Dew in Canberra?

[Gem]

Hi there,

Being relatively new to Canberra and looking at a maybe getting a SCT... how is the dew in Canberra? I used to have no trouble at all in Wagga Wagga, but I was using a dob there...

Any Canberrans around to share their experiences??

[charsiubau]

Have been away- only just saw this post. I'm in Canberra and have both a dob and sct. Usually only observe for a couple of hours and finished by 11 or 12. Don't need dew protection with the dob. Can usually judge when dew shield is needed for sct. I might start without it but more often than not eventually put it on unless night is warm and/ or there is a breeze. The dew shield is unheated. I do own a dew heater strip as well but never use it - but as I said I don't stay out really late when it can get really cold.

[David_W]

I used to live in Canberra but recently moved 30km east to a small country town - better skies.

Recently I was out in the garden one Friday night and the dew was terrible, the lens on my TOA-130NS was fogged up in an hour or so, which was a shame as the night was very steady. The very next night I had no dew problem at all, despite similar conditions, and was out until around midnight.

I don't think Canberra has a particularly bad dew problem, but it does vary dramatically from one night to the next.