Is it safe to leave my HEQ5 outside overnight (i.e. 10 hours) while turned on?

[pipnina]

Seems unlikely to rain tonight or tomorrow, and I would like to be in bed before the camera stops taking pictures, if I leave the mount turned on (i.e. tracking) while I sleep does that pose a risk?

AFAIK meridian flips are automatic, so in theory I shouldn't get collision issues, right?

And then there's the issue of the run rising tomorrow (if it isn't cloudy like the forecast says it probably will be by morning), reflecting telescope on the mount so it there any concern with that or will it always be too far away from the sun to matter?

It's not a computerized setup, so I can't turn it off on timer...

Cheers

[JamesF]

It's not the sort of thing I'd do with an expensive mount without trying it out first regardless of what anyone else says.  You never know what you might have forgotten to consider that later comes back and bites delicate parts of your anatomy (or that of your camera and mount).

James

[pipnina]

1 minute ago, JamesF said:

It's not the sort of thing I'd do with an expensive mount without trying it out first regardless of what anyone else says.  You never know what you might have forgotten to consider that later comes back and bites delicate parts of your anatomy (or that of your camera and mount).

James

This is a good point. I might have to suck it up and stay awake until it's finished for tonight then.

[Davey-T]

It' amazing what can go wrong if you take your eyes of it for any length of time, just left mine running the other night while I popped indoors for a cuppa and when I went out again the guide camera had disconnected for reasons unknown, at least I only lost a couple of subs.

Dave

[MarsG76]

I image and leave the gear running all night very regularly... even for the last three nights... usually I close up the hut when the sun is well up... I use APT so I add the script for the mount to park itself at the end of the last sub but it stays all powered on and I never had any issues.... The only issue that can be a risk is if it rains on the mount...

[parallaxerr]

7 hours ago, pipnina said:

AFAIK meridian flips are automatic, so in theory I shouldn't get collision issues, right?

Not necessarily, my HEQ5 doesn't flip. I've never adjusted the flip settings from new and the first time I imaged through meridian, it just went weights up.

I have a pier extension so I am OK for clearance but without it I think the DSLR would strike the tripod.

[swag72]

8 hours ago, pipnina said:

 

AFAIK meridian flips are automatic, so in theory I shouldn't get collision issues, right?

 

What software are you using to do your data capture? It's the software that allows the auto meridian flips, nothing to do with the mount...... With auto meridian flip being potentially problematic, I'd test it first before I went to bed to make sure that it was working OK... If it is then you know that you can sleep without fear of collisions!

With regards to keeping the mount outside.... I've had my complete rig (Mount, camera, scope, computer) outside under a cover for the last 6 months..... in wind, rain and heat. There's been no adverse affects as far as I can tell

[cjdawson]

Don't forget that whilst you are sleeping, there's also a chance that there could be a dirty rotton theives's who might want to take the precious!    Just something to consider.  That might just keep you up all night anyway.

[carastro]

I would go to bed and set the alarm for when it is due to finish and go out and switch it all off and cover it up.  So long as you are positive it won't rain. 

Carole 

 

[LukeSkywatcher]

Ahhhhhhhhhh the joys of the dark side.

?

[RolandKol]

2 hours ago, carastro said:

I would go to bed and set the alarm for when it is due to finish and go out and switch it all off and cover it up.  So long as you are positive it won't rain. 

Carole 

 

If you are sure that after Meridian Filip scope will stay on the target, - go as Carole suggests

[GraemeH]

I'm with cjdawson - where I live I'd be much more concerned about whether or not my kit would still be there in the morning than I would about any possible mishaps in operation.

[iapa]

11 minutes ago, GraemeH said:

I'm with cjdawson - where I live I'd be much more concerned about whether or not my kit would still be there in the morning than I would about any possible mishaps in operation.

Ditto - although I'm also in West Lothian.....

[pipnina]

5 hours ago, parallaxerr said:

Not necessarily, my HEQ5 doesn't flip. I've never adjusted the flip settings from new and the first time I imaged through meridian, it just went weights up.

I have a pier extension so I am OK for clearance but without it I think the DSLR would strike the tripod.

4 hours ago, swag72 said:

What software are you using to do your data capture? It's the software that allows the auto meridian flips, nothing to do with the mount...... With auto meridian flip being potentially problematic, I'd test it first before I went to bed to make sure that it was working OK... If it is then you know that you can sleep without fear of collisions!

With regards to keeping the mount outside.... I've had my complete rig (Mount, camera, scope, computer) outside under a cover for the last 6 months..... in wind, rain and heat. There's been no adverse affects as far as I can tell

Ah, I didn't know the meridian flips were not automatic!

I'm still a bit low-tech when it comes to data capture, DSLR on bulb mode with an intervalometer strapped to it. No software... I ended up turning the mount off and bringing the camera back inside after it was done in the end.

 

As for theives... Obviously there is still a chance, but the setup is in the back garden (well out of view of the street, though we don't have a gate separating the back and front gardens anymore since it rotted through) and on times when I've been imaging out front with the star adventurer, I've sometimes not even seen a single person walking by over an hour and a half. Besides the bats, cats and hedgehogs of course.

It would be pretty dooming if someone managed to steal any part of it, though. However unlikely. Though without bringing the gate back I'm not sure what additional security measures I could take (that would prevent stealing, though I could use a camera to see who/when it was stolen...)

 

Thanks for all the advice guys! It's also nice to know that these mounts can withstand a bit of weather given some cover!

 

[pragmatist]

I would still be worried about thieves. Even deep in the Suffolk countryside I don’t take chances.

[david_taurus83]

I live in Birmingham. Absolutely no chance whatsoever of leaving kit out unattended! There's always some [removed word] no matter where you live. Do you go to bed every night and leave your door unlocked? I doubt it! If you have an obsy it's a different matter. Precautions can be taken in the case of rain. Electronics can be waterproofed. You'd never forgive yourself if "The Precious" got knicked!

[Dave Lloyd]

Be disconcerting to wake up in the middle of the night to the sound of the rain battering the windows. 

[Stub Mandrel]

On 15/06/2018 at 13:27, pipnina said:

Ah, I didn't know the meridian flips were not automatic!

I think you can tell EQmod to do them

My setup (CdC with EQmod) does them automatically when I slew, don't know about when tracking.

I have discovered that the mount is well able to pull a cable out of its connector so make sure you have plenty of slack!

[Waldemar]

AFAIK is not good enough!!
You have to be absolutely sure, beyond the shadow of a doubt, things will work as they should, before doing an unguarded session.
If not, the decission to do it anyway may haunt you for a very long time...

just my 2 €cents