Bobby1970

So, today I started with some insulation around the main part of the camera body and pit the camera on test for around ten mins. Insulation around the main body seemed to do a good job, need to make some smaller bits for around the rest of the camera and heatsink/peltier as there was still moisture there. Sensor window still fogged up temp 3-4 Deg after 10 mins or so. Next I reversed the fan so it was pulling air from the heatsink and out into the ambient air. Within 10 mins the temperature had gone from an initial 20 odd Deg. Down to sub zero. 😨. There was actually frost on the rear of the camera lol. It leveled off at around -0.2-03 Deg. Sensor window still fogged up. My current conclusion is. 1) I still need some sort of dew heater for the front of the cam. 2) I will deffo need some temp control lol. And 3) the fan may be too loud. Lol. PXL_20201011_134946962.mp4 PXL_20201011_134946962.mp4

thats certainly worth exploring. I have a dew heater wining its way to me so will be working more on the cooler during the week i would think.

looks very similar to the one i got 👍

i think i have maybe clipped it a little, you are correct, im still fairly happy with it

30s

While the AZGTI was doing its thing with my scope on the Pacman nebula i set the star adventurer going with my A57 and an old 50mm Minolta f1.7 lens @f2.5 in the Cygnus area. Captured around 1hr 8mins worth of 30s subs at 800iso, captured darks and flats also. Stacked in DSS and processed in Startools, Topaz and paint.net I think i have captured a few objects in this frame. Thanks for looking Annotated:-

I haven't tried swapping the fan around yet, i currently have it drawing ambient air onto the heatsink.

Excellent, thanks so much for the info. if i can get the thing to a steady 3-4deg regardless of the ambient and also stop the sensor window fogging up i will be more than happy. Thanks again

Had a crack at this last night as its another target i haven't "seen" or captured in anyway previously. So, this is 2hrs 40 mins worth of 180s subs from the ZWO 178MC, plus some darks i captured previously at a similar temp and some flats. Processed in Startools, Topaz Denoise and Paint.Net Not as good as many others but for the effort i put in along with my meagre processing "skills" i'm not too unhappy with this one. Thanks for looking 🙂

Is it best to sandwich the remote sensor on the cold side of the Peltier? Or just somewhere on the case of the camera?? Thanks again, all good info and an exciting DIY project

Thats a bargain. does it require a sensor adding to the case of the camera/peltier? Or does it just measure ambient?? Thanks again

when i bench tested it yesterday, it was in my cool garage, probably around 12-14 deg. I do appreciate what you are saying and if needed will introduce some sort of temp control to the system.

I used the jump start battery pack last night and i had an issue. Although it powered up my ASIAir and AZgti (via the ASIAir) the mount itself would not respond to slew commands or gotos etc. It is definatley delivering 12v as it powers other equipment such as the 12v cooler mod i am working on for my camera. When i replaced the battery pack with my old car battery the ASIAIr and AZGTI worked just fine. The jump starter states 12v/10a on it so i am a little perplexed as to why it wouldn't run the ASIAir and AZGti just as my old car battery does.

That is awesome news, many thanks for confirming, i was about to start cutting out circular bits of paper/card to check if it would work lol. I have no intention of running it sub zero, i don't think it will get there anyway tbh, seems to level off at around 3-4 deg. Just need some suitable insulation to make a jacket for it now. Thanks again

Not 100% sure the Zwo dew strip will fit the 178mc. I wonder, would a camera lens dew heater, wrapped around the part of the focusser where the nosepiece of the camera inserts, work maybe? Ultimately the front part of the camera needs to be kept a bit "warmer" than the rest of the camera, right? Or have I got this all wrong?

So. The replacement peltier arrived today. I have literally just cobbled this together for some testing. Anyway I left it running for 10-15mins. Temp down to 3.5 degrees. So pretty good I think. However, the sensor window fogged up :-(. And there was some moisture on outside of the camera.camera 😞 So, my next query is, what can I do to stop the foggiing up and the moisture build up ? Really pleased at the performance of the cooler itself. Just another couple of issues to fix now. 😡 Wonder if I can make one of these fit:- https://www.firstlightoptics.com/zwo-accessories/zwo-anti-dew-heater-strip-for-asi-cooled-cameras.html

I did wonder if I was seeing things that weren't there. Lol I also have an old car battery and a 7ah leisure battery. Hopefully I now have enough "juice" for my AsiAir, AZGti and cams along with a home made peltier cooler for my 178mc. As you say, cam always get another as the price is very good. You don't get a wall plug with it tho. It comes with a usb cable (usb c input) for charging but you probably have an old phone charger or something you can use ?? I had intended on getting the 17ah Skywatcher power tank. But the Amazon one is definitely better value and lithium Ion rather than lead acid.

How many amps does your set up pull in total? I can have a look tomorrow at the paperwork as it's in the garage. Comes with a nice case too.

Yep. Seems really well built and it's lithium ion. And has usb ports as well as 12v out via the 2.1mm DC socket or can use a 12v car socket adaptor which comes with it. Built in torch too. I intend on sticking some red gel over it for better night use.

I've just got one of these:- https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B07WG1JVYJ/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_i_Z51FFb7EP7YY3 Not used it yet but seems well built and 22amps should be more than enough, hopefully.

I am still waiting on a Peltier cooler. Got most of the bits now. But the pletier arrived with one of the wires hanging off. So it's been returned. Hope to have something cobbled together at the weekend. I'm not expecting it to perform as a cooled camera would. But from the you tube videos it would seem a reasonable improvement in terms of noise in images can be had. Fingers crossed.

Thanks for all of the replies. I hope I haven't opened a can of worms here lol Seems as though pulling ambient air into the heatsink is the best way to go.

So that would be sucking the ambient air onto and across the heatsink???

That was my thinking tbh. Hopefully someone who has made one can confirm. 🙂

I have just ordered some bits to attempt to make my own cooler for my 178MC camera. One query i have though, should the fan suck the warm air away from the heatsink, or should it be sucking ambient air onto/across the heatsink? Thanks in advance