Eyepiece endcaps

[CSM]

They come with the eyepieces to protect them in their cases but are they really any use after that?  Ok all the cases show eyepieces with their endcaps on but are they really keeping them clean and scratch-free?  What am I missing?

[jabeoo1]

Prevention is better than cure for me.  I always place them back on, I even think that the sponge/foam inside cases is abrasive enough to do something negative to the surface coatings & glass.  Its the eyepieces with oval glass in the barrel I feel are most vulnerable, the contact point with the foam etc would be right in the middle of the field of view. 

[sbooder]

I have had EPs without end caps on and they always end up dirtier than the others (the less dust the need to clean, the less chance of damage) and two have ended up with scratches.

[alan potts]

I don't think I would put any of my eyepieces away without the caps on place, the size of some of the eye-lenses of say the Delos range is rather large. My advice is if you want to help keep the glass srcatch free and to some extent dust free use them, it is amazing how much dust and rubbish an eyepiece case can collect.

Alan

[CSM]

Should one therefore clean the insides of the endcaps?

[sbooder]

Should one therefore clean the insides of the endcaps?

Oh yes!  I give mine a wipe round once a week.

[CSM]

Where do you store the endcaps when you are observing?

[sbooder]

I leave mine in the EP case and usually put the smaller end inside the larger and have the larger facing down.

[CSM]

I have just brought my eyepiece case inside and looked at all the eyepieces and how they connect with the foam.  And with the possible exception of the 12.5mm reticule eyepiece it is very difficult to see how any of the lens surfaces can actually make contact with the foam, or come anywhere near it. The reason for this post was because of all the beautiful photos of eyepieces cases on another post, all eyepieces neatly displayed with their endcaps in place.  I can understand the desire for keeping lens and mirrors clean - being over-zealous has caused me enough problems! - but in this case I can't see the value of it.

[John]

Mine are neatly stored in cavitys in foam lined cases but I still keep the end caps on when they are not actually in the scope. My eyepieces are worth quite a bit more than my scopes so I tend to take very good care of them. I keep my scopes capped when not in use too of course.

[alan potts]

I am sort of struggling to understand the point of this thread. Eyepiece manufacturers all as far as I know provide eyepieces with caps to protect them. If you for what ever reason you feel that these are not required then simply don't use them, as I have said I for one will not be going down this path.

Alan.

[Alien 13]

I dont own any eypieces apart from a single skywatcher one but have often wondered if they suffer fungus infections similar to camera lenses if they dont get some doses of daylight.

Alan

[CSM]

Alan, am sorry if this is upsetting you.  I can understand why the manufacturers would supply endcaps, but after that it seems a matter of habit, convention and in some cases (literally) neatness rather than real necessity.  Yes - I can also understand the feelings and care one would take with expensive eyepieces, but I had sort of expected to be told why I should keep them on in the cases rather than ' because they were supplied'.

[John]

..... I had sort of expected to be told why I should keep them on in the cases rather than ' because they were supplied'.

I have owned eyepieces that did not have eye cups because they had got lost at some point. As Alan mentions in his earlier post in this thread, the eye lenses seem to attract dust and small debris suprisingly easily if they are not covered. The soft rubber eye cups that some eyepieces have seem to act as "dust magnets" too. I've often wondered if they (the rubber eyecups) build up a sort of static charge ?. Bottom end caps are also sensible, in my opinion, because some designs of eyepiece have quite large lenses very close to the end of the eyepiece barrel so you want to protect those potentially vulnerable optical elements. From a performance point of view dirty or dusty lenses in eyepieces can create light scatter and reduce contrast and resolution to some extent.

I've bought all my eyepieces from the used market and I would like the optics in eyepieces that I buy to be in excellent condition and I try and keep mine the same way in case I want to sell them on at some point.

So I think it's a practical care thing but it's not mandatory of course.

