TS control box for up to 4 heating sleeves / heating tapes or heated dew caps.

The control box supplies up to four dew heaters or dew shields with separate heating, e.g., from Dew-Not, Kendrick, AST, Astrozap, etc.

Four outputs with separate control for two outputs each

Power supply via a 12V cigarette lighter cable, approximately 2 meters long

Indicator lights for quick function checks
Stepless heating intensity control via rotary knob
Maximum current 5A

TS-Optics adjustable control box for up to four dew heaters or dew shields
With the TS Controller #TS720, you can control up to four telescope heaters simultaneously. Simply plug the heater cables into one of the four sockets on the control box. Use the rotary knobs to adjust the heating intensity.

Operating the TS720 control box: One rotary knob controls two sockets. The left position is OFF. Turning the knob clockwise increases the heating intensity. This allows you to adjust the heating to the humidity level. The two upper jacks are controlled by the left control knob, and the two lower jacks by the right control knob.

Power supply for the TS720 control box:

The controller requires a 12V input voltage via a cigarette lighter socket. Power can be supplied by a power bank, a lead-acid battery, or a suitable power adapter. The maximum permissible current draw is 5A. However, this maximum power is usually not required, so a 17Ah power bank or a comparable battery is sufficient for a night's operation.

General information on preventing dew formation with controlled heating: On clear nights, telescopes cool down considerably due to heat radiation. The resulting increase in relative humidity causes dew to condense on the cool optics and tubes, quickly ending observations or photography. With open optics such as Newtonian telescopes, dew condenses not only on the outside of the tube but also on the secondary and primary mirrors. Dew can lead to the failure or damage of electrical components and, at very low temperatures, to icing of the telescope.

Heating sleeves and heating elements increase the temperature around the optics, thus reducing the risk of dew. However, they can also cause unnecessary heat output, leading to increased tube seeing or air turbulence in front of the telescope. Furthermore, they can produce different results on cold and warm nights, as they generate a fixed heat output regardless of the ambient temperature. Therefore, adjusting the heating power using a potentiometer is crucial.

With a little practice, you can use the TS Controller TS720 to maintain the temperature inside the tube or around the optics just a few degrees above the ambient temperature. This allows you to achieve optimal dew protection and minimize atmospheric turbulence. Another advantage of the TS temperature control is its low energy consumption, as it only uses the amount of energy required to reach and maintain the desired temperature. The TS-Optics temperature controller is compatible with all common heating sleeves for secondary mirrors, dew shields, or primary mirrors.

Output: 4 connections – controlled by 2 rotary knobs

Maximum power: 60 W
Operating voltage: 12 V DC
Power supply: Cable with cigarette lighter plug, approx. 2 m

Control: 2 rotary knobs, each controlling 2 outputs

Control box with 12 V connection cable