[Wavytone]

A few issues to consider, for the sake of laziness:

1. If it’s in the sun the OTA will get quite hot, it will take ages to reach thermal equilibrium later if you want to use it to observe. Better to put a cover over it or store it someplace cool (ie indoors).

2. Remove all cables and electronics. These do not tolerate rain well.

3. Leaving a scope outside longer term means anything that isn’t glass or stainless steel will rust or corrode surprisingly quickly. Things like the little screws for aligning the finderscope, or attaching it to the OTA, screws for adjusting the secondary, the bolts in the fork and holding the OTA, bolts in the tripod and so-on. Things you think are stainless may turn out to be chrome plated steel (tripod legs) and while these survive typical nightly use, they will deteriorate and rust if left outside full time.

4. In a week or so you’d be surprised how much dirt settles out of the atmosphere on your scope. This will make it grubby, and the dust will get onto the optics. Cleaning then becomes a must with the risk of scratching the coatings on the corrector as outdoor grit is basically ground up rock, ie sharp and hard.

5. Longer term the heating/cooling cycle will promote humidity building up inside it at night when it cools. This will favour the fungus that grows on glass optics and once that takes hold your scope will be junk in a year or two.

In short the condition of your scope will deteriorate quickly outside, devaluing it.

An alternative solution - which I made when I had a big heavy 8” newtonian - is to make a garden trolley big enough to take the whole scope fully assembled on wheels, that can be easily moved in/out of cover. In my case I cannibalised the some broad plastic wheels off toddlers tricycle and they worked very nicely being wide enough to not sink into soft grass.