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Keeping kit protected outside overnight


Andy56

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HI,

Just getting into the swing of astrophotography and with the lengthening nights I want to collect as much light as possible.

But given the humidity last night and the condensation (dripping wet)I don't feel good about leaving kit outside all night and then getting cooked in the sun in the morning. And what if it starts to rain.

So I bring it all in when I start to flag ie about 3am so I'm missing and hour now but it'll be many hours later in the year. And in the UK clears skies are not that common.

I seen a few YouTube videos where the guy leaves everything out overnight and goes out in the morning and the session has  finished and it's all OK

At the moment I put the laptop in a large plastic box in which I've fitted a mains extension lead and have a hole for the cable.

I could make a ripstop cover for the telescope and mount.

Apart from building a custom observatory what can I do, or, what do you guys do to protect your precious gear when/if you leave it out all night. 

 

Cheers

Andy

Edited by Andy56
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  • Andy56 changed the title to Keeping kit protected outside overnight

It depends on how comfortable you feel with leaving expensive gear unattended.  If an obsy is out of reach, the what about a roll away shed? You have the possibility to install a small heater, while everything can be left on the mount. If you hang anything over the scope, you have the risk of bumping into it. I would at least remove the camera after each session.

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My garden is pretty secure so I don't worry too much about theft. I leave my gear all night normally and pack up in the morning. I do use a rain alarm app and I also have a rain sensor which alerts me if the alarm warning fails. If I am leaving it out due to a good forecast over multiple nights I do cover it with a converted BBQ cover.

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I’ve had my scope permanently mounted on a pier outside for almost 2 years protected by a Telegizmos 365 cover without any issues. The only bit that comes inside is the hand controller because that becomes unresponsive if it gets very cold which means I can’t switch on at the start of the session.

If the scope gets covered in dew during an observing session I’ll wipe it down before putting the cover on, and in winter I’ll sometimes uncover it on a bright day to let the air circulate a bit. 
 

About twice per year I apply a bit of wax to the OTA, a bit of WD40 to the electrical contacts and leave it at that…

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4 hours ago, Clarkey said:

I do use a rain alarm app and I also have a rain sensor which alerts me if the alarm warning fails.

Hi, What do you use as a rain sensor / rain alarm app?

I've never quite plucked up the courage to leave everything out from a rain point of view but it does feel like I'm missing a lot of imaging time from not ever doing that.

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Hi

Thanks for you comments.

I don't have space for the roll off shed or a pier, but the rain alarm and  a BBQ cover or similar sounds good.

I'd like to be able to leave it running and get some sleep while the session runs and then take it down in the morning.

So use a rain alarm and make a cover with the 'scopes sticking through seems the best, although not in windy weather. If the forecast is rain later in the night then stay up and take it in.

Also adding a bit of wax sound good. 

Also how resistant to dew is normal gear? The 'scopes should be OK but the mount (HEQ5) could get moisture inside.

Last night the dew was heavy after the recent rain, perhaps a cover with a small heater should keep most dew at bay overnight.

 

Cheers

Andy

Edited by Andy56
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I too use 2 bbq covers, one has a silver lining which I reversed and put as top layer to reflect heat, I also find not having the covers down to the floor beneficial as this helps airflow and stops moisture rising upwards from the ground getting trapped under the covers

20220827_081438.jpg

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12 hours ago, Stefan73 said:

What do you use as a rain sensor / rain alarm app?

The rain sensor I have is one of these:

https://cpc.farnell.com/kemo-electronic/m152/module-rain-sensor-12vdc/dp/HK01173?mckv=s_dt|pcrid|605262956794|kword||match||plid||slid||product|HK01173|pgrid|138313687175|ptaid|pla-1871612868872|&CMP=KNC-GUK-CPC-SHOPPING&s_kwcid=AL!5616!3!605262956794!!!network}!1871612868872!&gclid=CjwKCAjwgaeYBhBAEiwAvMgp2s1ELkOQMPGTnOtGGC-UaO3S_kjF7aL4OvWyqvVpyFoTaTVwFOXkpxoCsFEQAvD_BwE

I have wired it to a buzzer that goes off if it trips. I did find I need to use a bit of salt on the sensor to increase the sensitivity as rain water alone takes too long to set it off. By drying a bit of salt water on the sensor plate it will set it off with only a few drops of rain. I did try some of the cheaper sensors from ebay but I found them to be pretty poor and they kept frying. 

For the app, the one I use is actually called 'rain alarm'. It costs a few pounds per year but it is worth it for the early warning. I would add that the app is great for heavy rain which shows up on radar, but for drizzle it is less effective. This is why I use both systems. But for a total outlay of about £50 I get a good night's sleep and peace of mind.

 

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I leave my rig out on the patio all night here, as long as I'm confident of there being no rain in the forecast. First time I did this I had a bit of a sleepless night, but I'm used to it now!  It's amazing the first time you come out and find the scope parked and a night-full of images captured, and although I've got used to it now as it just works, I still find the way all the components work together impressive. I use NINA's advanced sequencer which gives a lot of flexibility on how you "programme" the night.

I have my mains power, mini PC and USB hub on a tripod tray and a Telegizmos tripod cover covers this all up nice and tightly. And then if I want to leave it out all day, I have a Telegizmos cover for the scope too which protects from sun and rain.

Edited by Fegato
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