Cleaning Primary Mirror

[DigitalDev1l]

I noticed that there was some dirt on my Primary, Can someone point me in the direction of a good Tutorial i can use For cleaning it. Thanks in Advance.

[Qualia]

My advice is don't touch it. You're only going to be putting unnecessary wear and tear on the coatings and if you think about it, even after you've 'cleaned' the primary if you look at the mirror in the daylight it is still going to look dusty. Use a bulb blower to blow off any obvious debris, pollen etc after a night's session and leave it at that. In a good few years, if the primary starts to sprout its very own ecosystem, then it might be worth a tender wash, but only if it affects the contrast and quality of image .

[DigitalDev1l]

Thanks for the advice! I def. will Heed your advice, i want this thing to last me for awhile.

[umadog]

Yep, just bulb blow for now (not compressed air can--the propellant can be bad news). In the longer term, there is evidence that mirrors that have been regularly (but carefully!) cleaned will have their coatings last longer. A safe way is just to hose it down in the cell with a bottle of distilled water. That way you never touch the mirror and can't damage it (unless you drop it, if course!). There are other approaches that involve removing the mirror and using soapy water. Generally, though, pointing a torch at it will make a mirror will look more dirty than it is. Don't let that freak you out too much.

[E621Keith]

Here is a video tutorial on how to clean a telescope mirror if it is absolutely necessary. It was made by one of the forum mod.

but I agree with Qualia, don't clean your mirror unless it's absolutely necessary. You are more likely to damage the mirror during cleaning than any other time. Mirror coating is much softer than lens coating and can be scratch very easily.

[DigitalDev1l]

Here is a video tutorial on how to clean a telescope mirror if it is absolutely necessary. It was made by one of the forum mod.

but I agree with Qualia, don't clean your mirror unless it's absolutely necessary. You are more likely to damage the mirror during cleaning than any other time. Mirror coating is much softer than lens coating and can be scratch very easily.

Thanks, I will throw this vid in my Favorites for Future Reference, But if you guys think it would be best to leave it alone then i will take your advice.

[DigitalDev1l]

Yep, just bulb blow for now (not compressed air can--the propellant can be bad news). In the longer term, there is evidence that mirrors that have been regularly (but carefully!) cleaned will have their coatings last longer. A safe way is just to hose it down in the cell with a bottle of distilled water. That way you never touch the mirror and can't damage it (unless you drop it, if course!). There are other approaches that involve removing the mirror and using soapy water. Generally, though, pointing a torch at it will make a mirror will look more dirty than it is. Don't let that freak you out too much.

I just got the Scope 2 Months ago and have kind of been Coddling it like its my baby lol. Just want to make sure i get the best and longest use possible out of it. Thanks for the Help Guys

[umadog]

Good stuff! Eventually the mirror will get dewy and dirt will stick to it and it'll be permanently dirty. That's a good thing: it means you've used it! The funny thing is that you still won't notice the dirt affecting the image. Partly it's because dirt builds up slowly so you don't realise the effect it's having on the views. Also it's because a bit of dirt doesn't make much difference. Some people say freshly cleaned mirrors do result in more contrasty views.