How to fix dew forming on your astrophotography camera - Fitting ZWO Dew Heater Strips
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 26 ส.ค. 2024
- In January despite having my astrophotography cameras for a year they started getting dew forming on the front glass of the camera. It turned out that I needed to get some dew heater strips for my ZWO camera and fit them to the front of the camera!
These instructions work for any ZWO ASI camera.
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Thank you. I was about to get one of these for my new ASI 533MC Pro but the manufacturers of this strip have a note on their website which states: "For [cooled] ASI183/ASI1600/ASI294/ASI533 cameras, the heat emitting from the TEC will be conducted to the camera case and avoid any dew problems when TEC cooling system working".
I had this issue with an Altair 183m camera. I initially bought the Altair version and although this worked is was not at good as the ZWO. The Altair required a dew controller and its design also added at least 2-3mm backspace to the image train. The ZWO is a better design in my opinion. I think all new ZWO cameras come with dew heaters inbuilt now. Nice video Mark.
Thank you. It certainly does sound like the ZWO design is better. I’m just thinking that it would be a faff to sort out backspacing!
I hope this works for you mate, it's very annoying when this happens and not something you can just easily wipe off or solve when the dew is really bad 👍 Also, we should plan another milky trip soon when the core re-appears 👍 Maybe a trip to some dark skies in Wales?
It seems to have kept the dew away last night although it wasn’t too humid. Definitely up for a trip to Wales, I need to experience somewhere properly dark.
I may need this on my 533 come winter as also has no inbuilt heater. It feels a bit of a strange thing to leave out really as standard.
I can only assume given they are on the 2600s now that they realised this. It would be nice as a retrofit update to the existing cameras to sort this.
ZWO need to get there act together and have this system installed inside all there their cameras. Seriously, it's not like it's a complete engineering makeover.
It wouldn’t take much really would it. Although I didn’t realise it was an issue until this year. I guess they have fixed it in the 2600s.
Thanks for sharing, i also put the heatstrip on my ZWO camera but even after 10 minutes i don't feel any warmth when i touch the strip, is there something wrong maybe?? or is it not getting that warm so you can feel it?? I use the recommended power supply 12v 5 Amp.
One of mine definitely stopped working which was irritating because when you find out it’s too late for that night. I don’t think they need to get that hot though, trouble is I’ve never checked. I plug mine into the ASIAIR which makes me wonder if they get enough power. 12v 5amps is quite a bit really.
I actually bought this dew heater after watching your video a year ago. Never installed it because I never had a sensor dew problem until recently. Did you connect the Y-Power cable into one of the ASI Air power ports ?
thank you in advance
Sorry to hear that you now need the dew heater. It’s bizarre that this thing comes and goes. I never worked out exactly why it was an issue. When it happened I should have looked at the temperature and dew point etc to see what was different from all other nights. :(
I just connected the y cable to the dew heater and camera and yes, the power came straight from the ASIAIR. It adds an extra 0.35 amps and with ASI1600, 533 cameras etc draw up to 3 amps which would push it over the output of the single 12v output. In hindsight it should probably use a separate output from the ASIAIR and I shouldn’t use the y cable. :(
@@astrojourneyuk thank you for the prompt reply - I appreciate the input. So, you suggest I use a separate 12v output in the AIR to power up the ZWO Dew Heater ? thank you again
I think it’s likely to push over the 3 amp rating whilst the sensor is cooling to the target temperature. Once it’s there I doubt it will pull the maximum 3 amps the camera asks for.
@@astrojourneyuk probably so, but I think I'm going to plug in the dew heater into a separate power port just to be on the safe side.
I think it’s wise because at the end of the day you want the dew heater heating whilst the cameras cooling otherwise it probably won’t work anyway. Good luck.
I dont understand, cooling down the sensor from behind and warming up from the front?
It does seem crazy doesn’t it! Cooling the sensor reduces the noise when the sensor data is read but in the act of cooling and certain atmospheric conditions dew can form on the glass in front of the sensor which is super annoying as you can’t get to it. Condensation doesn’t form inside the camera because there are dehumidifing tablets in the camera.
@@astrojourneyukThese mfs sells niche products at eye costs with alot of issues.
Have you had any fan-correlated problems? Like vibrations, elongated stars or annoying sheeét like that?
QUESTION 1 Sir: does narrow band filter works on colored camera? I'm talking about AR sensor so open up to all the spectrum of wavelenght.
QUESTION 1b Sir: for example with a ZWO ASI 294 MC colored camera can I take some decent h-alpha subframes to use as Luminance layer?
QUESTION 2 Sir: about sampling: a ZWO ASI 294 MC colored camera in your opinion will work legìt with 400mm focal lenght or I need smaller pixel size? I'm not searching the mathematic perfection about my setup. Maybe in planet imaging is far more important.
QUESTION 3 Sir: about a ZWO ASI 294 MM mono this time: does the sample change? I was thinking (that's the problem) becouse we have no longer to take in accout 4 pixels but only 1 pixel for 1 detail. (my doubts came from eeem [excuse me for my lenguage Sir] again: 1 pixel insted of 4 in a certain way is like half pixel size if we compare the two cameras. Am I wrong?
LAST ONE Sir: I have a Nikon tele as scope. A 400mm tele lens on EQ5 goto mount. Wich camera do you raccomend to me? Even different brand. The budget MAX 1800€ (wich are roughly the same in dollars) eighteen hundreds.
THANK YOU.
There are a lot of questions there. :) I’ll get back to you soon.
Great video, good tip👍 if I get a 1600mm pro, would I need a few heater for that? My 2600mc pro has one built in!
*Dew heater!
I think it’s one of those things that you might get away with it. I did for a year, but if you get caught there’s nothing you can do and you’ll lose a nights imaging. So I guess get one as they are only £20 / $20
@@astrojourneyuk Definitely worth it. I’m in the Uk, so £20 from FLO or RotherValley Optics 👍
Yeah, I always go to RVO because you get points and further discounts. :)
Only issue is when you have to unscrew the bolts to either recharge/replace the dessicants
The dew was on the outside rather than the inside. I did have to clean my sensor the other day so I recharged them then. Thanks for the prompt.
@@astrojourneyuk how did you go unscrewing the bolts with the dew heater in the way?
By just prising (prizing US English) up the dew heater around the bolts. They just about stuck back. Not great but it worked. I used a plastic guitar pick to lift it up.
@@astrojourneyuk thanks
why didn't you have the 11mm ring to help line it up?
Good question. I think just because I could line it up without that but it’s a good idea.
@@astrojourneyuk it helped a lot when doing my own. :)