Dust inside 24 ~ 8 Celestron zoom

[N3ptune]

Hello,

I have this situation (which is resolved right now) some dust got inside my Celestron zoom, between the multiple lenses. The result of that, I have some black spots in focus when the piece is pivoted at 18mm.  I wrote to Amazon and the seller agreed to give me a refund for that zoom.

I want to know if anyone else heard about  a similar situation, zoom or sealed eyepiece with dust getting inside..  

--> I now wish to have a 18mm Xcel LX eyepiece with the refund money but, can I be confident that this piece will be sealed, preventing any particles from getting inside?

Thanks.

 

 

[N3ptune]

hemm ok it's calm here. lol

May be a hint that this dust situation is rare.

[alan potts]

Dust can get just about anywhere, some of my older eyepieces have a few specks and they are all TeleVue. It does not affect the performance of any of mine so I leave well alone. You have been unlucky to get a new eyepiece with a problem that will have probably come from manufacture, it is good that they are refunding you. I will keep my fingers crossed for your next eyepiece.

[N3ptune]

(: thanks for your support. It should be ok I guess...

I have my new pieces right now  Xcel LX 24mm and 18mm, I am waiting for the moon to test them (Or a great sky). I hope the lens are well scaled.

 

[Dave In Vermont]

I just found somebody's hair tangled-up in a new 2" 32mm 70° eyepiece. It looked like it was inside the glass. But I took a strong light and went hunting. Turned out it was actually wedged under the field-stop. I managed to remove most of it with some fine forceps. Then I pulled what was left taut and snipped it off flush with the field-stop. Now it can't be seen whatsoever.

It was the first time I ever gave an eyepiece a haircut.

Dave

[N3ptune]

Dave

heheheh at least the the story ended well, probably a technician hair that has fallen while building the eyepiece? Do you think the lenses usually sit on sticky gaskets or these gaskets are more like a piece of fabric so it's possible for a technician to remove the stacked lens and put them back together after?

Has for my zoom i don't think the dust came from the factory, it used to be dust free. There was a clear random build-up in there, on the side of the piece there is 2 joints plus the moving lenses assembly at the bottom with a large joint again, it's moving like a piston.

--> I am starting to think I was the problem... (a Code 18) always using my air duster on the piece has the picture bellow. I think an air jet could have induced dust by force inside the piece, by the various joints cracks.

Is it possible? Do you astronomers use an air device like that?

[Dave In Vermont]

Yes - we do use such:

http://www.amazon.com/Giottos-Rocket-Blaster-Blower-Large/dp/B00017LSPI

The Giotto's have a large amount of power in them. Wooooosh!!

These are prefered first-line of assault on dust and other debris.

Dave

[N3ptune]

Hem ok if it's common to use powerful air blaster like the Giotto then logically an eyepieces should be built to withstand such a treatment.

Good to know.