26 replies to this topic

[ChrisMoses]

Hi,

I decided to save some money (about 40%) and order my dew-heaters from a relatively new company, R-Sky.

 

I asked them a few questions, via e-mail,  and they responded very quickly and completely - I like good customer service and they seemed great.

 

So, I ordered the following:

1. A two channel, four output controller

2. A 3" inch strap for my guidescope

3. A 5" inch strap for my (upcoming) AT155edt refractor

4. A 6" strap for my Mallincan 6" RC

 

When I ordered, R-Sky immediately sent me a tracking number. I could see that they were shipped within a day of my ordering. It took about 10 days for them to arrive. It turns out the R is for Russia.  They came from Russia - interesting. 

 

All the straps and cables seem very well made. Nice velcro patch, slightly stretchy, and the cables connections feel very secure.

 

The controller is solid and small.

 

I plugged everything in and they all worked like a charm. They are great.

 

The only possible downside I can see is that if anything goes wrong, shipping things back and forth to Russia does seem to take about ten days each way.

 

Overall, their service was great and the products appear great, so I give them 10 out of 10.

[deepspaceguy]

Thanks for the report.  Was thinking about ordering the dual finderscope heater.  One less cord to deal with.

 

Steve

[havasman]

My experience with their products is as favorable. Highly recommended.

[peleuba]

My experience with their products is as favorable. Highly recommended.

 

Yes - agree.  I purchased the Telrad dew heater and it was delivered quickly and it works as designed.  Much better then lifting up a shield.

[Nicole Sharp]

I just noticed how much cheaper they are compared to AstroZap, Dew Not, Kendrick, Orion, and Thousand Oaks.  Glad to hear it is a quality product and not some shoddy knock-off.  Shipping looks very reasonable too.

[Nicole Sharp]

How is the power consumption though?  Could they be cheaper because they are less energy-efficient?

[mvas]

How is the power consumption though?  Could they be cheaper because they are less energy-efficient?

The power consumption ( amps ) for each heat strap, is listed on the R-Sky website.

The power is adjustable via the Single or Dual Channel controller.

All Anti-Dew Heat Straps are 100% efficient.

[R.bak]

How is the power consumption though?  Could they be cheaper because they are less energy-efficient?

I'm not sure that I have the right to answer questions here (site rules).
You can write me a private message. I can say one thing, we tried to make them more powerful than analogs.

[JuergenB]

I second the good experiences with R-Sky. I recently purchased one for my FSQ-85 and I can confirm that the build quality is excellent. The constructor/vendor communicated nicely and even informed me that there will be a 24 hours test run of the individual unit before shipping. 

 

Up to now, I only used it in manual mode, but will test delta T mode soon. It is very likely that delta T mode can safe power because it will not overheat, keeping the surface temperature of the tube just above the dew point (although I know some renowned astrophotographers who run similar devices at full power all the time). Why should we assume that the energy efficiency in delta T mode is inferior to those of other brands? Instead, I guess that lower labor costs are the reason for more competitive sales prices.

 

Juergen 

[Nicole Sharp]

The power consumption ( amps ) for each heat strap, is listed on the R-Sky website.

The power is adjustable via the Single or Dual Channel controller.

All Anti-Dew Heat Straps are 100% efficient.

 

Yes, I saw that.  Don't really know how it all works, but some manufacturers (such as Kendrick) boast about how energy-efficient their strips are compared to their competitors.  Kendrick is super expensive though.  But running equipment out in the middle of nowhere on a battery power supply, that can be really important if it eats power.  But from the R-Sky website, it looks like it has several energy-saving features built into the unit.

 

I was told on another thread that the automated unit doesn't really save too much energy though, and it is better to save some money and get the regular unit instead?

Edited by Nicole Sharp, 25 November 2018 - 10:59 AM.

[Nicole Sharp]

The power consumption ( amps ) for each heat strap, is listed on the R-Sky website.

The power is adjustable via the Single or Dual Channel controller.

All Anti-Dew Heat Straps are 100% efficient.

 

100% efficiency is physically impossible.  Just FYI.

 

https://en.wikipedia...#Carnot_theorem

[Napp]

...... I was told on another thread that the automated unit doesn't really save too much energy though, and it is better to save some money and get the regular unit instead?

