Effects of HEat on Equipment

Greetings,

I have a question I hope someone has some experience with. I live on the edge of Phoenix metro where day time highs in the summer get into the 110's. So I am wondering, and I asked this on the Tak yahoo group, can I leave a Mewlon and EQ mount outside in that kind of heat without damaging them? If not, it will be a pain having to set the whole thing up every time I want to use it, which may mean I chose a different type scope.

Thoughts? Any desert dwellers dealing with this issue?

Thanks,
john

Hi John,
I'm down in Tucson. I usually leave my scope set up and covered until the rains come the first of July. Then I put it away til Sept. When there over. Sometimes I'll leave my gem out and bring the scope in under the patio. That way I keep my polar alignment. Been doing it for years. So far no grease dripping out the bottom!

Gary

John-

I live in Tucson and have a roll off observatory in my backyard...until this past March I would routinely leave a refractor and entry level GEM mount in there without any climate control...now I have installed a window AC unit as I purchased a better mount and was a little worried about the electronics...

One word of caution, WIND! I have seen more than one scope, with a cover, get picked up and tossed by a monsoon-like gust of wind. Happened at the all-AZ Messier marathon 2 years ago to a C11 on a CGE...counterweights and all. A simple dust devil. Anchor your set-up....

Clear skies-
Alan

John Cassella said:

Greetings,

I have a question I hope someone has some experience with. I live on the edge of Phoenix metro where day time highs in the summer get into the 110's. So I am wondering, and I asked this on the Tak yahoo group, can I leave a Mewlon and EQ mount outside in that kind of heat without damaging them? If not, it will be a pain having to set the whole thing up every time I want to use it, which may mean I chose a different type scope.

Thoughts? Any desert dwellers dealing with this issue?

Thanks,
john

+1 to Alan, anchor it...We had a pretty good storm roll through here a couple weeks ago that populated my yard with among other things, my neighbors 16ft trampoline from 400 feet away (iI live 60 miles SW of Phoenix). I would also be concerened about dust infiltration from dust storms and just normal dust blowing around.