telescope storage

[manners]

Hi fellow astronomers thanks for your recent help.

I store my skywatcher dobsonian in the garage so there is very little cool down needed when I have the opportunity to use it.

My question is what is the best position to keep the telescope in when not in use to protect the mirror from dreaded damp etc.

[David Smith]

Keep my dob in a plastic shed with the tube laid horizontally. This keeps dust from settling on the mirror. It's been out there for 3+ years now with no discernible side effects.

David

[Bizibilder]

There is one thing I would say about garages (and sheds!) is that there is a greater danger of damage from dust and grit rather than water or dew. Scopes will work with pretty filthy mirrors but dust and grit will ruin them and will ruin bearings on mounts etc. To combat this you need to cover the scope well - either a bag of some sort (I have used a bicycle cover in the past) or even a cupboard or box (maybe a cheap flatpack cupboard) with the door sealed with draftproofing foam will do the trick.

[David Smith]

That is a good point. I should have said that my plastic shed is dedicated solely to housing my scope and as such has been customised a bit with draft excluders, sealant in all the joints and a 12volt power supply to run the mirror fan. There are some pics in my profile if your interested.

I keep the scope under a blanket and then cover that with the plastic wrap that the shed came in.

David

[Dave Dubya]

My Skyliner is stored in the conservatory with a scope cover over it and, for space saving reasons, in the upright position. It hasn't done it any harm.

Alternatively I've also sometimes left it in its carry case (which I custom made from a cheap sleeping bag after I saw how much of a rip-off carry cases were)

[Mr Q]

I always store my newt vertically in a plastic bag with the primary mirror up. The part of the bag that's left over is tucked under the bottom end of the tube to keep bugs, spiders, etc. from entering the tube. Though I store mine inside the house (in a bedroom closet), this method should work well in any sheltered enclosure.

By storing my scope this way, I have kept mirror cleaning to a minimum (only 5 times in past 25 years) with the mirror in extremely clean condition whenever I use it.

[Chris H]

I store mine in the vertical position with a shower cap over each end. I only cap it once any dew has dried out and have had no problems with damp in two years.