Fridge By Leon Style, Oh Dear..

[leon]

Hi Guys, as promised, but a little late, I will unmask my new project, hopefully it will all come together with not to many more blow ups. :D

Yes I have destroyed a modual and a small fan, so be it. :shrug:

I was going to give you a running account of how i have been progressing, but pictures speak a thousand wards, as they say.

So, I will just say this.

The Idea has come form many, and of coarse Bert's special fridge, I did some research, and also asked some questions, yep Bert was a great help. :thumbsup: many thanks indeed, however Mine is similar, but yet different to his and many others.

The pics will show progress as I move through the process, although not finished.

It starts with buying a $29.00 Cooler from Dick Smith, pulling it apart and keeping the important bits, the rest is in the bin.

Making a thin copper container to house the components, Camera, Fans and that sort of stuff.

Insulating the outside, witch is not finished buy the way and hoping to hell it all fires up, ;) well actually it dose, I have tried it on the bench many times, it is just now a matter of a final touch up, and fixing it to the Losmandy Plate on the Mount.

OK, have a sticky, and tell me if I have gone mad. :P :D

Leon :thumbsup:

[leon]

And some more

[leon]

last lot

[leon]

OK Guys have fun, more reports later.

Leon :thumbsup:

[DavidU]

Mate, that's sensational. Great metal work.:thumbsup:

[Garyh]

Nice job Leon!
Looks rather heavy but.
How much does your cooler box tip the scales?
Looks like you are having fun!

[leon]

I am having fun Gary, mate, the box is very light indeed, It is 0.025 mm copper very thin, the only heavy bit is the camera and cooler device, but the mount has carried that with out a problem.

Thanks for your comments.

Leon

[adman]

Yep! And I think I'll go with you. Great idea, and good job too!:)

[multiweb]

:eyepop: This thing is huge! Well thought out and executed though :thumbsup: . Can't wait to see its first light. How you're going to fit it on the focuser?

[tlgerdes]

Hi Leon,

Are your internal fans flush with the case wall?

[michaellxv]

If I didn't know better I would think you had gone mad. I hope it gets the results you are after.

[leon]

Yes my friend it is all good, it will do the the job nicely , many thanks for response.

Leon

[dugnsuz]

Exciting project leon - looks amazing mate. And, you're using 2 fans inside the box eh? How much extra weight is added with the box/cooler?
Can't wait to see how it goes under the stars.
Doug

[scopemankit]

Nicely done Leon.
Can you do a sketch of the air flow?
What temp drop is it designed for?

[tlgerdes]

If the internal fans are flush with the case, and that the fans are designed to flow air front to back, then they will not have an efficient air flow design.

Wouldn't it be better to stand them off from the case about the width of a hex nut (2-3mm or so) and let the air flow through the fan correctly.

[TheDecepticon]

Hi Leon! I went this route as well, was a cool project. Was great fun to make. In the end, I'm afraid, it was too heavy and cumbersome to put onto/into the focuser, even a good one. I ended up getting a QHY8.
Great metal work and soldering.:)

[leon]

Thanks guys for your comments of which there are many, to answer a few, Trevor I think you may be correct, and I did not really think of that, but that can easily be fixed.

Thanks Dougie, and it was a good conversation we had last night, cheers mate.

Marc, that is the beauty of a Tak, the flex is minimal because all extensions and focusers are screw on, not just inserted and held with a grub screw.


The weight is actually about 2.5 Kgs, which is no effort for the Tak or mount for that matter.

It is now covered in Pollystyrene will send a pic soon, and then i will give it a test and just see how cool it gets.

I'm happy with a couple of degrees or 0, not worried to go to the minus 10's and 12's.

Leon :thumbsup:

[lacad01]

Fantastic work Leon :thumbsup: Out of interest how did you solder the sides of the copper box, did you use one of those ye olde giant soldering irons you heat up with a blow torch or is there another way :question: