Telescope in the fridge?

[DougM43]

Ok, I couldn't find the ask a dumb question forum so I've put it in here. Apologies in advance if it really is the most dumbest questions ever asked.

last year I had many nights observing Jupiter and even managed to get some half decent images, this year however with the weather and work commitments viewing time seems to have been restricted to no more than a handful of times. But on quite a few occasions although the weather forecast has been poor there has been unexpected breaks in the cloud.

i can have my scope out aligned and ready to go in no more than a few minutes, (LX90) the problem is the two or three hours it takes to cool down, during that time I'm constantly up and down keeping an eye out for clouds coming over and rain. Last night was one of those nights but with the threat of rain I didn't dare take the scope out at all. 

This morning I had a ureka moment,, why not keep the telescope in a fridge? Surely it would warm up the couple or three degrees to ambient a lot faster than having to cool down from room temperature.

good idea or not?

Doug 

[Cornelius Varley]

I think I would prefer to let the telescope cool down gradually and to store food in the fridge.  

[todd8137]

No No No ,buy a water proof cover stick her out side and wait for,the gaps 

pat

[andrew s]

Going from cold to a warmer outside will invite condensation not a good idea. However, at modern professional observatories they they use air conditioning to keep the scope at the expected night time temperature during the day. 

Could you find a halfway house by keeping it in an insulated box in as cool a spot as you can find in the house?

Regards Andrew

[John78]

Just put it in the boot of your car if its a day of promising weather, assuming it will fit in the boot of your car

[Joe12345]

I keep mine in the garage, works fine

[Mr Spock]

There isn't a fridge big enough for mine

Anyway, where would the beer go?

[Ibbo!]

34 minutes ago, Mr Spock said:

There isn't a fridge big enough for mine

Anyway, where would the beer go?

a point well made there

[Grotemobile]

This is were I keep mine. Can point East & South.

Steve.

[DougM43]

2 hours ago, todd8137 said:

No No No ,buy a water proof cover stick her out side and wait for,the gaps 

pat

I've done that on more than a few occasions as I'm sure many of us have only to go out again at 2am and bring it back in as the gaps never came.

i do recall a few years ago there was a chap that lived next to a little garage nearby where I used to fill up my car who kept his telescope permanently outside in his front yard covered by bin bags. Whenever I saw it I always used to worry for him that one day he would go out and find it gone. That would be the best way but even in my reasonably secluded garden I don't think I would dare.

[DougM43]

2 hours ago, andrew s said:

Going from cold to a warmer outside will invite condensation not a good idea. However, at modern professional observatories they they use air conditioning to keep the scope at the expected night time temperature during the day. 

Could you find a halfway house by keeping it in an insulated box in as cool a spot as you can find in the house?

Regards Andrew

I did wonder about issues with condensation but didn't think that going from say 5 degrees in the fridge to 3 or 4 degrees outside would be much of an issue, however I would still have to carry it through the much warmer house which I think would be a problem, particularly as I've seen how quickly it steams up from bringing it inside after using it. Your suggestion of a halfway house is a good one, I've moved it from the living room to the front porch where it's always cooler. It can be seen through the window from the road so I've taken a leaf out of the man near the garages book and put a bin bag on it. Cheers 

[DougM43]

1 hour ago, Grotemobile said:

This is were I keep mine. Can point East & South.

Steve.

That's pretty good, I presume you set it up in the gazebo and not leave it in there permanently? 

[MarkVIIIMarc]

Garage with the garage door open seems to be the most secure and least effort if it is an option.

[Grotemobile]

5 hours ago, DougM43 said:

That's pretty good, I presume you set it up in the gazebo and not leave it in there permanently? 

It is left there permanently through the winter & spring, & then packed away.  

It is all set up & ready to go all the time. The Gazebo sides fold back.  I do

imaging, so it is a really good cheap solution, for a obsey.

[Uranium235]

Got a shed or an outhouse? Probably better to leave it in there for a bit than risk the wrath for taking up fridge space.

[SilverAstro]

On 28/03/2016 at 11:53, DougM43 said:

Ok, I couldn't find the ask a dumb question forum so I've put it in here. Apologies in advance if it really is the most dumbest questions ever asked.

Not so dumb, I like it the principle is sound but I think the fridge is a bit extreem even for Burnley's northern climate ** !

How about keeping the OTA in a cupboard indoors, insulate cupboard walls and cool the inside to the same as the outdoor temperature, ie. a sort of almostFridge.  How to cool and dry the air inside though ?? The guts out of a small camping fridge/cooler and a giant pack of silica gel ? If the insulation was good and thick perhaps a few Peltiers let into the walls could be controlled by an arduino ( looks over shoulder for Gina ) which could also do the in/out temperature monitoring.

On second thoughts perhaps we dont need to dry the air depending upon how close it comes to the dew point, another job for the arduino to monitor.

If the cupboard was on wheels, or otherwise portable, it could be wheeled through the warm parts of the house at a leisurly pace without risk , , ,I could warm to this idea !

EDIT : PS ** I know it does get colder than fridges up there, but only usually under clear stable high pressure and/or a blocking high. For this case of scudding clouds and surprise rain he is going to be in a westerly off the atlantic ? so much milder condx. 

[DougM43]

6 hours ago, SilverAstro said:

Not so dumb, I like it the principle is sound but I think the fridge is a bit extreem even for Burnley's northern climate ** !

How about keeping the OTA in a cupboard indoors, insulate cupboard walls and cool the inside to the same as the outdoor temperature, ie. a sort of almostFridge.  How to cool and dry the air inside though ?? The guts out of a small camping fridge/cooler and a giant pack of silica gel ? If the insulation was good and thick perhaps a few Peltiers let into the walls could be controlled by an arduino ( looks over shoulder for Gina ) which could also do the in/out temperature monitoring.

On second thoughts perhaps we dont need to dry the air depending upon how close it comes to the dew point, another job for the arduino to monitor.

If the cupboard was on wheels, or otherwise portable, it could be wheeled through the warm parts of the house at a leisurly pace without risk , , ,I could warm to this idea !

EDIT : PS ** I know it does get colder than fridges up there, but only usually under clear stable high pressure and/or a blocking high. For this case of scudding clouds and surprise rain he is going to be in a westerly off the atlantic ? so much milder condx. 

I see what your saying, and I like it. Building a cupboard on wheels is well within my capabilities, unfortunately my knowledge of arduinos and peltier coolers is somewhat lacking so I have had a quick look on the net to see if there is a commercially available product that will suffice, surprisingly there is.

What do you think?

 

 

[SilverAstro]

49 minutes ago, DougM43 said:

unfortunately my knowledge of arduinos and peltier coolers is somewhat lacking so I have had a quick look on the net to see if there is a commercially available product that will suffice, surprisingly there is.

What do you think?

Looks good

Dont worry about the arduino etc, that is probably over-egging it a bit ( the DIY boys&girls do that sort of thing in boxes round their DSLR cameras ), mind you it could still be something to work on during cloudy nights !

I've re-thought the temperature control bit anyway, , ,  if the fridge tries to cool it down too much just switch it off at the mains when it has got down to the predicted outdoor temperature for the evening, and dont peek in . All you would need for that is a digital thermometer with a longish thinish wire to the sensor.

Horizon BBC4 in a few minutes, Jim on The End of the Universe >> >>>

 

[bomberbaz]

gotta love the local east lancs climate, thanksfully us visual guys dont have quite the same issues with cooling in that low power viewing can be done almost instantly.