Protect your optics from smoke

[glend]

With the widespread smoke that many areas have been subjected to, it is timely to discuss how we can keep our optical equipment clean. Obviously, uncapped scopes left in observatories, local or remote, are likely to need cleaning. Even if you cap scopes, smoke can still seep in. The wise approach is to, hopefully, have brought the scopes inside a residence, and stored in a room which can be protected from smoke. Be aware that smoke is likely to be depositing abrasive ash particles on the optical surfaces. Air born resins and combustion products may have also been deposited on those surfaces, which may require flushing with solutions which can break down these deposits.
What steps are you taking to protect your valuable scopes, cameras, etc?:question:

[Rainmaker]

All my scopes and eyepieces are sealed in their cases and are inside the motorhome with the rooftop aircon running in recirculating mode. So far it is the only place that smoke hasn't got into.........

[Wavytone]

In a bag, with desiccant. It’s not just smoke - the smoke also makes the air very humid.

[The_bluester]

The smoke has not been too bad at home (Kilmore) so far so I have mine (and more particularly a borrowed scope) simply capped normally and in the garage where I normally store the gear, but if it got bad I would firstly be sending the borrowed scope home and putting the others in whatever cases were available.

In know from when our place was burned six or so years ago that the smoke can destroy optics, the cap fell off my finder scope and its objective was irretrievably smoke hazed. But we are talking about “fire outside the door” territory here rather than just nearby. Literally about ten meters away.

[multiweb]

Haven't been out imaging since astrofest. Forget the optics. I try to look after my lungs.

[LewisM]

Put on the dewshield cap with a dessicant bag taped to the inside, cover the scope in a towel or blanket or in the travel case/chest. Not much is going to get in.

[DarkArts]

Likewise. For the time being, astronomy is on the back burner (poor choice of words, I know).

[LewisM]

Astronomy sure is the last thing on the minds of most, but it seems people want to discuss it despite the obvious issues. I guess it fills in their time.

[The_bluester]

Having had a fairly major fire go across our place before I can tell you it is better than sitting here wondering if it will be our turn again soon, I do enough of that even while discussing astro stuff.

[LewisM]

No sitting here - just spent the past 3 hours clearing eucalypt bark, leaves and branches around the place. Did another animal rescue drop off earlier.

After spending about 3 minutes "smoke proofing" a telescope and accesories, onto more important things ;)

[glend]

Lewis I believe that warrants an apology to the forum. Congratulation on your list of jobs around the place, but it is nothing that many people have not done (and much more) without seeking recognition. If you Don't like this thread then stay out of it.

[The_bluester]

I spent most of last weekend raking stuff up to get it well away form the house, then the winds that came with the last change delivered me a new lot to rake up.


A solid 8 hours of that in a day and days on mowers etc when favourable conditions present themselves doesn't entirely keep me off the forum, just thankfully to date we are well away from fire zones, though a couple of minor ones have caused us concern.

[LewisM]

It's never ending. Wind change came through this afternoon here, and voila, new lot of bark, leaves and branches, and no real safe way to dispose (we have no green bins here)

[LewisM]

Sure Glen, sure.

[The_bluester]

No green bins here either. Fill the trailer, cart it off well away from the house and burn it in winter.

[pgc hunter]

Yesterday had the worst smoke haze day here thus far, but still very mild compared to Melbourne, Canberra, etc. All my scopes are capped up, and covered with sheets, and my eyepieces are in a case. If smoke got as thick as fog like has been seen in Canberra et al, I think I would wrap all my optical gear up in my spare bed sheets, blankets, pillow cases etc, and shut all the windows. Would likely have to turn the aircon on depending on heat, but hopefully it would filter out most of the crud. How good are split systems at filtering out crud? We've had some thick dust storms here lately, and none of that crud made it through the aircon.

Smoke not forecast to get bad at any stage here, but no observing, there is still haze in the atmosphere constantly lately.

[The_bluester]

Most split systems have pretty basic filtration, it is intended more to keep lint and dust from building up in the fins of the indoor unit then to clear the air. There might be ones out there with filtration as well but I have never looked.

[Brent274]

I triple cover over my optics when stored. I used cling wrap, lens cover and then all sits in a heavy duty garbage bag

[Wavytone]

Good way to grow fungus with all the humidity. Hope there's bag of desiccant in there !

[xelasnave]

Just buy new gear. It's only money and you won't live for ever....don't worry be happy...I realised last time out which was four hours of problem solving...the result is secondary to being there sorting stuff out...don't let the imperfections ruin your day..er night.
My site is dust ridden...it was sending me bats until I backed off worrying...dust smoke won't stop me.
Alex