I have an observatory on the Florida Gulf Coast, and just had to remove all equipment prior to the arrival of hurricane Helene.? I have a Titan mount, and I've had to evacuate the equipment from the dome for several prior hurricanes also.? Each time I do this, pulling the DEC head unit off the RA shaft can be difficult, even though I do not see any corrosion on the RA shaft.
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I question as to whether it would be feasible to put a very thin coat of some sort of lubrication on the RA shaft, without getting any excess on that Teflon pad.??
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Possibilities would be a thin coat of 3-in-1 oil, Teflon spray chain lube, or bicycle dry wax chain lube.? I suppose I could remove the Teflon pad when applying this, and keep it thin, so I don't get excess on the pad when re-installing the DEC head.
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I constantly run dehumidifier and A/C unit in the dome, and have not noticed corrosion on my instruments since 2015, but it is on the Gulf coast.
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The light lubrication would be to lessen the chances of corrosion, and make it easier in the future to remove the DEC head.
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My neighbor recorded a wind speed of 108 MPH as the storm came by, so evacuation was advisable.? This is at Ochlockonee Bay, FL, and the western eye wall grazed us prior to landfall in Taylor County.
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Thanks in advance.
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Dan
