Jeff in Austin
scholastic sledgehammer
Reged: 02/26/07
Posts: 801
Loc: TEXAS
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Last night finished imaging arond 3am and kicked off a set of darks and turned in. Everything was good and dewy by that hour. However, around 5:30 I heard the irrigation system go off.  So the Atlas was not just dewy, it was soaked. I had already taken in the laptop and guide camera, so the power, HC, and guider connectors were open.
So I dried everything off as best I could and blew out the connectors with a bulb blower. Is there anythinge else I should be worried about?
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There's nothing like having a supportive family, including Second Grader w/ scope, curious toddler, and lovely wife.
Supporter of Austin CSC, Austin CalSky.
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mewmartigan
member
Reged: 07/02/08
Posts: 77
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I would just let it get good and dry for a few days before turning it on again.
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Marcus
Orion XX12
8" LX200R
ST80 guidescope
Atlas EQ-G w/EQMOD
Canon XSi unmodded
Astronomik CLS clip-in filter
Meade DSI Pro
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Adrian Lopez
sage
Reged: 10/22/08
Posts: 267
Loc: Puerto Rico
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Remember: Water doesn't kill electronics. Water + electricity is what kills them, due to short circuits. Give it enough time to dry before applying power and you should be okay. I don't know if a couple of days is enough, though. The longer the better.
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Celestron Omni XLT 120 (f/8.3) Refractor
William Optics 1.25" Dielectric Diagonal
Celestron 4, 6, 9, 15, 25, and 32mm EPs
Nikon Action Extreme 8x40 Binoculars
Canon Digital Rebel XT
RA Sweep Calculator (find objects without GoTo)
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fetoma
Pooh-Bah
Reged: 09/26/06
Posts: 1094
Loc: NW Ohio
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Try baking it in the oven. Just don't set the oven on Broil.
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Frank in NW Ohio
Vixen CF VC200L and R200SS
Meade SN-10
Celestron 9.25" SCT
Meade 8" f/6.3 SCT
Intes-Micro M73
Stellarvue 80/480 LOMO Triplet
Takahashi FS-60C
Celestron CGE
QHY8 and SXV-H16
www.jerseydevilastronomy.com
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Grouptele
sage
Reged: 08/11/07
Posts: 304
Loc: Qcy, IL
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Typical electronics boards can be exposed to 120-130 oF ambient temps without problems.
I dry out my CCD camera, when the [unregulated] thermocooler dews-up the glass window, by placing it above a 100 watt light and enclosing both within a carboard box and a movable lid, such as to partially trap the upward flow of heat. I also use a temp sensor (thermocouple type with 2 oF resolution) below the camera and adjust the top opening between the lid and the box until the box temp reaches about 120oF. Also, make sure to leave an opening at the bottom of the box to promote air circulation.
Let it "cook" for 1-2 hours. I may be a good idea also to open the motor board to assist the evaporation process.
Victor
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C8-XLT, G5, AT66
EQ-G
Starshoot color CCD
Canon XS, HapMod
SPC900NC webcam
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tturtle
journeyman
Reged: 03/03/09
Posts: 9
Loc: Florida
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I had a laptop get seriously wet one time so I used a wet/dry shop vac to suck all the moisture out of it which worked well. To me this is safer than cooking it in the oven like a loaf of bread.
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-tom
CGEM 925
Baader Hyperion Zoom 8-24
6mm TV Radian
G3 Astro Aimer
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t.r.
professor emeritus
Reged: 02/14/08
Posts: 577
Loc: Upstate NY
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Do what cell phone centers do when a cell gets dunked. Don't power it up. Put it in a bag of rice for a few days. Rice soaks up moisture lika a sponge. If it works for cells, I'm sure the hand controller and circuit board would be fine.
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Present Stable:
Kmart 40mm(first scope @ age 8)
Jason 60mm
C80SS
Tak Sky90II
PST
C6XLT
AP130 "Gran Turismo"
C-11XLT
EQ-2,CG-4,ASGT-5,DenkII's,TV(zoom,plossls,Ethos),Pentax XW's,UO volcano set, ZAOII 4mm,BaaderZoom and other un-notables
"For me, it is far better to grasp the Universe as it really is than to persist in delusion, however satisfying and reassuring."
Carl Sagan
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johnnyha
Pooh-Bah
Reged: 11/12/06
Posts: 1111
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I've had pretty good luck in these situations with a partial disassembly and hair dryer on low heat. Definitely wait as long as you can before turning it back on again.
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Johnny
Spicewood, TX
Sherman Oaks, CA
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Jeff in Austin
scholastic sledgehammer
Reged: 02/26/07
Posts: 801
Loc: TEXAS
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Thanks for the suggestions, guys. I have everything airing out for another day or two.
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There's nothing like having a supportive family, including Second Grader w/ scope, curious toddler, and lovely wife.
Supporter of Austin CSC, Austin CalSky.
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Arctic_Eddie
professor emeritus
Reged: 12/30/07
Posts: 599
Loc: St. Petersburg, FL
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I've fixed things like cordless phones and remote controls that got dunked by removing the outer cover then pouring a whole bottle of rubbing alcohol onto the circuit board. Hang it up diagonally so the fluid runs down to a corner. Leave it open for a day or two before applying power. The alcohol pulls the water into solution and makes it evaporate a lot faster. Definitely don't power up until dry. Electrolysis can occur between any two dissimilar metals with a conductive path(water) even without a voltage difference. Powering up just accelerates the process.
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The shortest distance between one point is an infinitely small circle.
73's de KF4JU
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dscarpa
sage
Reged: 03/15/08
Posts: 256
Loc: San Diego Ca.
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I installed a ball valve in the line leading to my irrigation valves, it's always off when my scopes are out. Even the best irrigation controllers have been known to go rogue. I had a very near miss with my C 9.25 once, I got it off the lawn a coulple of seconds before the sprinklers came on. I would run fans on your mount, this has worked well for me when drying out wood flooring that got wet. David
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rmollise
Post Laureate
Reged: 07/06/07
Posts: 4573
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Quote:
I've fixed things like cordless phones and remote controls that got dunked by removing the outer cover then pouring a whole bottle of rubbing alcohol onto the circuit board. Hang it up diagonally so the fluid runs down to a corner. Leave it open for a day or two before applying power. The alcohol pulls the water into solution and makes it evaporate a lot faster. Definitely don't power up until dry. Electrolysis can occur between any two dissimilar metals with a conductive path(water) even without a voltage difference. Powering up just accelerates the process.
I doubt this is necessary for the mount. To be honest, I doubt there was much water intrusion, anyhow.
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Uncle Rod
Rod's New Book:
Choosing and Using a New CAT
Available now!
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deSitter
Carpal Tunnel
Reged: 12/09/04
Posts: 2926
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Throw in some big bags of silica gel and button it up. Concur on baking in the oven, although I'd be worried about the grease running. Also I think the main problem other than shorting the electronics is water hydrolyzing the grease, which could be made worse by heating.
-drl
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