Frequently Asked Questions

How much is the hosting fee?

Our hosting fee is 300€ per month + IVA (21%). It is less than 12€ a day to have your telescope under our dark skies and our on-site support.

What services do you provide?

We regularly clean the observatories and telescopes (not optics) and live on-site to offer hands-on support.

We are also able to carry out any maintenance or technical assistance when requested.

What are the equipment requirements?

We do not impose any minimum equipment specifications all that is required is the equipment is in good working order and capable of remote use, which most mounts are nowadays.

We have a wide range of equipment on site ranging from Skywatcher, AM5, mounts through to 10 Microns and Planewaves.

How many clear nights do you have a year?

On average we have over 240 nights where the roof opens per year.

2021 = 245

2022 = 243

2023 = 248

Do you offer insurance?

Insurance is available at an additional annual cost. It covers accidental damage, fire, theft and flood damage.

Do I need any additional equipment?

As well as your telescope, mount and imaging equipment you will require a UPS battery back-up, an ethernet switch and a way to allow you to turn on and off your equipment remotely. This can be done with a Wifi power switch or a Pegasus Astro hub.

How do I access my observatory PC?

We provide each customer with access to Splashtop Business. This is used to connect to your PC remotely.

What happens in case of emergency or something goes wrong?

We have a ticketing system to request technical assistance and in the case of an emergency, each customer is added to a WhatsApp group to get in touch with us.

In the event we have to deactivate the roof we will send a notification via the PixelSkiesAstro app.

How do I know when the roof is open?

Our PixelSkiesAstro app sends each customer a notification via Telegram of the roof status.

How will my software know when to image?

We will configure your PC to our network and the boltwood file from the AAG Cloudwatcher will update your safety monitor to allow you to fully automate your imaging. We can supply scripts for NINA and Voyager to help you get started.

Do I have to supply a pier?

We supply all customers with a pier at no extra cost. We simply require some measurements of your equipment to ensure we have a pier suitable for you at the time of installation.

Can I install my own equipment?

We are happy for you to come and install your own equipment on-site, we install the pier for you. Alternatively, if you do not wish to travel we will complete the full installation.

Is there a minimum contract period?

There is a 12-month minimum contract period and after this time the contract will continue on a rolling 30-day contract.

Do I have control of the roof?

Each observatory has a shared roof and we control it. You can simply sit back and concentrate on imaging without having to worry.