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Eyepiece cleaning frequency - consequences


vagk

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Good afternoon,

How often do we clean eyepieces ? For example, even if there is small spot of eyelashes-oil ?

Also, no matter how careful we are, will scratches invisible to eye be created as in primary mirrors, or if something go wrong scratches will be obvious? 

Thank you!

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1 hour ago, vagk said:

Good afternoon,

How often do we clean eyepieces ? For example, even if there is small spot of eyelashes-oil ?

Also, no matter how careful we are, will scratches invisible to eye be created as in primary mirrors, or if something go wrong scratches will be obvious? 

Thank you!

Covered in this thread: 

 

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From what I've read it's much easier to apply hard coatings to the tiny lenses used in eyepieces than it is to the much larger elements in telescope objectives so your eyepieces will stand up to normal cleaning very well. When I bought my Fujiyama ortho recently I asked the seller (Barry Gooley of Magellan Science in Japan - lovely guy) about the proper way to clean them and he advised the use of Baader Optical Wonder Cloth which he gently presses into the edges of the lens using a wooden toothpick to get the last traces of grime all the way across the lens. Most of the time he uses the cloth by itself and only wets it with Optical Wonder cleaning fluid when the grime is really bad. The main thing he cautioned about was not using so much fluid that it gets into the lens mountings.

Hope this helps.

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With my eyepieces, when used with glasses, they can go a few months between cleanings.

With the eyepieces I don't use glasses with, a monthly cleaning after a full night at a star party is usually called for--especially if other people also look through the scope.

Use Q-Tips and your choice of lens cleaning fluid--put a couple drops on the Q-Tip, not the lens, and clean the entire lens with the wet mop, then flip the Q-Tip over to absorb the junk on the lens,

then grab a second Q-Tip and wipe until clean and streak free.  The coatings are hard and not easily scratched if NEVER wiped when dry.

I have had eyepieces cleaned over 100x that still looked brand new under a 10X loupe.

 

There have been many recent threads and posts on eyepiece cleaning.  A Search for "Cleaning eyepieces" using the search function at the top right returned many many posts on the subject.

Edited by Don Pensack
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Stupid.

No reason to get the entire eyepiece wet.

Water isn't a good cleaner on its own.

You still need to clean the lenses.

In 1/20 the time, you could clean a full set of eyepieces with Q-Tips and lens cleaning fluid and not have to let them dry.

You have to realize that video is just bragging about being waterproof.  Whoopee.

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10 minutes ago, Don Pensack said:

 

You have to realize that video is just bragging about being waterproof.  Whoopee.

I suppose they think being able to observe in the rain is an adavantage. 🙄

Of course if it’s raining……………..😜😜😜

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You have right. It is mostly marketing technique to prove the durability of these eyepieces.

Instead of Q tips can i use a microfiber cloth , after blowing dust with puffer ? And what about dust particles which resist in air flow ?

Edited by vagk
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I keep my eyepieces capped until use and bulb-blower and recap when finished, same with filters. The only eyepieces i have had to clean are my short focal length, short eye-relief orthoscopics. The 6mm BCO is particularly prone to collecting eye-juice!. Like Don says, a Q-Tip with a little Baader fluid does the trick.

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But are the waterproof ES eyepieces dishwasher safe? 😁 I can't be bothered with wipes and little bottles of cleaning liquid.  I just want to toss them in with the dirty dishes when they get grimy.

spacer.png

Look!  No grime and no oils.  Never mind the etching, the important thing is, it's squeaky clean! 🤣

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Cleaning eyepieces will NOT harm the coatings when done properly. I personally use ROR, (residue oil remover), which has been recommended to many astronomers.

Before doing the ROR, I use a blower bulb to remove any hairs, etc. Then I use the brush at the other end of my lens pen and gently brush away any fine debris. Then another once over with the blower bulb.

I then use a Q-Tip and put ONE DROP of ROR on it. I then gently "swirl" it over the lens and clean. I then use a blower bulb to dry off as much as I can. I then use a new lens pen and swirl in circles until the lens is clean and dry. Sometimes I will do a final cleaning with the dry end of the Q-Tip. A few "huffs" of your breath and another drying is sometimes needed for the final cleaning.

I've been doing this for about 26 years without a problem, but I think just the Q-tips are better then a lens pen, even though it may only be used a few times, junk that gets picked up by the lens pen can go right back onto the lens and possibly scratch it.

Edited by TheLookingGlass
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