keeping scope outside

[Fieldsy]

Hi all I recently left scope and cams outside for a few days under cover ,I decide to just check and see how it is and everything was drenched with condensation.  So I'm now reluctant for the pier I'm building as the reason I want the pier is to reduce the amount of dismantling . Should I be worried about all the condensation on electrical parts in mount ?

[Adam J]

It's not something I would do with my equipment. The problemn is lack of ventilation. You need to force air through it.  

Edited November 11, 2019 by Adam J

[DaveS]

I have Telegizmos covers which are pretty good at keeping condensation at bay, but even so I have an electric pet-bed underneath on low for when dew is forecast.

[Jiggy 67]

1 hour ago, DaveS said:

, but even so I have an electric pet-bed underneath on low for when dew is forecast.

How do you power the pet bed?

[DaveS]

It has a 12v adaptor, but I have mains power to the pier.

[joe aguiar]

I would never leave them outside even covered. Besides dew it could get stolen

Joejaguar 

[Fieldsy]

🤔 I'm lost what's the point of having a pier if you cant leave your scope and stuff on it for a few days. So how do you all keep the dew/condensation of you scope when covered and not in use ?.thanks advance

[Adam J]

33 minutes ago, Fieldsy said:

🤔 I'm lost what's the point of having a pier if you cant leave your scope and stuff on it for a few days. So how do you all keep the dew/condensation of you scope when covered and not in use ?.thanks advance

You need a fan under it really pushing air up into it . I have seen people place an inverted dust bin over a pier and add forced air ventilation. That works much better than a cover. 

https://www.skyatnightmagazine.com/advice/how-to-build-a-back-garden-telescope-pier/

Would still add a fan even with a bin though. 

Are you keeping everything out or just the mount?

Edited November 12, 2019 by Adam J

[Fieldsy]

47 minutes ago, Adam J said:

You need a fan under it really pushing air up into it . I have seen people place an inverted dust bin over a pier and add forced air ventilation. That works much better than a cover. 

https://www.skyatnightmagazine.com/advice/how-to-build-a-back-garden-telescope-pier/

Would still add a fan even with a bin though. 

Are you keeping everything out or just the mount?

Well going by the amount of condensation I had even with a small fan inside I’m reluctant to keep anything out but my original thought was everything or at least mount and scope.

[JOC]

I do like the dustbin idea, excellent use of the object.  If you wanted something larger then I imagine you could also use a water-butt before the holes are cut if you use an alternative fastening mechanism (bungees?).  The something larger idea arose as it occurs that it shouldn't be outside the realms of possibility to line the inside of a bin/butt with some form of flexible liner, maybe a cheap Yoga mat and/or a cheap foil backed under sleeping bag mat and maybe this would help to avoid condensation forming on the inner surfaces which could then drip onto the contents. However, if space was tight inside a bin then you might want to consider a larger object.  Even a wheely bin with the lid removed might be a possibility - or even saw off the bottom and you'd even have a mini small flip off lid observatory!!  LOL  Mind you I always think the big Keeter garden storage boxes (around £100 - we have one for the wheely bins and they are really quite nice) have mini-observatory possibilities too, maybe you could fit one around the pier?

[carastro]

Leaving out for a few days is no different to leaving kit out for the duration of a star party, I and many others do this regularly.  But any longer than that you would need some sort of system to keep stuff dry.  

I knew some-one who had a very good cover that wrapped around the Mount and tied underneath and was left out for quite long spells without any problems, but I'd be dubious about leaving cameras out for all that time unless it was in a dehumidified observatory.

Carole  

Edited November 12, 2019 by carastro

[Fieldsy]

I think I will just leave scope and mount out and remove cams and battery’s and just see how it goes .i May look into a perm usb fan somehow fixed to pier  to run of  a battery .

