Astrophotography: Leaving your gear out in the summer heat
HTML-код
- Опубликовано: 19 сен 2023
- I leave my gear out under 365 covers year round. In this video I share what I have learned and what I have experienced with leaving my gear exposed to the high temperatures of the summer.
RUclips membership is available. Hit the join button and sign up!
There are also affiliate links. If you make any purchases using the links below, I get a small commission.
High Point Scientific
www.highpointscientific.com/?...
RC-Astro:
BlurXTerminator: www.rc-astro.com/software/bxt...
NoiseXTerminator: www.rc-astro.com/software/nxt...
StarXTerminator: www.rc-astro.com/software/sxt...
#astrophotography
#telescope
#astronomy
I live in CA. I saw one of your other video first and thought "he has to be locate in TX". Then a few minutes later I was on the phone with my gf who's visiting her daughter just outside of...Austin TX! After I got off the phone, I see this video and you confirmed where you're located. The house, lawn, fence and everything looks just like where her daughter lives. I think you are her neighbor ;)
Excellent information about heat, especially since I live so close to you.
Glad to see this video, I have a newish observatory in SE Louisiana and I’ve been debating adding vents to my shed. Highest temps I’m seeing in there are around 105. Feeling pretty safe now leaving the vents out of the equation. My gear inside never gets more than “warm”. Clear skies James.
Meanwhile in Scotland...😂 Great video James, some good info there. FYI, the working temperature for the ASI533MC Pro is -5C to +45C (storage temperature -20C to +60C, ASI533MM Pro is -10C) and the ASI2600MC/MM both have a working temperature of -5C to +50C (storage temperature -10C to +60C). If it gets up to 45C here something has gone terribly wrong! However, cold is definitely an issue as well as humidity. I think most ASI cameras are rated up to 80% RH. It rarely gets below that in this part of the world in the winter months.
I live in Northern Nevada. We get the hot and the cold. Im coming into my 3rd year with my gear under a TG365 cover. The TG365 is just an important piece of kit as anything else.
good stuff James! purchasing my Temp gun for next summer so I can check the temp inside the dome when outside temps are 118. maybe I'll use the dome to cook pizza next summer. very nice tank!
I live in San Antonio! I left my gear covered on my balcony throughout the summer heat. I had thought of it but i had heard something earlier in the year that “this equipment is meant to be outside” probably took that a bit too literally but I haven’t had any problems. I’ve even imaged the sun in 100+ degree weather for a few hours. Had no issues but probably should have done more research for this expensive equipment 🤣 I only bring my equipment in for heavy rain, but leave out the scope I’m using otherwise. I appreciate this well researched video!
I live in a hot place with strong sun at a latitude of 18 degrees north. What I do in order to keep the equipment at a low temperature is to cover the scope with a few folded cotton bath towels ( at least 3 or 4 inches thick) then I cover everything with a plastic bag. This may sound a little crazy but it really works. Even in mid day the equipment won't get very hot ay all. Give it a try and see if it works for you.
Great information & test results. I’m in VA & I have my setup in a mini shed but in there I always put a cover over it & have some solar fans to pull some heat & moisture out. I monitor the temperature with a remote thermometer & this summer we got to 105 outside & shed got to 118F. Our heat index with the crazy humidity we have gets us up to the index of 118F sometimes I will bring the scope with camera inside mainly because I was thinking about the cameras sensor & how some people post images of how the sensor starts to leak oil all over it. I didn’t know if that leak came from the sensor glass sealer degrading from heat over time with expansion & contraction.
James, you are nuts for leaving your gear outside in those temps!!! So I had an Altair camera that I was running like mid June back in 2017. After that night, it never worked again. At that time it was maybe 86° at night. My laptops and even the Atlas EQ G I had , had a VERY hard time it seemed like.i have never imaged since. I contacted Altair for the warranty. Only thing they told me, was that I could have fried the camera lol . I don't feel comfortable anything over 85 to leave the gear out all day... you are a brave man!!
Great video as someone who has had a scope out in Arizona a Telegizmo 365 with the solar liner is a must.
I live in S Arizona. My solution is to keep my rigs light enough to bring in every morning.
Great video! I have been wondering about this exact topic. I'd like to leave my gear setup for multiple days/weeks at a time but have been unsure about my MS temps.
I moved to Dripping Springs just last year and I've had the same concerns about my Astro equipment this Summer. Thank you so much for creating this video!
I leave only mount. I haven’t been planning to leave it, but left it anyway, since its function depends on sky alignment, which may take 30 min, if set up fresh.
Very helpful video to hear your experience. I ended up taking things in once we got a string of days over 100 near Dallas but I might be a bit braver next year now!
Well done. I live in Tucson. We all know what Tucson's weather is like in summer. For me having a pier and running two different scopes on my eq6,
Up in Dallas with 2 rigs under 365s. Was wondering meowself. I have learned that this old liberal arts guy can trust in tech head types to do the research! Thanks.
Electronics and machinery like the same environments their inventors like (yeah, OK,... Not quite true). I would be more tempted to set up a week ventilated tent /observatory with a solar powered fan to keep the air exchange going to keep the equipment temps down. Some plastics deform under thermal stresses so if you have any plastics in your optics and mounts it might be wiser to go ahead and hump that stuff in and out of the house.
90 days above 100F?! Forget about the telescope. How can the astronomer survive that?! 🤯