DewBuster™ Controller
Owner Testimonials
The testimonials below were provided by customers who wanted to share their experience. If you would like to participate simply click on the following link:
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Length_of_Ownership: 1 year or more
Customer_Service: Excellent
Warranty_Service: No experience, never needed a repair
Ease_of_Use: Extremely Easy
Dew_Prevention_Performance: Excellent
Value_for_Money: Excellent
Reliability: Good
Overall_Rating: 5 STARS - Excellent

Comments

I built dew heaters for two 3" refractors and a 9.25 inch SCT following the plans on the Dewbuster website. These are mounted permanently on the scopes. Doing photography requires two scopes to be kept from dewing. The Dewbuster has done its job well so far in the extremely humid conditions of the Puget Sound area. The build of the product feels solid and Ron's warranty and repair terms are generous. Highly recommended.

Comments

I am most happy with your product and recommend it everyone who does not have a dew system. It is used in the Houston, Texas area where we continually have high humidity and dew is almost always the limiting factor when viewing. I have been able to enjoy many more hours of viewing than others around me who had to call it a night because of dew. My time is valuable and it is money well spent on your product for the additional time I am able to enjoy my hobby. Not one time have I had any problems with dew since using your controller. Your product is professionally made and of the highest quality one could expect. Please fill free to use this endorsement of your product. I hope in the future you manufacture dew strips of the same quality as your controller. Thanks, Ralph Walker HAS/NHAC

Length_of_Ownership: Less than a year
Customer_Service: Excellent
Warranty_Service: Excellent
Ease_of_Use: Extremely Easy
Dew_Prevention_Performance: Excellent
Value_for_Money: Excellent
Reliability: Excellent
Overall_Rating: 5 STARS - Excellent

Comments

I chose to replace my KENDRICK with the DewBuster for a variety of reasons and have not looked back since. It's a good value with the temp probe and controls. Also very solidly built and dealing with Ron was a great experience. He dealt with ALL my questions and was extremely helpful. Ed Sabala / Howard Astronomical League / Maryland

Length_of_Ownership: 1 year or more
Customer_Service: Excellent
Warranty_Service: Excellent
Ease_of_Use: Extremely Easy
Dew_Prevention_Performance: Excellent
Value_for_Money: Excellent
Reliability: Excellent
Overall_Rating: 5 STARS - Excellent

Comments

I can not imagine having an SCT telescope without a DewBuster here in FL. I used to struggle with a homemade dew shield and a hair dryer when I had a NexStar 5. Those things didn't work at all really when I upgraded to a CPC800. The DewBuster removed all that fuss. I'm going to get a second one when I get my CPC1100. I broke the sensor on my current unit and Ron made it right in a couple of days and it wasn't even his fault or the fault of the product. There aren't enough "stars" in this rating system for me to tell you how thoroughly satisfied I am with Ron's DewBuster. Rodney.

Length_of_Ownership: 1 year or more
Customer_Service: No experience, never needed to contact Ron
Warranty_Service: No experience, never needed a repair
Ease_of_Use: Extremely Easy
Dew_Prevention_Performance: Excellent
Value_for_Money: Excellent
Reliability: Excellent
Overall_Rating: 5 STARS - Excellent

Comments

Excellent product! No need to read any further or do any further research to make a decision... THIS IS THE ONE TO PURCHASE .....you won't be disappointed. Chip, Palmetto Florida, Whistlestop Observatory

Length_of_Ownership: 5 years or more
Customer_Service: Excellent
Warranty_Service: No experience, never needed a repair
Ease_of_Use: Extremely Easy
Dew_Prevention_Performance: Excellent
Value_for_Money: Excellent
Reliability: Excellent
Overall_Rating: 5 STARS - Excellent

Comments

Received one of the very first units delivered. Used on 8" SCT. Worked perfectly from the first. Ron asked me to return my unit for an upgrade (safety and performance) and the controller has continued to work flawlessly. Great product and great vendor. Bruce Douberley Walhalla, SC Clemson Area Amateur Astronomers

Length_of_Ownership: Less than a year
Customer_Service: Excellent
Warranty_Service: No experience, never needed a repair
Ease_of_Use: Extremely Easy
Dew_Prevention_Performance: Excellent
Value_for_Money: Excellent
Reliability: Excellent
Overall_Rating: 5 STARS - Excellent

Comments

Waited till there was some very heavy dew in the Northern Virginia area before writing this. The dewbuster worked perfectly in keeping my newtonian secondary clear of dew. The controls are very simple to use and the power consumption was far less than I expected - my batteries were still in good shape after a long night. I like the large number of outputs available - and heaters can be added anytime during the night. I used dew-not heaters and they worked great. The thermocouple on the secondary was also easy to install. I also appreciate the website providing a lot of information on making dew heaters. The supplied 300 ohm resistors were easily soldered to make a nice dew heater for my secondary. Only improvement - I need is a bracket to mount the Dewbuster solidly to my tube - its on with some tape at the moment. In conclusion - I like a robust product I can rely on that takes no effort to get exact control of dew. I am already recommending this to my friends who were struggling with controlling dew on SCTs using other more basic controllers. Roger - Arlington, VA

