Dehumidifier for Pulsar 2.7m Observatory

[DeepSkyMan]

Hi there I’m looking for recommendations for a dehumidifier to install in my Pulsar Observatory.  Topic has probably been done to death already over the years however a lot of the posts are several years old, just wondering what the best dehumidifier  currently on the market is for this use-case.

 

Kind Regards

Paul.

[tomato]

This is one I have, does a great job in a 2.2m Pulsar dome, takes the humidity down from 99% to <70% in about 15 mins at the end of a session, ambient temp <5 deg C at the start.

https://www.dehumidifiersuk.com/eco-air-dd122fw-simple-7-litre-low-temperature-desiccant-dehumidifier.html?gclid=CjwKCAiAs92MBhAXEiwAXTi25yvWbxm3AN3DekvC7XirN_x-IKLsEQoXjlL0JVz7Yypp11Tf8nIZphoCykMQAvD_BwE

[Tomatobro]

I have the newer version and can confirm what tomato has said.

What I find is that the metal of the mount and pier has a lot of thermal inertia so will get wet even though the rest of the dome inside will be dry so I check it first thing in the morning to see if the dryer needs switching on.  Under these conditions I just set the timer for two hours and it does the job.

Mine has the ionizer function which I never use.

Just a thought but when looking for the same one as tomato's I found one at a really good price on the net but when I searched on the suppliers address it did not exist. Somewhere in Leicester as I recall

Edited November 19, 2021 by Tomatobro
Extar info

[Bukko]

I use the same dehumidifier in my 3m Scopedome - probably about the same internal volume as the 2.7 Pulsar... I have run an external drain line from the dehumidifier to a 10 litre bottle outside the dome and leave it running 24/7.

On a clear night, I will switch over to a ventilation fan that pushes fresh air through the dome a couple of hours before sunset, rather than have the heat output from the dehumidifier passing through the dome.. Seems to work for me.

Gordon.

[Stuart1971]

+1 for the unit @tomato recommended, I use it and it’s superb…..👍🏼

[Rusted]

What is the average electricity consumption of these units?
How "tight" does the dome have to be to avoid dehumidifying the entire Earth's atmosphere?

An extractor fan in the bathroom cured my parent's damp problem after using a fridge-sized dehumidifier for a while.
Would an extractor fan[s] successfully solve the humidity problem in a closed dome by providing circulation from all the leakage points?
[Around the periphery of the shutters[s] and all around skirt.]

 

[McComiskey]

Bukko, how did you install the fan in the scope dome?

 

[Bukko]

On 01/04/2023 at 21:13, McComiskey said:

Bukko, how did you install the fan in the scope dome?

 

Sorry, just picked this up...

The Scopedomes are mounted on top of a couple of rounds of bricks. I use the big, largely hollow terracotta types. All I did was simply drill a hole through one of the bricks for the ducting. (I pull air through that way and allow it to flow around the base and through the shutter.)

I included an IP rated 2-way switch on the exterior to allow me to change device without having to open the dome.

I have the dehumidifier set slightly as "wet" as I can and even though I get a LOT of moisture sometimes, I have not needed to use the dew heater tape around the scope. But I do spend as little time as possible inside the dome, as humans tend to kick out a lot of moisture when breathing.

I guess you should be able to drill the wall of the Pulsar, especially if you have some of those bay panels...

 

Hope it helps.

Gordon.