45 replies to this topic

[GrassLakeRon]

Hi astrohamp et al,

I took a look st the link posted by Ron above, and it brought me to Consumer Reports site which stated the ice swamp cooler did nit cool in their tests, thus I selected an AC.

Clear Skies,
Paul

I use a setup like this in the back of my truck.  The problem is you have to tarp you vehicle as well.  Temps above 100 degrees almost nothing helps short of a full AC unit and then if you dont keep opening the doors.  In the black hills 4 years ago I had a plug in 12v cooler, the ones that drop temps a min of 20 degrees cooler then your space in the truck.  AC blowing full blast in my truck the cooler still cooked and I lost it, had to leave it at the campground.  I opened my truck doors maybe 3 times to snap photos.  The Temp on the ground, no humidity factored in, was 112!

Edited by GrassLakeRon, 03 February 2025 - 08:17 AM.

[rgk901]

heat mostly a problem in real humid areas that also stay hot as hell at night.. I'd imagine most star parties are not in those type of locations?

Up higher in elevation/deserts it's dry and much cooler at night and I found shade from something natural or tarps plus a fan, if no air movement, does the trick for me in daytime.

Edited by rgk901, 03 February 2025 - 10:02 AM.

[Phil Perry]

"Swamp" coolers rely on evaporating water to cool the air, and so work best in hot, dry areas like deserts. Whether it's a good idea to be using up scarce water in this way is another matter, but I digress. At least, if you have melting ice whose meltwater you would otherwise be dumping on the ground, you might as well make use of that water for cooling. I can imagine that blowing air over a chest of ice won't be all that effective, as there's a relatively small air-ice surface area to do the cooling. If you rig up some sort of metal ductwork to bury in the ice, such as 3 or 4 inch dryer hose, that might cool better. It's worth thinking about.

[astrohamp]

The coolers I linked put ice in a chest which creates melt water still in the chest.  The melt water is 12v pumped through a radiator circulating back to the chest of ice/melt water.  A fan blows air over/through the radiator and is directed where you want it.  No water is used up or wasted, at least until you extract all the ice chill from it dumping warm water for new ice.  No humidity is added to the space as the radiator is closed loop for water and separately to air.  I don't have a small radiator (like they use to cool CPUs in a computer) or I would be building one to test right now.

[reddog1972]

Have you thought about rechargeable battery operated fans to pull/push air through the tent?  

[JimMo]

I would have a serious problem with somebody camped anywhere near my tent running even a small generator. 

 

I do not go to star parties to listen to generators.

 

Alex

Hi Alex, I've used a small Honda generator at the winter star party, as do many others, and they are pretty quiet. With the traffic noise, wind, and the little bit of surf it all just blended in with the generator noise and it still wasn't too much. I'd have a problem if someone was running them at night or too early in the morning, but if there is no power available what are you to do? The generator will charge up your batteries in an afternoon for another night of observing. My last camper was a small teardrop that had it's own 80 amp hr. battery which would power my laptop and the 3 speed reversible fan in the roof for a few days before needing a charge. I sold it and will miss it, but I will be moving to a small tent for any future star parties. I don't mind the heat, but man the humidity wears me out. 

[FoxIslandHiker]

if there is no power available what are you to do? 

Solar panel.

 

I recently spent five nights observing in dark skies way off the grid.  Including my tablet and phone, I had eight different batteries of various sizes. Every day I charged them all up using my solar panel.

[Paul Romero]

Hi,

I decided go change star parties to one in a cooler part of the year . The aluminet and some sort of fan or something like astrohamp mentioned works.

Clear Skies,

Paul

[Deep13]

I use a fan powered by 8-D cells. It's nominally a 2-person tent, and I keep a mylar blanket covering the south side. Also, I park the car to the south of the tent. For me the hardest part is sleeping on the ground. Age 57.

[rgk901]

I use a fan powered by 8-D cells. It's nominally a 2-person tent, and I keep a mylar blanket covering the south side. Also, I park the car to the south of the tent. For me the hardest part is sleeping on the ground. Age 57.

I'm fine on the mattress, it's the getting down and back up again that's getting harder lol

was thinking about a cot but they are so heavy and bulky.. maybe one of those 18" tall premium pump included inflated beds might be the ticket

[Napp]

I do most of my astronomy in the high desert, where it's arid.  Most tent campers I know use Aluminet.  They just toss it over the tent like a rain fly and it works amazingly well.  I'm an RV guy (I definitely don't call it camping), but some of the folks that I talk to say that it lowers the temperature inside their tent by up to 20F.

