DIY Dew Shield

[chicagorandy]

First - I did try to post this in the DIY "other" forum but there was no New Post button? Mods please move if appropriate.

This is my adaptation of an idea found on YouTube to make a very low cost (about $12) dew shield for my Nexstar 127SLT. Materials were a plastic bleach bottle (sturdier than using one from windshield washer fluid), cut along the bulges on the bottle where the arrows indicate and then to make a 19-1/4" x 5" strip, then spray painted matte black on both sides, and a roll of self-stick Velcro tape.

Before painting I cleaned up the top & bottom edges of the plastic with a straight edge and a utility knife. To make the strip I just used household scissors on the bottle.

When the paint was thoroughly dry I taped 3 strips of 3/4" 'fuzzy' half to the outsides of the plastic 'tube' and a single strip of the hook portion to the inside. That allows me to roll the strip around the rim at the end of the OTA - fuzzy side up - and secure it tightly with the hook strip side.

Here is a link to pics of the project.

https://photos.app.goo.gl/pYhJk9UYXcbD74kX7

[smp]

Hey, Randy, you can upload photos in this Forum...

Post 'em here, or build up your own Gallery in your User Area.

Nice work - nicely illustrated - thanks!

smp

[chicagorandy]

Hi smp - I saw that but since there are 7 pics now I figured it was less bandwidth to just use the link to the album - lol

[smp]

Hi smp - I saw that but since there are 7 pics now I figured it was less bandwidth to just use the link to the album - lol

Well, since the other Forum has been broken for so long where one cannot upload photos, I am just revelling in the fact that here, we actually can do uploading...

Welcome here, no matter what style you choose!

smp

[chicagorandy]

OK, here is a pic of MY method for attaching a 6000mah Talentcell battery pack to my Nexstar mount, using a wide Velcro elastic strap and some of that black foam type shelf liner as a cushion behind it.



Don't know what went wrong, here is the necessary link to the pic stored on Google Photos

https://photos.app.goo.gl/tky4Tue91g4oWCCn6

How do I create a gallery? I'm happy to add my pics there and then maybe they will post?

[smp]

That's an excellent idea, Randy! I'll definitely keep in mind for myself when I'm using my Micro-Start battery.

Thanks!

smp

Hmmm... Here's an image that I just uploaded directly to here. Should work for you, too.

AppleIIcLogo.jpg (1.62 KiB) Viewed 4949 times

[chicagorandy]

OK, let's try one from my new gallery:

[chicagorandy]

Well…..I'm stumped.... it would seem I am not authorized to display MY pics? Perhaps it's because I just joined the forum today?

[UlteriorModem]

Yea probably has a minimum post count.

Anyhow this thread reminded me of this Spared no expense!

20171230_161013 by Tom Whit, on Flickr

20171230_161000 by Tom Whit, on Flickr

I have since upgraded a little

[smp]

Well…..I'm stumped.... it would seem I am not authorized to display MY pics? Perhaps it's because I just joined the forum today?

I went and took a look at your Gallery - I can see 3 photos: the battery on your mount, the Celestron tube balance marker, and the clean shot of the Celestron mount. If that's all, then it looks to me like you should be good to go.

I hope someone else might have an idea about what's going wrong. If not, try posting a question in the Feedback Forum.

Good luck! I'm sure you can get this sorted out.

smp

[Gordon]

Randy,
Your images do show in the Gallery so they are uploading correctly.

Take a look here viewforum.php?f=29 There are a couple tips on how to post images both to the gallery and in the posts you create.

Let me know if you have any problems.

[chicagorandy]

Once more with feeling, will try a pic post from my gallery.

[chicagorandy]

Well shoot. I clicked on Full Editor, clicked on IMAGE and added my pic's number between the img marks.

Is there something else I'm also supposed to do? I mean the procedure sure 'seems' pretty simple and straight-forward. It's not like I'm trying to build a cold fusion reactor ner nuthin'.

[chicagorandy]

This time I'll trying using full editor and just attachments, NOT the insert image icon or the IMAGE button

[chicagorandy]

YAY!!!! lol

[smp]

I can see it! I think you cracked the code!

smp

[chicagorandy]

I do NOT know why the two other methods don't work for me, especially since my gallery uploads pics from my PC just fine? But as long as attachment keeps working, life is good.

[smp]

The way I've been able to post a pic from my personal Gallery is by using the little icon that gives the IMAGE tags, then in a separate window or tab, I go to the gallery pic that I want and copy the URL, and finally come back to the draft post and paste the URL in between the tags. It's kind of tedious, and it requires me to have TSS open in two windows or tabs, but it works in the end.

I've tried the IMAGE button, but it only seems to put the link in my post.

smp

[chicagorandy]

I opened TSS in another window, went to gallery and copied the ((image178image)) URL, clicked on IMAGE and inserted it and this is the result

[image][/image]

[smp]

Yes, I totally get you.

I tried the IMAGE tags and put the image number in between them, but no-go. What I got was a small blue icon with a question mark.

BUT, when I use the IMAGE tags, and I put the entire URL from the pic in the Gallery - click on the specific image you want, and copy the URL of the image that comes up - then it works for me.

Good luck!

smp