As report under Shelving problems I have a question about draining the depression on the exterior of the dome of rain water. I was thinking of drilling a few small holes in the area but realized that it would drain into the interior of the dome.
Has anyone figured out how to remove the water? Its a special problem when opening the shutter which dumps onto the scope and mount.
I simply "push" it out with a towel. If you start at one end of each section and then run the towel along the depression, you can get most of the water out in one swipe - a chamois works even better. The big issue for me (and it looks like for you) is water freezing in the depression. I purchased a cover for the dome and have been very happy with it - simply throw it on before a storm; and water and ice are no longer a problem!