Question About Dew Shields

[Supercelts7]

I couldn't do a topic search, so sorry if it's been covered already.

Many of you have advised me to get a dew shield. Should I buy any particular one, or should I make one and if the latter, how do I go about it?

[Sammyb]

I bought one but many people just make them out of camping mat. If you look in the diy astronomer forum on here you'll find some examples

[ollypenrice]

Make one. You just need a closed cell foam camping mat (originally Karrimat but they are expensive) which you roll into a tube and hold as a tube with suitable tape, gaffer tape being ideal. This pushes over the OTA. If you want to be sure it stays round you can cut a circle from thin ply and put that over the end. A strap of some kind around the tube where it fits over the OTA can hold it in place but I've never found this necessary.

I spray the inside matt black.

Olly

[RikM]

Yep

I bought a black foam camping mat from Asda. Works a treat.

[Supercelts7]

Ideal! Thanks again, folks!

[TransparentBadger]

I bought a foam sheet from hobby craft (79p) and a couple of sheets of sticky backed black felt (£1.58) to flock the inside. Typically an A3 sheet was about an inch too short to fit around my 5" Mak, so I had to buy another A4 sheet of foam (50p) and felt (79p). I put some sticky backed Velcro on the edge (£1.00) and it works a treat. Total cost £4.66.

James

[rob1]

That's cool! So much cheaper making your own, ill be doing this when I get my scope

Thanks

[sparkyjon]

yes a camping mat is really cheap and so easy to do , get some sticky backed velcro and you can make it removable and roll it up for storage then..

[Patrice Lanteigne]

Craft foam and self stick velcro.