Safe Storage

[bod00]

Hey everyone,

I have recently bought a sw 150pl and as some of you may know its a big fella!, so far i have had it fully assembled in the garage but its a little on the big/heavy side to be lifting in and out all the time, so the last few nights i have been taking the ota off and just taking the mount and scope separate to the garden!

My question really is whats the best way to store the ota and mount while not using them? so far i have the ota sat vertical with a bungie cord to stop it falling and the mount just folded in and lent again the wall, i dont know if either of these option are safe mainly the scope part as i dont want to damage the mirror!

My other idea was to mount the ota on like a bike rack system on the wall so i can just lift it on and off?

I would love to know how other people do it or if they have any ideas

thanks!

[Matt Scunthorpe]

My OTA still sits in the box it came in. The mount/second mount/weights/EP case/power pack all kind of orbit around the box lol. And the two tripods each have an exclusive windowsill each. Not the most efficiant way of storage but the only way i could fit it all in my bedroom lol.

If you could keep your mount and tripod together in the garage is a good way of doing it, id take the OTA into the house though, just for secuirty, it should stand on its end if its secure enough not to fall over, or try and lay it down and let the focusser stop it rolling around.

[LukeSkywatcher]

The OTA is the part to look after while storing it. The tripod can look after itself. Standing the OTA on its end can lead to it falling over if knocked (accidents do happen). I say lay it down on its side out of the way in such a way that it wont roll around (not that it will). Mounting the OTA on a wall rack is not the way to go. One slip of the hand and its junk. Also the rack could fall off of the wall. Way too risky.

[robstonham]

I currently store my OTA just inside the back door in a bit of dead space behind a curtain. No one see's it or goes near it to risk knocking it.

I'm going fully the other way in terms of protecting now though, just order my self a flight case to fit store it. It's only a 130P so it's a bit smaller than your 150PL.

The flight case is probably a bit for overkill for normal day to day storage, but at least when I take it on holiday I won't need to worry too much about it getting a little know about in the car.

Rob

[bod00]

thanks guys,

i am installing racking in the garage at the moment and did a bit of measuring and if i span the ota across the 2 shelves it will be on its side laid flat like luke suggests and the middle bar of the rack will make it pretty hard to fall forward so this looks like one of the options i will go for!

I have 2 little kids and a house full of toys so it will have to be in the garage for the moment!

Speaking of the tripod/mount when setting up last night the plastic spider at the bottom of the tripod decided to snap on me so now one of the legs can extend full out so i didn't fancy risking the scope!

Its only very flimsy at best does anyone have any tips on repair or how to make it stronger?? - i was thinking of going to b&q and getting some chains as i dont really use the supplied tray as i have a little garden table!

as always thanks for the advice

[Amra]

I keep mine fully assembled inside in a room in the house that never gets used for anything. I asked this same question a few weeks ago, and it was recommended to me to keep the tube facing down so dust doesn't accumulate on the mirrors (and this way it also takes up less space.) But it has a dust cap, so it's not like a lot more dust gets into the tube, I assume it's just so that the dust that's already inside the tube doesn't rest on the mirrors. But it probably isn't that important to be honest.

[cyborg421]

I put wheels on the base of my 250px Dob to make moving it around as easy as possible. I can wheel it fully assembled to use in the back garden. And there is miminium lifting to get it into the car to the dark site and then to move it around the dark site when I get there. highly recommended.

Simon

[Mattscar]

I keep mine attached to the mount at all times so its ready to go in a little used room in the house. I assume this is ok, unless theres a glaring reason Iv missed and I should be separating OTA and mount every time?

[Matt Scunthorpe]

Dont see any problems with keeping the mount and OTA attached. As long as you can handle the weight of it etc when wanted to move it around.

[bod00]

Thanks guys i have to take it apart due to space but i am struggling to see things in the garden now so will have to look at taking it further a field!

[Carbon Brush]

Some years back I bought a cheap flatpack plain pine bookcase. With a bit of work modifiying or moving shelves, it made a good case to store an 8" OTA, tripod, and all the accessories. A bungy cord ensured the OTA would not fall to the floor and a couple of screws to the wall ensured the cabinet would not fall over.

You can replace the broken tripod tray by a metal one from the likes of Scopes n Skies. Is that the part that is broken? Some time back I got various trays from them at the £3 to £4 mark for upgrading old tripods. If it is a different part, then they sometimes have tripod legs, etc at low cost.

Hope this helps, David.

[bod00]

Thanks David,

Yeah i have gone for the rack and bungie option and everything seems to be solid enough for now! - Yes it is the tray area that is broken i have managed to glue it together for the short term but i am looking to either use metal plate to make it stronger or i may take a look at the site you suggested, i have watched a lot of their vids on youtube so will take a look. Thanks for the info

[Gilez]

I would suggest that a dust cover is thought about too. If you garage is anything like mine, leaves and all sorts of stuff and creepy crawlies find there way in and are everywhere.

[bod00]

This might not be a bad idea Gilez as with the weather and my limited views at the moment might be a few weeks before i am out again! - Garage is reasonably clean as i use it as a utility room more so should be ok!

Thanks

[nodecaff]

I store my telescope in a shed out on the patio that doubles as my amateur radio shack. Not ideal but it's the only space we have for now.

It's dry in there but a dust/damp cover sounds like a grand idea, for both scope (90/900 refractor) and radio (the radio being worth several times what I paid for the scope).

What concerns me more though is the temperature variations in the summer. It does get kinda warm in there despite the windows being permanently covered by thick curtains. Not much I can do about that though. :-(

D

[Gilez]

I've wondered about the temperature difference in a shed before. As strange as it is, my shed is less dusty etc..than my garage, so thpught about that as a good home in the past, but was concerned about the 40+deg C temperature inside there on a summer day.

[scuffer]

I keep mine in the garage on its dob base , I have made a sentry hut for it out of an old air hockey table and some spare laminate flooring , I left gaps at the corners (cos I didn't have enough laminate) and stuck filter material there for air flow and the front is netting so I can quickly get the scope in and out , this base is a small pallet. I also have a couple of shower caps for each end of the scope to deter the spiders etc.

[Gilez]

I like the shower cap idea, that is ingenious:D

[bingevader]

Mine has a shower cap too!

I made a box for it and now it's out the shed!

Cheers