Do you leave your focuser extended?

[swag72]

For those with a permanent setup, I have a question that has suddenly dawned on me and I don't know the answer.

I have imaging kit hanging off the back of my scope that stays put for almost ever! At the end of the night, I keep the focuser extended out and so the following night (Or whenever) the focus just needs a tweak.

Should I be racking the focuser back into place each time? Or does it make no difference to the focuser if I leave it extended forever with the kit hanging off the end? Am I looking at creating some long term damage?

Interested to thear your thoughts on this - What do you do and why?

[Spikey]

I have a side by side setup but not in a permanent observatory. This regularly gets transported on my front seat or in the boot around the country to star parties and when travelling. I've left the focuser locked near the same focus point for at least a year now. This has the FR/FW/CCD hanging of the end of the focusser tube. Safe to say it probably gets a fair amount of tiny knocks, bouncing etc.. I've haven't noticed anything wrong at all in function or performance across the imaging field.

[swag72]

Thanks Simon .