Good morning, I'm having a problem with my sBIG ST-10XME camera frosting up when I'm trying to cool the imaging chip down in the evening. I've replaced the desiccant in the camera (I've tried drying the Desiccant capsule that came with the camera AND I also have a another capsule that uses replaceable desiccant bags instead of the sBIG unit). Regardless of which one is used, I continue to have frosting occur. Is it possible for an air leak to have occurred that is permitting moisture around the imaging chamber? What I have to do each evening now is set the temp at +20C and VERY slowly reduce the temp by -1C across about 2-hours to get the temp down below -10C. This is NOT normal for this camera, up until about 2-months ago I would turn the camera on and set the temp for as low as I could for that time of years. Ideas what may be wrong and what I can do about it? Thanks! Bill Edwards
Bill, Have you baked the desiccant in the oven? If it's changing colors and you have put it back in the camera very soon after bake it might be a seal issue. You should write to Bill in support bill@sbig.com You can always reach me by phone as well.
Some other thoughts... Make sure the O-ring is installed on the desiccant capsule, i.e. you didn't forget to reinstall it after baking. Also, be aware that you cannot bake the desiccant with the O-ring installed on the capsule. If you did, then you need a new O-ring.
I use an ST8, I think the desiccant system is similar to ST10. Quite a few years ago, I had the 0-ring fall off the end of the capsule while installing. Experienced similar issues as you described. The o-ring had dropped inside the camera and had to remove the back cover to get it out. My fix: install the capsule with the camera in a near vertical orientation on the back of the telescope. Also seem to remember a similar problem on a list, also may years ago, that involved the o-ring behind the front cover. In this case the owner had removed the front cover and pinched the o-ring when reinstalled the cover. Seem to remember this required sending to SBIG for shop repair. A separate, but related question: are the desiccant capsules still available? Refillable type still available? Rod Cook
