  • No vacation time off work needed to go to a remote location and install the equipment

  • Help desk for queries etc

  • Arrange installation - this can vary in cost, if we are on site performing maintenance already it will cost approximately €400-800 depending on your system. A special journey to install at your behest will involve other associated costs - travel accommodation etc.

Standard Hosting

  • Autonomy - you get control over everything from start to finish

  • Freedom - it will be easier to swap out your equipment to go down a different route at a moment’s notice

  • Time - it may be a challenge you have always dreamt of or you simply have retired now so have more time to dedicate to a project like this as for the right person it can be rewarding.

  • You get to do the full installation, arrange delivery and set up all the software, models etc.

  • You will also have to pay for a heavy duty pier which will cost anything from €500-800

  • If you are technically endowed, you get to fight the good fight, battle through all the remote installation gremlins and may even learn a new skillset, not to mention visit a remote sunny location a few times :)

  • You will be able to choose your own software to suit your needs

  • You can even choose to run your telescope manually and watch it working every night

  • You can change this at the drop of a hat if you decide to image a different object that night

  • Some may feel more involved with this option and yes we get that, however in our experience most imagers set their equipment running at the start of the night using a "remote desktop" application then leave it running!

  • Standard or Managed Hosting,  its a quandery for sure!

    We think it's a personal decision with no right or wrong answers, it's down to the individual user to decide what suits their needs and imaging goals best. After all, getting the most out of your hobby/passion is what we all want, right?

    We have simply made a few bullet points for a potential customer in order to help them make an informed choice rather than get into something that has ramifications they were not aware of with either option.

    At Roboscopes we chose "managed" because for us its it seemed the sensible option as most users in essence want to pick a target, sub length etc. get the image taken as efficiently a possible and then get on with what they really enjoy doing...

    Processing beautiful images with quality data :)

Combined Hosting & Equipment Rental or Purchase

If you dont have the equipment available to send to us or would simply rather hire, Roboscopes can supply equipment on a monthly basis along side your hosting. You can even choose to buy your equipment from us so we can make the process smooth from start to finish.

Please enquire as to what we have in stock or let us know your needs and we will see if we can help

Pier 7 - Managed Hosting

€400pm based on 12 months Subscription

Customer suppliedMaximum pier sizes & description
Telescope

Up to 12" F/4 Newtonian, 130mm APO or 12" RC

Mount

Paramount MX, ME 10Micron GM2000 or similar 50kg sized mount suitable for remote use*

Camera ETC

Camera, Focuser, Guider, OAG, Filters and Filter wheel if used. In essence the whole imaging rig

Cables & Power

Good quality USB & Power interconnect cables, we can supply for you at a reasonable charge if needed.

Insurance

We strongly recommend that you take out specialist telescope insurance as its very reasonable to purchase anyway.
Roboscopes Supply Description
PC

Lenovo i7 Mini PC with mounting system, extra USB's & RS232 connection

Software

We supply all software needed to control your equipment* this includes guiding, data collection, plate solving & focusing software

*apart from product specific software using a licence key eg ASA

Hardware Control

Mount Hub Pro V4 - A robust solution for equipment power switching, peripheral USB's & Dew control

Cabinet

Compact 19" Rack Cabinet for worry free control of your equipment

Remote Access & IP control

Rack mount IP Based Relay switching, 12v power supply, Gigabyte Network Switch, UPS

Big brother

IP Camera dedicated to hosted piers (No IR)

Observatory Roof & weather

We supply the dedicated building with full weather safeties

Data Storage

1 month Free data storage using our dedicated 80TB NAS drive, allowing ample time to download data from our server

The Location

Last but not least, we supply safe secure & fully insured access to our Bortle 2 skies (21.5 SQM)
In a quality dark sky location with 200+ clear nights a year

Insurance

We have fitted roof and door monitors, on site CCTV & a perimeter fence, Our insurance covers fire and theft but not accidental damage. We strongly recommend that you take out specialist telescope insurance as its very reasonable to purchase anyway.
Check Availability

Pier 9 - Managed Hosting

€450pm based on 12 months Subscription

Customer suppliedMaximum pier sizes & description
Telescope

Up to 14" F/4 Newtonian, 175mm APO or 16" RC

Mount

Paramount MX, ME 10Micron GM2/3000 or similar 50-100kg sized mount suitable for remote use*

Camera ETC

Camera, Focuser, Guider, OAG, Filters and Filter wheel if used. In essence the whole imaging rig

Cables & Power

Good quality USB & Power interconnect cables, we can supply for you at a reasonable charge if needed.

