abutu
sage
Reged: 03/09/07
Posts: 314
Loc: Gijón (Asturias) - SPAIN
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Hello:
Does it really works? do you recommend it? What about the dust when blowing the air inside the tube?
Any experiences?
Thanks a lot,
Alex
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katodog
Supreme Grandmaster
Reged: 03/31/06
Posts: 2301
Loc: Carol Stream, Illinois
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Does it really work? Yes it does. It cuts a lot of time off of waiting for the scope to cool down.
Do you recommend it? Yes I do, because it cuts a lot of time off of waiting for the scope to cool down.
What about the dust when blowing the air inside the tube? There's a filter that is before the fan, so any dust gets picked up before the air even hits the fan.
Now, having one and using it are a different story. I have one for my SCT, and I have used it, but not a lot. I keep my scopes in the garage, and it's neither heated nor cooled. It's usually about the same temperature as it is outside, so I don't really have cooldown issues. I have used it, and I do see a big difference between using it and not using it when the scope needs it. But I don't need it every time I have the scopes out.
I'm mostly a visual observer, and usually my scope will cool down enough for me to be very happy with the views in a short time. The few times that I have wanted the scope to cool down quicker, or for when I wanted to shoot pictures, I've used the Lymax and it's worked perfectly. My one suggestion though would be to do what I did, get one of those inline switches and add it to the cable. I prefer to be able to switch the cooler on and off myself, and not let it come on immediately when plugged in. It's low voltage, so it doesn't cause a big drain on power, but I prefer the switch since it allows me to turn the cooler on when I want to.
Hope this helps.
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The only stupid question is the one that goes unasked
12" Starhopper / Coronado PST
Stellarvue 20x85mm Binocular / LXD75 Mount
Sigma APO 150-500mm F5-6.3 DG OS HSM
Sigma 18-200mm f3.5-6.3 DC OS
Canon EF 70-300mm f/4.5-5.6 DO IS USM
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chboss
member
Reged: 03/24/08
Posts: 39
Loc: Switzerland
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Hi Alex
I can also confirm that it works well. I use one now for several months together with my C9.25 and see a dramatic reduction in cool down time. Especially when imaging planets you don't want tube seeing to ruin the session...
Cheers
Chris
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Luigi
Carpal Tunnel
Reged: 07/03/07
Posts: 2054
Loc: Massachusetts
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A Lymax helps with cooldown, but I'd recommend installing a fan and vent in your OTA. I did in a C11 and it made a huge difference in cooldown time and also while observing. I generally left it running most of the night.
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17.5" f/5 Discovery Truss
IM715 7" f/15 MCT, Eon-120ED
Lunt 60mm single etalon HA
CG5A coffee grinder, Orion Skyview Alt-AZ
35,19,15 Pans.9 Nag. Meade 24.5 4kSWA, 4.7 5kUWA.
BO-TMB 7mm planetary.
Zeiss Diascope 85
Zeiss, Leica, Canon IS, Fujinon, Nikon binos
One each generic rescue Greyhound (pictured)
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David Knisely
Postmaster
Reged: 04/19/04
Posts: 6782
Loc: Beatrice, Nebraska
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Yup, it works pretty well (and there is a review of the unit right here on Cloudynights):
http://www.cloudynights.com/documents/sctcooler.pdf
The nice thing about it is that you don't have to poke holes in the scope to install external fans, and the filtering is taken care of to help keep dust out. Its cost might be a bit on the high side (a person could probably put one together from scratch for around $40 to $60), but it is nicely made and is something I don't have to worry about building. I consider it well worth the money (especially in the winter when I want to get out observing quickly). Clear skies to you.
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David W. Knisely
Hyde Memorial Observatory
http://www.hydeobservatory.info
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katodog
Supreme Grandmaster
Reged: 03/31/06
Posts: 2301
Loc: Carol Stream, Illinois
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I was going to design my own with parts from work and some PVC, and got far enough along that all I had to do was make a small box, like on the Lymax, for the fan to sit in. That's where I stopped, since I couldn't mold plastic to my liking, and couldn't think of a way to get a square box attached to a round pipe without some ugly tape and such. So, I said what the heck, it's probably worth it, and bought the Lymax.
