Gina

I'm thinking a totally different approach is indicated. The idea of a sealed and dry environment for the cold camera was fine as long as a sealed casing was practical. Now I think it isn't and I've had a really good try but not succeeded. Also, the camera I'm using now doesn't need as low a temperature to get rid of noise and hot pixels.

On way back from obsy to house, slipped on the mud in the winter, fell over and rolled into the pond!! No injuries other than to my pride.

The experience of the present design shows that the camera doesn't need cooling as much as I thought so the super efficient cooling is OTT.

Looks like I need a complete redesign of the ASC. I'll list the requirements and see if anything comes to mind. Capable of airtight seal Transparent casing or part of to show colour-change desiccant to confirm dry inside Big enough to take camera with lens and thermal lagging plus the electronics Cooling for the Peltier TEC Ability to take apart for maintenance yet retain airtight seal WiFi transparent casing

With dew not clearing from the dome and the need to fix the dew heater control I have brought the ASC indoors. The moisture is on the inside of the dome and yet the colour-change desiccant is still showing orange meaning DRY!! Well, the dome certainly isn't dry on the inside!! So I haven't cured the problem of ingress of moisture into the casing!

With rain all day, I have been able to assess the effectiveness of the dew heater. With the failure of the power MOSFET that was driving the dew heater and the latter connected to the TEC, the dew heater has been running off 5v. This has proved adequate for dry conditions so far but there is now some misting of the dome and it wants full power. It would seem that 3 power levels might be appropriate for the dew heater viz. OFF - 5v - 13.8v. This would require changes to the circuitry and to the Astroberry Board coding to provide the control. ATM the only way to get full dew heating is to set the cooling to HIGH.

I was rather surprised you used RGB, Carole. I have only imaged this in NB using 3nm filters. What is the advantage of adding RGB? I would have thought it would just add to the stars though I guess if you used star removal on the NB and just added the RGB lightly, you'd get nice coloured stars. I'm not criticising - I'm always happy to learn from fellow imagers particularly the more experienced.

There's a danger though that it could encourage people to try observing the sun with an unprotected telescope and blind themselves. I take it you have a light blocker (eg. wedge) inside the rig.

Measured the amount to cut off the mast to bring the ASC to just above the highest point on the roof. About 16" or 400mm. Colour change desiccant is still orange so casing is airtight.

I'd like it but haven't got three and a half grand!!

Looking at the mast/pipe and where the water pipes and power cable now go through the observatory wall (moved down to clear the roof), I think I shall cut off something like a foot from the bottom. I have yet to measure the excess height of the ASC and hence the amount to cut off. Hoping to do that a bit later when it's cooled down a bit.

The only safe way to try to image it would be with an Ha solar scope but it would still be very difficult I would think.

Ah yes, forgot about wide angle distortion of the image.

Popped out to the observatory and looked at tidying up the ASC water cooling system. The radiator and fan unit could be mounted on the intermediate wall between scope room and warm room, with the warmer air from the radiator going into the warm room avoiding any possibility of warm air spoiling the imaging as well as being a simpler way of mounting the radiator and fan unit. For the water reservoir I have a 2lb jam jar which I plan to mount by the lid with holes for the water pipes and pump wires, with the pump sitting in the bottom of the jar. That should reduce the loss of water due to evaporation which has been occurring with the open top saucepan I have been using as a temporary reservoir.

Is the astronaut to scale? I thought the HST was bigger than that.

Grab handles added.

Superb image Carole. Looked at that recently and didn't realise there was so much in it. Lovely! I thought it looked a bit like a question mark 😁

Welcome back. Come and join the fun.

I've used PETG a fair bit in the past but I too prefer PLA.

I'm quite happy with FDM - with my home built printers.

Very nice John. Well done

Superb image Dave - well done

Coming on very nicely Chris. Superb job

Here is the ASC on its mast on the side of the observatory. The mast wants cutting down by about a foot. On the bottom of the ASC casing is a glass jar with colour-change desiccant which I can see while sitting on my settee through the east window (with binoculars). Still orange ATM so dry.

Stretched by KStars FITS Viewer. Not clipped.