Comments

Ron is a great guy and helped me out with setting up my new CPC 800 XLT he definitely knows his telescope hardware/software, Culmination skills, and has excellent electro mechanical skills. I had used the Dewbuster on 2 different scopes so far (EXT 125mm Mead and my Trusty Celestron CPC) it has worked well on them both. Ron not only manufactures FANTASTIC, problem solving, products that are well documented and easy to use but he also stands behind his product 100% and is very knowledgeable and active in astronomy club matters. You can tell he loves Astronomy and seems he was always more than willing to help newbys in the club and promote Astronomy with his many years of experience/knowledge. My Dewbuster had a slight problem with the leds not flashing correctly or up to Ron's high standards. I was unaware it had a problem as it was keeping the dew off but Ron saw the lights acting a bit strangely at an Astronomy field event we both frequented a few years back. He took the unit , repaired it 100%, and mailed it back to my home within a few days. It has worked great so far now that I am more familiar with the blinking lamps. Things happen (murphies law) but Ron provided Excellent customer support. :) I think I can say that as I am in the electronics profession myself and rarely do you get this level of expert service and knowledge on consumer electronics products that may cost many of hundreds or thousands $$$ more. The DewBuster works great is economical, convenient, and keeps the Dew off my equipment. It works easily and efficiently. It also has room to put quite a few extra heating elements on it (very expandable) compared to competitor models I have researched. The construction is tough as nails and well designed so I expect it will function 100% for many years. I can sell a few telescopes but I am hanging on to my Dewbuster for the next scope :) Ron provides great service, knowledge, Excellent Product and help if you need it. This is rare as some manufactures of (very) high priced equipment in the astronomy and other technical fields do not offer this same level of customer support for extremely expensive products and often leave the poor customer wondering or hanging thinking: Why did I buy off that Distributor or company ??? We all been there - most of us anyhow :) My DewBuster means no more hair dryers ever in the back yard as the neighbors looking at me strangely when I used to dry out my scopes :) Thanks so much Ron for your unique products and excellent service. DewBuster is Highly recommended by me. The Dew here in La is heavy most of the time and the Dewbuster cures that Astronomical problem. Tom McManus, Electronics R&D & back yard Astronomer when time allows.:) Covington, La.

Length_of_Ownership: 5 years or more
Customer_Service: No experience, never needed to contact Ron
Warranty_Service: No experience, never needed a repair
Ease_of_Use: Extremely Easy
Dew_Prevention_Performance: Excellent
Value_for_Money: Excellent
Reliability: Excellent
Overall_Rating: 5 STARS - Excellent

Comments

I have never had a problem with the dewbuster, and I have never had to worry about dew since obtaining one. Highly recommended.

Length_of_Ownership: 5 years or more
Customer_Service: Excellent
Warranty_Service: Excellent
Ease_of_Use: Extremely Easy
Dew_Prevention_Performance: Excellent
Value_for_Money: Excellent
Reliability: Excellent
Overall_Rating: 5 STARS - Excellent

Comments

I have had ONE problem with my DewBuster, Ron not only took it in way after the warranty had expired, he upgraded my DewBuster for free. That's service!!!! I use mine on a 10" Meade LX-200, I have never had a bit of dew on my lenses, even down here in the southeast. I would recommend the DewBuster to anyone.

Comments

After years of observing with a 10 inch Newtonian, I switched to an 11 inch Celestron. I immediately became acquainted with the effects of dew on an SCT. The Dewbuster was one of my first and best accessory purchases. It has worked flawlessly for over four years. Bob Stan

Comments

My C14 has been plagued with severe corrector plate dewing ever since I first bought it in 1988. I have tried three different dew prevention devices through the years and all of them never really prevented dew from forming. In conjunction with a dew cap, dew had only been held at bay for a while at best. This has been especially frustrating during long CCD imaging when interruptions ruin difficult to set up exposures. Then I decided to try DewBuster. In a nutshell, it works PERFECTLY!!! Dew has been relegated to history for my C14. Equally important to note is that the temperature difference between the ambient air temperature and corrector plate are tunable only just far enough to prevent dew but not too much to cause thermal tube currents or distort the critical figure of the corrector so that even high resolution planetary imaging can still be performed with out worry. Hat off and many thanks to Ron for making this superb product available! John Nassr Baguio, Philippines stardustobservatory.org

Comments

Nothing was more frustrating than hauling my LX200R to dark skies and setting up, only to have condensation problems send me right back home. DewBuster solved that issue and has allowed me to have many awesome observing sessions. It is surely the best accessory I have purchased for my system and the one I cannot do without. I use one on the optical tube and one at the eyepiece and the performance is outstanding. I have owned my DewBuster for over four years and have had no trouble at all. The DewBuster should be the first accessory you purchase... you will not be disappointed.