I observe in an area of very heavy dew.  When I bought my controllers (Astrozap and Dew-Not) I chose simple dual channel units.  I have dew heaters on all exposed optical surfaces.  Most nights if I don’t set the controller on maximum power by midnight my observing is done.  Took the money saved and got a good marine deep cycle battery with enough capacity to get me through a couple nights (heaters and mount) if necessary.  

[ChrisMoses]

Update - 

 

After 2 years, my R-Sky dew straps and controller are still working perfectly.  Actually, I'm planning on ordering a few more.

 

Chris

[bill5wjw]

I observe in an area of very heavy dew.  When I bought my controllers (Astrozap and Dew-Not) I chose simple dual channel units.  I have dew heaters on all exposed optical surfaces.  Most nights if I don’t set the controller on maximum power by midnight my observing is done.  Took the money saved and got a good marine deep cycle battery with enough capacity to get me through a couple nights (heaters and mount) if necessary.  

I agree. I recommend anyone planning on imaging all night invest in a deep-cycle battery with enough capacity to power all of your gear ALL night. In my opinion, controllers for heaters are not necessary.

[happylimpet]

100% efficiency is physically impossible.  Just FYI.

 

https://en.wikipedia...#Carnot_theorem

 

Not for electrical heaters. Carnot theory is for heat engines (of which the internal combustion engine is a real-world example).

 

Aside from a minute amount of energy possibly converted to sound or radio waves, all energy goes to heat.

 

I often point out to people, when discussing inefficiency of household goods, that all 'waste' energy gets converted to heat anyway, so if you're heating your home anyway its not really wasted.

[Nubian]

I have an ongoing unfavorable experience with R-sky.  I ordered over 2 months ago and still no dew straps.  I was told it would take approximately 3 weeks to arrive.  I have contacted them twice and all they say is be patient.  With all that is going on in the world right now, I recommend we buy American made.

[cytan299]

I have an ongoing unfavorable experience with R-sky.  I ordered over 2 months ago and still no dew straps.  I was told it would take approximately 3 weeks to arrive.  I have contacted them twice and all they say is be patient.  With all that is going on in the world right now, I recommend we buy American made.

Did R-sky not send you a tracking number? I ordered it right after the New Year and it is now at JFK. I'll report about its quality after I receive it.

 

 

cytan

Edited by cytan299, 06 February 2021 - 07:58 PM.

[cytan299]

Hi guys,

 

I finally received my dew heater strap from R-sky today (22 Feb 2021). It looks like a good quality strap ($32 including shipping which is quite reasonable except for the long wait):

 

 

I measured its resistance and it is 40 ohms.

 

Now for the impatient It took about 34 days from shipping the strap. A lot of the time was spent in customs, both in Russia (8 days) and in the US (15 days!). So if you buy from R-sky be prepared to wait ...

 

Here's the trip synopsis:

 

Its trip started on 20 Jan from Krasnodar, Russia (see above). It sat for a few days in the Russian distribution center and another 8 days in Russian customs before leaving for the US with a short transit in Poland. It arrived in the US, JFK on 03 Feb. There it sat until after Valentine's, leaving JFK to a USPS distribution center before it's final leg to my home on  22 Feb. So the total number of days is 34.

 

Here's the trip screenshot:

 

 

cytan

Edited by cytan299, 22 February 2021 - 08:49 PM.

[Nubian]

They look good.  I wish I would have received mine.

[Sarkikos]

Where are you buying the R-Sky products?  I cannot access their website. https://r-sky.org/en/products

 

I checked this out a couple months ago.  Same thing.  I thought they went out of business. 

 

I have bought dew prevention products from them.  They all worked well.

 

Mike

Edited by Sarkikos, 23 February 2021 - 12:16 PM.

[Nubian]

I just checked the link works.

[Sarkikos]

The link does not work for me, neither at home nor at work.  Roman emailed me and is looking into it.

 

Mike

Edited by Sarkikos, 23 February 2021 - 01:09 PM.

[Sarkikos]

Maybe the link is blocked because it is a Russian website?  I'll have to double-check at home and see if it works there.

 

Mike

[Sarkikos]

I just now tried the R-Sky website on my iPhone.  Nope, I cannot connect to it.  "The webpage is not available.  Try again."

 

Mike

Edited by Sarkikos, 23 February 2021 - 01:17 PM.

[cytan299]

I just checked and I can get to the site.

 

And I had ordered my dew strap directly from R-sky.

 

cytan

Edited by cytan299, 23 February 2021 - 07:50 PM.