Cleaning lenses

[shanmac]

Hi everyone..

I need some advice on cleaning my lenses and primary mirror...

I only have my telescope 2 weeks so I am sure they do not need any attention yet, but the thought has crossed my mind.....

As the telescope is a very sensitive peace of kit ,I am very cautious on the do,s and don,t on this subject..

[brianb]

This subject comes up regularly.

Clean as infrequently as possible - mirrors shouldn't need attention more often than every couple of years. Get gallons of distilled water before you start, follow the instructions & you'll be OK.

Eyepieces - do NOT dismantle for cleaning, they shouldn't need it - lens cleaning fluid works well. Always use a freshly laundered but old cloth, do not wipe twice with the same area of cloth and use a sweeping motion rather than rubbing hard. Excessive cleaning should be avoided, once every month is plenty.

[steppenwolf]

If your telescope is only 2 weeks old, as Brian says you can forget about it for years (maybe even forever). You should only clean your optics if the dust and grime is demonstratively spoiling the view.

[shanmac]

Thanks for the advice..

Can,t wait for clear sky's...Love my mak 127

[pbyrne]

For my eyepieces I use warm water with a cotton bud. Gently rub the bud across the lens, then I take a piece of soft toilet paper and dab the lens clean. Rubbing the lens is not necessary as the paper is absorbant enough to remove the liquid.

Dismantling the lens is not necessary as it is unlikely that dirt will get on the inside.

As for the mirror, I had a mirror that was so filthy that it looked grey, yet it worked perfectly well. Eventually I removed the mirror and gently removed the larger pieces of dirt with a bulb blower and cotton buds, it was not a thorough clean, but it was fine.