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Old 28-04-2020, 04:10 PM
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chrisp9au (Chris)
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Large Dob cover solution from Bunnings for $55

Thought I would share this, maybe help some folks save a few dollars.
I looked at the commercial options for large dobsonians, could easily spend hundreds of dollars plus postage.
I spent $55 today at Bunnings, bought a Matador BBQ cover for a 2-3 burner hooded BBQ, has a 5 year Warranty.
Perfect fit for my Skywatcher 14" collapsible dob which will soon be sitting outside under our veranda.
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Old 12-06-2020, 03:53 PM
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MattT
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Thanks for this Chris.
I have had a smaller bbq cover on my 2” pillow block mount for three years and it was a bit of a tight fit.
Today I bought the same cover you did. An easy fit that covers much more than before.
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Old 12-06-2020, 07:42 PM
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gaseous (Patrick)
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Thanks Chris, great idea. I got a cover for my 20" Dob from Telegizmos due to the unwieldy size, but for more normal sizes that's a great solution.
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Old 12-06-2020, 08:03 PM
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chrisp9au (Chris)
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Thanks guys, I originally ordered a Telegizmo, but due to covid-19 overseas delivery issues I cancelled the order and bought the BBQ cover. Money saved went towards other essential astro supplies!
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Old 13-06-2020, 11:53 AM
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ChrisV (Chris)
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Hail the bbq cover! I got a vertical smoker cover from the same vender $27. Perfect for a mount cover
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Old 15-06-2020, 09:37 AM
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billdan (Bill)
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Covers for Motorbikes are another good source for covers for our telescopes.
Similar prices to the BBQ covers.
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Old 17-06-2020, 04:32 PM
m11 (Mel)
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Many thanks Chris for the info.

I just grabbed a cover as well for my 14inch Skywatcher.

I might grab more for my other scopes.

Thanks,

Melvin
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Old 19-06-2020, 05:19 AM
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mental4astro (Alexander)
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Word of caution about these covers - these do not breathe!

If you cover your dew soaked dob with one of these bbq covers, the dew will be trapped inside. This water will then be most gleefully soaked up by the particle board of the mount (if your dob mount is made from particle board), and be a haven for mould to grow.

These are great if you are caught out in sudden rainfall with no way to move the scope under a shelter or quickly pack it up. Ok also to stop dew from forming on it. But these covers must be removed from over a scope by daybreak so any trapped moisture can dry off. These covers should not be used to store a scope under them.


Air will not circulate under these, and you know what that means for scopes. Worse still is when the day heats up this will drive trapped moisture deeper into cooler parts of the scope, stuffing the particle board, getting into refractor optics through seams and between elements, dampening electronics, corroding screws, springs & other metal components, and I've already mentioned mould.

You wouldn't store your precious scope in a damp shed or garage, and this is exactly what these bbq covers are.

I've made scope covers from those big flag banners that councils are most fond of stringing up in mass down main streets. The material these are made from is strong and it breathes. No, it won't stop rain, but it will help stop more dew from settling on the scope after a session AND it will allow what dew is under it to quickly evaporate and not trap it.

Even at home I use these same covers over my dobs as dust covers. But I am also mindful that air circulation under these can also be limited. Air circulation is important or use a dehumidifier in the room where you store your gear.

These bbq covers are a great stop gap measure, but don't store gear under them, and not if it is wet/damp from the start.

Sorry to bust this bubble, but this aspect has been forgotten in the discussion.

Alex.

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Old 19-06-2020, 09:27 AM
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Tulloch (Andrew)
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Hi all, a little while ago I bought a Matador Radiant Kettle BBQ Cover for my C9.25" SCT, and it reports to have "Xrepel advanced fabric technology" (whatever that means ) and an air ventilation system to supposedly reduce condensation. Now, this OTA is small enough so I can store it inside the house but the cover is very useful for these dewy mornings when I have to leave the scope outside to cool for those 3am get-ups to image the planets. I have been out a number of times recently and while my table is saturated with dew, the scope is perfectly dry inside.

Now, I wouldn't recommend leaving the scope outside all the time underneath it, but to stop dew overnight I found it works really well.

https://www.bunnings.com.au/matador-...bbq-s_p0073948

Andrew
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