Comments

Do you see all those 5 star ratings? That's not Ron being selective with which testimonial ratings he displays on his site. That's a 100% statistically representative sample of what people think of Ron and his product. I reckon the one or two 4 star ratings were accidents when submitting the Testimonial forms 8-) Ron makes the most functional Dew Controller on the Market. The most reliable on the market. The Best Value on the market. For what it can do compared to the competition it is an absolute bargain! I've learned the hard way when buying cheaper alternatives to all sorts of astro gear, that you really do get what you pay for. Ron's Dewbuster is worth every extra cent. As for his customer service. There's very few in the entire US Astro Community that can rival him for CS. In fact I'd put him at the top of the list that includes John Marstiller of DewNot, Ron Newman of Moonlite, Gary Myers of Servocat and the legendary Howie Glatter. I had very specific requirements and Ron helped me sort out my custom spec. The amount of time he devoted to answering my questions via email went way above and beyond the call of duty. I must have asked 10 questions per email and sent about 12 emails. Ron answered every question in every email within a couple of hours of me sending them. The level of pre-sales and after sales customer service he provides is extraordinary. My Dewbuster is at the heart of my heavily modded scope. Its temp sensor output powers my secondary heater. It has 7 medium power heater outputs and yes, I am actually using all of them. It has a 3v output to power my Green Laser Pointer and last but not least it has 4 12v outputs to power other devices. So basically it is my Dew Controller, Power distribution block and Battery level indicator/protector in one unit!! I call it the Flux Capacitor!! You'll see why if you look here 8-) http://www.flickr.com/photos/ca1ibos/sets/72157621900605125/ Keith Deveney Ireland

Comments

Brilliant piece of equipment. It just works, and in damp Wales we get a lot of dew! Plenty of sockets to add additional heaters for eyepieces, Meade hand control etc. Since fitting it the only problems I've had with dew were from a misplaced dew-heater. I bought this when the UK pound bought nearly two dollars but I'd buy it again even with the current poor exchange rate.

Length_of_Ownership: 1 year or more
Customer_Service: No experience, never needed to contact Ron
Warranty_Service: No experience, never needed a repair
Ease_of_Use: Extremely Easy
Dew_Prevention_Performance: Excellent
Value_for_Money: Excellent
Reliability: Excellent
Overall_Rating: 5 STARS - Excellent

Comments

Absolutely the best dew controller I've come across, bar none. Outstanding value for money. C. Van Ness, Kent, United Kingdom

Comments

It is a fantastic product and it does it's job under the worst possible observation conditions. Octantis

Length_of_Ownership: 1 year or more
Customer_Service: Excellent
Warranty_Service: No experience, never needed a repair
Ease_of_Use: Extremely Easy
Dew_Prevention_Performance: Excellent
Value_for_Money: Good
Reliability: Excellent
Overall_Rating: 5 STARS - Excellent

Comments

Awesome device for my 12" LX200GPS. Never once had a problem with dew since the install of the system (scope and eyepiece). Here in the Northwest the nights are very damp and the car has enough dew on it to support life on Mars... telescope is totally clear of dew, simply amazing!!

Comments

This is a great product. My 12inch and 14 inch scopes along with the eye pieces would be useless most of the time with out the DewBuster!

Comments

I purchased this unit based on a friend's recommendation who was already using DEWBUSTER. I have DEWBUSTER and DEW-NOT on several imaging setup from a 4" refractor to a 14" SCT. Top quality! -Sab Bilsel, Istanbul, Turkey

Length_of_Ownership: 1 year or more
Customer_Service: Excellent
Warranty_Service: No experience, never needed a repair
Ease_of_Use: Easy
Dew_Prevention_Performance: Excellent
Value_for_Money: Excellent
Reliability: Excellent
Overall_Rating: 5 STARS - Excellent

Comments

This unit works like a champ; set it and forget it. I use it on a 12" LX200 and even with that much glass to cover, I've never experienced dew build up. Fantastic product! Randy K. Conroe, TX, Huntsville Amateur Astronomy Society.

Comments

I purchased this unit based of the recommendation of Cloudy Night forum members. I am very pleased with it. It is keeping my dual imaging setup - TSA102 with ZS80FD as guide scope - dew free and, most important, it is very easy to use. The same is true for my C8. The corrector plate doesn't even know what dew is. On top of that, Ron is a very kind and helpful person. After receiving my DewBuster, I thought about converting two ports so that I could use them as 12 volt plugs. Ron sent me all the info, with images, what I had to do - some cutting and soldering. Everything worked out like a charm. I can really recommend this "anti dew system" to anybody. It is a great product!!! Eddy Delbrouck, southern France.

Comments

John S. in Fairport NY. Love the product. Works great with no hassles. Talked to Ron before purchase for information and was sold on the Dew Buster. Dollars well spent. Thanks Ron!, John

Comments

Best thing since sliced bread. It is the one thing I don't have to mess; I just set it and let it go.

