steve-in-kville
super member
Reged: 12/24/07
Loc: Pennsylvania, USA
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How/where do you store your refractors?
#5683056 - 02/16/13 09:37 AM
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Since my Orion is my only scope at the moment, I'd like to keep it handy but out of harms way. So far its been set up in the family room but I would like to somehow hang it on the wall and keep the tripod folded in a closet ready for action.
How is everyone storing their grab-n-go rigs?
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Illinois
Pooh-Bah
Reged: 12/18/06
Loc: near Chicago, Illinois USA
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Re: How/where do you store your refractors?
[Re: steve-in-kville]
#5683081 - 02/16/13 09:50 AM
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Mine is in garage and large old blanket to cover it! Always len and eyepiece cap to cover to keep away from dust. In garage for years is no problem for me!
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Patrik Iver
sage
Reged: 07/29/03
Loc: Kaarina, Finland
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Re: How/where do you store your refractors?
[Re: steve-in-kville]
#5683104 - 02/16/13 10:02 AM
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...but I would like to somehow hang it on the wall and keep the tripod folded in a closet ready for action.
I actually store one of my refractors (a Celestron ED80) that way. It normally rides on a Giro head, so the dovetail is side-mounted anyway. I attached a spare saddle clamp to a closet wall that already was in "astro use" (a tripod and mount in a large Manfrotto tripod bag hanging horizontally on the wall, and a paralellogram binocular mount hanging from padded hooks on the same wall).
Another grab and go refractor (Vixen SS80A) is short enough to be stored in my main eyepiece case.
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neptun2
professor emeritus
Reged: 03/04/07
Loc: Bulgaria
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Re: How/where do you store your refractors?
[Re: Patrik Iver]
#5683143 - 02/16/13 10:18 AM
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I store all my equipment in the living room. The tripod and mount head are setup together as normally, the refractor is in it's aluminium case and all other stuff in another case. It is relatively compact and which is more important for me - ready to get and put it in my car and go to dark place.
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steve-in-kville
super member
Reged: 12/24/07
Loc: Pennsylvania, USA
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Re: How/where do you store your refractors?
[Re: neptun2]
#5683201 - 02/16/13 10:51 AM
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I was at Home Depot and I saw they had hangers that are made to hang on the wall to store stuff. They were vinyl coated and looked sturdy enough. I may give them a try. Would look nice above the fireplace.
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jrbarnett
Eyepiece Hooligan
Reged: 02/28/06
Loc: Petaluma, CA
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Re: How/where do you store your refractors?
[Re: steve-in-kville]
#5683680 - 02/16/13 02:51 PM
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Check out Andy's scope rack idea, here:
http://www.andysshotglass.com/TelescopeRacks.html
I have hard or soft cases for most of my OTAs and store then in a dedicated outbuilding on warehouse shelving. My wife would shoot me if I put a telescope on the wall. 
Regards,
Jim
Edited by jrbarnett (02/16/13 02:56 PM)
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Rossmon
sage
Reged: 07/09/10
Loc: Marin County, CA
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Re: How/where do you store your refractors?
[Re: jrbarnett]
#5683973 - 02/16/13 05:59 PM
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Well, they are instruments and so I believe on keeping them cased and out of sight where nothing can drop or step on them!
If you are fortunate to have the space, somewhere cold is the ideal spot for quick grabngo. I store mine in my garage for that purpose.
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Mike Clemens
Frozen to Eyepiece
Reged: 11/26/05
Loc: Alaska, USA
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Re: How/where do you store your refractors?
[Re: Rossmon]
#5684606 - 02/17/13 03:44 AM
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http://www.pbase.com/mclemens1969/image/118844468/original
artists conception : P
make sure you put a LED line light behind each scope for the glow
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Doug D.
Carpal Tunnel
Reged: 08/23/05
Loc: Virginia
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Re: How/where do you store your refractors?
[Re: Mike Clemens]
#5684874 - 02/17/13 10:08 AM
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I store indoors in their cases with dessciant caps and a little extra depending on scope. After taking indoors they sit to equilibrate with caps on objective and eps (brought in with them on) and are then put away. I monitor humidity in each case with small humidity indicator card that changes color from pink to blue at various % humidities.
Awesome concept pic Mike! You might be on to something.
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bryan242
sage
Reged: 01/23/09
Loc: Minneapolis, Minnesota
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Re: How/where do you store your refractors?
[Re: jrbarnett]
#5685175 - 02/17/13 01:00 PM
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Check out Andy's scope rack idea, here:
http://www.andysshotglass.com/TelescopeRacks.html
That photo made me shudder. There's no way I would put one of my scopes at the mercy of a drywall anchor.
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Stellarfire
Pooh-Bah
Reged: 07/10/11
Loc: Switzerland
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Re: How/where do you store your refractors?
