DIY Dew Shield for Skymax 127 Mak

[VegasIII]

I've not had my Mak 127 long and read I really "need" a Dew Shield as they are magnets for it!

So seeing retail ones for about £30 and many retailers not even having the stock I decided to make one for under a fiver as I've seen many have before.

I bought a "Funky Foam sheet" from The Range 30x45  x 2mm £1 and a pack Sellotape Hook and Loop self adhesive strips £2.99.
One Velcro strip I had lying around after doing my non-sticky Telrad install.

Now the Foam sheet is just shy of reaching around the circumference of the Skymax 127 so needed a crude fix so put Duct Tape on each side to extend the width and then put the velco (or in this case Sellotape strips) on that.  It feels all very secure and fastens perfectly.

So not too bad for just 15 minutes and £3.80 plus my spare strap to finally secure it all.  I know I spend quite a few hundred on the EQ3 and the 127 and skimping seems tight, but if I can get away with this cheap mod and it doesn't look that ridiculous it will do I'm sure.  If it works it works!

Have a question though, is the too much shield protruding beyond the end of the scope??

 

 

 

[Nik271]

Good job! I did something similar with an exercise mat. The long section in front is also useful as a hood against stray light.

I found that the protection  lasts for hours - even after every other part of the scope is dripping wet with moisture in the autumn nights.

When leaving it outside to cool before observing point it to the ground. Also don't leave the eyepiece inside, otherwise it will get too cold and mist up too.

[Louis D]

37 minutes ago, VegasIII said:

Have a question though, is the too much shield protruding beyond the end of the scope??

Given the very long focal length of that Mak, I doubt you could ever make too long of a dew shield, within practical limits that is.

[Tiny Clanger]

Just checked my own DIY foam dew shield for my 127, and I made it 26cm deep, of which maybe 6cm is on the tube and therefore 20cm protrudes. It has worked perfectly for me, no vignetting (which is what a photographer would call the light fall off in the corners from using too deep a lens hood on a camera lens) . What limited my decision on size was the stiffness of the material : I used 3mm closed cell foam https://www.efoam.co.uk/closed-cell-polyethylene-foam.php and it seemed likely that a much longer dew shield might either sag or get blown around and out of shape if it was breezy .

Heather