Dew shields

[Joe beaumont]

Hi all, 

I have a celestron nexstar 8se and was wondering how important it is to get a dew shield and also what is the best f6.3 focal reducer to buy at a reasonable price 

thank you all.

[RT65CB-SWL]

Hi Joe,

dew shield... very important anytime of year though I do not use mine so much during the summer months, but does help keep pollen off the corrector plate. Also good for keeping stray light at bay.

FF/FR... I have the Celestron one. I have never tried the other branded ones. The Antares is good value.

Edited April 2, 2021 by Philip R

[wookie1965]

You can make one out of a exercise mat. 

[Jamgood]

I use mine every time. Helps with stray light reflections as well as dew.

👍

[The Lazy Astronomer]

Definitely will need a dew shield for an SCT. Corrector plates are like a magnet for the stuff. Frankly, with the rate they seem to attract moisture, I'm surprised you don't see people using them as observatory dehumidifiers...

[rnobleeddy]

21 hours ago, wookie1965 said:

You can make one out of a exercise mat. 

+1 for this. Mine is still going strong after being well used this winter.

[Louis D]

@Don Pensack in another recent thread about SCT RCs recommended finding a vintage made in Japan Celestron unit to hit that sweet point between price and quality.

[michael8554]

I've always used a long Dew Shield on my 8" SCT, and have never needed a dew band, but it's in a dome.

Most agree the Meade, Celestron, Antares, HIrsch etc FR's look identical, and probably come out of the same Chinese factory.

But some of them may have coatings that will improve performance.

Michael

[neil phillips]

On 01/04/2021 at 17:46, wookie1965 said:

You can make one out of a exercise mat. 

I did this in the past. Though if you think about it this type of material must store heat. Unless stored outside. I put mine in the freezer for twenty mins

Nest time i am going plastic for hi res work

Edited April 3, 2021 by neil phillips

[wookie1965]

34 minutes ago, neil phillips said:

I did this in the past. Though if you think about it this type of material must store heat. Unless stored outside. I put mine in the freezer for twenty mins

Nest time i am going plastic for hi res work

I used one then stuck plastic to it to make it more rigid worked a treat. 

[Louis D]

I would just use a sheet of closed cell foam normally used for packing and insulating.  They're light, nonabsorbent, and insulating.  That's what I wrapped my hose bibs in during our record freeze in February and had no burst pipe issues.

[Kimboman]

Hi re dew shield ,last year I purchased a black gym mat from Ikea for £2.50 and made two for my6se and two for my etx90 and two for my 50 mm finder.

One tube of glue Ihave had great service from these and they are still going strong

[Gfamily]

For value for money DIY dewshields, I reckon you can't do better than getting a sheet of Proplex* - and using sticky velcro pads to hold the edges together. 

£4.50 for a 1.2m x 2.4m sheet that will do a one-piece shield for anything up to about 35cm aperture. 

https://www.wickes.co.uk/Proplex-Black-Surface-Protection-Sheet-2400-x-1200-x-2mm/p/118670

 

*it's the twin wall sheeting put down to protect floors from scratches when builders are working indoors

Edited April 3, 2021 by Gfamily