Cleaning?

[craigfoot]

Hi all. .

Looking for a little more advice since I've learnt a lot more since using this forum! So thanks in advance. . .

Had my scope pout tonight just to re familiarise myself with it, just brought it back inside and looking into the tube the mirror looks a bit dull and well I don't want to say dirty but its not a clean shiny mirror.

Should I be cleaning it somehow? Or leave well alone?

What's the general maintenance routine for looking after a scope??

Cheers

[happy-kat]

Might the dullness be a film of dew?

[craigfoot]

Possibly. . .good suggestion, just brought it back in.

So do I leave it in the warm to just dry? Dust cap on or off?

[NGC 1502]

The general advice is to leave well alone. You mention that after bringing the scope in, the mirror looks dull, so has it dewed up ? If you leave the scope uncapped to

thoroughly dry, if it looks ok, then you are sorted.

Most telescope mirrors look grotty when examined, more especially if you shine a torch down the tube. Telescope optical surfaces can get very grubby and not affect the view,so unless things are really bad, best to relax and enjoy what you see looking through the scope rather than at it.

When storing the scope ( best in a cool dust free place ) keep the caps in place to reduce the ingress of dirt.

Hope that helps, Ed.

[craigfoot]

Thanks both. . .just looked in again and its clearing, so yes dew must be the answer. . I'll leave the cap off a while and put it away tomorrow.

Cheers

[SW130p]

I cleaned mine the weekend. Had to modify the mirror holder up an inch for it to reach focus with a dslr so as I had it off I cleaned it. I used a running tapwater and a drop of fairy liquid, using a cotton wool pad wiped it across in only one direction lightly till clean dried with a hair drier on low cool and came out clean with no marks or scratches.

Now looks brighter as you look down at the mirror .

Just go easy and lightly and make sure you use new pads regularly

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[happy-kat]

Fairy liquid is salty.

[Astro Imp]

Just a point, when your scope is drying out it is good practice to leave it with the mirror end elevated so that no drips fall and leave a residue. 

[SW130p]

Fairy liquid is salty.

can't be any worse than the dirt and dust sitting on the mirror together when it dew's up, isn' dew salty. besides I used a drop and it gets rinsed off.

[craigfoot]

Good point. . . mirror is now looking clean and shiny now its dried out ☺

[Dave In Vermont]

I'd only add what has been said about shining a torch (flashlight) on the mirror/lens of a telescope. This will often result in an exaggerated seen of wreckage like a World War One battle took place on it. Don't know why exactly, but this happens. So don't let a torch-view guide you to clean it. Besides, a little dust and some small debris won't seriously degrade your image at the eyepiece.

Clear Skies,

Dave

[m1dlj]

A mildly amusing optics cleaning vid', posted by Edmund Optics  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wdNS2mGSTfI

Ray