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Cleaning my 16" mirror with "First contact"

jarbi

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lguise

lguise

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Before and During photos, note Original Fairy Liguid which works very well. A couple of hours of gently soaking and careful use of very soft cotton 'T' shirt material (old and well washed) without any pressure, just its own weight while in the water. Final rinse with warm distilled water and this original coating from the early 1990s came up almost as good as new.

Linton

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Psychobilly

Psychobilly

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There are already at least 2 uk distributors for First Contact...

They are both suppliers to the "optics" industry rather than retail outlets...

http://www.comaroptics.com/

http://www.photoniccleaning.co.uk/

Be good if a retailer can get a distributorship as they may be more interested in selling the smaller bottles at a realistic price rather than 1:1+ as they are great for filters, ccd's etc... just dont paint it to close to the edge...

Heres a link to the manufacturers US site

http://www.photoniccleaning.com/

The good news is they seem to have got an exclusion to the Hazmat Shipping (for orders containing less then 500ml) which used to add $50 to the shipping costs before you even started never mind how little you ordered...

They don't tell you the shipping costs until you complete the order though :)

Billy..

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chrisrnuttall

chrisrnuttall

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right, found it. i contacted Phil Jackson at photionic cleaning technologies in the US via his website, he had just shipped his first consignement to a new distributor in Leeds, he was Dr John P Fuguson from Photonics and Analytical Marketing. Phil passed my email on to John who got in touch and asked it i would be his ginea pig to test the first batch (for free).

As i said the cleaning worked well, but a few water / grease marks remained. The scope was a newise, so i contacted Peter Wise to ask his advice, he told me to rinse the mirror with iospropanol or acetone, well we have both at work so i tried acetone (having not used ipa much before) and it worked pretty well. Didn't damage anything and took the marks straight off. However please don't copy me if you are doubtful as i am no expert!

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FLO

FLO

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I contacted them via their US website but they haven't responded. If you have found an alternate supplier please go ahead and order from them.

If someone has a direct name/email for the company please PM me the details :)

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LukeSkywatcher

LukeSkywatcher

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During winter, customers occasionally phone us after opening their Skywatcher telescopes concerned that they can see a blue cast on the mirror. It is only that the cold mirror has formed condensation when exposed to warm living-room air.

HTH

Aha!!!!!!!! that explains how and what i saw the day i opened my SW. I looked into the tube and was horrified by the colour of the primary. Then a few seconds later when i looked again the mirror looked normal.

Thanks for the info Steve. I feel better now.

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yesyes

yesyes

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If someone has a direct name/email for the company please PM me the details :)

chrisrnuttall mentioned a few posts up that he has a contact in the UK in Leeds. Maybe he can help? :D

I haven't found any other reseller yet. The ones listed above seem to sell to businesses only. And they are quite expensive. I was hoping that FLO can make a better deal .. :eek:

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FLO

FLO

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Aha!!!!!!!! that explains how and what i saw the day i opened my SW. I looked into the tube and was horrified by the colour of the primary. Then a few seconds later when i looked again the mirror looked normal.

Thanks for the info Steve. I feel better now.

No probs :eek:

It is when you don't see that tell-tale hint of blue that you need to be careful.

... they are quite expensive. I was hoping that FLO can make a better deal .. :D

If they offer us the dealership we will do our best :)
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johninderby

johninderby

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I've always used Baader Optical Wonder cleaning fluid for cleaning mirrors. Works perfectly every time.

I first use a blower to blow off any surface dust, then wipe with a soft camel hair brush and then use the Baader fluid. I do however use a brand new Baader cleaning cloth each time just to be safe. Bunch up the cloth and wipe over the mirror surface without applying any pressure.

The only time I would resort to the old washing method is if it was a plain coated mirror without any protective over-coating or if the mirror was really, really filthy.

John

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LukeSkywatcher

LukeSkywatcher

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I'm terrified to clean any telescope/camera lens,mirror,bins because of the protective coatings. I simply use a blower to get rid of any debris and then use grease proof tissue (camera lens cleaning kit) to remove any smudges (not on the mirrors of my new scope). I guess it is safe to use liquids. I'm just scared that the protective coating may be damaged.

Can i clean binoculars lens' with the same fluid as was included in the camera cleaning kit?. My bins are fully multi-coated.

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FLO

FLO

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I've always used Baader Optical Wonder cleaning fluid for cleaning mirrors. Works perfectly every time.

It does do an excellent job John but is not recommended for mirrors. My understanding is that it can clean off the protective coating.

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FLO

FLO

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Can i clean binoculars lens' with the same fluid as was included in the camera cleaning kit?. My bins are fully multi-coated.

When you 'huff' onto a lens the condensation that forms is actually distilled water. That and a micro-fibre cloth is normally all that is required. If you have something sticky or stubborn then the Baader Optical Wonder is excellent but is best used sparingly.

Modern lens coatings are surprisingly robust.

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LukeSkywatcher

LukeSkywatcher

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Once again.............good to know,Steve. Just have to make sure i'm not eating toast before i huff onto the lens,LOL

I'm quite religious about keeping my lens clean to start with so no greasy smudges etc for me so far.

Think i'll wait til my B-Day before ordering the optical wonder kit there. All these purchases for 10 and 20 euros soon add up.

Cheers.

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Merlin66

Merlin66

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3M (?) had a strippable film which sounds similar - it was black and formed a pretty solid "skin".

I used it to protect the optics when I had to store my 13" and 18" mirrors for 4 years ( I was working overseas) When I eventually stripped the film the coatings were as clean as a whistle.

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johninderby

johninderby

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I found the following info from Baader

"Baader's Optical Wonder universal optics cleaning fluid was designed specifically for cleaning telescope optics and other delicate optical instruments. It removes dirt and fat from the optics without attacking the coating of the optics (soft coatings without protective coating excepted).

Cleans without scratching: eyepieces, lens surfaces, and even mirrors"

John

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johninderby

johninderby

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John, it is okay for dielectric mirrors such as those found in better quality diagonals but I would advise against using it on Newtonian mirrors.

HTH

OK, for primary mirrors then it depends on what type of protective coatings are used. Ask the manufacturer if it's safe to use on their mirrors first.

John

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