Celestron Eyepiece and Filter Kit 1.25in

[Woolnut]

Hey SGL,

So i have purchased a set of Celestron EP's with some filters and upon inspection some of the filters seem to not look overly "clean"? Several of them have what could be best described as water marks whilst another has a piece of something on the filter... Am i able to clean these at all or would it damage them? I haven't got round to checking the EP's but i would hope they are all okay!

Celestron Eyepiece and Filter Kit 1.25in (Purchased from here too)

If anyone has any advice on cleaning them (if possible without damaging them) or what to do that would be great  I am not sure what is considered reasonable and what isn't when it comes to this sort of stuff!

[cardigan wearer]

Tring astro this is a very reputable supplier give them a ring, sure they would exchange them no quibble.

[ronin]

I would guess that whatever is on the filter is a case of static attracting some thing on to the filter. I would assume that it is easily removed. The filters will be coloured glass and so safe to clean with something like a microfibre cloth - was there one in the kit. The filters are not going to be overly delicate. Except the moon one.

The eyepieces are a bit less obvious. Would not expect anything on them in the form of water marks. Equally it would not generally be a problem to clean, the same microfibre cloth and and a bit of care. I clean all mine at intervals, I seem to have long eyelashes and so the eyepieces get in a mess. The main problem is likely to be not spreading any "muck" that is around the edges.

Even if you get a replacement you will at some time need to clean whatever you get. so if it is just surface marks to some extent consider a clean now, but where the marks are is relevant.

Contact Tring and ask.

[M106]

a camera lens cleaning kit is always worth havimg on hand, i'd call the supplier, see if they wll exchange, but i'd also say i want to try cleaning them, if shop is happy to exchange if cleaning doesnt work

 

cleaning with alcohol (iso) (assuming lens isnt coated with somthing alcohol dissolves) and lens cloth & lens tissue should do the job tbh

[alanjgreen]

Take a photo and email it to the supplier, see how they respond?

you paid for new so I would not touch them before you have spoken to tring. I would expect them to offer a replacement.

 

[laudropb]

I would not try to clean them, especially if you do not have any experience of doing it. Get a replacement from Tring.

[cardigan wearer]

Please let us know how you get on with the supplier, this forum has a lot of potential buyers!

[Woolnut]

Thanks for the comments guys, i will take another look at them in sunlight to be sure before bringing it up with the supplier along with a look at the EP's. I doubt they will have any issues with me asking for replacement ones if they are as bad as they looked last night!

@cardigan wearer, I will do  

[JOC]

Woolnut - they may be worth another look now they've been inside for a while.  I had a second-hand polarising filter delivered yesterday - when I first unpacked it, it looked most odd, but I quickly reasoned it was condensation caused by it coming from the cold outdoor post-box we have to inside my warm house.  I unwrapped it and left it for an hour or so and sure enough it was fine when it came back to ambient temps both inside and outside it.

[Woolnut]

48 minutes ago, JOC said:

Woolnut - they may be worth another look now they've been inside for a while.  I had a second-hand polarising filter delivered yesterday - when I first unpacked it, it looked most odd, but I quickly reasoned it was condensation caused by it coming from the cold outdoor post-box we have to inside my warm house.  I unwrapped it and left it for an hour or so and sure enough it was fine when it came back to ambient temps both inside and outside it.

Yeah admittedly i hadn't thought about that, when i get home this evening i will take another look!

[Woolnut]

Quote

 

So i have purchased a set of Celestron EP's with some filters and upon inspection some of the filters seem to not look overly "clean"? Several of them have what could be best described as water marks whilst another has a piece of something on the filter... Am i able to clean these at all or would it damage them? I haven't got round to checking the EP's but i would hope they are all okay!

Celestron Eyepiece and Filter Kit 1.25in (Purchased from here too)

If anyone has any advice on cleaning them (if possible without damaging them) or what to do that would be great  I am not sure what is considered reasonable and what isn't when it comes to this sort of stuff!

 

So these are the worst ones... The others aren't perfect by any length though! Thoughts?

 

[JOC]

Looks like a Friday afternoon job that missed the polisher.  I bet the seller will want to help.

[Woolnut]

52 minutes ago, JOC said:

Looks like a Friday afternoon job that missed the polisher.  I bet the seller will want to help.

I will send them an email over the weekend / on Monday morning, i am sure it's not deliberate, either way though a little annoying!

[Alan64]

I may have a solution for you.  This lens assembly was very dirty when I received it.  It even had tiny paint specks on it, in addition to what appeared to be hard-water stains...

http://www.boots.com/en/Ponds-Cold-Cream-Cleanser-50ml_1120639/

There are other varieties of Ponds cream, but get only the original "cold cream cleanser".  It's been used for years to restore old camera lenses, and as you can see within my image, it's no wonder.  After polishing the lens with the cream, and with clean fingers(no grit), wash with dish-detergent and hot water, rinse, then rinse with distilled water and allow to dry.

[Woolnut]

13 hours ago, Alan64 said:

I may have a solution for you.  This lens assembly was very dirty when I received it.  It even had tiny paint specks on it, in addition to what appeared to be hard-water stains...

http://www.boots.com/en/Ponds-Cold-Cream-Cleanser-50ml_1120639/

There are other varieties of Ponds cream, but get only the original "cold cream cleanser".  It's been used for years to restore old camera lenses, and as you can see within my image, it's no wonder.  After polishing the lens with the cream, and with clean fingers(no grit), wash with dish-detergent and hot water, rinse, then rinse with distilled water and allow to dry.

Interesting, i will take a look at this as it could come in handy! Thanks  

[LukeSkywatcher]

Wouldn't cream have a certain amount of organic material in it?. Not a good idea to be spreading organics over glass etc. It could over time start eating into any coatings on the glass.

[Woolnut]

So I got in contact with Tring Astro and they have offered to exchange any of the filters that appear to have missed the polish / are dirty. (Also offered to exchange the entire set). I decided to try and clean one up just to see if i am just making a fuss and it has come out near enough perfect. So i have a question; Do the filter's have to be absolutely perfectly clear to use them without seeing any marks through the EP?

I may still take the offer up to exchange some of them though, i guess it depends on how people answer the above question!  

[Louis D]

1 hour ago, Woolnut said:

So i have a question; Do the filter's have to be absolutely perfectly clear to use them without seeing any marks through the EP?

The effect would be to scatter light which would decrease contrast.  Whether or not your could see it would be dependent on the telescope, eyepiece, target, conditions, observer's visual acuity, etc. as well as the filter.

[Alan64]

On 1/16/2017 at 13:59, Woolnut said:

So I got in contact with Tring Astro and they have offered to exchange any of the filters that appear to have missed the polish / are dirty. (Also offered to exchange the entire set). I decided to try and clean one up just to see if i am just making a fuss and it has come out near enough perfect. So i have a question; Do the filter's have to be absolutely perfectly clear to use them without seeing any marks through the EP?

I may still take the offer up to exchange some of them though, i guess it depends on how people answer the above question!  

Any and all optical accessories, and the cleanliness and clarity thereof, that are placed in the optical path, are going to affect the quality of the image there at the eyepiece or camera.

I would exchange the entire set, and hope for the best.  There's really no excuse for that, being that it's new.

I ordered a set of coloured filters one day, many years ago, and all of them arrived, save the #80A(bottom right)...

Time passed, yet I did not follow up with the vendor on the back-ordered filter.  About two years later, it finally arrived in the post. 

I had forgotten all about it.