[gb_astro]

Hi Lester.

If the control box is heating up then there is something wrong with the circuitry and it should be returned for service.
Sounds like something is shorting out inside.
The control box contains the ambient temperature sensor so I would assume it is not meant to get warm at all.

Perhaps this problem has been happening for awhile and your heater strap has not been getting enough juice?

The LX200 14" is a big scope and I guess it would need plenty of heating at 80% humidity.
Are you using the higher wattage Premium heater strap?

Setting 100% duty cycle and even maximum degrees above ambient (is it +10 deg. ?)
will not damage the unit unless it already has a latent problem just waiting to be made worse.

BTW when using the external temperature sensor the duty cycle setting is just a fall back setting in case the temp sensor fails.
As I understand it when using the temp sensor the unit will use it's own variable duty cycle
to maintain the required temp difference no matter what you have manually set the duty cycle to.
If you have set the duty cycle to say 50% and the temp. sensor fails the output will operate at 50% duty cycle.


gb.