Comments

I've never used any other form of dew control, so I am unable to offer any comparative comments, but this piece of equipment sure does work and it has already saved me money. Early one morning, and in a very tired state, I forgot to shut down the Dew Buster and only remembered the following weekend. No worries. The unit had shut itself down and I was able to recharge my portable power pack without problem. Any other system would have cost me a new power pack. *** Top marks Ron! *** _______Wayne Kiely, Riverland of South Australia

Comments

I purchased this unit based of the recommendation of many club members, and I am very pleased with it. I never dew up and with the DewBuster’s advanced power throttling my dew battery is still going strong long after “the other guys” dew controllers have sucked others' batteries dry. Kevin Weiner, Chesapeake, VA, Back Bay Amateur Astronomers

Length_of_Ownership: 1 year or more
Customer_Service: Excellent
Warranty_Service: No experience, never needed a repair
Ease_of_Use: Extremely Easy
Dew_Prevention_Performance: Excellent
Value_for_Money: Good
Reliability: Excellent
Overall_Rating: 5 STARS - Excellent

Comments

I live in Salt Lake City Utah and we get get our share of dew (Weather I'm in the mountains or the desert) which can leave your scope a soggy or frozen mess and end your evening! We do have our unbelievably dry nights too, but when the humidity is high I use my Dew Buster and end my problems and enjoy observing when ordinarily I might have gave up! I use a battery jump starter to power up my LX200 12" and the Dew Buster is powered from it also and I can make it all night with no issue's! It pays to be flexible relative to your local environmental situation and with Dew Buster you can be! Layne T. Oliver

Length_of_Ownership: 5 years or more
Customer_Service: Excellent
Warranty_Service: Excellent
Ease_of_Use: Easy
Dew_Prevention_Performance: Very Good
Value_for_Money: Good
Reliability: Good
Overall_Rating: 4 STARS - Good

Comments

I bought my DewBuster in used condition from a third party. I had some strange behavior from it and heard that Ron Keating was present at that star party. I summoned him over to look at it. He asked me to leave it with him before he returned home and he would take care of the problem and asked only that I pay him for the return shipping. Considering that I neither purchased the unit directly from him, nor was it within the warranty period, I rate this as truly outstanding customer service.

Comments

Since I purchased my DewBuster nearly three years ago, it has been rock solid and is a very important part of my Astro-Imaging setup. I live in the south where moisture and humidity are a constant problem and the DewBuster has been instrumental in keeping both my gear and optics dry while taking beautiful images of our night sky. Thanks Ron, Brad Draper- Charlotte,NC www.bradsastrosite.com

Length_of_Ownership: Less than a year
Customer_Service: No experience, never needed to contact Ron
Warranty_Service: No experience, never needed a repair
Ease_of_Use: Easy
Dew_Prevention_Performance: Excellent
Value_for_Money: Good
Reliability: Excellent
Overall_Rating: 5 STARS - Excellent

Comments

I live near Savannah, GA. The humidity is usually very high and dew forms very quickly. For example, I was observing a month ago. Everything, including my observing notes and accessory cases, was totally wet very quickly, except the corrector lens on my 8" SCT remained absolutely clear. I could continue to observe for three hours thanks to my Dewbuster (and the Astrozap wired dewshield).

Length_of_Ownership: 1 year or more
Customer_Service: No experience, never needed to contact Ron
Warranty_Service: No experience, never needed a repair
Ease_of_Use: Easy
Dew_Prevention_Performance: Good
Value_for_Money: Good
Reliability: No Opinion
Overall_Rating: 4 STARS - Good

Comments

Took a while for me to nut out the effectiveness. Now its a matter of powering it up & forgetting about it. Not discounting the battery charge either. Sydney Australia is where a greater percentage of my observing happens. Dewbuster without a doubt prolongs the viewing but by the same token lessens the amount of sleep that follows !Member of the Astronomy Society of NSW.

Length_of_Ownership: Less than a year
Customer_Service: No experience, never needed to contact Ron
Warranty_Service: No experience, never needed a repair
Ease_of_Use: Easy
Dew_Prevention_Performance: Good
Value_for_Money: Good
Reliability: No Opinion
Overall_Rating: 4 STARS - Good

Comments

Does what the design is meant to do, which is why, by referral, I opted for a Dewbuster. Observing done primarily under the Southern Cross in Sydney Australia

Length_of_Ownership: 1 year or more
Customer_Service: Good
Warranty_Service: No experience, never needed a repair
Ease_of_Use: Easy
Dew_Prevention_Performance: Very Good
Value_for_Money: Good
Reliability: Excellent
Overall_Rating: 5 STARS - Excellent

Comments

I use 2 of them one is on 24/7 in my observatory. the other for my portable setup. Both work extremely well and can heartily recommend them for anyone living where dew is an issue.

