From: Milton Aupperle <milton@outcastsoft.com>

Date: December 24, 2008 11:43:42 AM MST

To: Astro_IIDC@yahoogroups.com

Subject: Re: [Astro_IIDC] Re: Out in the cold..

Hi Chris;

On 23-Dec-08, at 3:47 PM, Christoph Bosshard wrote:

Hi Milton

Also good luck from my side for your next imaging session...

Man -33 degrees celsius, this is sure going to cause problems with the

mechanical components. If you use an EQ6 make sure you have the grease

replaced with something that will work at these temperatures.

I have an HEQ5 and I replaced all the "Black Junk" original crud that shipped with it winter of 2006. I used a low temp yellow lithium grease for the RA and Dec axis. Last summer I regreased and adjusted the drive train gears last fall too, which reduced my dec axis reversal time from 5 seconds to 1 second.

The Dec axis works fine at down to at least -36°C, but RA was a PITA and needs constant adjustment.

What has worked is to wrap a heating pad around the mount RA axis and then loosely tie it on. My tests at -27°C worked great yesterday afternoon.

Also the heating pad around the tube keeps both the mirror and the corrector plate frost free too.

In any case I wish you all merry Christmass and hope you also get some

clear weather for imaging. ;-)

You too. All the best for 2009.

P.S. Writing this I am taking a series of M45 with my DSLR guiding

with my Imaging source camera.

regards

Chris

Milton J. Aupperle

President

ASC - Aupperle Services and Contracting

Mac Software (Drivers, Components and Application) Specialist

#916, 742 Kingsmere Crescent S.W.

Calgary Alberta T2V2H8

1-(403)-453-1624

milton@outcastsoft.com