Dew heater question

Discuss any astro equipment that does not have its own forum, such as focusers, finders, chairs, etc.
Post Reply
stewe
Articles: 0

Dew heater question

#1

Post by stewe »


Dear Friends,

I badly need a dew heater for my C9 and after researching the possible solutions available in Germany, I am considering to buy this:
Astrozap Dew Heater Band,
to be used with my
Celestron PowerTank Lithium Pro.

My question is:
Does anybody use this combo?
Does it work properly?
In particular, I am wondering if the power connector of the heater band will fit into the outlet of the PowerTank or will I need some kind of an adapter? I have not found any clear information on the latter.

Any help would be greatly appreciated!
User avatar
notFritzArgelander
In Memory
In Memory
Articles: 0
Offline
Posts: 14925
Joined: Fri May 10, 2019 4:13 pm
4
Location: Idaho US
Status:
Offline

TSS Awards Badges

Re: Dew heater question

#2

Post by notFritzArgelander »


I didn't use a band but rather this heating dew cap https://www.teleskop-express.de/shop/pr ... d-EHD.html

and had no problem with connections. I did wind up preferring a portable rechargeable hair drier though.
Scopes: Refs: Orion ST80, SV 80EDA f7, TS 102ED f11 Newts: AWB 130mm, f5, Z12 f5; Cats: VMC110L, Intes MK66,VMC200L f9.75 EPs: KK Fujiyama Orthoscopics, 2x Vixen NPLs (40-6mm) and BCOs, Baader Mark IV zooms, TV Panoptics, Delos, Plossl 32-8mm. Mixed brand Masuyama/Astroplans Binoculars: Nikon Aculon 10x50, Celestron 15x70, Baader Maxbright. Mounts: Star Seeker IV, Vixen Porta II, Celestron CG5
User avatar
Lady Fraktor Slovakia
Co-Administrator
Co-Administrator
Articles: 0
Online
Posts: 9860
Joined: Mon Apr 29, 2019 9:14 pm
4
Location: Slovakia
Status:
Online

Re: Dew heater question

#3

Post by Lady Fraktor »


The dew heater has a male RCA tip on it, normally you would use a controller to regulate the power going into it.
Plugging it directly into a power source would make it run at 100% all of the time.

I use the Kendrick Premium heaters and either a Kendrick Mark IV controller or a Thousand Oaks controller.
See Far Sticks: Antares Elita 103/1575, AOM FLT 105/1000, Bresser BV 127/1200, Nočný stopár 152/1200, Vyrobené doma 70/700, Stellarvue NHNG DX 80/552, TAL RS100/1000, Vixen SD115s/885
EQ: TAL MT-1, Vixen SXP, AXJ, AXD
Az/Alt: AYO Digi II/ Argo Navis, Stellarvue M2C/ Argo Navis
Tripods: Berlebach Planet (2), Uni 28 Astro, Report 372, TAL factory maple, Vixen ASG-CB90, Vixen AXD-TR102
Diagonals: Astro-Physics, Baader Amici, Baader Herschel, iStar Blue, Stellarvue DX, Takahashi prism, TAL, Vixen flip mirror
Eyepieces: Antares to Zeiss
The only culture I have is from yogurt
My day was going well until... people
Image
User avatar
Graeme1858 Great Britain
Co-Administrator
Co-Administrator
Articles: 1
Offline
Posts: 7217
Joined: Mon Jun 24, 2019 7:16 pm
4
Location: North Kent, UK
Status:
Offline

TSS Awards Badges

TSS Photo of the Day

I Broke The Forum.

Re: Dew heater question

#4

Post by Graeme1858 »


I use a dew shield with my C9.25 rather than a band too. It balances with the camera better.

Mine's powered by a bench power supply in the garage from an RCA socket. The powertank doesn't have an RCA socket.

Regards

Graeme
______________________________________________
Celestron 9.25 f10 SCT, f6.3FR, CGX mount.
ASI1600MM Pro, ASI294MC Pro, ASI224MC
ZWO EFW, ZWO OAG, ASI220MM Mini.
APM 11x70 ED APO Binoculars.

https://www.averywayobservatory.co.uk/
stewe
Articles: 0

Re: Dew heater question

#5

Post by stewe »


Lady Fraktor wrote: Sun Nov 03, 2019 9:36 pm The dew heater has a male RCA tip on it, normally you would use a controller to regulate the power going into it.
Plugging it directly into a power source would make it run at 100% all of the time.

