How do you typically treat your own gear?

Omaroo (Chris Malikoff) · #1 21-01-2008, 04:16 PM

I think that I'm one of the "Oscar" types when it comes to handling my telescopic and photographic equipment. I'm not one to fret because of an individual fingerprint on a painted surface, but I definitely like to keep things clean and protected. I absolutely HATE tatty stickers and stuff still attached to surfaces years after purchase. I immediately rip that plastic film covering off anything that comes with it because it eventually dies a horrid death and leaves sticky crappola all over the place. All my gear has special compartments in their various cases and boxes, and nothing travels unless it's packed good, tight and water/dust proof.

Just out of morbid interest, how do you all tend to treat your own equipment?

xelasnave · #2 21-01-2008, 04:22 PM

I am hard on my gear I like to see stuff wearing out faster than I am.

alex

citivolus (Ric) · #3 21-01-2008, 04:29 PM

If it has a scratch after 5 years, I try to hunt down which of my kids/wife did it and ban them from going near it again

But seriously, protective cases/bags for the lot.

xelasnave · #4 21-01-2008, 04:34 PM

The way I see it is if it does not get old and battered how can you replace it with better gear... and it goes deeper I was such a pain once with keeping stuff brand new..it did not worry me that I made life unbearable for others but when I could see that it was upsetting my life I resolved to change..I have and am near that happy place called slack.
alex

Omaroo (Chris Malikoff) · #5 21-01-2008, 04:49 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by xelasnave

..it did not worry me that I made life unbearable for others but when I could see that it was upsetting my life I resolved to change..I have and am near that happy place called slack.
alex

Oh how I yearn......

sheeny (Al) · #6 21-01-2008, 04:54 PM

I voted for 4 and 5, but I'm half in each camp. I place things carefully in the back of my truck - not wrapped in a blanket though, because it's all in cases except for the tripod. If it rattles back there then I can't hear it anyway

. If I didn't have cases for my gear I suppose I might resort to a blanket as a stop gap method of protection...

Actually the tripod is showing a few scuff marks from the way I pack it so that it isn't all over the place, but that's cool with me.

As for everything else, I don't clean it unless it needs it.

Al.

sheeny (Al) · #7 21-01-2008, 04:55 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by xelasnave

The way I see it is if it does not get old and battered how can you replace it with better gear... and it goes deeper I was such a pain once with keeping stuff brand new..it did not worry me that I made life unbearable for others but when I could see that it was upsetting my life I resolved to change..I have and am near that happy place called slack.
alex

Good one Alex! I can be fussy about things at times but being fussy about cleaning isn't one of them...

Al.

xelasnave · #8 21-01-2008, 05:08 PM

If you think of the complete opposite to the chacter I present these days you have an idea of who I was.. perfectionist does not really describe the old me..it was way past that..there was perfection and then the improvement on that.. very sad in retrospect ..but now everything I build for example has to be only a proto type as still if any small error creeps in I would have thrown it out..now I can live with imperfection ..one of the reasons I dont worry about spelling.. or even to look at what I wrote is because I have to avoid the worry if you see what I mean.. my way of saying I have the problem in control..

Still I can be a little difficult in some areas but I know no one has noticed so far
alex

wavelandscott (Scott) · #9 21-01-2008, 05:28 PM

Interesting rainy day question...

I voted for "chuck it in the boot" but that is probably an oversimplification...I do try and take care of my gear...but, I am not overly precious with it. It was made to be used by me and my kids.

My Grandfather and Grandmother impressed upon my Mother a belief that you should acquire nice things and then put them away so that no harm could ever come to them. This led to my childhood in which we had a room in our house that was set aside for company that neither I nor my brothers were ever able to step into under severe penalty. I remember how my Mom would scrimp and save to buy nice things for this room...and also how she never was able to enjoy them for fear of "ruining" them.

Not me, I'm going to use my stuff and if it gets a little munged along the way I am okay with that as long as I am enjoying it...

duncan · #10 21-01-2008, 05:51 PM

I'm not wealthy so i take as much care as possible with my gear. I've kept the original packing box for the ota so it can be packed away when i'm not here. That includes the plastic bag (sleeve ) that it was in. I don't like dust on my gear. Not fanatical just careful.
Cheers

madtuna (Steve) · #11 21-01-2008, 06:33 PM

I use 'em but don't abuse 'em. I like them to look good too, but in the end a scratch is probably inevitable.

I remember as a kid my parents had friends who we dreaded going over to visit.
They had a nice lounge that was always covered by a clear plastic sheet. Kids weren't allowed to sit on the lounge even with the sheet on, only adults were allowed to sit on the lounge and only with the sheet on.
It was to look at but not touch.

