Orion DSLR Camera Cooler

[jjjnettie]

http://www.telescope.com/New-Products/Orion-DSLR-Camera-Cooler/pc/0/c/0/sc/314/p/101916.uts

It's seems all well and good, but....
1. no easy access to the camera
2. at 2.1lbs, your stock focuser may not be able to cope with it
3. no easy access to the camera

[dynobolt]

Hi JJJ,

Looks like camera control via usb cable from the side only.

Cool product though:lol:

Dave

[bmitchell82]

If you got a bit tricky you could use it almost like a triple stack TEC :D. Put your Cooled Astro CCD in there get the ambient down to say zero, then run your CCD at -50 deg on that :D -40 here we come all year round!

[Grimmeister]

Hi All,

I wonder how Gary Honis feels about this? http://ghonis2.ho8.com/rebelmod450d16c.html?

JJJnettie, Don't forget the $$$$$ @ $399 US thats quite expensive. I made a similar box (based on Gary's design) and it works really well and only cost me about $80 to make with some basic tools. See here for photos and the difference it makes, the first image is the standard 10 minute @iso 100 ~20'C, the second image is 10 minutes @ iso 100 ~8'C http://www.iceinspace.com.au/forum/attachment_browse.php?a=108574

The only other thing I can see wrong with it is the fact that many Field Flatteners may not fit in the front, this was teh most difficult challenge I had when making mine.

Otherwise if you had the cash and didn't want to spend the time making your own then this is a great idea.

Cheers

Anthony

[gregbradley]

Its a clever concept and obviously based on Gary's work.

What about condensation issues with the sensor?

CCDs are put in sealed chambers in astro cameras.

Greg.

[Grimmeister]

Hi Greg,

I have found that the camera generates enough of its own heat when running in the cooler box to be the warmest point in the box, and because moisture goes from hot to cold it has never had any moisture on the chip form when using it. All the moisture ends up on the old side heat exchanger.

I have a styrofoam lid that press fits into the box cavity and I find there is only a few drops of water in the box at the end of an imaging session, and the angle the camera is at when on an EQ mount means it is almost always at the back or Sid of the box and nothing a small piece of cloth or paper towel can soak up :)

The only other precaution I take is to let the camera run for a while after I turn off the cooler as again it let's the cameras internal temperature rise above that of the dew point at night so when I take the field flattened off and the camera out of the box there is no moisture ingress into the camera.

I hope that explains it? Let me know if you want a picture of it with the camera in the box?

Cheers

Anthony

[alistairsam]

Hi anthony
A pic of the camera in the cooler would be good
Cheers

[Grimmeister]

Hi alistairsam,

I hope these give you a bit of an idea of how it all sits together, I have the Canon AC to Battery Adaptor and a USB cable that run out of the box so I can take long exposures without touching the camera.

I plan to put a Poly Eurothane cover over the styrofoam to protect it a bit better so it still look a bit ugly at the moment.

Cheers

Anthony

[matt42s]

Before you buy the Orion cooler, take a look at this alternative which costs a lot less.

http://www.teleskop-express.de/shop/product_info.php/info/p4824_Geoptik-thermo-electrical-cooling-for-Canon-EOS-cameras.html

[wasyoungonce]

Indeed it is not an alternative...they are the same!;)

[dugnsuz]

Too cumbersome/user-unfriendly...lack of Live View access at the LCD etc.

[g__day]

One thing I don't get with this design, you create a cooled metal box with air flow to cool the camera...

Why not directly wrap the camera in aluminum foil four to six times (bar the parts you wish to be exposed) then sandwich this tightly onto say a L-bracket that matches say the rear plus underneath of the camera and attach the Peltier to the bracket and put it all into a snug foam box.

That way:

1. you don't need any air flow - the Peltier is on a metal to metal contact with as much as your camera body as you desire
2. there is no air around the camera to insulate it or trap moisture which may condense
3. its cheap and totally form fitting
4. you can design exactly what parts of the camera are covered or exposed by metal in your cool box.

I imagine aluminium foil will act as a much better heat exchanger than slowly moving air. You could even make a front and rear mold of the camera in aluminium foil (two halves that fit snuggly together) and fit this into your now smaller rectangular cold box.

Does this make more sense to folk? Turn camera on - adjust setting you like, put the aluminum foil front and rear on it and drop it in your cold box, put the lid on and switch on the peltier and you're away!