Quite frankly, I have found more times than not that when you think something is overpriced that it usually works out that it was worth every penny. Like my JMI cases. People say they're expensive, I say that the quality and design is worth it, especially if you're loading a $5000 telescope into it.
The Lymax is the same way. If you use it at least half of the times that you observe, then it's worth it. Especially if it cools your scope and allows you to start observing earlier than if you didn't have it.
And I'm all for adding internal fans to an SCT, but it takes more than the thought of it to make it happen. You have to know how to disassemble and reassemble your scope, and you need the tools to install the fans. Not an easy task for someone who doesn't have the skill or the tools. Plus a lot of people don't want to go drilling into a scope that they might have paid a lot of money for.
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The only stupid question is the one that goes unasked
12" Starhopper / Coronado PST
Stellarvue 20x85mm Binocular / LXD75 Mount
Sigma APO 150-500mm F5-6.3 DG OS HSM
Sigma 18-200mm f3.5-6.3 DC OS
Canon EF 70-300mm f/4.5-5.6 DO IS USM
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Luigi
Carpal Tunnel
Reged: 07/03/07
Posts: 2054
Loc: Massachusetts
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Actually, I started out homebrewing a lymax type cooler and didn't get very far before deciding it'd be easier, and a lot better, to simply install a fan and vent in my C11, so I did that. Either project would have taken about the same time.
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17.5" f/5 Discovery Truss
IM715 7" f/15 MCT, Eon-120ED
Lunt 60mm single etalon HA
CG5A coffee grinder, Orion Skyview Alt-AZ
35,19,15 Pans.9 Nag. Meade 24.5 4kSWA, 4.7 5kUWA.
BO-TMB 7mm planetary.
Zeiss Diascope 85
Zeiss, Leica, Canon IS, Fujinon, Nikon binos
One each generic rescue Greyhound (pictured)
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CESDewar
GorillAstronomer
Reged: 01/16/05
Posts: 1811
Loc: Morganton, GA, USA
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I have one for my C8 and it works well. Sure you could probably build yourself one for less, and if you have the time, I say go for it. But the Lymax solution works and works well. I always run it when I take my C8 out. I now realize that one of the reasons I thought the C8 was not as good as it is, is that it was not properly cooled down. The combination of perfect equilibrium with the outside temperature and properly collimation has left me with a scope that performs so much better than I had originally thought it was capable of, that it gets a lot more use now.
The other night, I was looking through it and I was a bit disappointed that the star images were a bit soft. That is, until I realized I had a 5mm Nagler in there - 406x 
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davidpitre
Pooh-Bah
Reged: 05/10/05
Posts: 1410
Loc: Central Texas
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I don't think I spent $15. building mine. It might have taken me 2 hours.
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David
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mclewis1
Thread Killer
Reged: 02/25/06
Posts: 2453
Loc: Colorado
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I'm with David, less than $20 and less than 2 hours of work. Much much less work than putting fans in the scope ... much less risk too (since you have to pull all the optics to work on the scope).
Ed, about that square box issue ... most of the home brew coolers (including mine) use a 4" diameter round housing for the fan ... no fabrication required. I think the biggest issues with making your own cooler is standing in home hardware store in front of the PCV plumbing section trying to figure out your options for the adapters to step down from the 1.25" down to the 4" housing.
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Mark
C11, C6, APM/TMB115, and AT80ED
Tandem mount CGE and CG-5A, WO EZ-Touch and AT Voyager
25x100s, 8x56s, T-Mount Light, and Mark 1 eyeballs
Modded 350D, SPC900, Mallincam
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Nick Lloyd
Carpal Tunnel
Reged: 10/24/06
Posts: 1641
Loc: cincinnati
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Quote:
I don't think I spent $15. building mine. It might have taken me 2 hours.
What did you use for the fan? Any pics?
