Weatherproofing computer in dome?

[Josh Lake]

For those of you who observe in your own permanent facility or observatory, I had a question about what you do with your computers. I run a school observatory, and we recently had a computer upgrade for the scope/camera. I started crashing, and the IT guys wanted to blame the cold. We've been running an older model computer just fine in there for years, so I'm not sure...

Do any of you keep the scope computer in the dome, exposed to the heat and cold?

Do any of you run long cables from a climate controlled room? Do all your cables hold up data-wise? Mine would have to be about 70 feet away...

Does anyone know of a way to insulate a computer while still leaving the back open for cabling and airflow?

[Nocturnal]

I've been running a 10 year old XP box for several years in my obs. Before that it sat in a cart under a tarp, also outside. There were a few instances where it crashed for no reason but that was resolved by re-seating the memory cards. I run a bunch of CAT5 cable a few inches under ground. No trouble at all. My USB cables are several years old. The connectors are a smidge pitted with a little corrosion but the real contacts are gold plated so no trouble there either.