[Jiggy 67]

16 hours ago, DaveS said:

I have Telegizmos covers which are pretty good at keeping condensation at bay

+1 for the telegizmos. I’ve had everything out under all this rain and everything has remained bone dry, with no condensation 

[joe aguiar]

4 hours ago, Fieldsy said:

🤔 I'm lost what's the point of having a pier if you cant leave your scope and stuff on it for a few days. So how do you all keep the dew/condensation of you scope when covered and not in use ?.thanks advance

So u dont have to carry the mount out every setup and u dont have to polar align.  Just put scope on and view

Joejaguar 

[windjammer]

Hi 

I leave my stuff outside all year.  I use garden furniture covers (about 13 quid each) as a tent to keep rain off.  Three layers - top layer lasts about a year before UV kills it.  Top layer breaks the force of the rain and wind, second layer stops remaining water and inner layer is belt and braces.  Luggage straps round the pier keep all in place.  Electronic packages are at the scope pier and stay dry.  Umbilical runs inside some flexible ducting to the house from the pier with power (12V and 24V only), remote control cables and video/USB camera feeds - also outdoors all year round.  I built a hot air blower out out of 50W power resistors strapped onto heatsinks in an aluminium box with a 8inch computer fan blowing over them - it dissipates about 100W and sits inside the tent.  I found some pond cable that would take the current (about 8 amps).  I installed a remote greenhouse temp and RH monitor (thermo pro T60s - amazon, 17 quid)  inside the tent that has a radio link to an inside display.  Whenever the RH goes above 70% I put the blower on.  Also put silica gel desiccant packs taped inside the lens covers. Stick with it ! It is quite possible to get to a permanent installation without a dome or shed - and it makes a huge difference to making the most of observing time.

Simon

[spillage]

I think its best to keep the covers away from the kit. Using a wooden frame over the kit with a cover over that helps and leaving a good gap at the bottom allows a good air flow.

[Physopto]

As Carole says, at star parties, I also leave my scope and mount out all the time. Sometimes for up to 10/11 days. I use two covers, the outer one is Gortex (difficult to get a hold of) and the inner a waterproofed nylon type. I leave the power on at all times for the mount and dew straps. There is enough air circulation, that so far I have never seen condensation the next day. Normally weather depending I cover over around 3/4 in the morning when finished imaging and everything by then may be dripping wet. By the late morning when uncoveredi don't see any dew still on the gear. I still leave it uncovered If possible for several hours to ensure that every component is completely dried out, just in case.

I would never dream of doing this at home for fear of theft.

Derek

Edited November 20, 2019 by Physopto

[Star101]

I agree with Carole. See my avatar.

I left my scope out for 18 months. Covered with a BBQ cover and tied underneath. I did however, remove the covers, even when not in use, just to air it off now and then. Never had issues really. I did remove the front mirror a couple of times to speed up the drying process after a very damp, wet, week. But never caused any lasting damage. The scope is now in a ROR Shed, same place as in the Avatar..I just built the obsy there instead

Don't leave cameras out all the time though. They will succumb to the elements very quickly.

 

Edited November 21, 2019 by Star101
smelliin missteak

[carastro]

The further elaborate, at astro camps I leave the whole set up out for several days at a time, usually about 5 days.  This includes scopes and cameras and all the electrics.  

I keep the electrics at camp in a plastic box to keep them off the ground and keep the worst of the damp off them.  The electrics are powered from the campsite hook up and this is in a water proof bag which sits next to the plastic box.  

At the end of the session, I usually disconnect everything from the hook up, and laptops and then bring the laptops inside, and then loop most of the cables up and put a large Scope cover over the top.  This can be fastened by velcro at the 3 tripod legs.  the remaining cables which go down to the box for power are looped through a small hole I cut out at the top of the box over which the lid is placed, and then I lift the Hook up bag and place it on top of the lid to prevent any wind blowing it off and this also places the hook up underneath the scope cover as extra precaution.  This encloses all the electrical cables in the box.  

I have never considered leaving the dew heaters on, but regardless, as Derek has said, despite everything being very wet when closing down (sometimes), it normally does not appear wet when I remove the cover the next day, which I do if the weather is dry to further dry everything out.

This procedure has weathered some very heavy downpours without incident.  The plastic box sometimes has water sitting in the dipped part of the lid, but this is simply tipped off carefully. 

HTH

Carole 

 

Edited November 21, 2019 by carastro

[Physopto]

Just a point about the dew heaters. Mine are controlled by a kendrick controller that keeps the temperature a few degrees above the dew point. Also the 10 Micron mount control computer is under the mount and just keeps a bit warmth in its enclosure whilst swtiched on all the time. The QSI ccd does much the same for itself.

As long as there is plenty of air circulation allowed from below, there does not seem to be a problem. 

Apart from thieves, I would not want to do this over a really long period. There are lifetimes of components to consider when power is applied. 

I am trying to move to a dark area, once accomplished I will build an observatory, however small ! 🙂