Quote:
Originally Posted by Ukastronomer
Is this problem not the reason why scopes such as my Edge HD Celestron have tube vents
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They can work remarkably well, with the addition of fans (I added the TEMPest units).
I typically switch them on when I setup the scope and depending on the conditions, often leave them running through the night.
Brisbane is notoriously humid in summer but because of the lack of huge temperature swings, I don’t use a dew heater in summer. In “winter”, which is usually dry, it works out more risky because the temperature drops can be quite rapid, especially just after dark.
You might need to keep your wits about you in the UK, as if there is a lot of moisture in the air the fans can draw it inside the tube...one cool winter evening when I lived in Sydney, I had the corrective dew up on the INSIDE
Anyhow, who wouldn’t love a good Mak?! I wouldn’t say no, but (at risk of being on topic) I think they’re more of a visual pleaser. I don’t remember seeing any great planetary images with a Mak. Sure, plenty of images out there with a SW 127, but with telescopes we’re always caught by The Fever, and a big SCT or new (or <insert design here> ) is always going to capture the imagination more than a 6 or 7” Mak...rightly or wrongly.