Meade series 5000 eyepiece P65 warning

[pandoraefretum]

Hi group,

just got a Meade 12mm HD-60 eyepiece from China (listed on UK Amazon)

it arrived with a P65Warnings.ca.gov / Cancer and reproductive harm sticker on the box

I looked up the warning, so I know what it means, but can anyone tell me some specific info on Meade eyepieces; why or how dangerous this eyepiece is to use?!!

Thanks, Roland, Bristol

 

[John]

I've never heard of that before or seen such a warning on an eyepiece packaging in my 35+ years in this hobby

Nothing different about Meade HD-60's as far as I know - may well be the same optically as some other eyepieces as such things often use a shared manufactuer, in this case in China (they are not made in the USA).

I wonder if that sticker has been placed on the package by mistake ?

 

[alan potts]

Got to be a mistake as John said. I bought about 18 Meade eyepieces from the 5000 range and I have never seen it before, not that I would know what a P65 warning was, a P45 when one used to retire maybe.

Alan

[Ben the Ignorant]

Some old-fashioned plastics "deplastify" over time, they release their hardening component in the air so what remains is a sticky goo, it occurs in old binoculars' eyecups and in some parts of my not-so-young car (I'm attached to it and feel no attraction to other models). The fume and/or the remaining paste can be toxic but I don't know to what degree.

If the rubber in your eyepiece is synthetic maybe that's why the warning is there but it could be a mistake or an overreacting paranoid measure. I've never seen that kind of warning on an eyepiece before.

Edited June 10, 2019 by Ben the Ignorant

[laudropb]

If this sticker was on the box it was sent in it probably refers to some of the packaging materials used to protect the ep during delivery. If it was on the actual ep box then I am stumped.

[pandoraefretum]

The sticker is on the bottom of the box...

It reads WARNING
Cancer and Reproductive Harm
www.P65Warnings.ca.gov

just above a larger sticker which reads

"Part number 07733
Made in China
bar code
Copyright Meade Instruments Corp. All rights reserved." 

I also thought it may be the packaging, rather than the eyepiece itself.
Still I am curious to know what's going on.

[pandoraefretum]

I did think about the plastics....
But more likely to be lead in the glass, I think.

[johnturley]

33 minutes ago, pandoraefretum said:

I did think about the plastics....
But more likely to be lead in the glass, I think.

Some rare earths which are used in certain types of ED glass are very slightly radioactive with very long half lives. From my unviversity days I seem to remember this being the case with cerium, not sure about lanthanum which some eyepiece glass contains.

John

[Kn4fty]

2 hours ago, pandoraefretum said:

Hi group,

just got a Meade 12mm HD-60 eyepiece from China (listed on UK Amazon)

it arrived with a P65Warnings.ca.gov / Cancer and reproductive harm sticker on the box

I looked up the warning, so I know what it means, but can anyone tell me some specific info on Meade eyepieces; why or how dangerous this eyepiece is to use?!!

Thanks, Roland, Bristol

 

Don't worry about it. California has those warnings put on everything! We have a joke here in the USA. "Everything in California causes cancer and reproductive harm!"

Enjoy your EP. 

Rob

[JeremyS]

I had the same warning on a counterweight I bought from amazon:

 

[Ricochet]

I guess that the only way to find out for sure is to contact Meade and see if they can tell you what chemical the warning refers to. I think it can even refer to chemicals used during manufacture, that aren't really present by the time you receive the product. 

[pandoraefretum]

Let's say rare Earths or Lead in the lenses then...
probably no different from your average eyepiece.

I'll post the answer if I ever get one.