· Get a Cloudy Nights T-Shirt · Submit a Review / Article Click here if you are having trouble logging into the forums Privacy Policy | Please read our Terms of Service | Signup and Troubleshooting FAQ | Problems? PM a Red or a Green Gu… uh, User You are not logged in. [Login] Entrance · Main Index · Search · New user · Who's Online FAQ · Calendar Equipment Discussions >> Mounts Previous   Index   Next   Threaded   Pages: 1 George P Dunham member Reged: 06/24/12 Loc: Pinecliffe,CO USA Winter is comming...mount coming in or not!       #5409836 - 09/08/12 10:38 AM Edit   Reply   Quote Quick Reply   I live at 8200 feet and winters are rough. UV is brutal up here on all things plastic. We don't see sub zero too much but are often at single digit lows for months at a time. I have a new CGE PRO and would love to leave the mount where it is, outside. I have a telagizmos 365 cover. Is this enought? Whats your experience? Post Extras:       rmollise Postmaster Reged: 07/06/07 Re: Winter is comming...mount coming in or not! [Re: George P Dunham]       #5409916 - 09/08/12 11:35 AM Edit   Reply   Quote Quick Reply   Not in my opinion. If this is out in the open, I would not even consider leaving it out in these conditions for months with just a cover on it. Bring it in. Post Extras:       Raginar Carpal Tunnel Reged: 10/19/10 Loc: Rapid CIty, SD Re: Winter is comming...mount coming in or not! [Re: rmollise]       #5410136 - 09/08/12 01:52 PM Edit   Reply   Quote Quick Reply   I live in SD, and my CGEM spent much of the winter outside. Mind you we don't get the snow; it's mostly dry during the winter. But, it didn't have any issues with the cold. Post Extras:       rmollise Postmaster Reged: 07/06/07 Re: Winter is comming...mount coming in or not! [Re: Raginar]       #5410254 - 09/08/12 03:03 PM Edit   Reply   Quote Quick Reply   Yep...my worry would be more humidity/moisture than cold. Post Extras:       Chris_H Post Laureate Reged: 11/24/03 Loc: Norway Re: Winter is comming...mount coming in or not! [Re: rmollise]       #5410547 - 09/08/12 06:21 PM Edit   Reply   Quote Quick Reply   You guys worry too much! My EQ6 mount has been outside all year long for close to 4 years now - and it still works as well as the day I got it! It used to sit under a normal tarp but that rotted away last year so now I use a Telagizmos 365 cover. Yes there will be some rust on the screws but mounts are rugged things. So unless you have "China glue" in it or are worried about resale value, I say leave it outside Post Extras:       EdmontonAB scholastic sledgehammer Reged: 04/30/08 Loc: Sooke, BC , Canada Re: Winter is comming...mount coming in or not! [Re: Chris_H]       #5411058 - 09/09/12 01:08 AM Edit   Reply   Quote Quick Reply   I have to agree with Chris. Leave the mount outside. Just make sure the mount doesn't get in any direct contact with the elements. A mount should be used and if you bring it in, I guarantee you will not use it that much if you have to bring out to setup. I would rather use a mount until if falls apart then worry about protecting it and not using it atf all. Post Extras:       mich_al Pooh-Bah Reged: 05/10/09 Loc: Rural central lower Michigan ... Re: Winter is comming...mount coming in or not! [Re: EdmontonAB]       #5411353 - 09/09/12 09:20 AM Attachment (14 downloads) Edit   Reply   Quote Quick Reply   My hypertuned CGEM has been outside since spring of 2010, no weather related issues. It's under a telegizmo 365 and I have a large lightbulb and a remote temp/humidity monitor under there too. when the humidity gets high or is going high I turn on the light till it drops. Post Extras:       aaube super member Reged: 04/10/11 Loc: Trois-Rivieres, Canada Re: Winter is comming...mount coming in or not! [Re: mich_al]       #5412304 - 09/09/12 08:45 PM Attachment (10 downloads) Edit   Reply   Quote Quick Reply   I'm also an happy Telegizmo 365 user. Mounts & ota's remain outdoors year round. A dummy jack is inserted in every ports (hc, aux, guiding, ect) as an added protection and 7 watts Dryrods are used to control humidity. Since the Dryrods are tied at the eyepiece tray level, vaseline is applied with a small paintbrush over the legs bolts under that level once in a while. Sincerely, Alain Post Extras:       groz Carpal Tunnel Reged: 03/14/07 Loc: Duncan, BC Re: Winter is comming...mount coming in or not! [Re: aaube]       #5413211 - 09/10/12 12:15 PM Edit   Reply   Quote Quick Reply   A couple years ago, we left both telescopes out on the back deck, fully assembled, under covers. They got used a LOT, and weathered a few months of west coast rain / wind with no ill effects. Then for some reason, they came back inside. After that, work / life schedules got very busy, and, it became a case of 'I dont have the energy to set it all up today' when we had some clear time, so, stuff didn't get used. We went a whole year, never set them up once. We have some new to us gear arriving later in the month, and once it's here, it's going out on the deck under the 365 covers. What's the point of having it, if we never use it ? In the past, we never did anything about moisture inside the covers, and didn't seem to suffer any problems because of it, but with the new stuff, I'm going to do something in that regard, not sure what yet. I like a couple of the ideas mentioned in this thread, and have been wondering if just turning on the dew straps would be enough to help keep things dry inside the cover. For those of you monitoring such things, I'm curious what you are using for remote temp/humidity monitors. Post Extras:       StarWrangler scholastic sledgehammer Reged: 09/03/04 Loc: Three Rivers, MI U.S.A> Re: Winter is comming...mount coming in or not! [Re: George P Dunham]       #5413309 - 09/10/12 01:05 PM Attachment (13 downloads) Edit   Reply   Quote Quick Reply   This is what I did for my old C8 Alan O. Post Extras:       StarWrangler scholastic sledgehammer Reged: 09/03/04 Loc: Three Rivers, MI U.S.A> Re: Winter is comming...mount coming in or not! [Re: StarWrangler]       #5413315 - 09/10/12 01:06 PM Edit   Reply   Quote Quick Reply   Alan O's mini OBServatory No it is not a Bird House!! Alan O Post Extras:       George P Dunham member Reged: 06/24/12 Loc: Pinecliffe,CO USA Re: Winter is comming...mount coming in or not! [Re: StarWrangler]       #5413389 - 09/10/12 01:42 PM Edit   Reply   Quote Quick Reply   Sounds as though leaving the mount setup outside with a 365 covering it and perhaps a tarp and light bulb on, would be reasonable. There is now way I am leaving the OTA out over the winter. Although we are not sub zero too much we may end up with a 7 foot dump of snow from one storm and we can have 40-50mph winds daily, for a month at a time. Post Extras:       Falcon- Post Laureate Reged: 09/11/09 Loc: Gambier Island, BC, Canada Re: Winter is comming...mount coming in or not! [Re: George P Dunham]       #5413445 - 09/10/12 02:12 PM Edit   Reply   Quote Quick Reply   I wish I could do the 365 cover thing myself... alas with an altitude of 8ft I would not just be looking at damp and humid but salt-laden air and potentially direct salt spray in a storm. Alan's practice of using dummy plugs in all ports is an excellent one though. Keeping those contacts from corroding over time will certainly help avoid future electrical quirks. Post Extras:       Pages: 1 Previous   Index   Next   Threaded   Extra information 9 registered and 37 anonymous users are browsing this forum. 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