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How much dew can an HEQ5 stand ?

Astro_Baby

By Astro_Baby
in Discussions - Mounts

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Astro_Baby

Astro_Baby

Posted
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I just recently upgraded the HEQ5 to Synscan and it works like a charm. Question though - as the mount is now stuffed with electronics how wet can one of these get before I should expect anything to blow up.

Experience tells me it should be ok, I have been out a few times with the original non-GoTo where the mount was dripping water from dewpoint and it was fine - I am a bit more concerned now its got an expensibe GoTo upgrade.

Does anybody mask off their electronic gubbings with a polybag or similar or should I assume the mount can take a moderate amount of dewing without having a hissy fit ?

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Merlin66

Merlin66

Posted
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I've had the HEQ5pro for two years; there's been numerous occasions were the dew has been running off the mounting. A quick rub down with the towel is all it gets. I do sometimes ( when I remember...) put a small dab of vaseline on the handcontroller jack plug - to prevent possible corrosion of the contact pin/tabs(!???).

Never had a moment's trouble (touch wood!).

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blinky

blinky

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I would not really be concerned, mine has live outside now for about a year and a half. In that time it's been frozen then boiled (On the odd time the sun was actually shining). I have had it dripping in dew and had no problems, the electronic is already behind the plastic cover so unless it pourded with rain I would not be worried.

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Astro_Baby

Astro_Baby

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Cool - thanks guys. JUst didn't want it blowing up after all the hassle of getting it. :) The guts inside the mount wasn't so much a worry as the power connector block (where the handset plugs in ) which seems not well protected from the elements. If I were designing it I would have had a silicon or rubber moulding around it to give its snig fit and keep its guts dry from any water that may come its way.

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  • 2 weeks later...
delilahtwinkle

delilahtwinkle

Posted
Posted

Hello again folks,

Hope you do not mind if I bring this thread up again. I have huge problems and my heart is in my boots. I have just found out that after my scope being out in the rain for about 5 minutes during my last viewing which was about three days ago, my electronics will not work. OMG!!!! I dried it all off at the time but even the tray had a little puddle in it, it was a huge sudden downpour :icon_rolleyes:. My pad feels awful cold so I have unplugged it and brought it in to warm it up a bit, I think it could be wet inside. Would this happen?? Have I really messed up here,my powerpack is fully charged. Oh dear I feel ill. I wish I had noticed earlier but I have not been out since Tuesday. Tonight I thought I'd get a quick peek at Jupiter and Venus through a clear patch in the clouds, and there she was all cooled down but going nowhere. Could it be fixed?? My scope is a SW 130p. Must dash I am going to go and plug it back in again, finger crossed. Delilahtwinkle

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Kokatha man

Kokatha man

Posted
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.....fingers crossed for you there - you could try one of those electrical circuitry sprays (not the silicone based type!!!) if moisture has gotten into any internals, but don't flood things with it....!

I've only just gotten into this thread and have had an HEQ5 Pro for about a year and a half.....it was left out all last winter (this is South Oz) BUT it allways had a pillow-slip (to "absorb" dampness in the air) and then 2 of those heavy-duty (orange) rubbish-bags/liners over it - 1 on top op the other and the necks tied tight around my pier upright.....I still do it occassionally when I don't want to slip the custom tarp and liner on.....

I think the reality is that one should always exercise prudence with electronic/electrical gear outside (I'm an ex-tech so feel I have a small insight into such) - totally exposed is asking for trouble: though as some have said if it is getting wet (heavy dew) during obbing/imaging then obviously towelling the mount occassionally during the night is sensible.....last week's Jupiter imaging session I was doing said as well as "hair-drying" the objective regularly AND wiping down the laptop, the dew was so heavy.....

AS I SAID, FINGERS CROSSED..... AND MAKE SURE EVERYTHING IS BONE-DRY BEFORE ATTEMPTING TO FIRE UP AGAIN!!!:icon_rolleyes::);)

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delilahtwinkle

delilahtwinkle

Posted
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Thanks Kokatha man, I will go and get a spray but use it as a last resort, I tried again but no joy. I have it wrapped the control up in a towel and placed it on a radiator.... I am so annoyed with myself, I only came in the house for a couple of minutes while viewing to check on my grandson who was sleeping over and down it came it was flash flood type rain. Thanks for the help will keep you posted. Dt

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Mikea

Mikea

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Sorry to hear your sad news Delilah ;). I'll agree with Kokatha man 100% about making ABSOLUTELY sure that all is totally dry before swithing on again. Personally, I wouldn't use a spray though.

I'd leave the hand controller on the radiator for a day before trying to power it up - on it's own first - not connected to the mount. I would also take the back panel off the controller first (4 screws) to assist with the drying out process. You can check that it really is dry too. Don't go poking about inside too much - there is a very small chance you might cause ESD damage unless you know what you are doing.

The mount is a bit more tricky to dismantle (I haven't taken mine apart yet!) but as well as the fixing screws, you need to unscrew the fixing nut on the power connector.

Hopefully, the things will revert to normal when dry :icon_rolleyes:. Check the hand controller on it's own first, then hand controller + mount.

Good luck!!

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Leegsi

Leegsi

Posted
Posted

I use the coating at work.

Maybe I should ask if we have any out of date stuff (We can only use stuff thats in its shelf life due to the nature of the work) that I can bring home and maybe bring some to the Salisbury star party. People could bring jam jars for me to fill?

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adamsp123

adamsp123

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Conformal coating is a nightmare to do, we conformal coat many of our products and it is quite a cost adder and unfortunately it will not help at all if the PCB gets wet, conformal coating is to stop conductive growth across PCBs when used in harsh environmental conditions eg sea air or polluted areas in factories.

However items like telescope mounts would be Environmental chamber tested during the design phase to ensure they wouldn't die under warrenty in normal outdoor night time use ie dew.

Going back to electrical items that have been soaked with water then a good drying out period should do the trick unless power was on during the soaking and something shorted out.

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delilahtwinkle

delilahtwinkle

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I am so pleased I posted this thread, I thought someone may have gave me a good telling off for letting her get wet so I was a little worried but we have developments I have managed to get it all dried off and she is powering up. Yipee... I will be out tonight.. In the mean time today I need to find a cover for her. Thanks for all your help. Dt

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Merlin66

Merlin66

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Great news! I'm glad it worked out for you.

I use one of those green tarp like covers they sell at the local garden shops for covering a stack of patio chairs! It top is sloped and its long enough to cover the mounting and most of the tripod.

Around 20 GBP, from memory.

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James

James

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My EQ6 and CG5-GT have both been exposed to phenomenal amounts of dew, frost etc and have been unaffected. When I'm not using them I either leave the various cables attached to protect the plugs or in the case of the CG5 I fill the ports with plugs made from the ends of telephone connectors (RJ11?) to stop them getting exposed to the elements.

3 years on and so far so good :icon_rolleyes:

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adamsp123

adamsp123

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I am so pleased I posted this thread, I thought someone may have gave me a good telling off for letting her get wet so I was a little worried but we have developments I have managed to get it all dried off and she is powering up. Yipee... I will be out tonight.. In the mean time today I need to find a cover for her. Thanks for all your help. Dt

Great news indeed! pheeeew eh?

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greenkat

greenkat

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Glad its fired up again ,

My Heq5pro is outside with cables attatched, (no handset as I use Eqmod).

I cover it over with two recycling bags the council leave for the recycling and tied at the bottom with one of those big elastics with the hooks

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