reliability

It has been nothing but clouds and rain here in northern NM all this spring and summer. My D&G 5" f/12 has set there on top of its wooden post, on its 2 inch "pipe mount" equatorial, with only a fake-leather cover over it, for MONTHS now, without use. 6 years, total. Maybe I have no respect for optics, I don't know. Tonight it was clear!

No big deal. I removed the weights that keep the scope stable in the wild winds we get here. I flipped her upside down, and slipped off the cover. Pulled off the lens cap and inspected with a red flashlight--no insects or mold, just the speckles of dust that have been there for a long time. Installed dew shield, flipped the scope towards the sky, put in the 7mm ortho, pointed at Alberio, finder still set perfectly. Seeing average good. Pointed at delta Cygnus. Nice spilt! M13, with an 18mm, with averted vision, nice spray of delicate points! Etc. I hadn't used a scope in so long I was pretty rusty, but it sure was nice to see my old friends again.

This is no hotshot report of observing at the edge, just a reminder that metal and glass, and nothing else, makes a tough mother of a telescope, that will stand what the earth dishes out and be there for you. Waltz out, and see, no fooling around. This is one of the advantages of refractors listed by the old books, and it's the truth.
Ron

OTOH, there's a CN'er with a TMB 80SS that left it outside under a cover during a day that reached 90 degrees. Apparently the scope in question had a cemented objective. Whatever it was, the cement/glass couldn't take it and the lens was reduced to junk. He called it a "$1000 Paperweight". The pictures he provided are pretty ugly.

To their credit, Astronomics, the vendor, is making good on this and providing a new objective under warranty.

The point, I guess, is that if you plan to leave your scope to the mercy of the elements, try it while it's under warranty to find out if it'll stand up to that kind of treatment.
FWIW
Bob