Flocking evidence

[RikM]

The darker your site, the less benefit you will get from flocking.

[Moonshane]

I think the problem here is that not many people have the ability to test whether or not there is a e.g. 5% improvement in contrast other than what they can (or think they can) see. I think it falls into the same bracket as are expensive eyepieces worth it for a 10% improvement in visual detail or sharpness etc. Personally for the cost it is not a big issue and the job itself is not that tricky although I must admit to swearing a few times when I did my 6" f11 dob.

[jambouk]

Yes, i suspect the 5% improvement is the right kind of ball park figure, though not based on anything concrete. It's a relatively straight forward thing to do, and give you an opportunity to understand your scope a bit better too. The flocking stuff does release some fluff which will drop onto your mirror. I suspect for many people, flocking doesn't add much, but costs relatively little.

[TiTanecd]

I decided to go out on a limb and take apart my 130EQ and do some servicing and mods to it.

I cleaned, and greased the draw tube in the focuser, added a centre dot to the mirror (first time looking at a mirror, its thick, was not expecting that) and flocked my tube.

I had a roll of rubber, similar to a yoga mat but slightly more porous, so don't have small pieces that will fall of over time. I also have black fabric paint. I used these to flock my tube.

Didn't get much chance to take a look through it, maybe 15mins but here are pictures of before and after.

Pre-Flocking:

Flocking (unpainted):

Flocking after painting:

All same exposures.

[Peter Drew]

You will probably get as much benefit by flocking a patch on the outside of a white tube in front of the eye you are not using. 

[TiTanecd]

You will probably get as much benefit by flocking a patch on the outside of a white tube in front of the eye you are not using. 

Captain's eye patch on your other eye

Also if you have to use a phone or something put patch on viewing eye.

[DRT]

Captain's eye patch on your other eye

Also if you have to use a phone or something put patch on viewing eye.

My eyes are both fitted with fully automatic carbon-based light shields, each of which can be used independantly to prevent light from entering one eye or the other. You literally just need to think it and the shield goes down or pops back up. It's like magic.

I think you can still buy these from FLO.

[greglloyd]

The super flocking product of the future??? 

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-29326916

:-)

[Pingster]

I spent about £150 flocking my 16in flextube. I think the main improvements where from painting all skywatchers screws from black to blackboard black and paining edge if secondary black.

On my second 12in flextube i only flocked half of the surface opposite the eyepiece. Then during use i actually felt that a light should around the top of the scope is far simpler and gets the job done... If you dont let the stray light in the first place... Then theres no need absorb it in the first place!

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