[Re: steve-in-kville]
#5685497 - 02/17/13 04:39 PM Attachment (38 downloads)
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I store it in a French-made Val'Easy case as pictured, with a Farpoint 2" desiccant cap installed. Picture shows also two OTA-supports for service and cleaning.
Stephan
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sgorton99
Carpal Tunnel
Reged: 04/30/08
Loc: Wisconsin, Madison
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Re: How/where do you store your refractors?
[Re: Stellarfire]
#5685925 - 02/17/13 08:37 PM
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Mine are stored in an upstairs extra bedroom. Even in WI, the basement get too humid in the summer.
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chboss
professor emeritus
Reged: 03/24/08
Loc: Tokyo Japan
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Re: How/where do you store your refractors?
[Re: sgorton99]
#5686108 - 02/17/13 10:35 PM
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Mike I love this idea... however I doubt that my better half would accept that. 
regards
Chris
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Jon Isaacs
Postmaster
Reged: 06/16/04
Loc: San Diego and Boulevard, CA
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Re: How/where do you store your refractors?
[Re: bryan242]
#5686408 - 02/18/13 04:11 AM
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That photo made me shudder. There's no way I would put one of my scopes at the mercy of a drywall anchor.
I suspect that photo was not taken in an earthquake zone. It's wouldn't take a large earthquake to end up with three scopes on the floor.
Myself, I store my most of my telescopes in a backroom with an outside door. My classic era refractors are store on a shelf in large rack/cabinet. My modern refractors, the ones I take with me to dark skies all have cases, either soft or hard and have a shelf on there too. I usually have either my 80mm F/7 or the 101mm F/5.4 setup and ready to go.
Jon
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jrbarnett
Eyepiece Hooligan
Reged: 02/28/06
Loc: Petaluma, CA
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Re: How/where do you store your refractors?
[Re: bryan242]
#5686833 - 02/18/13 11:33 AM
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Awww, Andy's all about affordable gear. That drywall anchor and those racks are worth more than the scopes. 
- Jim
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Jon Isaacs
Postmaster
Reged: 06/16/04
Loc: San Diego and Boulevard, CA
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Re: How/where do you store your refractors?
[Re: jrbarnett]
#5686879 - 02/18/13 12:05 PM
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Awww, Andy's all about affordable gear. That drywall anchor and those racks are worth more than the scopes.
- Jim
Jim:
I wasn't worried about the scopes, I didn't want the falling scopes to damage the floor.
Jon
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Mark Costello
Carpal Tunnel
Reged: 03/08/05
Loc: Matthews, NC, USA
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Re: How/where do you store your refractors?
[Re: Jon Isaacs]
#5687469 - 02/18/13 06:05 PM
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I store my only telescope when it's not in use as follows: The Celestron Omni mount is leaned in a corner in our pantry. The optical tube assembly and all its accessories except the finderscope are in a case under my bed. Safekeeping is the watchword here.
The finderscope is still in its bubblewrap, not ever haven been used.
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tezster
professor emeritus
Reged: 07/14/09
Loc: Missisauga, Canada
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Re: How/where do you store your refractors?
[Re: Mark Costello]
#5688462 - 02/19/13 08:35 AM
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I store my refractor in its case underneath my computer desk, the tripod/mount in a closet right next to it. Setup time is negligible. With two cats (one of them a very curious kitten), I don't have too many 'nice' things out in the open.
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FirstSight
Postmaster
Reged: 12/26/05
Loc: Raleigh, NC
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Re: How/where do you store your refractors?
[Re: tezster]
#5688522 - 02/19/13 09:16 AM
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Mine are either kept in their provided hardshell cases, or else set up on tripod and mount in my (relatively clean, no cars) garage, ready to grab n'go on a moment's inspiration. Occasionally when I've been out observing with one of them at our club's site on a moist night and I have to put in the case damp to take home, I'll take it into my study inside the house and put the scope up on a secures spot on top of a chest and leave the empty case open on the floor to dry out overnight.
One consequence of using my garage for storage is that I'm careful to keep the garage doors shut whenever I'm not at home and immediately nearby. Fortunately, the orientation of my garage is such that the inside isn't visible from the street, plus it's a considerable distance up a driveway.
Someday, if and when I ever have small grandchildren and they're visiting, I may have to rethink my scope storage scheme to keep them less immediately accessible to the reckless rambunctiousness and incautious curiosity of kids.
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gustavo_sanchez
sage
Reged: 12/30/10
Loc: Puerto Rico, US
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Re: How/where do you store your refractors?
[Re: FirstSight]
#5688559 - 02/19/13 09:40 AM
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My telescopes are stored in hard cases, with reusable desiccant bags and caps. They are kept in a spare bedroom with a dehumidifier to regulate humidity and its door is always kept closed. Over here in the tropics, humidity is always extremely high. Actually, that's the reason I only have closed-tube OTAs.
Edited by gustavo_sanchez (02/19/13 09:41 AM)
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