Sap and collimation resolved!!!

[Jarndyce]

Perfect end to a trying day.

Thanks for all the advice given on my previous two threads.

Managed to eventually get my collimation close enough by using my artificial "ball bearing" star and peering into the front of the SCT. I think there's still room for improvement, but I'm leaving it as it is. The focus on my neighbour's chimneys was very crisp and I could clearly count the legs on the spider on the roof slate 50m away. Perhaps it was a big spider.

But the icing on the cake was Saturn. Despite a murky night, it's the best view I've seen of Saturn. Fantastic. With the 24mm hyperion and Tal barlow it was a crisp as... ...well, something pretty crisp and sharp. It was at least as sharp as the C80ED. Views of the moon were just as successful.

We had friends round for dinner, and the garden was full of gasps of "Wow!", and "Is that real?"

This is what it's all about.

I'd tried to gently remove the sap earlier with a lens pen, and it wasn't having any of it. I could actually feel the lumps on the surface of the eyepiece.

Anyhow, when I brought the scope indoors around 30 minutes ago, I thought I'd just have another go.

I suspect it had something to do with the EP being in the cool, slightly damp atmosphere for a few hours, but with the first touch of the lens pen, the sap spots just fell off! They didn't smear, they just detached.

The EP is now pristine again (and I'm fussy).

I am absolutely delighted.

So if you have sap spots on your EPs (not recommended - avoid sycamore trees..), leave them outside to cool down and try again later with a lens pen.

[Doc]

Glad it all ended well.

If Saturn looks as crisp as you say your collimation must be pretty damn good.

[Jarndyce]

Glad it all ended well.

If Saturn looks as crisp as you say your collimation must be pretty damn good.

Cheers Doc.

I agree.

Possibly more by luck than judgement, but I can't argue with the results.

It's all a learning curve....

[barkis]

Good to hear you have it sorted. Now you can just enjoy the performance.

Ron.