Roger that Mike.
FYI, HOA's and streetlights can be handled fairly easily. The last three are
the Holy Grail ;-)
Jimmy
-----Original Message-----
From: az-observing-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
[mailto:az-observing-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx] On Behalf Of Michael McDonald
Sent: Monday, June 11, 2018 10:09 PM
To: az-observing@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
Subject: [AZ-Observing] Re: Telescope mounts and the monsoon?
Yeah, I dream about some kind of observatory but that’s probably not going to
happen anytime soon. HOA, budget, space, street light, wife, … I am campaigning
for a pier though. That’ll probably have to wait until the fall. I’m getting
too old to be doing heavy work outside during the summer! Really, I’m just
turning into a wuss! :-) (Turning?)
I always take the OTA inside. I don’t trust that it would withstand the AZ sun
let alone the monsoon winds. Some of those “outhouse” roll-off observatories I
see on YouTube look like they’d take off in a light breeze.
I was just hoping someone had a bright idea that I hadn’t thought of.
Mike McDonald
mikemac@xxxxxxxxxxx
On Jun 11, 2018, at 8:57 PM, Jimmy Ray <Jimmy_Ray@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote:
Hi Mike,
While there are weather resistant covers and such. Do not underestimate the
strength of the wind on a mount and or mount scope when a "sail" of a cover
is fastened over it.
The incident most folks will recall had to do with a dust devil which tossed
over 205 pounds of OTA and mount (tossed it 3 feet down wind as well as
over), the monsoon winds are as strong or stronger than what "Toto"
encountered with a resulting $1600 worth of damage.
A Small anchored out building wheeled over the scope or a full blown
observatory (roll-off or other is probably in order. The monsoon rain and /
or hail is not to be trivialized either.
In the end, re-polar aligning the mount is significantly cheaper. Though I do
understand the total pain of it.
Thank you,
Jimmy Ray
Arizona Sonoran Desert Observatory - Glendale