I use the Kendrick Premium heaters and either a Kendrick Mark IV controller or a Thousand Oaks controller.
Gosh, I wish I read your reply earlier!
The heater band has just arrived, and it has an RCA connector indeed, so I am scratching my head and searching the internet for an RCA to female 12v or car socket adapter, but so far have found none.
I did not intend to use a controller, since I mostly read that people usually use heater band on full power on similar scopes anyway.
Many thanks for the info!
User avatar
Lady Fraktor Slovakia
Co-Administrator
Co-Administrator
Articles: 0
Online
Posts: 9860
Joined: Mon Apr 29, 2019 9:14 pm
4
Location: Slovakia
Status:
Online

Re: Dew heater question

#6

Post by Lady Fraktor »


Your SCT may be alright with running at 100% due to the size but if it stats to induce heat currents in front of the view you will need to unplug it or get a controller of some type.
If you get a normal stereo cable with RCA tips and a cigarette lighter connection you can cut off the one end ans solder the two wires onto the cigarette lighter leads.
There are two wires in the RCA cable, one goes to the center pin and the other to the outer shield.
See Far Sticks: Antares Elita 103/1575, AOM FLT 105/1000, Bresser BV 127/1200, Nočný stopár 152/1200, Vyrobené doma 70/700, Stellarvue NHNG DX 80/552, TAL RS100/1000, Vixen SD115s/885
EQ: TAL MT-1, Vixen SXP, AXJ, AXD
Az/Alt: AYO Digi II/ Argo Navis, Stellarvue M2C/ Argo Navis
Tripods: Berlebach Planet (2), Uni 28 Astro, Report 372, TAL factory maple, Vixen ASG-CB90, Vixen AXD-TR102
Diagonals: Astro-Physics, Baader Amici, Baader Herschel, iStar Blue, Stellarvue DX, Takahashi prism, TAL, Vixen flip mirror
Eyepieces: Antares to Zeiss
The only culture I have is from yogurt
My day was going well until... people
Image
User avatar
notFritzArgelander
In Memory
In Memory
Articles: 0
Offline
Posts: 14925
Joined: Fri May 10, 2019 4:13 pm
4
Location: Idaho US
Status:
Offline

TSS Awards Badges

Re: Dew heater question

#7

Post by notFritzArgelander »


My unit had a controller.....
Scopes: Refs: Orion ST80, SV 80EDA f7, TS 102ED f11 Newts: AWB 130mm, f5, Z12 f5; Cats: VMC110L, Intes MK66,VMC200L f9.75 EPs: KK Fujiyama Orthoscopics, 2x Vixen NPLs (40-6mm) and BCOs, Baader Mark IV zooms, TV Panoptics, Delos, Plossl 32-8mm. Mixed brand Masuyama/Astroplans Binoculars: Nikon Aculon 10x50, Celestron 15x70, Baader Maxbright. Mounts: Star Seeker IV, Vixen Porta II, Celestron CG5
User avatar
Lady Fraktor Slovakia
Co-Administrator
Co-Administrator
Articles: 0
Online
Posts: 9860
Joined: Mon Apr 29, 2019 9:14 pm
4
Location: Slovakia
Status:
Online

Re: Dew heater question

#8

Post by Lady Fraktor »


This will work with any dew heater: https://www.teleskop-express.de/shop/pr ... llars.html
See Far Sticks: Antares Elita 103/1575, AOM FLT 105/1000, Bresser BV 127/1200, Nočný stopár 152/1200, Vyrobené doma 70/700, Stellarvue NHNG DX 80/552, TAL RS100/1000, Vixen SD115s/885
EQ: TAL MT-1, Vixen SXP, AXJ, AXD
Az/Alt: AYO Digi II/ Argo Navis, Stellarvue M2C/ Argo Navis
Tripods: Berlebach Planet (2), Uni 28 Astro, Report 372, TAL factory maple, Vixen ASG-CB90, Vixen AXD-TR102
Diagonals: Astro-Physics, Baader Amici, Baader Herschel, iStar Blue, Stellarvue DX, Takahashi prism, TAL, Vixen flip mirror
Eyepieces: Antares to Zeiss
The only culture I have is from yogurt
My day was going well until... people
Image
User avatar
pakarinen United States of America
Inter-Galactic Ambassador
Articles: 0
Offline
Posts: 4013
Joined: Fri Jun 14, 2019 3:33 pm
4
Location: NE Illinois
Status:
Offline

TSS Awards Badges

Re: Dew heater question

#9

Post by pakarinen »


Amazon sells 12V DC controllers for around $10 that people have used in DIY heaters.
=============================================================================
I drink tea, I read books, I look at stars when I'm not cursing clouds. It's what I do.
=============================================================================
AT50, AT72EDII, ST80, ST102; Scopetech Zero, AZ-GTi, AZ Pronto; Innorel RT90C, Oberwerk 5000; Orion Giantview 15x70s, Vortex 8x42s, Navy surplus 7x50s, Nikon 10x50s
stewe
Articles: 0