Length_of_Ownership: Less than a year
Customer_Service: No experience, never needed to contact Ron
Warranty_Service: No experience, never needed a repair
Ease_of_Use: Easy
Dew_Prevention_Performance: Excellent
Value_for_Money: Excellent
Reliability: Excellent
Overall_Rating: 5 STARS - Excellent

Comments

It was frustrating to get my 8" SCT (with dew shield) setup and aligned, only to have the evening cut short by dew. Up here in New England it's hard enough to find clear nights for viewing without fighting dew on top of it. The DewBuster has solved that problem - in fact the only time I've had dew problems since I purchased it was when I didn't set it high enough while on vacation in the NH White Mountains. But after cranking the controller up to full blast the 'scope cleared up in a few minutes. Learning to use the DewBuster has been very easy - in the dark, no less. It is very easy on my battery pack too - I figured my viewing sessions would be shortened by the DewBuster's battery draw, but I have yet to drain the battery in a single evening with both the telescope and DewBuster running simultaneously. The LED indicators are simplicity itself - a quick glance tells you what's happening with the electronics. The quality of the device seems quite high - very rugged - and the cables are long enough to allow full rotation and then some of the mount. Hats off to Ron Keating for proving that "Made in the USA" can still be done, and done well.

Length_of_Ownership: 5 years or more
Customer_Service: No experience, never needed to contact Ron
Warranty_Service: No experience, never needed a repair
Ease_of_Use: Extremely Easy
Dew_Prevention_Performance: Excellent
Value_for_Money: Good
Reliability: Excellent
Overall_Rating: 5 STARS - Excellent

Comments

My home is located in a river valley, adjoining a lake, in Central Illinois, so we have frequent extreme humidity and heavy dewing. I have found that the DewBuster controller can adapt to all conditions, with minimal image degradation, even under severe locations. I use it on an 8" SCT. -- Stephen E. Hutson (www.aquiladigital.us - www.scopedriver.com - www.darkadapted.com)

Comments

I wish all my astronomy equipment was as well engineered and built!! I am a member of the Astronomy Club of Akron, Ohio. I have a Celestron CPC-11. In my climate, heavy duty dewbusting is a must. With an 11" tube, I would be good for 30 minutes without the Dewbuster. The first controller I had was from another well known brand. It caught on fire when it was only 12 months old. That is when I purchased the Dewbuster on the advice of a fellow astronomer. It is GREAT! There are now about four Dewbusters in our club and everyone else wished they had one.

Comments

Ron gave me excellent suggestions of exactly what I needed and then he made me a custom DewBuster controller for a very very reasonable price. It has been very helpful to have access all of the 8 plug-ins that I needed for my set-up. When I installed the electrical connections under my deck I damaged an inside capacitor in the plug-in and Ron was very generous to send me out a replacement part without any charge - even though I was the one that caused the damage. This is really much more than excellent customer service. I have never had ANY dew problems since I installed the DewBuster here in southern California - and this is the MOST important thing. I also had DewNot heaters made for my set-up and I would also recommend this company for any needed heaters - as they were very reasonably priced and that company was also willing to make me several custom straps including some double-lined units for my binocular viewer and also for my regular binoculars. I previously had the Kendrick Controller, and the DewBuster is a MUCH superior product and just better and of a much higher quality. The great service coupled with the excellent quality and functionality of the controller earns the DewBuster my very highest recommendation. Richard Lapides in California.

Comments

Great product, great customer support! I had Ron add a couple of 12V convenience outlets to mine as well as lengthening the cable to 10 feet, and he also increase the gauge of the wire to compensate for the extra length. Now I use it for my power distribution center on the scope as well as dew control and I only need one power cord. The fact that it has probes to measure the scope temperature AND the air temperature means that it will use as little power as possible to keep your optics dew free. Unlike other controllers where the knob sets a power level, the knob on the DewBuster sets the temperature difference between the two probes. The electronics then feeds just enough power to the heater strips to maintain this difference. As conditions change during the night, you don't have to reset your power level. You just set it and forget it, and concentrate on viewing instead of dewing!

Comments

If you've lost precious observing opportunities to fogged, dewy or iced optics, the DewBuster is your silver bullet. Buy the 'Buster and find something else to worry about, because those problems will be history. My scope's a 12" Lightbridge truss-tube dobsonian formerly plagued with fogged eyepieces/red-dot finder and dewy/iced secondary mirror. I purchased the DewBuster w/Dobsonian sensor option and resistors from Ron, built heaters for eyepiece, finder and secondary using the on-line instructions and haven't lost a moment of observing time to condensed atmospheric moisture since. I observe in widely varied conditions (from >90 degrees F & >90% humidity to 12 degrees F) for extended periods using a single 5Ah battery; the 'Buster parses electrons to heaters like a miser. I have yet to exhaust the battery despite observing for over 4 hrs. in below freezing temps. Prior to ordering, I emailed Ron with configuration questions specific to my scope. He answered my inquiry personally and promptly and provided excellent recommendations; this guy knows his stuff and cares about his product and customers. Delivery occurred on schedule and shipping information was communicated promptly via email. The build quality of the controller is very professional: high quality metal enclosure, durable finish and markings, low luminosity red LED operational indicators. Operation is simple: set the single dial to the appropriate degrees above ambient air temp and observe. I can't say enough about this product and the entrepreneur who produces/supports it. If there was a rating above Excellent, I'd use it. 6 STARS - Superlative! Brent, Audubon, PA

Comments

Mike Borman Evansville Astronomical Society Evansville, Indiana www.mborman.org I have two Dewbusters, one for my telescope mount at home and one for use in the field at star parties. Both work great, and help prolong battery life in the field by only applying as much heat as is required for the conditions. A great product!

