Cleaning Maksutov Corrector Lens

[gfletcher]

Hi Guys

Is it okay to clean the Maksutov Corrector Lens with Baader Optical Wonder Fluid ?

Graham

[M4lcs67]

Is that the little one on the inside of the scope???? Cannot offer any advice if it is as i've never dismantled mine. I do use Baader Optical Fluid on the outside though.

[AndyH]

Can't see why not, Graham

[JamesF]

I've done it on my 127 Mak, inside and out, and nothing seems to have gone hideously wrong.

James

[moriniboy]

Ditto used on my C90 Mak, no problems.

I've been advised not to use it on the main mirror though

[Graham Darke]

Cleaning the outside or front surface with Optical Wonder is fine. Just use the same technique as cleaning a refractor lens. If you're needing to clean the inside surface (which should be unlikely) then be careful not to make contact with the aluminised spot of the secondary mirror as the coating is easily damaged.

[JamesF]

The 127 Mak has a shroud around the secondary, so there's no major risk when cleaning the inside of the corrector lens, though actually on mine I've cleaned both the secondary and primary too because over the years they'd become quite dirty.

If you're removing the corrector however, mark it's position with a pencil line or something similar across the lens housing and the OTA to avoid over-tightening it when it's replaced, and do it with the tube lying down as if you do it with the corrector uppermost you can get dust and other rubbish falling out of the threads onto the primary. It's probably sensible to avoid putting your hands into the OTA if possible as the baffle tube is covered in grease and it's almost impossible to avoid getting on your skin.

James

[yelsac]

Is that the little one on the inside of the scope???? Cannot offer any advice if it is as i've never dismantled mine. I do use Baader Optical Fluid on the outside though.

Is this Baader Optical Fluid the best/cheapest solutions to clean the outside of the telescope lense?

[JamesF]

Is this Baader Optical Fluid the best/cheapest solutions to clean the outside of the telescope lense?

It's not the cheapest, but it's very good.

James

[yelsac]

It's not the cheapest, but it's very good.

James

James I know you've taken your Mak apart & cleaned the whole thing, what have you used to clean yours?

I just want to clean the corrector lense (full of fingerprints!)

also what do you apply it with tissue, cloth?

yelsac

[earth titan]

I've done the inside and outside of my C9.25 with optical fluid. No I'll effects - just nice and clean!

Typed by me on my fone, using fumms... Excuse eny speling errurs.

[JamesF]

James I know you've taken your Mak apart & cleaned the whole thing, what have you used to clean yours?

I just want to clean the corrector lense (full of fingerprints!)

also what do you apply it with tissue, cloth?

I used the Baader Optical Wonder Fluid and their microfibre cleaning cloth. I assume any microfibre cloth would be fine, but I wanted one specifically to keep with my telescope kit so it doesn't get used by half the family for cleaning their glasses

James

[yelsac]

I used the Baader Optical Wonder Fluid and their microfibre cleaning cloth. I assume any microfibre cloth would be fine, but I wanted one specifically to keep with my telescope kit so it doesn't get used by half the family for cleaning their glasses

James

Does that mean you could use one of the cloths that come inside you specs case? is that a microfibre cloth or am I being really thick?

[JamesF]

Does that mean you could use one of the cloths that come inside you specs case? is that a microfibre cloth or am I being really thick?

I wouldn't like to guarantee that it is, though similar cloths are sold for that purpose. I'm not really up on the whole glasses-wearing thing, only recently having decided that my eyes are now sufficiently old that they need a bit of artificial assistance for close work.

James

[HD-AP]

_Hi

_{I wouldn't use a cleaning cloth that you clean spec lenses with .Other microfibre cloths may be ok but some of the alleged microfibre cloths are very coarse material ,and i think it's a much mis-used term used to describe many cleaning cloths ,For example i wouldn't use microfibre cloths sold by halfords to clean optical surfaces with .}

_{If you stick with baader wonder fluid and one of the baader micofibre cloths it's a known quality and works well.}

_cheers

[yelsac]

I wouldn't like to guarantee that it is, though similar cloths are sold for that purpose. I'm not really up on the whole glasses-wearing thing, only recently having decided that my eyes are now sufficiently old that they need a bit of artificial assistance for close work.

James

James I was meaning to ask about your scopes, I can see from your posts that you have quite a few, If you had to pick one whats your favourite?

[JamesF]

James I was meaning to ask about your scopes, I can see from your posts that you have quite a few, If you had to pick one whats your favourite?

