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Scope storage?


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Ok, day two of the SGL for me, and I`ve done the `Welcome` bit; thankyou all for being so welcoming :laugh:

My first question, and one I`ve no doubt has already appeared on this forum before: where do you store your scope?  I`m almost a finger click away from ordering my Celestron Schmidt Cass, OTA:

I plan on simply making a wooden box, either foam lined or polystyrene lined and storing it in the garage to keep as near to ambient temperature.  I`m sure there are numerous options; unfortunately housing it in an observatory is never going to become a reality............thoughts and ideas welcome .

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Sounds like a good plan i would make sure any foam/poly that you use doesnt absorb water and maybe a seperate plastic bag with a few bags of dessicant thrown in for the scope. Make sure the scope is nice and dry too before you pack it away.

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I store my OTA in a large plastic heavy duty DIY box and got some upholstery foam to line it so it is a nice snug fit, the box is then waterproof.  It stays in my dining room out the way.  So a box, home made or bought, and foam lined will be perfect.

And I love my SCT - a great scope

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Sounds like a good plan i would make sure any foam/poly that you use doesnt absorb water and maybe a seperate plastic bag with a few bags of dessicant thrown in for the scope. Make sure the scope is nice and dry too before you pack it away.

Storage in a cool dry and secure place is a good idea, if your circumstances allow, lessens cooldown greatly.

Post # 2 makes an important point.  When packing away for the night, you can wipe down non-optical surfaces with a soft absorbant cloth. Leave overnight to dry, then before placing in the box, check the scope carefully for any moisture internally or externally.  Not a good idea to pack away if dampness exists, encourages mould etc to form.  The mention of dessicant is a good precaution as well.

Regards, Ed.

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I keep my Nexstar 8SE in the original box/foam under the stairs where it's cool and dry. Need to look into something a bit sturdier however for the future as the boxes are starting to wear. I too think a good suitcase and good quality foam will be the way to go for the OTA.

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As you have indicated, make your own box or check Stanley Job Chest 50 gallon (or there abouts) on ebay. As mentioned, use the molded foam from the packaging box if purchased new. Mine (C8) which is an older fork mounted version, is stored in the foam that it originally came in, and kept in a 120L cargo bag. I keep mine in a spare room and on top of a wardrobe.

Stored in a garage will be fine, ensure that there is an air vent between the box, such as if placed onto a table or shelf, or consider placing the OTA - in its box, onto a builders pallet.

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Keeping it at ambient temp eliminates a lot of hassle and you can be sure the scope is giving its best without having to wait. I`m always aware of putting a damp scope away though.

If it is, I put back in its box, with the lens caps off and the lid half open until the next day. If we`ve had a good few runs of observing in dewy conditions I sometimes treat the scope to a trip indoors for a couple of days to purge any moisture. 

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Mine goes in a cricket kit bag carefully wrapped in an old sheet with bubble wrap to sit on kept in my dry and secure garage. 

As many have already said I never put it away until the next day, I leave it with the mirror pointing down to dry. 

This seems to work as my scope looks and performs as well today as the day I bought it.

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The Sky at Night magazine had a nice article a while ago about making a box for a scope. It may be available online?

I adapted the ideas in it to make a storage case for my NEQ6. However as others have said there are some useful tool boxed

That will take a scope, we have two Stanley boxes on wheels fits a 6" SCT nicely and you can just about fit an 8" in, cost £25-30 from B&Q which was much less than making one.post-11141-0-38315400-1387142619_thumb.jpost-11141-0-30186600-1387142642_thumb.j

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The Sky at Night magazine had a nice article a while ago about making a box for a scope. It may be available online?

I adapted the ideas in it to make a storage case for my NEQ6. However as others have said there are some useful tool boxed

That will take a scope, we have two Stanley boxes on wheels fits a 6" SCT nicely and you can just about fit an 8" in, cost £25-30 from B&Q which was much less than making one.attachicon.gifimage.jpgattachicon.gifimage.jpg

Hi Herbig. Your storage case is really smart and is remarkably similar to my Tal one in concept and appearance ie nicely crafted and very robust with properly formed compartments for each component. The Tal case even has little wooden clamps with wing nuts to hold the parts in place and it amazes me how much trouble Tal went to.

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The Sky at Night magazine had a nice article a while ago about making a box for a scope. It may be available online?

I adapted the ideas in it to make a storage case for my NEQ6. However as others have said there are some useful tool boxed

That will take a scope, we have two Stanley boxes on wheels fits a 6" SCT nicely and you can just about fit an 8" in, cost £25-30 from B&Q which was much less than making one.attachicon.gifimage.jpgattachicon.gifimage.jpg

That is a brilliant storage case; you are obviously very handy in the carpentry department.

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I keep my scope in the garage. It's unheated so pretty close to ambient temperature. Problems with that are that the garage is not the cleanest of places to store something like that and as it also houses washing machines and tumble driers etc. I wonder about the amount of moisture that might be in there. With the current 'scope I'm not worrying too much.

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No washers or dryers in mine, so thats a good place to store being ambient, so scope is more or less ready to go on a clear night? Covered with a bedsheet maybe? or a plastic car windscreen cover type sheet? which would be best?

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Probably better if you can store the OTA in a flight case or similar to give that a good amount of protection and tripod with just a small cover over it. Large covers are more hassle and offer more chance to knock something as you cover and uncover. Remember you're only providing some basic dustcover while stored indoors so something small and flimsy will be adequate in this case.

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mine just sits in the garage with a tarpaulin draped over it. Means its ready for action just as soon as I can drag it outside, as there is zero cool down time. EPs sit in a case that slides down the side of the dob base, so they're not prone to fogging either.

Only thing i do take in to the house is the laser collimator and red dot finder - cos the batteries die really quickly if its left in the cold too long.

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