Roboscopes Supply Description
PC

Lenovo i7 Mini PC with mounting system, extra USB's & RS232 connection

Software

We supply all software needed to control your equipment* this includes guiding, data collection, plate solving & focusing software

*apart from product specific software using a licence key eg ASA

Hardware Control

Mount Hub Pro V4 - A robust solution for equipment power switching, peripheral USB's & Dew control

Cabinet

Compact 19" Rack Cabinet for worry free control of your equipment

Remote Access & IP control

Rack mount IP Based Relay switching, 12v power supply, Gigabyte Network Switch, UPS

Big brother

IP Camera dedicated to hosted piers (No IR)

Observatory Roof & weather

We supply the dedicated building with full weather safeties

Data Storage

1 month Free data storage using our dedicated 80TB NAS drive, allowing ample time to download data from our server

The Location

Last but not least, we supply safe secure & fully insured access to our Bortle 2 skies (21.5 SQM)
In a quality dark sky location with 200+ clear nights a year
Check Availability

Pier 10 - Managed Hosting

€450pm based on 12 months Subscription

Customer suppliedMaximum pier sizes & description
Telescope

Up to 14" F/4 Newtonian, 175mm APO or 16" RC

Mount

Paramount MX, ME 10Micron GM2/3000 or similar 50-100kg sized mount suitable for remote use*

Camera ETC

Camera, Focuser, Guider, OAG, Filters and Filter wheel if used. In essence the whole imaging rig

Cables & Power

Good quality USB & Power interconnect cables, we can supply for you at a reasonable charge if needed.

Roboscopes Supply Description
PC

Lenovo i7 Mini PC with mounting system, extra USB's & RS232 connection

Software

We supply all software needed to control your equipment* this includes guiding, data collection, plate solving & focusing software

*apart from product specific software using a licence key eg ASA

Hardware Control

Mount Hub Pro V4 - A robust solution for equipment power switching, peripheral USB's & Dew control

Cabinet

Compact 19" Rack Cabinet for worry free control of your equipment

Remote Access & IP control

Rack mount IP Based Relay switching, 12v power supply, Gigabyte Network Switch, UPS

Big brother

IP Camera dedicated to hosted piers (No IR)

Observatory Roof & weather

We supply the dedicated building with full weather safeties

Data Storage

1 month Free data storage using our dedicated 80TB NAS drive, allowing ample time to download data from our server

The Location

Last but not least, we supply safe secure & fully insured access to our Bortle 2 skies (21.5 SQM)
In a quality dark sky location with 200+ clear nights a year
Check Availability

Pier 12 - Managed Hosting

€400pm based on 12 months Subscription

Customer suppliedMaximum pier sizes & description
Telescope

Up to 12" F/4 Newtonian, 130mm APO or 12" RC

Mount

Paramount MX, ME 10Micron GM2000 or similar 50kg sized mount suitable for remote use*

Camera ETC

Camera, Focuser, Guider, OAG, Filters and Filter wheel if used. In essence the whole imaging rig

Cables & Power

Good quality USB & Power interconnect cables, we can supply for you at a reasonable charge if needed.

Roboscopes Supply Description
PC

Lenovo i7 Mini PC with mounting system, extra USB's & RS232 connectio

Software

We supply all software needed to control your equipment* this includes guiding, data collection, plate solving & focusing solfware

*apart from product specific software using a licence key eg ASA

Hardware Control

Mount Hub Pro V4 - A robust solution for equipment power switching, periphial USB's & Dew control

Cabinet

Compact 19" Rack Cabinet for worry free control of your equipment

Remote Access & IP control

Rack mount IP Based Relay switching, 12v power supply, Gigabite Network Switch, UPS

Big brother

IP Camera dedicated to hosted piers (No IR)

Observatory Roof & weather

We supply the dedicated building with full weather safeties

Data Storage

1 month Free data storage using our dedicated 80TB NAS drive, allowing ample time to download data from our server

The Location

Last but not least, we supply safe secure & fully insured access to our Bortle 2 skies (21.5 SQM)
In a quality dark sky location with 200+ clear nights a year
Check Availability

Pier 13 - Manged Hosting

€450pm based on 12 months Subscription

Customer suppliedMaximum pier sizes & description
Telescope

Up to 14" F/4 Newtonian, 175mm APO or 16" RC

Mount

Paramount MX, ME 10Micron GM2/3000 or similar 50-100kg sized mount suitable for remote use*

Camera ETC

Camera, Focuser, Guider, OAG, Filters and Filter wheel if used. In essence the whole imaging rig

Cables & Power

Good quality USB & Power interconnect cables, we can supply for you at a reasonable charge if needed.

