After wasting many good shots from the effects of wind and until I begin building my observatory in my backyard, I decided to build a portable field wind shield.
It took me a while to come up with a good design that was cheap, easy to setup and tear down, portable, allowed an unrestricted FOV, has ample room inside to allow the scope to move without interference,
and most of all effective at blocking the wind.
The design I came up with is the results of trial and error from a couple of prototypes. This latest design uses a swing shield on the top rails to adjust for any remote lighting
that may be in the area in addition to blocking any breeze that may be present so as not to effect the tops of the main imaging OTA or guide scope. The swing shields can be swung down if not needed.
The top of the guide scope just peaks over the top of the horizontal rails. This seems to be the optimal height for providing a good FOV when
imaging without obstructing the horizon. The total weight is under 10 pounds and built out of PVC piping. The black cover is a plastic type of
ground cover that's light weight, inexpensive, and blocks the wind and light effectively. It is secured using Velcro on the LR and RR vertical posts, and
three evenly spaced sections along the top horizontal rails. The ground cover material is not tall, so I used two equal lengths to cover the height of the structure.
Once secured, the LR and RR posts can be turned to take up any slack in the covering.
Bungee cords are used in the centers to act as supports to the black covering if sudden wind gusts kick up and prevents a sail-like effect.
It also helps keep the top sections held firmly to the vertical posts being they are only pressed together. Total cost to build is under $30 dollars. Assembly time is about 3 actual minutes.
