Takedown process after observing.

[mountainmadman]

Evening everyone,

I've just finished my 3rd session with my scope (Explorer 150p). I appreciate and I understand the importance of allowing the scope to cool down fully to acheive best results, and also the principles of using dew shields. However, I was wondering what I should be doing once the session is over. As it is, I leave my mount out in the shed. The shed is a little damp, but on the whole quite dry, plus the mount is obviously metal so I figured no real harm can come of it.

However, bringing in cold kit including EPs and the OTA into a warm environment just causes condensation build up. I'm concerned about this as I don't want it effecting the mirrors and optics. All I do at the moment is keep the cap off the end of the tube to avoid trapping moisture in the tube until it is back to room temperature. I also take the caps of the EPs and barlow for the same reason.

Is this the right thing to do or should I be doing something else. On the other hand, am I just being a bit over cautious?

If anyone's got any advice I would be very greatful.

Thanks

Tony

[LukeSkywatcher]

If you can, point the uncapped OTA slightly downwards so any moisture build up runs off and away from the optics. Other then that you are fine.

Dont worry about your EP's. They will be fine.

[RikM]

I bring my kit into the kitchen, which is cooler than the rest of the house and leave it pointing downwards with the caps off overnight to fully dry off before packing away in the morning. I keep my EP case closed as much as posible when out observing so when I come back in, I just cap the EP I used last, put it back in the case and bring it inside just like than. I do have a couple of small bags of silica gel in the case to help keep it dry. I change them about once per month, as we use them at work but you can dry the bags out in the oven.

[brantuk]

I don't think you're doing anything wrong at all Tony - it all sounds pretty regular to me. I keep my eyepieces dry in a closed case whilst using outside - then I cap them before they get dewed up and bring indoors in the case. No probs. Your scope is ok in the shed - once dried out replace the end cap to prevent spiders and bugs getting in it. Otherwise your procedure is very normal.

[mountainmadman]

Thanks for the replies and clarification everyone.

Just need to make sure I leave it pointing downwards is about the only different thing I really need to do then. Blinking gravity has a lot to answer for sometimes, strangly enough, especialy when I'm on the way home from the pub!

I digress. I've got some small silica gel packets in my EP case. I get them from work too, nearly every piece of computer equipment comes with them (I'm an computer engineer by day) so I'm building up a reasonable stock quite nicely.

Thanks once again,

Tony

[cgarry]

I do the opposite, I put the caps on everything (scope and EPs) before I bring them in the house as the moisture is in the warm air in the house, not in the cold air from outside. My aim is to keep the moist air from inside the house away from the optics, and instead trap in the drier air from outside. I have, on occasion, checked the kit after it has had a chance to warm up a bit and never found any moisture.

Chris

[paul schofield]

I keep the ota cap off and tube pointed slightly downwards. I leave my ep's uncapped until the next morning along with the scope and all seems to be fine. Its very easy to be over careful with your kit, and fair enough. Scopes should all come with a free observatory, then we would not have to worry.

[LeeB]

I find that if i keep to tubes straight up, as long as there is no dewing before i finish the cold air stays within the tube, and allows the mirrors to warm without condensation forming. If there is dew i point them down. however my tubes are all closed ast the bottom.

[RikM]

My Newts are open at the bottom and almost always dew up when brought back inside, no matter if the dust cap is on or off. My sons Skymax and my little refractors, we do cap outside and bring back in like that. I guess if it is a closed tube with glass at each end, I treat it like an eyepiece, if it is an open tube, I leave it as open as possible to dry faster.

[bingevader]

I made a box for the OTA as there's not enough room in the conservatory (the mrs said and apparently that's not a good place to keep 'scopes because of the big fluctuations in temperature) so now it lives in the shed too!

The shed is good and dry and the 'scope takes less time to cool down.

I should probably think about a lock now though.

Cheers