I have a 5mW laser mounted on my dob for finding, but it runs out off puff quickly on cold nights. Has anyone come up with any clever ideas for some sort of jacket for keeping the electronic part warm? the only other thought I have is to have two with mount heads that can be alternated and reheated.
Do you have a dew heater controller? If so, you could wrap it with a small eyepiece dew strap. You could also build a simple heater for it by stringing some resistors together and wrapping them with cloth tape, if you have a DC source available at your scope.
I'm not sure a dew heater will work. I got one to try and have not had any success - yet. My 10mW laser needs to be above about 15 deg C before it will work. I keep it in an inside pocket until I want to use it.
Hot dog Bun??,,,I used to be able to warm mine up by Cupping my hands around it (the laser )for about 20 Sec's,,,,I've also heard of making it a little Neoprene jacket out of Old wetsuit Material,,,,Mat
I use a slide-in laser holder and keep the laser warm in my pocket.
The laser holder will fit into the type of mount which fixes the laser with 3 screws (120 degrees apart) front and back.
The system also allows you to use the laser as a general hand-held pointer.
The design works for a laser with pocket clip and is around 13mm diameter. If yours is larger, you will need to chase up different piping.
Procedure to make it ...
The holder is made from 15mm (internal diameter) irrigation riser for watering systems and a couple of irrigation plugs; it's just cheap black plastic tubing from the hardware shop.
Look at the three pictures and using a hacksaw, cut the tube length to suite your laser pointer. Cut a slot from the front to about two centimetres from the rear to slide the laser with pocket clip through. If you use a Stanley knife and steel ruler as an edge, make two parallel shallow cuts first to get the line then cut a little deeper each time. When through, cut the end of the narrow strip off. It's a bit tricky and you have to watch you don't cut yourself. Make sure the the laser and its clip slides in and out freely. If its not wide enough for the clip, slice more off. Then cut out the offsets, so that you can turn the laser in the slot and the switch is under the bolt in the offset (the pocket clip will also be in the offset). The idea of the offset is so that you can slide the laser in and out without screwing the bolt right up to let the pocket clip through.
At the front end you will need two 25mm (external diameter) irrigation plugs; also cheap to buy. Cut the plugged ends off with a hack-saw. For one of them, drill a hole through the centre of its side and screw a short allen key (socket) bolt through (or any short bolt will do). Make sure the bolt will turn freely. Adjust the position of the cut plug so the bolt is over the laser switch but in the offset. I used a small piece, cut longways, off a nylon tube to take up the slack between the plug and the main plastic tube.
The bolt will turn the laser off and on. You can use a small section of rubber tubing over the end of the bolt to turn it more easily.
You will need the other cut plug behind the front one to adjust the width between the front and back screw mounts. To mount the holder, the rear trio of screws go around the end of the irrigation tube. The front trio of screws will go around the adjustible plug. Another piece of nylon at bottom will fix it. The object is to have the bolt (switch) in front of your mount for easy access.
In warmer weather, you can leave the laser in the holder. If it's a cold night, it's still easy to remove and keep it warm in your pocket. You also can collimate the "on" laser in the holder without having your finger on the switch. You don't need to hold the switch "on" as you move the telescope to the desired object.
However, you have to remember never to leave it in the telescope unattended. Someone might unintentionally turn it on and damage their eyes. It is safer than just having the laser fixed between the 6 screws without the holder, as you have to actually turn the bolt to switch it on.
Mine looks the same as one of these: http://www.celestron.com/c3/product.php?ProdID=522
but doesn't say Celestron anywhere and is marked 10mW. I have taken to releasing the thumbscrew and popping in a pocket.
I'm not sure a dew heater will work. I got one to try and have not had any success - yet. My 10mW laser needs to be above about 15 deg C before it will work. I keep it in an inside pocket until I want to use it.
try 2 2 inch dewstraps, one at the head end and one just behind the on/off button , ful power on strips....... it works trust me
Mine looks the same as one of these: http://www.celestron.com/c3/product.php?ProdID=522
but doesn't say Celestron anywhere and is marked 10mW. I have taken to releasing the thumbscrew and popping in a pocket.
I was unaware of this product. How heavy is the laser itself?
I like the fact the laser releases easily for hand pointing.
And you can keep it warm in your pocket.
I was unaware of this product. How heavy is the laser itself?
I like the fact the laser releases easily for hand pointing.
And you can keep it warm in your pocket.
Regards, Rob
The laser tube is all metal - about 100g plus the mounting, say another 25g. But that is negligible sitting on a C8+DSLR + ST80+Atik-16ic and 11Kg of counterweights.
The dew shield for the C8 is much more of an issue. It needs the scope balance to be readjusted when I put it on.
Thanks folks for all the ideas - your detailed reply especially Rob, because mine is the six screw type you described, and being able to remove just the laser and not the whole assembly with attendant risk of disturbing the alignment screws is just what I want.
Our days (in Alice Springs) are very pleasant at this time of year, but the nights are clear and cold, mostly down around 0-3 degrees min, so the old laser will be much happier if it spends a bit of time warming up between sightings.
Wrap the Battery in electrical tape to help insulate some of the cold from the aluminum tube which gets cold real fast. If needed insulate the outside of the laser tube where the battery is with electrical tape as well to absorb some of the cold traveling up the laser tube. I will improve your laser performance in cold significantly.
Impressive thread resurrection. I like it. I know of a couple people who simply leave the laser on all night and just put a cap on it to keep it warm. Although this is only really required in Winter.
)for about 20 Sec's,,,,I've also heard of making it a little Neoprene jacket out of Old wetsuit Material,,,,Mat
