Kendrick Observatory tents opinions

Last week I posted asking about the SkyTent Observatory and have decided
that the used one I was looking at was a bit more elaborate than what I was
looking for.

I've found out that Kendrick has stopped production of the Shelter Tent.

The only one still being made is their Observatory tent.

The comments that I've found on their web site are all positive. To be
expected to some extent.

Are there any owner/users in this newsgroup that might have experiences
they'd like to share with me?

Anything that needs to pointed out that might give me pause to think twice?

TIA,

Francis Marion

Francis Marion wrote, in part:
[snip]
Are there any owner/users in this newsgroup that might have experiences
they'd like to share with me?
[snip]

I've owned a Kendrick observing tent about 5 years. I use it three or four
weekends a year for star parties and family campouts. It's well-made, rugged
and easy for one person to setup, although two people make it a cake walk. The
rain fly can be a challenge in windy conditions.

The tent is divided into two sections. They're separated by a nylon divider
that zips closed down the middle. The sleeping section features a large window
along one wall and an entrance along another. The entrance is tall enough for
me to walk through with just a slight bend at the waste. I'm 5' 10" tall.

The observing section also has an entrance. The ceiling unzips along three
sides revealing a mesh ceiling. This mesh ceiling also unzips along three sides
exposing the interior to the sky. There are plenty of tie downs inside and
outside the tent for the various windows, doors and rain fly.

I observe with a 10-inch, f/4.5 Newtonian and find the Kendrick tent has just
enough room for me, the scope and an accessory table.

Of course, you give up access to some areas of sky with this tent. I usually
setup so that the wall between the observing and sleeping sections blocks the
brightest lightdome. Or if there is no perceptible light pollution, I setup to
place this wall toward the east. This places the lowest walls due south and
north. The western wall in this configuation is next highest after that
separating the observing and sleeping sections.

If you're looking for a portable sleeping/observing facility for star parties
or long observing weekends, the Kendrick tent is an option worth considering.
If you're looking for an inexpensive home observatory, you might consider a
large plastic storage shed such as those at Shed Topia
(http://www.shedtopia.com/ ) You can often find these significantly discounted
at Sam's Club.

Regards,

Bill Ferris
"Cosmic Voyage: The Online Resource for Amateur Astronomers"
URL: http://www.cosmic-voyage.net
=============
Email: Remove "ic" from .comic above to respond

While reading in the bathroom on Thu, 12 Aug 2004 17:52:13 GMT, I saw
that "francis marion" had written:

I've found out that Kendrick has stopped production of the Shelter Tent.

The Shelter Dome? Really? I bought mine just two months ago.

See my response to you in last week's thread.

--------------
Beady's Corollary to Occam's Razor: "The likeliest explanation of any phenomenon is almost always the most boring one imaginable."


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The Shelter Dome? Really? I bought mine just two months ago.

Yes, I called the manufacturer and they told me that they had one left in
stock, that was probably spoken for, and that was the last of their
inventory. Production has ended.

F Marion

While reading in the bathroom on Thu, 12 Aug 2004 22:58:58 GMT, I saw
that "francis marion" had written:

The Shelter Dome? Really? I bought mine just two months ago.

Yes, I called the manufacturer and they told me that they had one left in
stock, that was probably spoken for, and that was the last of their
inventory. Production has ended.

Well, at $600 a hit (tent, fly and delivery), it's probably not
surprising. I *still* haven't had a chance to try mine out, it just
won't stop raining.


--------------
Beady's Corollary to Occam's Razor: "The likeliest explanation of any phenomenon is almost always the most boring one imaginable."


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John Beaderstadt wrote:
While reading in the bathroom on Thu, 12 Aug 2004 22:58:58 GMT, I saw
that "francis marion" had written:


The Shelter Dome? Really? I bought mine just two months ago.

Yes, I called the manufacturer and they told me that they had one left in
stock, that was probably spoken for, and that was the last of their
inventory. Production has ended.


Well, at $600 a hit (tent, fly and delivery), it's probably not
surprising. I *still* haven't had a chance to try mine out, it just
won't stop raining.



Great chance to see if it is waterproof, though :-)

While reading in the bathroom on Fri, 13 Aug 2004 07:39:27 GMT, I saw
that Phil Wheeler had written:

Great chance to see if it is waterproof, though :-)

Oh, I did get it set up. But then a 70-mph cyclone took it back down
again. I don't blame the tent for this; a 70-mph cyclone is outside
the specs for most things.

Luckily, I didn't have any gear in it at the time.

--------------
Beady's Corollary to Occam's Razor: "The likeliest explanation of any phenomenon is almost always the most boring one imaginable."


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In my opinion the Kendrick Observatory Tent is an excellent addition
for the astronomer who enjoys camping. The new (silver) rainfly works
well in keeping the interior cooler longer after sunrise. This allows
the astronomer to get a little more sleep in the summer before the
tent's interior heats up too much.

With the rainfly on and all doors and windows closed the interior of
the tent is considerably darker than other tents I've had experience
with. This makes sleep easier to achieve on cloudy nights.

On the minus side, if the rainfly is on with its windows closed the
only way a person inside the tent can check on sky conditions is to
unzip a screen door, unzip the corresponding tent door, and unzip the
corresponding door on the rainfly. The rainfly windows can only be
unzipped from *outside* the tent. The rainfly does not have a
zippered roof over the observing bay. The rainfly over the observing
bay must be rolled back from outside the tent.

I've used my Observatory Tent once. A couple of good samaritans at a
starparty assisted in setting it up. Upon taking the tent down I
noticed that one of the poles was split in half lengthwise for a
couple feet or so. Perhaps that pole was bent too far upon set-up.
I've yet to contact Kendrick about the possibility of getting a
replacement pole. Meanwhile I've duct-taped that pole. It *might*
still be usable since the split end is held together when it's
inserted into the next pole segment.

Despite the information contained in the preceding two paragraphs, I
would still recommend this tent to amateur astronomers who enjoy
camping. Overall the tent appears to be well-made, roomy, and quite
practical in actual use.

Sketcher
To sketch is to see.