leaving the mount outside..

[emadmoussa]

My NEQ6 sits on Skywatcher pillar and for the sake of practicality I am thinking about leaving in the garden. It's incredibly awkward carrying it into the garden. There are 2 steps to go past, so the wheels are not helpful with that bit.

I am thinking about placing the pillars bolts on 3 pieces of wood 5 to 10 cm higher than the patio floor to avoid rain water...and use garden furniture cover to protect the mount. Probably use a space blank as well for extra insulation.

I still want to cover every bit of the pillar to avoid any possible mould or rust.

I am in 2 hearts about this, does anybody do this? Any advice?

Thanks

[Pig]

As long as you do not leave it for too long without maintaining it Imad I am sure it will be fine.

Lots of people leave them in areas that are subject to temperature change such as sheds and small observatories

[Macavity]

Rather liked the (Whose was it?) "small plastic BIN" as cover idea. Withstood Harsh Winters?

One way of dealing with a multiplicity of redundant plastic "recycling" stuff we amass locally!

The Pillar (rustable, cast steel etc.) would benefit from an extra coat or two of paint though!

[emadmoussa]

I was thinking in terms of wrapping the exposed metal parts with plastic or bubble wraps.

Shaun, define long term?

[pete_l]

I'd be concerned with insects nesting in all the little nooks and crannies (such as electrical sockets). Or finding their way inside and eating the electrics - or even dying in there and messing up the precision gearing

Having said that, people are quite willing to leave their (even more expensive) cars out in the open in all weathers.

[Pig]

I was thinking in terms of wrapping the exposed metal parts with plastic or bubble wraps.

Shaun, define long term?

Winter = 1 week

Summer = 4 weeks

Decay can start from under the coating of paints etc... so its best to keep a close eye on them, any moving parts should be used now and again to keep them free.

[emadmoussa]

I'm not parcularily concerned about insects. The thermal cover should insulate the mount well enough. My main concern is protecting the pillar body.

I would've though direct sunlight would do a lot of damage, I am not sure how a well insulated mount could be exposed to winter cold...

I am heading back from Brecon at the moment and will probably start my project tonorrow.

[Pig]

How was Brecon ? I hope you had a good time.

The only certainty is the mount will be affected by being outside, a lot depends on how outside use was considered during the design.

For peace of mind why not get in contact with the manufacturers and enquire as to what they recommend

[ian_bird]

I have been leaving my mount (CGEM DX) plus OTAs (WO 98 & 72) plus electronics box and harness under a greenwitch cover plus tarpaulin. I have two heated puppy pads under there (one under the leccy box and one just under the mount head. These are on a timer - 45 minutes on in each two hour period.

Dry as a bone so far. Just take the covers off - attach the image train - plug in the cables and away I go.

Would love an obsy - but not an option. So this is the next best.

Cheers

Ian

[Pig]

I have been leaving my mount (CGEM DX) plus OTAs (WO 98 & 72) plus electronics box and harness under a greenwitch cover plus tarpaulin. I have two heated puppy pads under there (one under the leccy box and one just under the mount head. These are on a timer - 45 minutes on in each two hour period.

Dry as a bone so far. Just take the covers off - attach the image train - plug in the cables and away I go.

Would love an obsy - but not an option. So this is the next best.

Cheers

Ian

You cant beat TLC I can tell you really care about your mount

[emadmoussa]

Rather liked the (Whose was it?) "small plastic BIN" as cover idea. Withstood Harsh Winters?

One way of dealing with a multiplicity of redundant plastic "recycling" stuff we amass locally!

The Pillar (rustable, cast steel etc.) would benefit from an extra coat or two of paint though!

Would it benefit from a rust sealant? Not quite an expert as you might've noticed

[emadmoussa]

How was Brecon ? I hope you had a good time.

The only certainty is the mount will be affected by being outside, a lot depends on how outside use was considered during the design.

For peace of mind why not get in contact with the manufacturers and enquire as to what they recommend

This is what puzzles me. In theory mounts are dedigned to be used outside, so I am assming a good all weather cover and perhaps a metal sealant on the parts likely to be less covered should provide a reasonable level of protection, shouldnt it?

I am not really thinking about leaving it out all the time. Probably Friday night till Monday morning ...just to be ready when there are some stars visible over the weekend

[jetstream]

I would use a waterproof breathable cover over the pillar.There are metal sealants you can use,as you know.The two I use here are sealer/lubricants,they both leave a thin film of wax as the solvents evaporate.The cleanest one was developed by Boeing for its own use-called Boeshield T-9,which is marketed here by a snowmobile manufacturer.Not cheap though $25.00 a spray can.The other is called FluidFilm-works great but is very messy,leaves yellow beeswax on the parts sprayed-but it is a great rust/corrosion preventative.Between the cover & a sealant the pillar should look like new for a long time.

[davies07]

I've kept my EQ6 under a Greenwich cover in the garden for months.

A spray of WD40 on the exposed metal helps.

David

[JamesF]

I've had my HEQ5 out under a cover all summer too. If the forecast has been good I've even left the OTA and cameras all mounted up. The cover is held in place, but air can get in for ventilation. It has been fine. i think the important thing is not to leave it so dew might sit on it for ages.

James

[nicks90]

is it made from steel or aluminium?

If the former, it is actually very reasonable in cost to take it to your local galvanisers and have it acid dipped to remove all the paint/powder coat/grease/solvents/other 'stuff' from the whole thing and then hot galvanise it.

just dismantle it before you take it to them and you usually pay by weight - not only that, but if its fully dismantled you will be getting every square mm galvanise - inside and out including all threads etc. It will last a lifetime in any sort of weather and wouldnt even need to be covered from the elements!

Had several items done on my old landrover and after 5 years of being dipped in acidic mud and grot offroad, not a single patch of surface rust on any of the bits i had galv'd. from memory it cost about £2 per kilo to do.

nick

edited to add: this is for the pier - not for your eq6 of course!!!

[ArcticCircle]

In the motorbike world, we use an off-the-shelf product called ACF-50 as a protective coating to prevent corrosion.

http://www.acf-50.co.uk/motorcycle.htm

(However I do like the idea of galvanising!)

If the above is overkill, then as others have suggested, spraying with WD40 (a very light oil) is your best bet to prevent corrosion. Heavier oils (such as a bicycle chain oil) can be used elsewhere to protect moving parts. However, you only need a little and oil gets everywhere!

I was thinking in terms of wrapping the exposed metal parts with plastic or bubble wraps.

I would not do this. This would hold moisture close to the metal and exacerbate the problem.

By all means use a cover (a friend used an upturned plastic dust-bin in the past), but do not wrap it tightly outdoors.