Glue/water on ASI1600mm-c sensor

timn

Sometime over the last couple of days my ASI1600mm-c sensor has a thick streak of what looks like glue across it. When I checked by looking at the attached flat it looks more like water.

Its been fairly warm here lately and the camera was in my POD where the temperature would have been in the mid 30'sC. Still I can't understand where all that glue would come from. Overnight the humidity was 98% when imaging so it could also be water. However, its a lot of water and it seems to be hard. I can see it freezing overnight but it should melt by now.

I'm away from my imaging location for a couple of weeks so I thought I would research what to do before I go back. My desiccant tablets are a light brown - same as when I got them. What color should they be? Should I bake them?

More importantly, how do you suggest I clean this stuff off? Do you have any idea what caused it?

herwig_p

Looks like remnants from frost on sensor. I had a similar issue and also initially suspected the smudges coming from sort of glue.

See https://zwoug.org/viewtopic.php?f=21&t=7279

I cleaned the sensor with sensor swabs and Isopropyl alcohol. The desiccant tabs were baked in the oven for one hour at 120 degrees - the "new" spare ones coming with the cam were already saturated.

Have no frost/smudges since then, but I guess the tabs have to be replaced regularily! Will see.

CS Herwig

timn

Thanks herwig_p. I feel much better after reading your reply. I'll clean the sensor when I return home in a week or so. I also just received a new set of desiccant tabs and they arrived saturated. So, thanks for the baking information.

Sam@ZWO

TimN wrote:
Thanks herwig_p. I feel much better after reading your reply. I'll clean the sensor when I return home in a week or so. I also just received a new set of desiccant tabs and they arrived saturated. So, thanks for the baking information.

you can redry your old desiccant tabs by putting them in microwave oven for about 2 mins