How do you dry your telescope?

[Perryellis]

Crystal clear skies here in N devon (to my novice eyes anyway). Got about an hour and a half viewing from about 8pm until my telrad and eyepieces succombed to due.

I took everything inside and began to dry the ep's,telrad, finder and 2nd mirror with a hair dryer on a low heat and dried the tube off with a towell. I then checked the primary mirror and noticed that it was also fully covered by condensation:eek:

Im scared to dry it this way because I am sure I remember reading somewhere that it's not a good idea as it may distort the mirror in some way. Is this true?

My question is/are-is it safe to dry the main mirror with a hair dryer as well? and how do you dry yours?

Just checked and the mirror is almost good to go again:)

I own a sw 150p dob by the way.....

[John]

This thread might help:

http://stargazerslounge.com/beginners-help-advice/118436-just-finished-observing-condensation-qs.html

[WayneR]

Thanks John.

[Perryellis]

Thanks John...Sorry to post an almost identical thread to that one and it was only posted yesterday:o

I was sort of in a hurry to get back outside and wanted to know whether or not I could speed things up by blasting it with a hair dryer ...and it seems you can as long as you use a low power or low heat.

I think I might really need to get off my backside and build a dew shield and the telrad shield I keep linking to other people

[jaskel]

chuck the scope in a room and throw a heater in the room (not pointing at the scope) and the room temp will rise and naturally dry the unit out!

[fatwoul]

Crystal clear skies here in N devon (to my novice eyes anyway). Got about an hour and a half viewing from about 8pm until my telrad and eyepieces succombed to due. ...

Ugh tell me about it. My two viewing locations are in the bottoms of valleys in Plymouth and Saltash! A night without dew is a rarity.

[ollypenrice]

Dew heaters are the preventers, of course. However, if you don't have them, this works well;

Have a few warm dry towels prepared and stored in the house. When mist strikes just go inside for a G and T and leave one of the towels over the lot. It will very effectively de-humidify. If it doesn't there's nothing for it but a second towel and a second G and T...

Olly

[brantuk]

Only a few things to remember. Point the scope downwards so that condensation drips out of the tube. Don't touch any optical surfaces with anything other than proper optical cleaning products. This applies to scope and lenses alike, the risk is putting miniscule scratches on the optics using other materials, let it dry naturally. A warm air dryer is fine but don't point it directly onto a cold mirror or it may crack

[haitch]

I find the worst thing for causing condensation on my primary is bringing it indoors after a session on a cold evening.

Houses tend to be full of warm moist air and a nice cold mirror surface is the ideal place for all that moisture to condense out. A nice dry cold store room is better for it than taking it in and out of the house.

[Perryellis]

I think I may start storing the scope in the shed at the bottom of the garden, might help to keep the scope cool and ready in an instant!

I have also noticed that one of my eyepieces is pretty flipping dirty, the lens looks almost chipped-It can't be because I have been very careful with everything, not sure how it has come to be this bad?

I'm a bit scared to touch the lens to be honest and I have read various different ideas on how to clean them. Some say to use cotton buds and others say definately don't!-Is there any particular cleaning fluid/method that you would recommend?

cheers

[brantuk]

Some use Baader Optical Wonder Cleaning Fluid:

Misc’

If in any doubt - phone the guys at FLO and you'll get good advice.

Cheers

[Tim]

I have also made the mistake on more than one occasion of bringing a piece of cold kit into the house, and the moisture in the air has condensed on it immediately and made the problem much worse

With a dew shield and dew heaters you shouldn't have any more problems, even on the wettest of nights.

[Perryellis]

Brantuk-Just the job. I will be ordering that shortly.

Thanks muchly for the quick reply and pointing that out to me

TJ-yes. Now all I have to do is buy a camping mat and build the flipping thing. Have been telling myself that I will do this for the past month now lol!