Length_of_Ownership: 1 year or more
Customer_Service: No experience, never needed to contact Ron
Warranty_Service: No experience, never needed a repair
Ease_of_Use: Easy
Dew_Prevention_Performance: Excellent
Value_for_Money: Excellent
Reliability: Excellent
Overall_Rating: 5 STARS - Excellent

Comments

After retirement I decided to pursue astronomy as a hobby and spent considerable time researching essential and "best bang for your buck" items. The Dewbuster is both. I initially tried viewing without dew control and quickly found it a real problem. The Dewbuster seemed like a clever improvement over the standard controllers, and indeed it is. To quote one television pitchman, "Just set it and forget it." Easy to set up, easy to adjust, well made and rugged, the Dewbuster is exactly what Ron Keating says it is. Good work, Ron. John Casteel, Jackson, MO.

Comments

This piece of equipment is rock solid performance--period. Install it, set it, and forget it. And that is what I have done. Whether dew is imminent or not, it is always protecting my optics and it has not faltered. Ron has first rate service answering all questions before the sale. I suspect any repair service will be top notch also--though probably rarely needed. Thank you Ron for producing such a superb, quality product... Rick Warburton Schererville IN

Comments

Great little unit! Chris Thomasel, NYC

Comments

When setting up my current dual scope platform I consulted Ron about the needed power and mechanical setup. His service was over the top. He designed a wiring harness for both scopes and suggested settings to work from for the refractor and SCT. By far the best service I've ever received from any vendor (well maybe a tie with Astro-Physics ;-) ). Mark Squicquero

Comments

Went to my first star party in 2002 and after 1 hour my eyepieces and mirrors were completely covered in dew. The nightly sounds of crickets and frogs were soon replaced by hair driers running across the field. When I got home the first thing I did was to look into getting a Dew Buster. Best decision I ever made. Now I do not have to worry about Dew. The system is easy to use and hook up and the ambient temp dial is great for combating due without heating your optics too much. Also look into www.dew-not.com for heater strips. Daniel Herron Atlanta Astronomy Club simdan42@hotmail.com

Comments

I have owned my DewBuster since 2004. Ron makes an absolutely great product. The DewBuster is easy to use and is built to last! I have never had one single issue with mine. If you don't have one already, get one. It is the best dew control system on the market! Rob Cook Orlando Fl http://www.astro.studioc.info

Length_of_Ownership: Less than a year
Customer_Service: No experience, never needed to contact Ron
Warranty_Service: No experience, never needed a repair
Ease_of_Use: Extremely Easy
Dew_Prevention_Performance: Excellent
Value_for_Money: Excellent
Reliability: Excellent
Overall_Rating: 5 STARS - Excellent

Comments

William Mckinstry Donaghadee Northern Ireland Even for a novice like myself I found the controller easy to set up and easy to use, it does a perfect job, from instructions you can download from the site it even gives help for the different times of the year and how to prevent dew forming on the inside when moving a scope to and from from the house to the outdoors and back inside again.

Length_of_Ownership: 1 year or more
Customer_Service: No experience, never needed to contact Ron
Warranty_Service: No experience, never needed a repair
Ease_of_Use: Extremely Easy
Dew_Prevention_Performance: Excellent
Value_for_Money: Good
Reliability: Excellent
Overall_Rating: 5 STARS - Excellent

Comments

I have been using the Dew Buster for several years in Wisconsin weather, and have never had a problem with it, as it is well built. It works as advertised and is good value for the money. I also have a pricey Kendrick heater, but only bought it because it can be computer controlled which I needed for my remote observatory. All in all, I would buy another Dew Buster if I needed it and whole heartedly recommend this product. Ray Grace, Postville Observatory

Comments

The best thing I can say is that I lost the first one I had, and went online and bought another one within a week. Simply, it works on my Nexstar11GPS and we get a LOT of dew in Florida. http://www.farrout.org

Comments

I have had my DewBuster since Sept 2003. It spends 99% of its time in my observatory which is operated remotely. It powers up when the observatory comes on line and I really don't ever think about it. It just plain works. I am using Kendrick heaters strips and never have any dew issues. I have modified the power cord on my unit so it uses a quick disconnect connector. This configuration allows it to be easily removed from the observatory for used on a scope in the field when needed without having to disturb the wiring harness in the observatory. I just wish the option to specify the number of temperature controlled port was available back when I purchased my unit. Overall, it’s well built and simple to use. I see no reason this thing shouldn’t out live me. -Marcus http://jatobservatory.org

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I struggled with dew for the better part of three decades since I began using SCTs. I tried everything. Hairdriers. Primitive heater strips. The Kendrick System when it came out. I was never able to completely banish the curse of the wet corrector, though, until I started using the DewBuster. Not only does it keep my optics dry, it does that while consuming a minimum of battery power. How would I sum up my opinion of the DewBuster? Easy: JUST GET ONE! Rod Mollise

