Stargazing with a mak

[milkyjoe]

Hi all,

It's been a while since I last posted on here, but I just wanted to ask a quick questions about mak's...

I was out observing last night in the freezing cold and my mak and eye pieces started to fog up! How can I stop this from happening - I have heard about ?!

Considering I only have a 3.5" mak, I could see 4 moons of Jupiter, 2 cloud belts and I just about could make out the red spot!

I have definitely for the bug now and want something bigger! lol

Kind regards,

Richard.

[nicnac]

I have the mak 90, great bit of kit.

get a little dew shield for it, as for the EPs, you can warm them in your hand or pocket before use or get some of them heat strip things, pocket works fine for me though

[Carbon Brush]

Hi Richard.

I was out last night also. Saw similar with a TAL200K. Aperture isn't everything if the sky is not up to job!

My obsy weather staion reckoned 90% humidity. There was dew on the tube and eyepieces so I reckon humidity was 100%.

A dew shield, as suggested by nicnac, works wonders for the tube.

Dew heater bands for the fixed glassware is a good idea.

An alternative, if you have enough power, is a quick blast on the glassware from a hairdryer, or 12V car ice melter. A few seconds will drive off moisture.

Something I made last year, that I'm not aware of anyone else making, is a hot box for eyepieces and camera.

I used a thick wall plastic box, large lunch box size but a lot stronger. Thick to help insulate. Inside I placed a small fan and a couple of resistors. Connect to 12V and the resistors warm a little. The fan stirs up the air in the box to help remove condensation and distribute heat. Any eps, barlows, camera body, whatever that is not in use goes in there. They don't come out warm, it just takes off the chill and dew.

[smt1988]

my mak done the same to me last night fogged up really bad so annoying :@

[milkyjoe]

Thanks chaps. I will invest in a dew sheild. Is it worth upgrading to, say, a 127 mak - will I be able to see anymore detail on planets? :-)

[M4lcs67]

I have a Celestron Nexstar 127 SLT mak. Great scope and I have an Astrozap dew shield to keep the dew at bay. So far no sign of fogging up.

[damnut]

Hi Milkyjoe,

Used to have the 102 mak, you will find the extra apperture from 90mm to 127mm very useful. I have always found the front corrector plates attract dew like doggy do dos attract flies!!

I dont go out without putting the dewshield on my 250mm LX, makes it look like a canon though!