Where to buy a 12V hair dryer?

[circumpolar]

Could somebody please let me know where I might buy a 12V hair dryer in Sydney (Western subs or Penrith)? Do these units have a standard DC inlet plug or do they come with a car ciggarette lighter port?.
Cost...?

Also, I have used hairdryers (240V) to clear my EP's and finderscope before....
Q: But how do you de-fog the primary mirror on a 12" tube dob?
I did think that you could warm the entire mirror from behind but that would undo the previous hours work in trying to cool the mirror to ambiant temp!

Thoughts.

[h0ughy]

any large camping store?

[iceman]

Hi matt

12V hair dryers can be bought from most camping shops, that's where I got mine. They come with cigarette lighter plug. It cost me about $25. Good for eyepieces, finderscope and secondary mirror.

There's no effective way to remove dew from the primary, though i've heard that if you have a fan blowing on the mirror it can keep the dew at bay for longer than if you didn't have one.

I've had dew so bad that water was literally running down my primary mirror (at Lostock!). It was time to pack it in and go to bed!

[circumpolar]

Thanks guys.
I wounder if cutting a little blow hole in the side of the tube just above the mirror that could be sealed would work. If you could attatch a bent straw-like tube or something slightly larger to the front of the hairdryer it just might work.
This could be my first DIY on the scope...... unless someone gives me a reason not to do it...... or I chicken out:scared:

[astroron]

Just put an extension tube on your hair dryer, no need to cut holes in your tube, just make sure it is secure,Gargoyle Steve's mirror dewed up on Saturday night and we just stuck the hair dryer down the tube as far as we could , and in a few minutes he was back observing for the rest of the night:thumbsup:

[sheeny]

I bought mine from Whitworths - the marine suppliers chandlers:

www.whitworths.com.au (http://www.whitworths.com.au)

Here's 2 hey have:

Hair Dryer 12V (http://www.whitworths.com.au/main_itemdetail.asp?item=40000&search123=dryer&intAbsolutePage=1)

Compact 12V Hair Dryer (http://www.whitworths.com.au/main_itemdetail.asp?item=40002&search123=dryer&intAbsolutePage=1)

Most boaty/caravanny type accessory suppliers will have them.

Al.

[wavelandscott]

Thanks for that, I was looking myself...

[Rodstar]

I bought mine in mid March 2006 from Camping World on the Central Coast. Cost was $39.

[wavelandscott]

FYI...just bought one of these 12V hair dryer things this morning...

Bias Boating Warehouse in Lane Cove...$19.95....:)