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Absolutely a great product. With the purchase of a C14 I figured it was time to replace the cheap cigarette lighter controllers I'd been using. A C14 has a huge dew strip for the OTA not to mention powering regular heaters for eyepieces etc. A cheap non-pulsed cigarette controller on a C14 would either knock a battery down in no time or overheat. I started looking into thermostatically controlled and pulse controllers. What caught my initial attention with the DewBuster is that the website is the most informative on understanding dew and how to combat it. Ron has taken the time not only to explain the product, but the problem it solves. I contacted Ron to ask some questions and his customer service was excellent. Since I use the C14 in the field as well as in my observatory Ron made up an extra cable for me, one for a deep cycle battery and one for the observatory. The unit itself is rugged, bulletproof and made of quality components. The thermostatically controlled main plugs come on when necessary and keep from needlessly wasting battery amps on the C14. The pulsing aux plugs work great for other heating strips like for eyepieces, or I even power a couple of 20" dew strips I wrap around the mount motors on the CGE in the winter. In short, an excellent, well-built product and outstanding customer service. Jim W - Sherwood, Wisconsin

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Thank you, Ron - for creating a device that just plain works perfectly - all the time and every time. No complaints whatsoever. *Highly* recommended to anyone who will listen. ;^) Sincerely, David Jessie Stow, OH ACA (Astronomy Club of Akron) www.acaoh.org www.StowAstronomy.org (outreach programs)

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I purchased my Dew Buster just after I bought my telescope about four years ago. The first one I ordered got lost in the mail due to the disruption from Hurricane Katrina. I called Ron and he mailed me another one right out. Since then, my Dew Buster has performed flawlessly. Dew on my optics is one thing I do not worry about and that's saying something since I live in Georgia where the humidity at night is always high. Excellent value for the price. Ron will even customize them for you if you need something a bit different. Thanks Ron. Steve Bentley Forsyth, Ga. Flint River Astronomy Club

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I've had my DewBuster for 3 years now and I am very impressed with it's quality. Prior to purchasing I looked at all the other dew removal solutions and I came back to the DewBuster. It's dependable and easy to use I highly recommend it to anyone who needs a dew removal system. Ed K.

Length_of_Ownership: 1 year or more
Customer_Service: No experience, never needed to contact Ron
Warranty_Service: No experience, never needed a repair
Ease_of_Use: Easy
Dew_Prevention_Performance: Excellent
Value_for_Money: Excellent
Reliability: Excellent
Overall_Rating: 5 STARS - Excellent

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I have had my Dewbuster for a couple of years and it has performed splendidly. I HIGHLY recommend it. Nigel Burge - nigel.burge@pobox.com

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Great feedback from the moment I purchased til the time it arrived, easy to understand instructions (which you really only need to read once), set the dial and leave it for the entire session. Was so impressed that I bought another one for my second mount. Have used my DewBusters on all of my OTAs without a single issue. Steve L, Cambridge, UK

Length_of_Ownership: 1 year or more
Customer_Service: No experience, never needed to contact Ron
Warranty_Service: No experience, never needed a repair
Ease_of_Use: Easy
Dew_Prevention_Performance: Very Good
Value_for_Money: Good
Reliability: Excellent
Overall_Rating: 5 STARS - Excellent

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I purchased the DewBuster to replace a Kendrick controller as the latter interfered with some SBIG equipment. I've never had a problem with the DewBuster, it performs as advertised. I use(d) the DewBuster on a C-14, C-11 and a few refractors. Geert Vandenbulcke Belgium

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I live in the SW of UK and we are prone to heavy dews here. I have had a Dewbuster for about 2 years now and it has been used with a variety of scopes ranging from ED80s to my current Celestron 9.25" and it has never ceased to amaze me how efficient it is in combating dew and frost. It is a simple product to set-up and use and to then just forget about, this is the sign of a well designed product. The term plug and play springs to mind. So far the Dewbuster has proved to be extremely reliable. Ron's pre and post sales support is second to none, which in this day and age of the faceless call centre is refreshing. Tony Moore - Cheltenham, United Kingdom.

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If you have any dew issues the DewBuster will be the best money you've ever spent, period. There's no calibration, you just power it up and forget about it. It's not a high profile/exciting piece of equipment, you don't 'see' it working, you don't have to know how it works, but you know at the end of the night, it worked flawlessly. If your not sure what to order, run it by Ron and he'll give you a hand in determining your requirements. Gregg W Vancouver BC Canada

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I have an 12 inch LX200, it has a dew shield which is OK for awhile but, if you don't ant to get shut down early then get a Dew Buster. There have been many times when I've been the last one observing when everyone else was shutdown by dew. This works so well that my tube is even dry when the rest of the scope is wet. The unit is great on power consumption and has multiple jacks for more main optics, eyepieces and finders. It comes equipped with a temp sensor which allows you to select how much power, in degrees over ambient temp, to use. If you're a serious observer or imager you need a Dew Buster. Craig Hunter SDAA

