Dew covered filters

[Guest]

So what are some tricks to keeping dew off your filters.  Here in Ohio dew is a VERY real thing and as soon as you expose them to air..... Boom.... They are covered in dew and out comes the rags to clean them off.  So what are some of the tricks of the trade to keeping them clear prior to putting them on the eyepieces, inquring minds want to know. 

Edited August 19, 2022 by Mike Q

[Zeta Reticulan]

2 hours ago, Mike Q said:

So what are some tricks to keeping dew off your filters.  Here in Ohio dew is a VERY real thing and as soon as you expose them to air..... Boom.... They are covered in dew and out comes the rags to clean them off.  So what are some of the tricks of the trade to keeping them clear prior to putting them on the eyepieces, inquring minds want to know. 

I usually keep any filters (in dedicated plastic cases) in the pockets of the cargo trousers I normally wear for observing.  

I don't take this many out at one time, of course. I choose what is applicable for the session. TS Optics sell various cases in both 2" and 1.25".

Edited August 19, 2022 by Zeta Reticulan

[Guest]

1 hour ago, Zeta Reticulan said:

I usually keep any filters (in dedicated plastic cases) in the pockets of the cargo trousers I normally wear for observing.  

I don't take this many out at one time, of course. I choose what is applicable for the session. TS Optics sell various cases in both 2" and 1.25".

Mine all have cases and they live in them.  Tried the pocket thing and that didn't work.  

Edited August 19, 2022 by Mike Q

[Zeta Reticulan]

2 minutes ago, Mike Q said:

Mine all have cases and they live in them.  Tried the pocket thing and that didn't work.  

Yeah, I know in some parts of the world humidity is a huge problem for astronomy. It's not so bad where I am. September can be 'dewey'. I find that my reflex finders dew first. The only recourse is taking a cloth out to periodically dry them. 

Or ...

[Guest]

7 minutes ago, Zeta Reticulan said:

Yeah, I know in some parts of the world humidity is a huge problem for astronomy. It's not so bad where I am. September can be 'dewey'. I find that my reflex finders dew first. The only recourse is taking a cloth out to periodically dry them. 

Or ...

Ohio dew is something special.  Dew heaters are a must in my area.  August is especially bad.  I have three different bands running to keep things clear.  

[Zeta Reticulan]

1 minute ago, Mike Q said:

Ohio dew is something special.  Dew heaters are a must in my area.  August is especially bad.  I have three different bands running to keep things clear.  

It sounds bad. It's been very hot here of late. I was surprised to find no dew at all in early morning sessions. So global warming has an upside. 

 

There are downsides however ...

[Guest]

6 minutes ago, Zeta Reticulan said:

It sounds bad. It's been very hot here of late. I was surprised to find no dew at all in early morning sessions. So global warming has an upside. 

 

There are downsides however ...

Yeah its bad.  By 930 last night the heaters were on.  It isn't even dark at 930 yet. It was one of those nights where i had to run the heaters closer to 50 percent then 25 percent.  Here in the midwest you learn to deal with heavy dew and frost/ice real quick.   

[Guest]

I am actually thinking that a small battey powered fan might be the answer.  Keep the air moving and get the filter at ambient temperature quickly.  This seems logical to me. 

[Zeta Reticulan]

6 minutes ago, Mike Q said:

I am actually thinking that a small battey powered fan might be the answer.  Keep the air moving and get the filter at ambient temperature quickly.  This seems logical to me. 

That could work. Where are your filters in the light train? I find filters in the diagonal dew faster than in the eyepiece. There are dew straps for eyepieces.

Edited August 19, 2022 by Zeta Reticulan

[Guest]

I have dew bands for my eyepieces and the heater will eventually clear them up as i attach straight to the eyepiece.  But it will take a bit for that warmth to get down to it.  I run the minimum amount of heat to get the job done 

[Zeta Reticulan]

Maybe handwarmers placed next to the plastic filter cases? Either in a pocket or an airtight container? 

[Guest]

47 minutes ago, Zeta Reticulan said:

Maybe handwarmers placed next to the plastic filter cases? Either in a pocket or an airtight container? 

My filters stay in a sealed case I their plastic cases.  I tried the handwarmer idea last year.  Instant dew when the warm filter hit the air.  Maybe I didn't get them warm enough? 

Edited August 19, 2022 by Mike Q

[Zeta Reticulan]

1 hour ago, Mike Q said:

My filters stay in a sealed case I their plastic cases.  I tried the handwarmer idea last year.  Instant dew when the warm filter hit the air.  Maybe I didn't get them warm enough? 

