<br clear="all">Do these things tend to run on battery or plug-in?<div><br></div><div>If it's plug in, then I energy isn't at a premium so it might be really simple. If batteries, that might make it trickier to keep weight down and discharge time up..<br>
<div><div><br></div></div><br>
<br><br><div class="gmail_quote">On Sun, Jul 3, 2011 at 8:48 PM, Bruce <span dir="ltr"><<a href="mailto:bsharding@rogers.com">bsharding@rogers.com</a>></span> wrote:<br><blockquote class="gmail_quote" style="margin:0 0 0 .8ex;border-left:1px #ccc solid;padding-left:1ex;">
Yes the basic job of a controller is to remove dew. We use what are called<br>
heat straps. They can be like the commercial ones from Kendrick.com or or<br>
home brewed ones made of resistors. Typically we try to heat our mirrors, eye<br>
pieces, finder and/or spotting scope.<br>
<br>
As you are well aware the Ottawa valley is quite prone to humidty. At night<br>
once the air cools to the dew point that moisture collects on very thing in<br>
the form of dew or in the winter it can be frost.<br>
<br>
My present controller is very basic. It can cycle the power on or off using<br>
using a Texas Instrument IC. has four RCA jacks.<br>
<br>
What I would want from a new controller is temperature and humidity sensing.<br>
<br>
The controller must minimize power consumption by using temperature and<br>
humidity sensor data to calculate the optimium amount of power to draw to<br>
achieve a dew or frost free mirrors and etc.<br>
<br>
The controller must be able to display this information in some comprehensible<br>
fashion. The system must function perfectly for +30 C to -20 C. It must have<br>
6 to 8 RCA Jack<br>
<br>
Bonus points for a data logger that can store this above information for later<br>
retrieval either by USB cable or via bluetooth.<br>
<br>
So this is as close to my above wishlist as I could get.<br>
<div class="im"><a href="http://www.iceinspace.com.au/63-597-0-0-1-0.html" target="_blank">http://www.iceinspace.com.au/63-597-0-0-1-0.html</a><br>
<br>
<br>
<br>
</div><div><div></div><div class="h5">On July 2, 2011 12:56:06 PM you wrote:<br>
> Wow, those are some nice gifts!<br>
><br>
> What's a DEW heater? Is it to keep parts of a telescope at a consistent<br>
> temperature?<br>
><br>
> On Fri, Jul 1, 2011 at 5:31 PM, <<a href="mailto:lists@faintfuzzies.ca">lists@faintfuzzies.ca</a>> wrote:<br>
> > On July 1, 2011 12:13:27 PM you wrote:<br>
> > > Glad to hear you're getting into making things!<br>
> > ><br>
> > > Do you have any projects in mind at the moment?<br>
> > ><br>
> > ><br>
> > > --<br>
> > > Darcy Whyte<br>
> > > *Darcy@Siteware.com*<br>
> > > Ottawa, Canada | <a href="tel:613-563-3634" value="+16135633634">613-563-3634</a> | N 45° 25'03.1" W 75° 42'21.4"<br>
> > > Please attach previous emails when responding (or reply instead of<br>
> ><br>
> > starting<br>
> ><br>
> > > a new thread/subject).<br>
> > ><br>
> > > On Thu, Jun 30, 2011 at 8:07 PM, <<a href="mailto:lists@faintfuzzies.ca">lists@faintfuzzies.ca</a>> wrote:<br>
> > > > On June 30, 2011 04:45:54 PM you wrote:<br>
> > > > > Bruce,<br>
> > > > ><br>
> > > > > I think we know each other then.<br>
> > > > ><br>
> > > > > I'm a regular customer. I bought about 30 computers there (and<br>
> > > > > hoards of other stuff).<br>
> > > ><br>
> > > > Yup, Darcy we do know each other. You have the awesome rubberpower<br>
> > > > planes. How are you doing? I don't work at Computer Supplyhouse<br>
> > > > anymore.<br>
> > > ><br>
> > > > Now I'm just trying to figure out the difference between the red wire<br>
> ><br>
> > and<br>
> ><br>
> > > > the<br>
> > > > black wire.<br>
> ><br>
> > This is the project I plan to tackle.<br>
> > <a href="http://www.iceinspace.com.au/63-597-0-0-1-0.html" target="_blank">http://www.iceinspace.com.au/63-597-0-0-1-0.html</a><br>
> > Not sure if this is over my head or not. But I'm gonna give it a try.<br>
> > For my<br>
> > Birthday my wife got me a Hakko 936 Soldering Iron and a Extech EX330<br>
> > Multimeter to start me out on my project. Still have not bought the parts<br>
> > yet.<br>
> > Ultimately, I'd like to produce something that exceeds the capabilities<br>
> > of:<br>
> > <a href="http://www.kendrickastro.com/astro/dew_controllers.html#PremierControlle" target="_blank">http://www.kendrickastro.com/astro/dew_controllers.html#PremierControlle</a><br>
</div></div>> > r Okay, I know that won't be anytime soon, but it is nice to have a goal<br>
<div><div></div><div class="h5">> > to shoot for.<br>
> ><br>
> > I don't know if this is too difficult a project to start as a beginner or<br>
> > not,<br>
> > but I'm gonna give it a try. There are a few features I'd like to see<br>
> > added<br>
> > to this project. One I'd like to see is a USB connected data logger that<br>
> > can<br>
> > record both ambient temps as well as mirror temps over time for each<br>
> > viewing<br>
> > session. This I can use to compare the efficiency of my cooling system<br>
> > (fan) to<br>
> > keep the mirrors close to ambient temp and thus maximize viewing<br>
> > potiential.<br>
> ><br>
> > ==<br>
> > Bruce<br>
> > Member: SPIE, IEEE, IACR<br>
> > Faintfuzzies.ca<br>
</div></div></blockquote></div><br></div>