[Omaroo (Chris Malikoff)]

Pete - with my ST-8 I found that if I started the camera and ran it at ambient for 10 or 15 minutes, and then, in 5 degree steps 5 minutes apart made it down to zero and then into negative temps I rarely frosted. Reaching your goal temperature over time is the key in most cases - the more humid/dewey it is, moreso.

The dessicant plugs are easy to bake. Remove the plug in the camera and immediately replace it with the dummy (I presume you still get one these days). Place the plug on a ceramic plate (removing the o-ring first!!!!) in the oven when the oven has reached 200C. Leave it there for 4 hours and turn the oven off. Let the plug cool while still in the oven, as it's a dry atmosphere in there.

When cooled, swap it with the dummy and away you go.

There are dessicant kits available for most of these cameras that include cartridges of replacement dessicant so that you don't have to go baking cakes every few months.

One thing I've noticed of my QHY-9 is the good performance of the heated front window - I've not suffered frosting at all, which is fantastic and one thing I wish that my SBIG had.