The Toaster is dead long live the new Dew Heaters.

[+Graham]

After reading up on home made Dew heaters I decided to give it a go.

The normal method involves soldering up ladders made from resisters.

I had come across a piece on the web about making dew heaters from the weird and wonderful metal they use in the heating elements in your every day pop up toasters.

So today I decided that my perfectly good old electric toaster had to become a donor.

A quick attack with a screw driver and I had the heating elements sitting on my kitchen worktop.

I started by unwinding the elements from their backing cards and straightening them out.

Next step was to lay out a strip of sticky tape about a foot long, sticky side up.

I then stuck one of the elements up and down to the tape and covered it over with another piece of sticky tape.

The important part is to keep the element insulated from itself to stop it shorting out.

After it was all insulated I needed to connect it up to a power supply.

For the power supply I decided to use an old mobile phone charger I had sitting in my junk drawer.

Anyway the long and the short of this is I now have two fully functional dew heaters that I hope to test tonight.

Total cost was one old unused toaster and a bit of imagination.

[Doc]

I made something similar Graham, the mark one version caught on fire because the elements touched but the mark 2 version worked really well.

[Brantuk]

Hahaha! - is there anything you didn't set fire to Mick? - creasing myself laughing here lol

[+Graham]

I made something similar Graham, the mark one version caught on fire because the elements touched but the mark 2 version worked really well.

Hi Mick.

What did you use for the power supply.

I am going to test these tonight if I get a chance.

I have had them running for about an hour but I do not know if they are hot enough.

I might up the power source to a ten volt power supply from an old typewriter.

[Doc]

Mine went through my dew controller down to a 12v battery.

[Doc]

Mine got hot pretty quickly but because I ran it through a dew controller I just turned them down.

You could feel the heat so they were pretty warm at full power.

[BAZ]

Hahaha! - is there anything you didn't set fire to Mick? - creasing myself laughing here lol

Well it is Bonfire night, so go for it Mick, no one will notice.

[Guest Madatter]

I made one on Friday using the wire and resister ladder method, I used an adjustable charger that goes up to 12v, same here, not heat! I think its down to the amps or watts being too low. I also read you need some sort off regulator to control the heat, i have one on order and will let you know if it works.

[BAZ]

Graham will your scope smell of Breakfast when you use your dew heater?

[+Graham]

Graham will your scope smell of Breakfast when you use your dew heater?

:lol:

[+Graham]

I made one on Friday using the wire and resister ladder method, I used an adjustable charger that goes up to 12v, same here, not heat! I think its down to the amps or watts being too low. I also read you need some sort off regulator to control the heat, i have one on order and will let you know if it works.

Steve these are getting nice and warm but I am not sure if they will be warm enough once exposed to the cold air.

I have tried them on the 10 volt unit and they get HOT.

We will see.

I might put a dimmer switch in line and use the 10 volt.