You know, I'm really not sure I could pick a favourite. In the main I don't really "do" favourite anythings. If I had to pick only one to keep I'd really struggle. The big dob gives stunning wide field (and planetary) views, but isn't really practical to take on holiday. The 127 Mak is something i've had a huge amount of fun with, particularly imaging solar system targets and its sufficiently portable to take on holiday in the car, but the SCT will blow it away otherwise. The ST80 I'll probably always keep because it was a present from my wife and together with the ED80 it will mostly be used for imaging. Before I built the dob the ST120 was my wide field scope, but it and the ST102 will probably now be kept for the children to use as they're small enough to cope with by themselves. And the 200P is just a brilliant scope, though actually it's probably the hardest to justify keeping now. I might be tempted to change it for an MN190 one day, or I might build a dob mount for it so the children can use it.

I'd have more if I could justify the money and find the space. There has to be room for at least one "proper" Ha solar scope in the collection and I love Montana's CaK solar images, so given unlimited funds I'd not even see two as excessive

James

[yelsac]

You know, I'm really not sure I could pick a favourite. In the main I don't really "do" favourite anythings. If I had to pick only one to keep I'd really struggle. The big dob gives stunning wide field (and planetary) views, but isn't really practical to take on holiday. The 127 Mak is something i've had a huge amount of fun with, particularly imaging solar system targets and its sufficiently portable to take on holiday in the car, but the SCT will blow it away otherwise. The ST80 I'll probably always keep because it was a present from my wife and together with the ED80 it will mostly be used for imaging. Before I built the dob the ST120 was my wide field scope, but it and the ST102 will probably now be kept for the children to use as they're small enough to cope with by themselves. And the 200P is just a brilliant scope, though actually it's probably the hardest to justify keeping now. I might be tempted to change it for an MN190 one day, or I might build a dob mount for it so the children can use it.

I'd have more if I could justify the money and find the space. There has to be room for at least one "proper" Ha solar scope in the collection and I love Montana's CaK solar images, so given unlimited funds I'd not even see two as excessive

James

Wow some good memories there.

I've got a 5" Mak (which I love) & a 6" reflector (first scope)

I do like astrophotography as you know I've managed to get some ok shots of Jupiter also got some of Saturn & Mars with the reflector & some of Uranus through the Mak.

If you were going to recommend a scope in the way of an upgrade what would you say?

you said you used your ST80 & ED80 for imaging are they better than the 5" Mak?

Yelsac

[JamesF]

Wow some good memories there.

I've got a 5" Mak (which I love) & a 6" reflector (first scope)

I do like astrophotography as you know I've managed to get some ok shots of Jupiter also got some of Saturn & Mars with the reflector & some of Uranus through the Mak.

If you were going to recommend a scope in the way of an upgrade what would you say?

you said you used your ST80 & ED80 for imaging are they better than the 5" Mak?

They're usually better for DSO imaging than a 5" Mak. But the Mak wins for solar system imaging. I think the only "upgrade" from a 5" Mak is a larger Mak or SCT, but then you'd need a heftier mount and the field of view gets smaller so it's nice to have a decent wide field scope as well and for wide field I think a big dob is hard to beat.

I have no idea where things will take me next. Solar Ha appeals, as does CaK, but on the other hand I might have a few practice runs making my own mirrors for moderate size dobs and then go for something like a 16" dob. And if that works, perhaps bigger again

James

[yelsac]

James

Really enjoyed looking at your website, some I really love the images of Mars can't wait to try that with my Mak.

Have you got any images of Uranus?

[JamesF]

Mars is very interesting to image because it has phases and you can see the polar ice cap change in size. In fact, you can also pick up clouds in the atmosphere.

I've not tried Uranus yet. I think that will be one for the SCT. The Mak almost certainly isn't up to imaging a planet that faint.

James

[yelsac]

Mars is very interesting to image because it has phases and you can see the polar ice cap change in size. In fact, you can also pick up clouds in the atmosphere.

I've not tried Uranus yet. I think that will be one for the SCT. The Mak almost certainly isn't up to imaging a planet that faint.

James

James

I was totally amazed at the Mak when finally managed to find Uranus (only found it because it was so close to a star!!) mind you the spc900 was useless with it, I had to use a dslr with exposures of 10-20 secs & was very surprised it managed to pick up not only the sphere but also some vivid blue colour.

I've put them in planatary imaging-

yelsac

[JamesF]

I'd not thought of trying that. I can find it with the Mak no problem, but the OTA lacks the aperture for fast frame rate imaging of Uranus I think.

James