So I now have a telescope, like many I choose a Celestron Nexstar 6SE.
As many of you will know we get very high humidity here in S.E QLD, When not in use I store the OTA in the box that it came in with a large humidity sachet to suck up the moisture, I put the sachet in the box at the apature end of the scope, I then place a pillow slip over the OTA and put the bubble wrap on top and close the lid.
Is what I am doing correct or am I doing it all wrong?
If you live in QLD I would very much appreciate your telling me how you store your SCT.
I live in a unit and it is not possible for me to store it in the garage, also I do not have air con.
As for the tripod I just have a pillow case over it.
P.S
I know I have asked a similar question before but really I just want someone to confirm that what I am doing is o.k, as I dont have air con and one suggestion previously mentioned the use of one.
Not sure what you mean by putting a humidity sachet at the aperture end but It's possible to get a dessicant plug to put in the rear of the OTA, I would be doing that in your environment. Also make sure the OTA is thoroughly dry before storage.
Thanks for your comment, re the humidity sachet, it absorbes moisture is non toxic and odourless, they are hung in cupboards and also used for putting in camera cases etc.
That dessicant plug you mentioned sounds interesting, i will have a google for it on the net.
Yep, lessons learned here .
I too live in Brisbane.
I have a 10" dob and as careful as I thought I'd been- I now have mould on my mirror which I have to deal with. Hopefully it hasn't damaged the optics.
The many nights its spent covered wet from dew, I thought bringing it inside and leaving it open to dry off for an hour would do the trick. Not so. Should've left it open all night....
An alternative is to just stick a small silica gel pillow up the baffle tube (if you store without diagonal) or in resting on the diagonal mirror (if you leave it attached). I used to live in England and everyone there seems to be petrified about dew, maybe unduly. I never used to suffer a lot with storage, but using a dew shield while observing was practically mandatory. In cooler times I sometimes used a heater tape too on my larger scope.
But the thing to remember is that your 6SE is not a sealed tube so air is going to get in and around the tube anyway especially when you take it out for observing, it's basically going to equiilbrate with the atmosphere.
Basically what I'm saying is that I wouldn't worry too much about it unless you go to use it and it has dewed up before you get started...
O.K so I went to the Bintel site and ordered a Desiccant cap 1.25"
Will take several days to come due to the holiday.
If anyone has a Nexstar SE can you tell me how you store your sdope when it is not in use, i.e do you remove it off the mount or leave it on? And if you leave it on what position do you have it in?
I have mine on the mount in the horizontal position as I worry that with high temps a little grease may fall onto the internal optics if I store it vertically.
I leave mine setup in a dark room...as if it was pointing somewhere in the sky...but then Sydney doesn't get as hot
There have been posts from people over on Cloudy Nights where they've had grease drip form the baffle onto the mirror, but this is in hot hot places like Arizona, and we have no real statistics of how often this has happened over the history of all the SCTs made. It's unlikely to affect the view unless it covers a significant area though. It should be OK laying horizontally or corrector up if you're worried.
I just saw the time of my last post at 2.53am . No, luckily I don't suffer insomnia but I fight sleep..... is there a name for that . I feel the dark hours is when I should be awake and alive....
I store my 10" dob tube vertically- yes, I know the worst possible position- even tho I have it well covered, it's amazing how much dust has still gotten onto the mirror. Lack of room has determined that. Thanks for the info Ian, I will chase up Bintel and see if they do something for dobs.
No, luckily I don't suffer insomnia but I fight sleep..... is there a name for that*.
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I think the scientific name for that is ' Naughty Girl ' but I could be wrong. :-)
I have insomina and will be attending a sleep clinic in Caboolture, dont know why i'm going as I know I will not get any sleep and I need to sleep for at least 3 hours for them to get data.
Anyway i'll try to get some rest now as I have to get up early tomorrow, hope this weather clears up soon, I want to use my scope!
Ian, all the best with the sleep clinic- I really hope it all goes well for you. You should watch the Sam Neil doco on space (done some years ago)- it pretty much put many of us to sleep thru every episode of that series. Seriously... try it.
I can't remember the name of the doco.
I fell asleep.
Dust is the bad boy in the tropics, it gives mould spores something to hang on to. Secondary mirrors are always the least dusty because they are usually stored upside down. I try and park my scopes in the horizontal position, but I guess upside down would be best for longer term storage.
Rick
Ian, Phil- what are these dessicated caps please???
You can make your own desiccated caps for next to free.. Go to Bigw or Kmart and ask one of the film processors in the photo shop if you can have some plastic 35 mm film containers... They gave me heaps when I asked as they throw them away.. Next time you get those silica packets in things you purchase, just keep them.... Drill lots of very small holes into the bottom and lower sides of you 35 mm film container. Then fill it with either the contents of the packs you saved or stuff the pack in if it fits.. Done! You have one made your own... The fit the tankard 1.25 eyepiece. Just use your 2" to 1.25 adaptor if you have a 2" eyepiece. All pretty simple, I have been using these for 3 years...
Oh and you can recharge or dry you packs by putting them into an oven at the end of a cooking cycle whilst the oven is warm..NOT HOT..
Mardy
Last edited by BlackWidow; 26-01-2014 at 01:26 PM.
Thanks for that tip Mardy,
Wish you had told me a couple of days ago I could have saved myself $55 on the cap I just ordered. :-)
One question I have, is it possible that the silica or whatever ( in the film container ) could leak out through the drilled holes some of the moisture ( that they suck up ) back into the tube?
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especially when you take it out for observing, it's basically going to equiilbrate with the atmosphere.
. No, luckily I don't suffer insomnia but I fight sleep..... is there a name for that 