Re: Dew heater question

#10

Post by stewe »


Lady Fraktor wrote: Wed Nov 06, 2019 7:15 pm This will work with any dew heater: https://www.teleskop-express.de/shop/pr ... llars.html
Thanks, I found this one, too. Too bad I'd had to wait until next year for it..
stewe
Articles: 0

Re: Dew heater question

#11

Post by stewe »


pakarinen wrote: Wed Nov 06, 2019 7:54 pm Amazon sells 12V DC controllers for around $10 that people have used in DIY heaters.
Good to know, I will look into it. The cheapest controller I found in an "astronomy shop" was ~$70, and the difference sounds quite unjustified to me.
User avatar
Lady Fraktor Slovakia
Co-Administrator
Co-Administrator
Articles: 0
Online
Posts: 9860
Joined: Mon Apr 29, 2019 9:14 pm
4
Location: Slovakia
Status:
Online

Re: Dew heater question

#12

Post by Lady Fraktor »


You can do the soldering route, I have done this to make longer cables that did not have connectors in the middle.
See Far Sticks: Antares Elita 103/1575, AOM FLT 105/1000, Bresser BV 127/1200, Nočný stopár 152/1200, Vyrobené doma 70/700, Stellarvue NHNG DX 80/552, TAL RS100/1000, Vixen SD115s/885
EQ: TAL MT-1, Vixen SXP, AXJ, AXD
Az/Alt: AYO Digi II/ Argo Navis, Stellarvue M2C/ Argo Navis
Tripods: Berlebach Planet (2), Uni 28 Astro, Report 372, TAL factory maple, Vixen ASG-CB90, Vixen AXD-TR102
Diagonals: Astro-Physics, Baader Amici, Baader Herschel, iStar Blue, Stellarvue DX, Takahashi prism, TAL, Vixen flip mirror
Eyepieces: Antares to Zeiss
The only culture I have is from yogurt
My day was going well until... people
Image
User avatar
Juno16 United States of America
Universal Ambassador
Articles: 0
Offline
Posts: 8195
Joined: Sun May 12, 2019 3:13 pm
4
Location: Mississippi Gulf Coast
Status:
Offline

TSS Awards Badges

TSS Photo of the Day

Re: Dew heater question

#13

Post by Juno16 »


These work great for diy dew heater controllers. Definitely can’t beat the price.

Of course, I have never used a $70 controller. Been using one of these for about a year with no problems.
55FD476B-FE7D-43B4-8A69-79F5391C54BF.png
Thanks,
Jim
Jim

Scopes: Explore Scientific ED102 APO, Sharpstar 61 EDPH II APO, Samyang 135 F2 (still on the Nikon).
Mount: Skywatcher HEQ5 Pro with Rowan Belt Mod
Stuff: ASI EAF Focus Motor (x2), Orion 50mm Guide Scope, ZWO 30 mm Guide Scope, ASI 220mm min, ASI 120mm mini, Stellarview 0.8 FR/FF, Sharpstar 0.8 FR/FF, Mele Overloock 3C.
Camera/Filters/Software: ASI 533 mc pro, ASI 120mm mini, Orion SSAG, IDAS LPS D-1, Optolong L-Enhance, ZWO UV/IR Cut, N.I.N.A., Green Swamp Server, PHD2, Adobe Photoshop CC, Pixinsight.
Dog and best bud: Jack
Sky: Bortle 6-7
My Astrobin: https://www.astrobin.com/users/Juno16/
User avatar
pakarinen United States of America
Inter-Galactic Ambassador
Articles: 0
Offline
Posts: 4013
Joined: Fri Jun 14, 2019 3:33 pm
4
Location: NE Illinois
Status:
Offline

TSS Awards Badges

Re: Dew heater question

#14

Post by pakarinen »


Yep, those are the controllers mentioned for DIY.
=============================================================================
I drink tea, I read books, I look at stars when I'm not cursing clouds. It's what I do.
=============================================================================
AT50, AT72EDII, ST80, ST102; Scopetech Zero, AZ-GTi, AZ Pronto; Innorel RT90C, Oberwerk 5000; Orion Giantview 15x70s, Vortex 8x42s, Navy surplus 7x50s, Nikon 10x50s
Post Reply

Create an account or sign in to join the discussion

You need to be a member in order to post a reply

Create an account

Not a member? register to join our community
Members can start their own topics & subscribe to topics
It’s free and only takes a minute

Register

Sign in

Return to “Other Accessories”