QHY8L Question

[Thalestris24]

Hi all

I've recently got a qhy8l and hope to try it out this weekend. I was wondering whether or not I can leave it setup with the desiccant tube attached? I've watched Dion's video where he stores it away in a plastic container. I'd rather leave mine in place if I can. It seems to me that the silica gel in the tube will keep the sensor housing moisture free and so prevent any condensation?

Thanks

Louise

[Zakalwe]

Hi all

I've recently got a qhy8l and hope to try it out this weekend. I was wondering whether or not I can leave it setup with the desiccant tube attached? I've watched Dion's video where he stores it away in a plastic container. I'd rather leave mine in place if I can. It seems to me that the silica gel in the tube will keep the sensor housing moisture free and so prevent any condensation?

Thanks

Louise

Personally I wouldn't leave it on when in use. knowing me i would knock it and shear off the small thread that holds the desiccant tube onto the camera.

[pc387]

I always leave mine on whilst imaging, and take it off when placing the camera in an air tight container filled with silica gel bags together with the detached tube.

[Thalestris24]

Sooo... there's no real reason not to leave the camera in place?? I'm a bit confused... My scope is more or less permanently set up - at the moment with the 1100d attached. If I leave the qhy8l attached and with the desiccant tube screwed on, then it should stay dry inside the sensor chamber so no risk of damage from moisture? Dion, in his video, did the bit of storing the camera in a plastic box and I could see the logic in that if the desiccant tube was undone, but not otherwise. I've not seen the storing in a plastic box business with any other cooled ccd. Am I missing something?? Is there a particular problem with the qhy8l?

Thanks

Louise

[GuillermoBarrancos]

Sooo... there's no real reason not to leave the camera in place?? I'm a bit confused... My scope is more or less permanently set up - at the moment with the 1100d attached. If I leave the qhy8l attached and with the desiccant tube screwed on, then it should stay dry inside the sensor chamber so no risk of damage from moisture? Dion, in his video, did the bit of storing the camera in a plastic box and I could see the logic in that if the desiccant tube was undone, but not otherwise. I've not seen the storing in a plastic box business with any other cooled ccd. Am I missing something?? Is there a particular problem with the qhy8l?

Thanks

Louise

Any CCD camera that doesn't have a sealed chamber benefits from storing it away with desiccant media.

Camera's with the KAF8300 chip for example (Atik 383L+, SBIG STF-8300, etc) also use desiccant tubes / cartridges.

[r3i]

I keep mine in an air-tight food box with one of those rechargeable dehumidifiers and haven't bothered with the screw in tube.  So far so good.

[Thalestris24]

Yeah, as I say, I can understand storing the camera with desiccant when/if the desiccant tube is undone. But surely it's undoing the tube which will let humid air in, in the first place. I'd have thought that so long as the desiccant in the tube is ok then there's no need to undo it. I'd expect the sensor chamber to hold perfectly dry air for months? So only necessary to recharge it with fresh silica gel maybe once every few months. But undoing the tube risks letting some humidity in. Storing the camera in a sealed box with desiccant after every session might seem a good idea. But... then you have to open the box - and then the sensor chamber will be open to the atmosphere for a short time each session.

I wonder what other people do with their cooled ccd's? Does it vary by brand/model? I think they all have desiccant inserts?

Louise

[Thalestris24]

Ahh.... Wait a minute.... Is it condensation on the camera body/electrics that's the real problem? If that happens I can understand storing the camera with desiccant, but still not about undoing the tube. At the same time I'd be worried about condensation appearing during use. Is such condensation normal?

Louise