The carpets were also covered with clear plastic runners in all the walk ways and hell would bust loose if you accidentally stepped off a runner.

Meals were eaten in the adjacent garage on a plastic camping table, as the dining table was for looking at only.

I used to dream of borrowing a pair of thier daughters shoes ( I couldn't stand her) and sneaking in and leaving big muddy incriminating foot prints all over the place.

At age 10 I decided I was going to invent a fingerprint duplicating machine and duplicate her fingerprints and wipe snotty grubby fingerprints all over thier walls.
It never came to pass though, because at age about 11 or 12 she grew boobs and I decided she was hot.

Karlsson · #12 21-01-2008, 07:20 PM

My OTA goes on the rear seat under the seat belt (no blanket), the 'legs' on the floor behind the driver... so I guess I treat my scope like I treat my kids... is that good or bad?

In about ten years of service is has accumulated minor wear and tear because it has travelled some rough roads to dark places. My mirror has seen only one bath ever, and that was recently... give me bathing my cat any time.

The one thing I cannot stand though is fouled-up glasses and dusty EP's, so I blow the dust off them regularly and if that fails: the lens pen (rarely).
And I do keep a sub-set of EP's for use by the eager uninitiated - no Naglers for the hoi-polloi...

iceman (Mike) · #13 21-01-2008, 07:35 PM

I'm like Scott.. I try to take care of it but not overly. I'm just not that type of person.

dugnsuz (Doug) · #14 21-01-2008, 07:45 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by madtuna

The carpets were also covered with clear plastic runners in all the walk ways and hell would bust loose if you accidentally stepped off a runner.

I take pretty good care of my gear - it's no good to me stuffed!

madtuna - your story reminds me of something similar, my mate at school had anal parents who made him drop to his knees and crawl across the carpet to avoid wear!! I couldn't believe it when he did it...classic.
Also remember carpet offcuts around the sofas where one's feet would go for the same reasons!!!

Cheers
Doug

leon · #15 21-01-2008, 07:47 PM

I am very particular with my gear, and it is probably in the same state as when I bought it, other than the optical surfaces it gets cleaned down after each session, even if it is 3.00am in the morning, and then covered with a sheet inside the observatory.

Then i switch on the exhust fan, and normal air circulating fan and close up.

In the morning I go back and air blow all optical surfaces and, and put the dust covers on, the fans stay on 24/7 until the next session.

But that is just me.

probably over kill but i like it like that.

Leon

Glenhuon (Bill) · #16 21-01-2008, 08:30 PM

I suppose I'm a bit slack with the gear. Keep it plugged up and packed away when not in use and pad it up during transit. But apart from that, if it gets dusty in the shed, well..... such is life.

My little 60mm must have done about 200,000k in the work ute, has a few scratches here and there, but still works OK. They are tougher than you think

Bill

Outbackmanyep · #17 21-01-2008, 09:46 PM

I don't talk to my equipment...put it that way.....i couldn't find an option in the poll to suggest how i treat mine!
My SCT has its own padded hard covered case, my dob just lays across the backseat, add a little padding, and drive carefully! I try not to scratch things....as for fingerprints and dust.......i tend to leave them until they become annoying!

i treat women better than my scopes!

Omaroo (Chris Malikoff) · #18 21-01-2008, 10:21 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by leon

I am very particular with my gear, and it is probably in the same state as when I bought it, other than the optical surfaces it gets cleaned down after each session, even if it is 3.00am in the morning, and then covered with a sheet inside the observatory.

Then i switch on the exhust fan, and normal air circulating fan and close up.

In the morning I go back and air blow all optical surfaces and, and put the dust covers on, the fans stay on 24/7 until the next session.

But that is just me.

probably over kill but i like it like that.

Leon

I think that I'm just like Leon. I love my gear, and am proud of it. I love the concept of high quality optics, and beautifully-machined instruments are something to treasure. I get as much pleasure handling them in a perfect state as I do from looking through them. Just me i guess....or maybe not.

Ric · #19 21-01-2008, 10:33 PM

I can say that I am very particular with my gear, I like it to be clean and tidy, but that does not mean it doesn't get used or exposed to the elements.

I am also very careful around my scope for the simple reason of expense, I know that if something is damaged it will be many months before it can be replaced. I just dont have those sort of funds available.

Cheers

Sonia · #20 21-01-2008, 11:00 PM

Mine stays in my bedroom so no-one can touch it. Gets a clean before and after i use it.