Telrad frost / Dew Cover

[Moonshane]

Hi all

This idea could be adapted for use with a number of bits of astro gear. It was inspired by an idea by Linton Guise - cheers Linton!

It also makes a use of the pop bottles my kids generate and saves at least one or two going into the recycling.

Basically, it is useful for stopping the glass screen on the Telrad from frosting or dewing up.

Cut the end off a clear 2 litre pop bottle or similar so you have a regular shaped tube. slice this down the length and then about an inch in from the slice make a crease down the length of each side. This sounds more complicated than it is - see the pics.

You are then pretty much done - just cut to the right length and if you like, cut a short slit in one side so you can slip this under the fixing thumbscrews in the base to hold it more securely.

you could probably make a super slick one out of thin black plastic or similar but this is cheap and cheerful and free.

works a treat.

cheers

Shane

[Doc]

As you say it won't win any style awards but who cares, as long as it does the job and you are happy with it.

Well done a great idea.

[dark knight]

Beats the empty toilet rolls I've used in the past (these were formed in the same way as your plastic one), right where's that empty pop bottle..Great idea and best of all it's free...

[Moonshane]

cheers Geezers. typically, I found something at work today that might be better. one of those press stud A4 paper folders. I'll have a go and provide an update in due course!

[dobserver]

Great idea - I'm going to have to pinch that one I think.

Cheers!

[Moonshane]

ha ha

it only took me ten minutes to make mk II!!

a much better fit.

[simon84]

I like it, looks great. Think I'll be knocking one of those up too.

[Moonshane]

Hi all

As it's cloudy - again!! - I had a go at mk iii of the Telrad Frost cover. The last time I was out with Mk ii (I didn't even get to try Mk i before it was replaced ) it did not quite make it with some dew forming on the Telrad window.

Therefore I went a little un-environmentally friendly and bought some 'crazy foam' sheets from Hobbycraft. This is a thin (maybe 2mm) sheet of coloured dense and very flexible foam in various colours - I obviously went for black but feel free to match the colour of your scope or whatever floats your boat. It's about £1.20 for an A3 approx sheet so there's enough to make one Telrad cover, and a dew shield for both a 6x30mm finder and a 9x50mm finder which I also did. I think one sheet might just make a dew shield for my refractor but I might double the thickness for that purpose.

I started with a simple rectangle with the hole cut out for the switch. I used dabs of velcro to stick it on and so it can be removed for storage. I found this was fine in use but it seemed to block a little of the window view so I cut out the shape you can see here and set it a little higher on the velcro. It cuts fine with scissors by the way.

I think this looks a lot more 'professional' and will probably keep the cold away a bit more. Here's hoping.

Cheers

Shane

[dobserver]

Ooohh now then! Glad I hadn't got round to making the other one, well, two now....

Fantastic, and it looks the biz too!