more help!!

[Jimmer28]

Hi all, I have bought a new skywatcher 200p with eq5 mount after all the great help I received from this forum.

I had my 1st viewing last night, chuffed with the results, even if still getting use to the mount etc.

One question I have is how to store the scope after use, it was quite cold last night (+2) so when I took the scope inside there was a film of moisture on the outside, is it best to leave the scope return to inside temp with the end cap on or leave it off so there is no moisture left inside while stored?

Hope this makes sense.

Many thanks, James

 

[laudropb]

Most recommend leaving the end cap of with the scope pointing downwards so that any condensation run off will not run to the mirror.

[Tinker1947]

If you have a garage or shed leave it in there over night, it won't mist up and the dew on the outside will dry off....

[bomberbaz]

2 hours ago, laudropb said:

Most recommend leaving the end cap of with the scope pointing downwards so that any condensation run off will not run to the mirror.

what he said if no shed/garage handy

[Astro_gav]

Hi,

 

How do you prevent the misting in the telescope during use? Really don't want to be wiping the telescope every 5 minutes.

Cheers 

Gav

[LukeSkywatcher]

6 minutes ago, Astro_gav said:

Hi,

 

How do you prevent the misting in the telescope during use? Really don't want to be wiping the telescope every 5 minutes.

Cheers 

Gav

Dew shield or a heated dew strap.

[Moonshane]

if you mean the outer tube, just ignore it as it will do no harm. if you mean the optics, never, ever wipe the mirrors with anything. wiping eyepieces  when damp is not a good idea. in case I have not made it clear, wiping is bad

[brrttpaul]

http://www.firstlightoptics.com/dew-prevention/astrozap-dew-heater-tapes.html

 

[LukeSkywatcher]

3 minutes ago, brrttpaul said:

http://www.firstlightoptics.com/dew-prevention/astrozap-dew-heater-tapes.html

 

You'll also need a dew strap control. 

[Astro_gav]

4 minutes ago, Moonshane said:

if you mean the outer tube, just ignore it as it will do no harm. if you mean the optics, never, ever wipe the mirrors with anything. wiping eyepieces  when damp is not a good idea. in case I have not made it clear, wiping is bad

Cheers, got it. No wiping.

Really pleased I came across this thread before the skies clear up and manage to get my scope outside for the first time.

 

Gav

[Astro_gav]

2 minutes ago, LukeSkywatcher said:

You'll also need a dew strap control. 

I've had a look at the link that brrttpaul posted. The straps I kind of understand, however, where do they go? and how many are needed? Are they just for the lens? or for the mirror as well? Would I need one for my guide scope as well? Questions questions questions. Sorry.

The control, I'm guessing that its just like a thermostat so the 'heater' isn't just 'on or off'?

 

Cheers

Gav

[brrttpaul]

Never used them either but its something I definately need , I would imagine you would need one for the guide scope also, they fit around the tube of the scope as far as im aware, i have also been told hand warmers do a good job  just slip an elastic band around the tube acctivate a hand warmer and put it under the elastic against the tube

[Astro_gav]

I suppose putting them around the tube makes sense. Should warm the air inside the tube and therefore both mirrors and the glass at the front of the tube. 

I am just a little confused though to be honest. I keep seeing people talk about cool down time. If you're stood waiting for the tube to cool down, I'm guess so that its the same temperature as outside, why do we then need to warm them back up??

Cheers

Gav

[brantuk]

The tube needs to be cold so the warm air currents inside don't degrade the view through the eyepiece. Using dew bands isn't supposed to warm the tube up - it's supposed to keep the optics clear. So we set dew bands at the point at which dew can't form and that is the ambient temperature. Any difference between ambient, and the temperature of the mirror/glass, encourages dew formation. Hope that helps

[todd8137]

There's plenty of ways to,atachmamfam to the bottom of the scope dew band and dew controller will be needed at some point  some use a hairdryer on cold,,but there's nothing like blowing dust on the mirrors 

pat

[brantuk]

Another way of keeping a primary mirror clear on a newtonian scope is to strap a fan on the back of it. This keeps the air moving across the mirror surface helping keep dew away, and pushes warm air up out of the tube helping cooldown at the same time.

[KAYVEE62]

Hello Jimmer28, this is just a question on why you went for this 200p/eq5 combo , I have not got anything yet , but I've done a hell of a lot of research, I'm trying to learn the night sky with my bins at the mo , I'm 95% sure that this is the combo I will getting , I'm just undecided wether to save the extra and get the 200pds as I'm keen to do some prime focus photography , but some say on here that they have no problems with reaching focus with the 200p , so even though it's early days for you with this scope , how are you getting on with it ?

[bomberbaz]

instead of dew straps just use a dew shield, just as effective if not more http://www.firstlightoptics.com/dew-prevention/astrozap-flexible-dew-shield.html

However make your own out of a piece of camping mat cut to size. It needs to extend 12" beyond the aperture at the top of the scope, example below.

 

[Linda]

Last Saturday I was camping and had taken along my telescope. Put it up on a frozen lake, with the dew cap on, to let it cool down. After a few hours the outside standing there with the scope pointing downward, the outside of the scope and the dew cap were full of ice from frozen dew. The lens of the Maksutov however was clear.

However after viewing upwards for some time, there had formed some frozen crystals (looking like a sort of big snowflakes) on the lens, which I didn't notice directly when viewing. But they covered perhaps 10% percent of the lense.