I'm trying to think of a way that I can leave my scope setup for a few days (up to a maximum of a week), so I don't have to keep doing the setup/align/packup every time. I've seen a few people suggest using a camp toilet tent (and things like bbq covers etc) to protect it from direct sunlight and weather.
I'm not too worried about the weather issues, it shouldn't bee too difficult to keep dry. My main concern is how to stop it from overheating during the day. I know how hot my tent gets in the middle of summer, and I don't imagine the scope would like that.
Any suggestions would be very much appreciated. I'll be camping over christmas in a very dark site and would love to not have to keep setting it up every night!
Telegizmos 365 covers claim to be the cover for year long use http://www.telegizmos.com/365%20size...20page%202.htm
For me, I use an old towel and an old folded up bedsheet as insulation and protection of the scope cover the lot with a heavy duty silver tarp tied around the base.
Once I take off the scope, I leave the mount on the pier and use the same towel/sheet insulation with a thinner/smaller tarp and an upside turned bin on top.
Bo
For temporary protection I use a BBQ cover with a KMart emergency blanket (thin reflective plastic sheet) over the top. The "blanket" reflects most of the heat and things stay fairly cool underneath.
Thanks for the suggestions. I have noticed people talking about the Telegizmos covers, but I just can't justify spending that sort of money of one of them (same goes for the ones from bintel). I'm sure they are worth the cost and do a great job, but if I can get away with something a lot cheaper.....
I'm happy to hear that BBQ covers/tarps work well enough. At the moment I'm thinking of going down that path (with blanket/towel as insulation), unless someone else comes along with a better idea.......
Maybe if someone already owns a portable gazebo that is normally used for camping, it could provide with a shade and an extra protection from elements? Not sure if that would be practical though...
If it's the 8" newt on the NEQ6 you can easily remove the ota and store it in the shade. Then you only need a small tarp over the mount to keep the dew off and dust out.
I have left my scope setup out in the open for several YEARS will no ill
effects whatsover. During this time there have been periods of extreme heat and torrential rain. I started to do this when it became too arduous
(owing to my old age!) and dangerous to carry and lift the whole mount
platform with scopes etc onto the pier.
1. I do this by first covering up the scopes with a DRY large old beach towel. The idea of the towel is that if any moisture does get in it will rise to the top and be absorbed by the dry towel.
2 Then I cover the lot with a large plastic bin bag (ie the type for 240 litre bins).
I then wrap the bottom end of the plastic bag snug around the pier post and secure it tightly with an octupus strap. This step is important to stop damp rising from my deck and up into the mount and scopes. Occasionally I replace the plastic bag if it has a tear in it anywhere.
(Incidentally, packs of these bags are very cheap and I get mine from the
local Woolworths).
3. The plastic bag has excellent water and moisture proofing but it is pretty fragile and could easily be damaged by wind. So I cover the bag
with another bag made up from an old shower curtain. This may let some moisture through but it forms a windbreak for the inner plastic bag. I also
have a cord at the base of this bag (like a pyjama cord) so I can tie this
bag snuggly around the pier base.
4. After using the scope I cover it up at the end of the evening as above.
Then at the soonest opportunity of fine weather I take the whole lot off,
let any dew accumulated during the night evaporate off and dry the towel
thoroughly, then re-cover as above.
As I mentioned above, I have used the above method for several years.
Even after torrential rail the towel and mount/scopes have always remained perfectly dry. There has been no sign of any corrosion or any other harmfull effects, and with the above setup there has been no problem with solar heating. The big advantage is that my scope is always ready for instant use for my imaging sessions and things such as polar alignment remain in good order
When I go camping, I sometimes leave the scope set up for several days on end.
I use the Aldi BBQ cover for night time protection and for rain protection. Heavy duty and soft lining. But its Black so no good for sunny days.
When the sun is out I remove the BBQ cover and cover my scope with a home made cover made from two car windscreen sun shades sewn together.
It certainly looks like heat is not as big of an issue as i was originally thinking. This is very encouraging to hear. I'll give it a test this weekend using some of these suggestions and report back my results!