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"The best scope is the one you use." -rcg
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1_old_dog
sage
Reged: 09/07/07
Posts: 357
Loc: Smoky Mnts
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Howdy all
I've been following this thread and I thought this is a great idea. I've never heard of this product before today but after looking at the website it seems like it's over priced for what it is, a short length of PVC a coupling and a small fan.
So a DIY cooler for my SCT is in the works today, without the dismantling hassles.
I have several different sizes of computer fans, plumbing supplies and fittings laying around so I'll put some of this stuff to use.
great thread
OD
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http://chu65nang67.us/nam/vietnam.html
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mclewis1
Thread Killer
Reged: 02/25/06
Posts: 2453
Loc: Colorado
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I used a 60mm fan, foam filter, and a metal shield that I got from Mouser.com. I drilled an appropriate sized hole using a door lock hole cutting saw. Stacked the different sized adapters together to go from 4" down to the 1.25" tube ... and no glue just a tight friction fit. Cut the 1.25 tube to length, cut some holes in the 1.25 tube at the end, then sanded down all the edges. I added a 2.1 x 5mm power connector in a small hole with some wiring to then fan and I was done. The only thing I had to watch was abrading the edge of the white pvc tubing against the sharp ridges inside of the baffle tube on my C11. This was solved by wrapping the end of the tube in a bit of black electrical tape.
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Mark
C11, C6, APM/TMB115, and AT80ED
Tandem mount CGE and CG-5A, WO EZ-Touch and AT Voyager
25x100s, 8x56s, T-Mount Light, and Mark 1 eyeballs
Modded 350D, SPC900, Mallincam
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1_old_dog
sage
Reged: 09/07/07
Posts: 357
Loc: Smoky Mnts
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mclewis1:
I don't want to hyjack this thread PM sent
OD
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http://chu65nang67.us/nam/vietnam.html
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jake47
sage
Reged: 03/03/04
Posts: 459
Loc: North Texas
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Yes. Buy one or make one.
I use one on my NS11 most nights that I view. It is very helpful when I have set up in a field at a star party. The scope is out under a Telegizmos cover which reflects a lot of the heat, but this is Texas. Last week-end I set up on Saturday afternoon, did a star party, and left the scope up for Sunday night. Had I not had the cooler, I would not have had viewing until around 1:00 a.m. or later.
Issues I have heard about coolers. Some have suggested not using the cooler in high humidity situations. I have avoided doing so, but would like to hear from others on this issue. Some have said that even with the filter, you will eventually get some dust on the primary. My feeling is that I bought the scope to view with. If it takes two to four hours off of cooling on most nights and then needs to be taken apart to be cleaned in a couple of years, I would rather do that than miss those hundreds of hours of clear viewing. Maybe if I ever have to take it apart to clean, I will install fans at the time.
2 cents and worth every penney.
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Jim in Texas
NS11GPS (Celeste)
C6S-GT (Celia)
SV 85S (Stella)
SV66 (Red)
Pentax Binoculars (the Twins)
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Wmacky
professor emeritus
Reged: 11/24/07
Posts: 547
Loc: Middleburg Fl US
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I'm not sure one would work out for me and my 100% hummidity.
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William
C-11 SCT
EON 80ED
CGE
Canon 40D
Phillips SPC900
SS Autoguider
Scopebuggy
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Starnek
member
Reged: 11/29/07
Posts: 10
Loc: New Hampshire, USA
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I have one and it works great. I would suggest that you turn it on and let it run for 30 seconds or so before you insert it in the scope. This lets any dust that has collected in the tube during storage blow out without ending up in your OTA.
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Celestron CPC 1100, "Soulshine"
TMB-SMC 7mm & 9mm
Televue: Nag-T4 22mm, Nag-T5 31mm, Panoptic 41mm & Ethos
GSO Superview 50mm
MoonLite focuser
Denkmeier PowerX switch w/Filter switch
DewBuster
DewNot straps
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rick rian
The Lockster
Reged: 08/03/04
Posts: 14695
Loc: The Tundra
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Here's a homebrew link . Looks pretty good to me. I hope this helps.
As always, my 
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Rickster
NexStar 8i, TV85, Canon 15x50is
Time is precious, waste it wisely.
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