Possibly. That's some dewing problem you have.

[Guest]

15 hours ago, Zeta Reticulan said:

Possibly. That's some dewing problem you have.

It can be ridiculous.  Now last night, completely different conditions.  I was outside late but not observing and very little dew.  

[Zeta Reticulan]

8 minutes ago, Mike Q said:

It can be ridiculous.  Now last night, completely different conditions.  I was outside late but not observing and very little dew.  

That's got to be a relief lol. Dewing is only really a problem for me in late August through September. When it gets bad it's known locally as 'hop picking mornings'. I've no idea why. The dewing ceases to be a real problem as winter approaches. I was out for a couple of hours just after midnight. I could feel the damp a bit. It's been very dry here (English Midlands) of late. Not for long lol.

Edited August 20, 2022 by Zeta Reticulan

[Guest]

4 minutes ago, Zeta Reticulan said:

That's got to be a relief lol. Dewing is only really a problem for me in late August through September. When it gets bad it's known locally as 'hop picking mornings'. I've no idea why. The dewing ceases to be a real problem as winter approaches. I was out for a couple of hours just after midnight. I could feel the damp a bit. It's been very dry here (English Midlands) of late. Not for long lol.

The midwest here in the states ....well the environmentals can be tricky and unpredictable.  As we say here....you never know what you are going to get.  When i first got into this one of the first things i discovered was i will dew out.  I could usually last about 1.5 hours and that would be when the secondary would dew over. The fastest it ever happened was about 45 minutes.  There are nights that water just drips off the scope and in the fall and winter its frost or ice.  

[Zeta Reticulan]

2 minutes ago, Mike Q said:

The midwest here in the states ....well the environmentals can be tricky and unpredictable.  As we say here....you never know what you are going to get.  When i first got into this one of the first things i discovered was i will dew out.  I could usually last about 1.5 hours and that would be when the secondary would dew over. The fastest it ever happened was about 45 minutes.  There are nights that water just drips off the scope and in the fall and winter its frost or ice.  

Sounds like the weather in the UK generally. You never know what you are going to get lol.

[Guest]

I have often wondered if the fact that the UK being a island doesnt help you guys out and if our sheer size and lower elevation here, about 1000 feet (lower for us) above sea level, doesn't hurt us.  The red dot is about where i am.  

Edited August 20, 2022 by Mike Q

[Guest]

By the way, you have a beautiful little island over there.  I was there in 1988.  I admit afternoon tea was a neat little experience. 

[SthBohemia]

15 minutes ago, Mike Q said:

The red dot is about where i am.  

Somewhere near Marion I guess 🙂  Now having a look at the PUBS within your locality! Always remember to take an Esky full o' Fosters Brew with ya when out for a nights observing! They always help to improve the view 🙂 

[Guest]

3 minutes ago, SthBohemia said:

Somewhere near Marion I guess 🙂  Now having a look at the PUBS within your locality! Always remember to take an Esky full o' Fosters Brew with ya when out for a nights observing! They always help to improve the view 🙂 

I would say that is pretty spot on actually.  I am 12 miles north of marion.  We dont have anything that we remotely qualify as a Pub and certainly not worth going to lol.  I buy my Guinness in town and bring it home.  If i am drinking while observing...... Its bourbon or scotch paired with a fine cigar

[Zeta Reticulan]

1 hour ago, Mike Q said:

I have often wondered if the fact that the UK being a island doesnt help you guys out and if our sheer size and lower elevation here, about 1000 feet (lower for us) above sea level, doesn't hurt us.  The red dot is about where i am.  

The UK has a humid temperate oceanic climate (Koppen classification). It has about 5000 km of coastline, which is about the distance between the US eastern seaboard and Pacific coasts. I live about as far away from a beach as you can get here. The nearest seaside to me is in Wales lol.

[Zeta Reticulan]

1 hour ago, Mike Q said:

By the way, you have a beautiful little island over there.  I was there in 1988.  I admit afternoon tea was a neat little experience. 

We have afternoon tea? Must have been south of the Watford Gap lol. 

[Guest]

4 hours ago, Zeta Reticulan said:

We have afternoon tea? Must have been south of the Watford Gap lol. 

Well... I was in London for a day and someone said it was tea time... So when in Rome

[Zeta Reticulan]

31 minutes ago, Mike Q said:

Well... I was in London for a day and someone said it was tea time... So when in Rome

Yeah, must be a south of Watford thing. lol