Is the sound really that big of a deal? They're just coins you move around a few times, not a constant noise. Seems like a weird reason to waste eighty bucks.

You're right that leaving them set is bad, but I have to push back on the "surefire way to mess up the calibration" part. In my experience, a night at a high setting won't ruin it. The real damage comes from months of storage like that, or from dropping it. The spring takes a permanent set over a very long time. Still, winding it down is a perfect habit that prevents that long-term creep.

I had a spot get ruined by a new parking lot light last year. What saved me was using a tall portable windbreak as a light shield, just a cheap one from a camping store. It blocked the direct glare enough to finish my session.