[Dave In Vermont]

I keep mine capped when not in use. In use, I often just pocket the caps - and blow on them before re-capping. For the rare one's that have no caps, they are first-in-line to get a screw-together "bolt-case" I have a few of. This way all they tend to need is a soft brush and a can of compressed air. I also am quite fond of the LensPen from Parkside Optical in Canada.

Clear & Clean Skies,

Dave

[CSM]

John - soft rubber as static dust attractors.  Well maybe you have something there.  I feel an experiment coming on.  Have to sleep on it. No - on second thoughts having looked again at my eyepieces I think the main reason for dust and dirt on the lens is quite simply us - our sweaty eyebrows, bits of flaky skin, not to mention dandruff.  Don't think endcaps can do anything about those things.

[Digger1895]

They are there, provided for free, put them on, it only takes a second, done.

[alan potts]

CSM,

No your not upsetting me at all, far from it. Something else I noticed after tonights session, in the Televue ranges there are 3 I know of, that is at the fieldstop end of the Nagler 31mm,26mm and 20mm the last lens in the groupings are dangerously close to protruding from the metal sleeve that goes in the focuser. The 31mm is the worst for this. I offen put mine down on smooth surfaces while observing which is very risky, end caps on the 3 eyepiece is a must. Of course others are no where near as bad.

Alan.

[Rockrae78]

Alan, am sorry if this is upsetting you.  I can understand why the manufacturers would supply endcaps, but after that it seems a matter of habit, convention and in some cases (literally) neatness rather than real necessity.  Yes - I can also understand the feelings and care one would take with expensive eyepieces, but I had sort of expected to be told why I should keep them on in the cases rather than ' because they were supplied'.

I think people have given reasons why they should be used and it isn't just because they were supplied. Using the foam is simply not enough to protect them from damage/dust/debris.  My Baaders come with dust caps and a nice leather pouch to keep them in. After a rush packing up session   I put two of them back in the EP case (lived with foam) without any protection and boy did I regret it. Both of them got ruined: scratched, covered in dust etc).  I've ended up replacing them.  I'll never make that mistake again. 

[cotterless45]

I've got loads of 1.25" eyepiece caps. Orange and blue selection from plastic milk carton tops. Just designed to fit snugly,

Nick.

[CSM]

Yes - very easy just to put the endcaps on when we finish our observing session.  But by putting the endcaps on at the end of a long observing session aren't we merely encapsulating any muck that we have deposited on the eyepieces? Habits are easily formed but can be difficult to break.

[John]

Yes - very easy just to put the endcaps on when we finish our observing session.  But by putting the endcaps on at the end of a long observing session aren't we merely encapsulating any muck that we have deposited on the eyepieces? Habits are easily formed but can be difficult to break.

Why not try an alternative approach for a few months, leave the end caps off yours, or some of them, and then see how it goes ?. You could then post a little report on the forum about your experiences

[CSM]

Why not try an alternative approach for a few months, leave the end caps off yours, or some of them, and then see how it goes ?. You could then post a little report on the forum about your experiences

Well I have one eyepiece on order but that would hardly be a fair test.  Let me put it another way.  It is very useful, even important, especially for beginners, to develop procedures for the start and end of and observing or imaging session.  That way we don't forget to uncap the scope and wonder why we can't see anything or have blank images. These are all good habits.  But putting the endcaps back on eyepieces at the end of a session?  For some eyepieces maybe.  Now if someone were to invent a device such that I could put the eyepieces in when I finish a session - something which would de-sweat, de-fluff and de-grit it - and then put the endcap on for me......

[Ant]

I have actually bought a stack of spare end caps, both ends and both sizes.

That way if I drop one while observing / imaging I have a spare if it's lost till morning or dirty when I find it.

End caps help keep Dew off, dust off and will add to their value when you come to sell them on, because IMO this shows that you have taken care of your eyepieces.

Cheers

Ant

[Scott]

There's a thread on here called http://stargazerslounge.com/topic/57027-show-me-your-eye-piece-cases/ . It's 88 pages long. count how many don't use end caps and it might give some idea of the general concensus as to whether they are of any use or not

I'll not be throwing mine away any time soon