Telescope Reviews: DIY Dew Controller Questions...

Hello all,

A while back I purchased DC to Pulse Width Modulator kit from Hobbytron.com based on the advice of Tim (Tberdon)to make my own Dew Controller.

I finally got it assembled and working, but I have a few questinos about the calibration/voltage settings.

When I hook it up to a multimeter, I can asjust the voltage from 0 - 13.30volts with the 1k Pot I installed in the box. The problem is it goes from 0-12v withing the first few degrees of the knob. So, if the knob where labled with numbers (1 being the lowest voltage), it will max out at 2, and not change all the way to 10.

I've tried adjusting the min/max voltage settings on the board, but it's pretty much the same deal. If I set the max votage at 6v, it'll max out at the same place.

Now, I'm not all that concerned about being able to control the voltage right now, I just need it working. So, for those of you who don't know about electronics, but do know about temperature settings, perhaps you can chime in here.

When I set the controller on 13 volts and wrap a heater strip around a thermometer, it gets up to 120F. When I put it on 5 Volts, it hovers around 100F. I'm not sure how this will translate when hooked up to an EP (like an Ethos). Do I leave the voltage at the max assuming it will take a while to heat the Ethos, or is that overkill?

Any advice will be much appreciated.

BTW:Here is the link to the thread regarding the construction of this kit:

http://www.cloudynights.com/ubbthreads/showflat.php?Cat=0&Board=atm&Number=1737499&fpart=1&PHPSESSID=

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Jeremy Davis
Orion XT12i - 12" f/4.9 "Alfred E. Newtonian"
Wyorock Custom Crayford
12x60 Oberwerk Binos
www.jdavisgallery.com

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