Getting rid of LX200 moisture

On Wed, 25 Jan 2006 10:33:12 -0800, Chuck Taylor
wrote:

Pete Lawrence wrote:
Anyone have any advice on getting rid of the moisture *inside* my 10"
LX200 OTA? Once it fogs the inside of the corrector plate, there's
little I can do to recover a session at the moment. The scope is
currently indoors next to a radiator with the eyepiece end open (but
dust protected). I can't think of any other way apart from removing
the corrector plate to speed things up.

Hi Pete,

It sounds like you need to get the air inside dried out. I
would think that bringing it inside where the air carries more
moisture would make it fog up worse the next night out.

Actually it worked a treat and the scope remained completely
internally fog free last night. The biggest pain is having to remember
to take it out several hours beforehand so it can thermally stabilise.

Have you tried silica gel to get rid of the internal moisture?

I did by (lazily) poking a bag of silica gel into an old eyepiece and
inserting it in the eyepiece holder for many hours. I mentally told
myself not to tilt the scope up to avoid the bag dropping into the
OTA. First return to the scope - I tilted it up!

Fortunately the bag stuck and I didn't have to resort to taking things
apart. Does astronomy make you dopey? Oh yes ;-)
--
Pete
http://www.digitalsky.org.uk

"Martin Brown" ha scritto nel messaggio
...
Beta Persei wrote:

BP Some silica gel blue into a film container with small holes, inserted
into
BP the eyepiece holder, should absorb the moisture. Keep the OTA nearly
BP vertical with the eyepiece side at bottom, to avoid dust to enter the
tube.

MB Very very small holes. Better to use tissue paper around it to ensure
non escapes. Or use one of the packets which come with camera lenses.

MB You don't want silica jel dust floating round loose inside the OTA.

MB But this is probably the fastest way to mop up any free water vapour in
the OTA.

I do agree. Fortunately now it is available a kind of silica gel
"dust-free", i.e. not "granulated" as the usual blue one, but in small
pearls colored red-orange. It is named Silicagel Rubin", available at
Sigma-Aldrich-Fluka (Reagents for laboratory) with code: 85815 for loose
pearls and code 72811 for 5 grams bags and 83959 for 10 grams bags. See
http://www.sigma-aldrich.com

Clear skies (here it's snowing, now...)
--
Beta Persei
45° 35' N
08° 51' E

Remove "_nospam" to reply

In message , Beta Persei
writes

"Martin Brown" ha scritto nel messaggio
...
Beta Persei wrote:

BP Some silica gel blue into a film container with small holes, inserted
into
BP the eyepiece holder, should absorb the moisture. Keep the OTA nearly
BP vertical with the eyepiece side at bottom, to avoid dust to enter the
tube.

MB Very very small holes. Better to use tissue paper around it to ensure
non escapes. Or use one of the packets which come with camera lenses.

MB You don't want silica jel dust floating round loose inside the OTA.

MB But this is probably the fastest way to mop up any free water vapour in
the OTA.

I do agree. Fortunately now it is available a kind of silica gel
"dust-free", i.e. not "granulated" as the usual blue one, but in small
pearls colored red-orange. It is named Silicagel Rubin", available at
Sigma-Aldrich-Fluka (Reagents for laboratory) with code: 85815 for loose
pearls and code 72811 for 5 grams bags and 83959 for 10 grams bags. See
http://www.sigma-aldrich.com


I suspect that is also a formulation that doesn't contain cobalt, a
suspect carcinogen (BS, but let it pass).
But is it available from a hobbyist or optical supplier? Sigma-Aldrich
won't sell to the public.

"Jonathan Silverlight" ha
scritto nel messaggio ...

I suspect that is also a formulation that doesn't contain cobalt, a
suspect carcinogen (BS, but let it pass).

Yes, indeed.

But is it available from a hobbyist or optical supplier? Sigma-Aldrich
won't sell to the public.

Good question. Perhaps a chemist shop or a vendor of chemical products may
place the order for you.

--
---
Beta Persei
45° 35' N
08° 51' E

remove "_nospam" to reply

Fortunately the bag stuck and I didn't have to resort to taking things
apart. Does astronomy make you dopey? Oh yes ;-)

Gee, I've never done anything like that! :-)

(The best part of groups like this is that no one who has seen
me do stupid things is here to point it out!)

Clear Skies

Chuck Taylor
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http://groups.yahoo.com/group/lunar-observing/

If you enjoy optics, try
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/ATM_Optics_Software/
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