Leaving kit outside

[MattJenko]

What's the worst that could happen to a tripo/mount/scope left outside with a protective cover over it?

[JB80]

It could get nicked, that would be the worst I would say.

[Moonshane]

I tend to bring mine in after each session. as above, theft, rust, mould, animals moving in, damage due to windy conditions etc. Personally, I cannot see the issue with bring in other than a little forward planning if you have a large scope (for cooldown). Or of course a smaller scope! e.g. I have a 16" dob which gets used only at star parties or days when I have time to leave it out for a good couple of hours before use.I also have a 130mm newt that I can use within seconds (although in truth I often do that at low power with my 12" scope too).

[oldpink]

mine has been set up in my garden for over 2 months
its covered by a tent when not being used, and if its dry I take the covers off
and let it air

good thing is I never have a cool down period and my alignment is pretty much sorted

I spray it every couple of weeks with WD40 on any exposed metal to stop rust

[ChrisLX200]

I would not leave the OTA outside but the rest should be pretty robust - but it depends how well they are made. Stainless steel and anodised alloy will shrug off the elements if suitably protected with a cover, and electrical components and especially their connections are treated with an anti-corrosive (ACF50 is my favourite for this job). If there are any standard steel components they may well rust. To prevent theft I use security bolts to attach to a permanent pier, no way is the mount coming off without the correct key.

ChrisH

[Vanilla]

Here in the southern states (US), you have to REALLY seal up your scope if you're going to leave it outside. There's a lot of flying critters and "bug things" during the summer and they like to crawl into small places and reproduce and all that.

It's not that big of a deal...I just use painter's tape to seal the plastic bag around the scope. (that kind of tape is cheap and comes off in a jiffy)     

[MattJenko]

Thanks for replies. So an occasional 48 hour outside setup is fine, malignant human theivery aside. I was more considering leaving something setup on a camping trip type than a perma setup at home. I'm not quite that lazy yet.