Better to take scope off rings ? or dovetail of mount ?

[badgers]

Hi SGLers,

What's recommended best practice for storing my scope after an evenings viewing:

1) Opening the tube rings and removing the OTA for storage, leaving tube rings and dovetail on the mount.

2) Leaving the tube rings on the OTA and removing the scope, rings and dovetail as a unit from the mount.

I'm just wondering if one or the other is likely to cause problems in the long run with wear and tear etc.

[Merlin66]

IMHO I don't think it makes much difference.

I just take the OTA with the rings etc off the mount and store it that way...makes it easier to refit them to the mount saddle the next time...

[sologuitarist61]

Yep the same here, just remove the whole thing from the mount and leave it to warm up and dry out.

[garethmob]

i remove the scope (with rings and dovetail) from the mount i used to do rings to scope but neally had a heart attack when i dropped the scope.... luckly i caught it in mid air

[Uranium235]

I just grab the whole arrangement with camera still attached and just lay it down on its side in the basement - though I do tend to prop it up with a small box so its weight isnt on the focuser. Reasons are:

You dont have to re-balance

No orientation problems with cameras

No chance for dust to get in (as would happen if things were always being taken apart)

Next time you use it, it will already be in focus(ish) - depending on temperature.

[thommo10]

yep same here take the whole lot of the mount.

[badgers]

Perfect, I'll be taking off the dovetail from the mount head then from now on.

It's easier to carry that way too, without knocking the collimation out of whack.

[thommo10]

be sure to mark the dovetail so that you can put it back in the same place so you don't upset the balance