Roboscopes Supply Description
PC

Lenovo i7 Mini PC with mounting system, extra USB's & RS232 connectio

Software

We supply all software needed to control your equipment* this includes guiding, data collection, plate solving & focusing solfware

*apart from product specific software using a licence key eg ASA

Hardware Control

Mount Hub Pro V4 - A robust solution for equipment power switching, periphial USB's & Dew control

Cabinet

Compact 19" Rack Cabinet for worry free control of your equipment

Remote Access & IP control

Rack mount IP Based Relay switching, 12v power supply, Gigabite Network Switch, UPS

Big brother

IP Camera dedicated to hosted piers (No IR)

Observatory Roof & weather

We supply the dedicated building with full weather safeties

Data Storage

1 month Free data storage using our dedicated 80TB NAS drive, allowing ample time to download data from our server

The Location

Last but not least, we supply safe secure & fully insured access to our Bortle 2 skies (21.5 SQM)
In a quality dark sky location with 200+ clear nights a year
Check Availability

Pier 15 - Manged Hosting

€400pm based on 12 months Subscription

Customer suppliedMaximum pier sizes & description
Telescope

Up to 8" F/4 Newtonian, 100mm APO or ultra widefeild setup

Mount

Paramount MYT, MX, 10Micron GM1000 or similar 25-35kg sized mount suitable for remote use*

Camera ETC

Camera, Focuser, Guider, OAG, Filters and Filter wheel if used. In essence the whole imaging rig

Cables & Power

Good quality USB & Power interconnect cables, we can supply for you at a reasonable charge if needed.

Roboscopes Supply Description
PC

Lenovo i7 Mini PC with mounting system, extra USB's & RS232 connectio

Software

We supply all software needed to control your equipment* this includes guiding, data collection, plate solving & focusing solfware

*apart from product specific software using a licence key eg ASA

Hardware Control

Mount Hub Pro V4 - A robust solution for equipment power switching, periphial USB's & Dew control

Cabinet

Compact 19" Rack Cabinet for worry free control of your equipment

Remote Access & IP control

Rack mount IP Based Relay switching, 12v power supply, Gigabite Network Switch, UPS

Big brother

IP Camera dedicated to hosted piers (No IR)

Observatory Roof & weather

We supply the dedicated building with full weather safeties

Data Storage

1 month Free data storage using our dedicated 80TB NAS drive, allowing ample time to download data from our server

The Location

Last but not least, we supply safe secure & fully insured access to our Bortle 2 skies (21.5 SQM)
In a quality dark sky location with 200+ clear nights a year
Check Availability

What's the fuss all about....

Up until now we have been proud to offer industry-beating prices for our shared (syndicated) and rent-by-the-hour telescopes.
We have years of experience allowing us to get the absolute best out of a remote telescope, allowing our members to capture images that would be really hard to achieve at home. We always felt that scope hosting was something we would like to branch out to…........So we have!

As you’d expect from Roboscopes, our hosting is a little different to everyone else's offerings of "standard" hosting :)

In a nutshell, we host your equipment at our Roboscopes site with Bortle 2 skies and 200+ clear nights a year and the best part is we do all the behind the scenes admin and boring grunt work for you. Leaving you to do what you enjoy best, processing beautiful images.

Most remote telescope companies will allow you to host your own equipment at their site. Some may even offer a shared roof! This is a fantastic way to get the most out of your equipment from any dark sky location - If you have the technical knowledge, the experience and the time to set the system up. Or maybe you just like a challenge? then go for it!

However, if like most astrophotographers you’re not an expert at remote imaging set-ups, Network protocals, roof control and scripting, then you are in for months and months are headaches and repeated maintenance journeys to get your system operational. So what could a keen imager do who wants to do remote imaging but does not have the time, expertise or inclination for all the above?

Well, you could consider a Roboscopes 'Managed" Telescope hosting package! We can arrange to take your gear out to a world-class dark site and get it all set up for your exclusive use.

We can save you the time, the learning curve and multiple trips to a miles-away dark-site to fix something that’s not working or you forgot to do. Again & again.

So how does it work, you ask?

You supply:

The mount
The pier adapter
The telescope & focuser
The camera (and all other associated items required items)USB & power cables (or we can supply these for a small charge)

Roboscopes supply:

The pier
The IP control plus power control and UPS  
The PC & all cables
The installation (there’s a one off charge for this and it’s worth every penny!)
We supply all control software for data capture, focusing, guiding, plate solving etc
Say hi to your equipment whenever you wish or simply check how its going with our dedicated IP camera
The Dark Sky Location, observatory with roof and weather control
100mb asynchronous internet plus associated infrastructure
An online portal where you manage the targets you wish to image
A back office admin area for downloading your data plus requests like new flats etc.
Comprehensive onsite technical support if your equipment fails (reasonable rates)
We take care of all of the security to keep your fully insured equipment safe & secure
This is telescope hosting but on a whole new level.

Our location:

Latitude:   38° 13' 10.89" North
Longitude:   6° 37' 54.32" West
Altitude:   560 metres
Timezone: Western Europe

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Company Details:

Roboscopes

802 Kingsbury Road
Birmingham
B24 9PS
United Kingdom


Roboscopes is a trading name of ENS Optical LTD ¦ Copyright© 2020 Roboscopes
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