Warning - dont leave your telrad in the sun

[tlgerdes (Trevor)]

Setup yesterday, out everything on the scope (including Telrad) in the late afternoon, balanced everything, went off to do other stuff.

A couple hours later, start my alignment routine, notice strange streaks in the telrad projection, though I must have had something loose in side during travel that has torn the reticle stencil. Oh well.

Pulled everything down this morning, opened the telrad to see what had happened, and notice strange burn marks across the reticle stencil and other parts of the internal face.

Realised that my telrad was facing due west in the afternoon, obviously the lens had magnified the sun and burnt line across as the sun was setting.

[brian nordstrom (As avatar)]

Ouch !!! Trev , unlucky , thanks for the heads up .
Brian.

[leon]

Trevor maybe a wise choice to cover your stuff during daylight hours, the heat of the Sun on any scope stuff would be pretty damaging.
I often used a large beach umbrella, if daylight observing was my choice.

Leon

[multiweb (Marc)]

Originally Posted by tlgerdes

Realised that my telrad was facing due west in the afternoon, obviously the lens had magnified the sun and burnt line across as the sun was setting.

Silly boy! I do hope Barry gave you one in the back of the head.

[tlgerdes (Trevor)]

Originally Posted by leon

Trevor maybe a wise choice to cover your stuff during daylight hours, the heat of the Sun on any scope stuff would be pretty damaging.
I often used a large beach umbrella, if daylight observing was my choice.

Leon

When it is hot, I do cover up, but it was about 10deg C. Slip slop slap for telescopes, I have stitched 2 reflective windscreen sunshades together to create a cover, but wasnt using it as it was about 4:30pm in the afternoon and cooling down.

Originally Posted by multiweb

Silly boy! I do hope Barry gave you one in the back of the head.

Nah, he just laughed.