Toyboy said:
So there's a good chance of no damage to the motor/cogs then ? Would a squirt of WD40 help or makes things worse ?
I have never had any problems.
I always avoided WD40, they use some type of grease inside, and I would worry that WD40 would disperse it. I think the grease is good down to a reasonable temperature. Parts of China are very cold indeed, being on the border with Siberia, though still rather dry (!) so they would have those customers in mind when they manufactured it. (The little drainage hole must be for the benefit of those in the hot and wet south of China, not the drowning and tepid UK).
So I would hope it would not freeze at -20C. The lowest recorded temperature in England and Scotland is around -27.5C so it should remain movable. It is hard to really know how cold it has been at night but going by the met office (the "barbecue summer" people) it has been fine to at least -7C before, probably more.
I still recommend some sort of cover, it is good precaution.
Diseqc motors are another matter. I haven't used one for long enough to know what its limits are. As far as I am aware they are well sealed with small condensation holes and supposed to be totally maintainace free. So hopefully they wouldn't ice up inside.