 

I think that this would work great in Reno, but I'm not sure about WSP in south Florida.  The humidity there might be a bigger problem than just the temperature.

Actually even a rain fly will lower the temperature in a tent even here in hot, humid Florida.   I gave up tents for a travel trailer a few years back.  I have friends who tent camp at the WSP and Chiefland.  They put rain flies up over their tents specifically to put their tents in the shade.  It really does lower the temperature in the tent so it helps.

Edited by Napp, 05 February 2025 - 09:54 PM.

[Paul Romero]

Hi,

 

The rain fly I had never was used at WSP. Instead I found this small palm:

 

Clear Skies,

 

Paul

 

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[Bob S.]

Hello young ones over 50. How about a "hard sided tent" for those of us in our 70's? The extra two decades creates somewhat of an intolerance for discomfort.

 

No more soft sided tent camping for me<grin>. And I can boondock it for about 5-6 days with a nice modicum of comfort.

Edited by Bob S., 07 February 2025 - 09:22 AM.

[jrussell]

I've read that using those survival blankets over the tent helps since it reflects heat. Same idea as the Aluminet.

[Charlie B]

Hello young ones over 50. How about a "hard sided tent" for those of us in our 70's? The extra two decades creates somewhat of an intolerance for discomfort.

TAB 320 Black Canyon.jpg

 

No more soft sided tent camping for me<grin>. And I can boondock it for about 5-6 days with a nice modicum of comfort.

For those of us near 80, use this one.  Last used at the Winter Star Party near the palm.

 

Regards,

 

Charlie B

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[JayinUT]

I just use the back of my Ascent. I put down a camping air mattress, a 2 inch memory foam pad and then a bag or a quilt. I run a CPAP in there and then I always have one or two of these: O2 10 Inch Cooling Fan LINK.  I find they keep my cool and the tinted windows make it bearable during the day with the rear hatch open. I quit tent camping a long time ago but this would still work there. 

[chvvkumar]

I just use the back of my Ascent. I put down a camping air mattress, a 2 inch memory foam pad and then a bag or a quilt. I run a CPAP in there and then I always have one or two of these: O2 10 Inch Cooling Fan LINK.  I find they keep my cool and the tinted windows make it bearable during the day with the rear hatch open. I quit tent camping a long time ago but this would still work there. 

Same thing but in my Outback. Easily fits my 6"1' frame with a bit of room to spare. With windoe shades, it even doubles up as a light proof laptop station inside. Though, I am still searching for a way to keep cool in 90+ degree hot days at places like NSP and OTSP.

Edited by chvvkumar, 08 February 2025 - 10:21 PM.

[Deep13]

I'm fine on the mattress, it's the getting down and back up again that's getting harder lol

was thinking about a cot but they are so heavy and bulky.. maybe one of those 18" tall premium pump included inflated beds might be the ticket

I drive a '16 Subaru Outback. Once I load the 15" Obsession, eyepiece case, roll-up table, observing chair, and a few other things, there isn't a whole lot more room. So, it has to be a small tent. I tried an air mattress. It was okay, I guess. Without access to electricity, I can't use the included pump, so I use a battery pump which does do quite as good of a job.

[lciummo]

Hi all,

While here at the Winter Star Party, I talked to a gentleman about other star parties, where the main complaint is the direct, seering sun beating down during the day. As a 60 year old tent camper, Im wondering if there is a cooling unit available thst can be powered by a small generator?

Clear Skies,

Paul

It's usually in the mid-70's - I don't recall any heat waves or being uncomfortable at all.  You can hang out in the tents, or one of the several covered building where the seminar are held.  I've always stayed in the "glam" yurt tents that have small AC units on the floor but never bothered to run them.  You can leave the grounds and drive to beaches, nature walks, or walk on the railroad bridge next to the 7 mile bridge.  Feb in Florida is very nice.

[Sean13]

I use a Shiftpod 3 for a tent which stays maybe 10 deg below outside temps on its own, but you can add a $150 store bought window AC unit to it with a generator and have an airconditioned, insulated tent. Has heater ports too if winter camping if your thing you can hook a diesel heater right up to it.

[Richie2shoes]

I have 2 setups depending on the weather, straight tent camping or truckbed and tent camping.  I have cots for either set up and each allows me to stand upright inside the enclosure and in case of rain or cloudy nights, allow me to pull in a chair and sit and read or stream a show.  Takes an hour or two to set up and tear down.