AntPDC

I thought the bearings in the AZ-EQ6 were an improvement over those used in the HEQ5. Can't recall where I read about that, but belt-drives (AZ-EQ6) are better than gears, right? At any rate, back on topic, the £80-200 (depending on size) "Telegizmos 365" covers have been around for years and have garnered very positive reviews from users (and at that price they should). However, as Ray Foreman mentioned above, they are lined with an aluminised material which can give rise to condensation. TouTuber Cuiv the Lazy Geek (in humid Tokyo) has used one for years under which he keeps everything: mount, scope, camera, Mini-PC etc 24/7. His solution to the condensation issue which led to some rust spots has been to hang a bag of cheap desiccant (silica gel I think) which changes from blue (dry) to pink (needs recharging in a microwave). It works a treat for him, and now for me! Bone dry whatever the weather. Here's a link to Cuiv's video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gk9I6yfZ0KU&t=572s HTH, Ant

That looks to be a very fine refractor Mark! Did you get the field flattener to go with it? Like you, I've been assembling some kit (ie splurging) but haven't had a single clear night since I got it all some weeks ago. Still, I plan to focus on EAA and the learning curve with ASCOM/EQMOD/SharpCap/Stellarium has been steep, so the cloudy skies have helped me not get too far ahead of myself. CS Ant