Chilling Out A Cat!

[Cjg]

Hi there,

What would be the best practice in cooling a catadioptric scope for use? Cannot leave my Nexstar 5 SE out, but thinking more once on location. With the dob you could point the base into the breeze as it were; do you point the scope downwards and leave the eyepieces out for a few minutes?

Thanks,

Chris

[John]

.... do you point the scope downwards and leave the eyepieces out for a few minutes?.....

Thats what I used to do with my C5 Chris. I still do it with my refractors too - lets the warmer air rise up out of the tube a little quicker, or at least I hope it does !

[Bizibilder]

I once read of a device that was basically a tube with a (computer type) fan at one end. You put said tube into the eyepiece hole until it reached a stop (to prevent it hitting anything like the corrector plate!) and turned the fan on. The idea was that it blew all the hot stale air out of the scope via what was left around the device within the eyepiece hole - Don't know if it worked and I've never seen one for real - but it may be an idea??

[Dunkster]

Like these http://www.lymax.com/sct/ ?

[Bizibilder]

That's the thing!!

[Mr Spock]

Handy gadget

[Odd Thomas]

I've got both a SCT and a refractor and I've never thought about doing that! Cheers.

[urho1952]

Awesome

[David JM]

If you have a garage or a shed you can leave it in there for a couple of hours before setting up. If you have to drive to a site you could leave it in the boot of the car during the day [if it's winter, in summer it will be warm in the car...well, not at the moment admittedly, but usually].

Clearing a drawer in the deep freeze to put the scope in wouldn't be too good an idea...