Condensation on eps.

[WEASEL007]

Best way to clean scope and eps when outside. From a NEWBIE. 

[tripleped]

If dew forms on ep  then warming it with a hairdryer will work, albeit temporary.  Best thing is to prevent it using electric dew strips wrapped around the ep.  astrozap sells good ones in various sizes. Really works well. You’d also need a dew controller which is what provides the juice to warm the strips.  Hope that helps 

[John]

Hello and welcome to the forum

Try and keep your eyepieces a little warmer than the outside temperature. That will stop them getting condensation and fogging up from the heat from your eye if they get really cold. Pockets can be useful for this !

To stop scope optics misting up a dew shield or heated dew bands are usually used.

If your optics do mist up, don't wipe them. Use a hairdryer as advised above or let the mist clear by bringing the scope inside and letting it warm up.

 

 

[WEASEL007]

47 minutes ago, tripleped said:

If dew forms on ep  then warming it with a hairdryer will work, albeit temporary.  Best thing is to prevent it using electric dew strips wrapped around the ep.  astrozap sells good ones in various sizes. Really works well. You’d also need a dew controller which is what provides the juice to warm the strips.  Hope that helps 

Thanks mac 

[WEASEL007]

36 minutes ago, John said:

Hello and welcome to the forum

Try and keep your eyepieces a little warmer than the outside temperature. That will stop them getting condensation and fogging up from the heat from your eye if they get really cold. Pockets can be useful for this !

To stop scope optics misting up a dew shield or heated dew bands are usually used.

If your optics do mist up, don't wipe them. Use a hairdryer as advised above or let the mist clear by bringing the scope inside and letting it warm up.

 

 

Thanks mac 

[Nyctimene]

Keep your eyepiece case inside the house until immediately before use. Close the case again, when you've taken out an eyepiece, so some warmth will stay inside. After inserting the eyepiece into the focuser, leave it's cap in place until just before  observing. During short breaks (e.g., when looking things up on a map/app), always put the cap on again. When swapping eyepieces, put the unused one, covered with both caps, in a coat  or vest pocket, as mentioned by John. You can even buy a vest-hood combo for this; have a look:

https://r-sky.org/en/products/observing-hood

Another solution without electricity could be a small, isolated box with lid, warmed by a chemical hand warmer (that can be re-used by putting it into boiling water for some minutes).

I've never used dew strips, and an electric hairdryer only for the secondary mirror of the truss tube dobs (rarely).

Stephan

[WEASEL007]

Thanks. Mac.

[Captain Scarlet]

I do what nyctimene does re eyepiece case is last thing out, close it immediately etc. If, in spite of that, I find my eyepiece dewing, I take it as a sign that the evening’s observing is coming to a close.

[Stu]

All good advice so far. I use a combination of those. I normally wrap a short dew strip around the eyepiece, or sometimes around the diagonal if likely to be swapping eyepieces a lot. That does the job nicely. The other simpler option is to regularly swap eyepieces and put them in a warm pocket in between times, much as has been described already. Just lifting the temperature a little keeps the dew away.

[Mr Spock]

I keep mine in pockets. I've never had dew on an eyepiece.

[Franklin]

Stick a HOT HANDS hand warmer in your eyepiece case, that will keep the dew at bay. They release gentle heat for up to 10 hrs. You can put them in your pockets as well and in your boots, in your hat and even down your pants.😃

[WEASEL007]

Thanks to all .😆

[Rapallokid]

Dewcontrol.com are also very good for bands and controllers. They can also Taylor cables and connectors to your requirements.