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Used on my Starmaster 18. Ron was great communicating with me by email to discuss ways to power my independent secondary heater (which has its own thermostat) through the dewbuster. He added a custom outlet wired through the main switch, provided great advice, and was generally very helpful. The whole process could not have been easier, and I ended up with a custom product that is exactly what I wanted. At MASP 2008 my optics dewed over every single night. Since I installed the DB, not a drop of dew has dared come near my stuff. I made custom heating elements for my 8x50 RACI finder and eyepiece based on Ron's documentation. The elements were CHEAP to make, and they work great. As an added bonus, the eyepiece element warms my nose while I look through the scope. I have a 40Ah battery that has never dropped below about 80% charge, even after long all-nighters in cold weather. So far, I could not be happier. I have never used any of the competing products, but I can say that my DB has been an outstanding value and performer. - Michael in Raleigh, NC (member of CHAOS)

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Here in the Pacific NW USA, humidity is a big problem. A good dew (& frost!) control is essential in order to observe more than a little while during a fair part of the year. I have had my dewbuster simultaneously keeping an 11" SCT, a 120mm refractor, and 66 & 70mm guidescopes for each quite clear on nights the finder scopes, eyepieces, tripods, my toes, etc., have all frosted up. Had a problem with the first controller I bought that was through my own ignorance, but Ron replaced it for me anyway- and advised me how to keep from goofing up again to boot! Well thought-out and built product, good price, and best of all, a real honest guy who knows what he's talking about and stands behind his product backing it up.

Length_of_Ownership: 1 year or more
Customer_Service: Excellent
Warranty_Service: No experience, never needed a repair
Ease_of_Use: Easy
Dew_Prevention_Performance: Very Good
Value_for_Money: Good
Reliability: Excellent
Overall_Rating: 5 STARS - Excellent

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Hi, Living down-under in New Zealand is not the easiest when it comes to getting astro equipment at competitive prices. Ron had no problem shipping down-under at cost! Highly recommended. Even when the first dew controller failed to show up, Ron simply shipped another, no questions asked! You can't beat that for service.... The first unit eventually showed up and was returned to Ron. Used with dewnot dew straps, and I have an excellent no dew setup. Cheers Robby. :)

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One of the first things that gets turned on before I start an imaging session each evening is my DewBuster. I can't state enough how much I appreciate my DewBuster and Ron's excellent response to questions and help. I do quite a bit of NEO work and I could not imagine being without this most valuable piece of equipment. Clear, Dark Skies! Dave Birmingham Astronomical Observatory Harvard MPC/ H53 Thompsonville, IL. N 37° 56' 42.9" / W 088° 46' 17.7" ele. 516 ft/ 157 m 12" LX200GPS s/n 05008 ASO SuperCharge # 243-2012 Main Imager - SBIG ST-402ME-C1

Length_of_Ownership: 1 year or more
Customer_Service: Excellent
Warranty_Service: Excellent
Ease_of_Use: Easy
Dew_Prevention_Performance: Excellent
Value_for_Money: Excellent
Reliability: Excellent
Overall_Rating: 5 STARS - Excellent

Comments

I own 3 DewBuster controllers: one standard controller; one for my big dob; and one custom built for my CPC 1100/Mallincam setup where I need temperature control for the heated dew shield, a few medium power jacks for heater strips, and several 12-volt jacks for accessories. In each case they perform their tasks perfectly. The temperature control settings are easy to determine in the field and once set the controller effortlessly meets the challenge of our dew-ridden nights without burdening the battery. Ron's service will become legendary if not already. He provides the best pre- and post-sale service I've ever experienced. He's prompt and thorough with his advice, recommendations and troubleshooting. There simply can't be anyone who can claim to do it better. Steve E.

Length_of_Ownership: Less than a month
Customer_Service: Excellent
Warranty_Service: No experience, never needed a repair
Ease_of_Use: Very Easy
Dew_Prevention_Performance: Excellent
Value_for_Money: Excellent
Reliability: Excellent
Overall_Rating: 5 STARS - Excellent

Comments

THIS IS THE BEST DEW HEATER / PREVENTER ON THE MARKET! I owned competing brands before this one and always had trouble with preventing dew on my 14 without blasting it with extreme heat and causing heat plumes inside my dew shield. I highly recommend this piece of equipment - throw away your hairdryers...you won't need them anymore because this won't allow dew to form on your corrector plate. It also won't drain your battery in the field and will conserve power with its temperature sensor. Buy one today, you won't regret it! Steve, Virginia Peninsula Astronomers and Stargazers Club, Attic Bluffs Observatory.

If you would like to read more testimonials visit the EXCELSIS Astronomy Equipment Ratings web site.

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Testimonials

DewBuster™ Controller Owner Testimonials The testimonials below were provided by customers who wanted to share their experience. If you would like to participate simply click on the following link: Owners, CLICK HERE to rate your DewBuster™ Controller

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DewBuster™ Controller
Owner Testimonials
The testimonials below were provided by customers who wanted to share their experience. If you would like to participate simply click on the following link:
Owners, CLICK HERE to rate your DewBuster™ Controller