Thinking abour Cleaning and CenterDotting, Is it Worth the risk?

[Gutross]

my friends Nexstar 114GT works ok, but i feel its off columated slightly. Also the Primary looks speckled with alot of dust, With this being such a "cheap" scope is it even worth taking out the primary , cleaning, and dotting it?

I do not have a laser Colomator nor a cheshire,  i just have a modified cap with a center hole drilled out.

[Cornelius Varley]

Dust tends to look worse than really is so I wouldn't bother cleaning the primary. The Nexstar 114GT is a Bird-Jones reflector (corrector lens in the focuser draw tube). This type of telescope can't be collimated using a laser, just use the coli-cap.

[damnut]

Hi Gutross,

Unless your mirror has 3" of dust :---Follow these simple steps....

1. Make cup of tea.

2. Think about cleaning mirror.

3. If thirsty goto step 1.

If the scope cannot achieve sharp focus then do collimate it.

[xtreemchaos]

as long as you can see your face in it i would let it be.

[Gutross]

I will let it be then,  But i dont belive ive seen a corector lens in the draw tube, will have a better look later after i get home.  whats the best way to verify?

and yes i can see my face reflected back at me,

[Cornelius Varley]

If the telescope has a focal length of 1000mm (there might be a plate on the telescope tube that gives the fl and aperture) and the tube is about 500mm then it is a Bird-Jones reflector.

[Essex nightsky]

If you take the ep out and look through the focuser, if it is a bird jones you'll see the corrector lens

[Gutross]

i will deffinatly have to double check, but i dont remember seeing a lens in the tube,

[Gutross]

well thats depressing, now i know why i cant get a tight focus from what ive read about the downfalls of the B@J design

[Essex nightsky]

Iv got a bird jones and I don't have any problems with it

[faulksy]

I will let it be then,  But i dont belive ive seen a corector lens in the draw tube, will have a better look later after i get home.  whats the best way to verify?

and yes i can see my face reflected back at me,

if the reflection is ugly, then clean it, if its ok let it be. i clean mine all the time

[Gutross]

if the reflection is ugly, then clean it, if its ok let it be. i clean mine all the time

After the day ive had i needed a good laugh!!  thanks

[faulksy]

After the day ive had i needed a good laugh!!  thanks

your welcome gutross

[estwing]

mine looked dirty from brand new!!!

[cotterless45]

Fine place for Beanz !

[niallk]

I've resisted cleaning my 10" for 6 years now (maybe it's over due and does look grubby) - but I keep getting 'new best views ever' out of it - eg great views of Saturn last night despite thin cloud and low altitude. I now feel guilty that I'm neglecting it from a maintenance perspective...

I've dust and a couple of dew drip spots on my 6 month old 15" mirror. To supress my inner urge to bath my new baby, I stuck my hand into the light path while viewing Jupiter and M57 - the spots don't bother me anymore from a performance point of view!