OK everybody, time to get this list a bit active I hope. I recently bought an ETX 90 for the tidy sum of $80. That's not relly necessary to tell you but I wanted to brag a little. I already have one but I'd like to give it to my son as a present since his interest in astronomy is increasing. Anyways it has a few very distinct fingerprints on the outer and <GASP> inner corrector lens surfaces!! I know I almost cried when I realized that they were inside. I've perused the web for cleaning tips solutions etc, specifically Weasners Mighty ETX site which is amazing by the way I've followed that site for over 10 years. I'd like to know of any local wisdom, tips, in this area and possible suppliesand/or ingredients to buy. Any and all help would be very welcome. Thanks! Howard ____________________________________________________________________________________ 8:00? 8:25? 8:40? Find a flick in no time with the Yahoo! Search movie showtime shortcut. http://tools.search.yahoo.com/shortcuts/#news
Quoting Howard Jackman <sumoetx@yahoo.com>:
I recently bought an ETX 90 for the tidy sum of $80. Anyways it has a few very distinct fingerprints on the outer and <GASP> inner corrector lens surfaces!! I know I almost cried when I realized that they were inside. I'd like to know of any local wisdom, tips, in this area and possible suppliesand/or ingredients to buy. Any and all help would be very welcome.
It's an $80.00 scope. Windex and paper towels. ;)
Thanks to everyone that's chimed in! All good advice! and surprisingly Guy's advice isn't too far off. I found on Weasners ETX site a good deal of info and most of it is very similar to that given here. The local Guru on Weasner's is Doc. Clay. I've included the link to Doc Clay's advice for a homemade cleaning mixture, it's a bit complicated in the steps you take and I'm not sure that I'll be going to that much trouble, although I would like to find those cotton pads he mentions. I've also found that OPT sells his solution in a kit http://www.optcorp.com/product.aspx?pid=1952&kw=clay&st=2 It's a bit pricey for me so I'm going to give the windex diluted with some distilled water and alcohol a try and let you know how it went. I hope to get some pictures posted of the fingerprints so you can all see what it looks like. I did check the MAPUG website and they all suggest the blue windex as well. Thanks again Howard On 3/10/07, diveboss@xmission.com <diveboss@xmission.com> wrote:
It's an $80.00 scope. Windex and paper towels. ;)
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Aloha We used GlassPlus and surgical gauze to clean the mirror of a 16" RCOS that was covered in mold. The scope was in an observatory covered in a black trash bag in a part of Maui w/ high humidity and cool. The mirror was put in a laundry sink w/ warm water running on it for 15 minutes, then sprayed w/ GlassPlus, allowed to sit for a bit then GlassPlus soaked gauze was dragged (no pressure) across the mirror and disposed of after a single use. We'd do 10 drags w/GlassPlus sprays in between. We'd rinse in ionized water, check and do it again. Our final rinse was w/ ionized water as alcohol needs to be near 100% pure or it leaves impurity rings. Excess water was blown off w/ canned air and small drops were picked up w/ lens tissue and surgical gauze. Windex and tissues work too. Aloha Rob
What about pouring grain alcohol on it as a last step? If the mirror were clean, would the alcohol evaporate without leaving a ring? Just a thought -- Joe
We use alcohol and cotton swabs, or, cotton balls to clean rifle scope lenses and for some some night vision equipment, we dilute it with distilled water as well. But if it's an $80.00 rifle scope we use Windex and paper towels. :D Quoting Howard Jackman <sumoetx@gmail.com>:
Thanks to everyone that's chimed in! All good advice! and surprisingly Guy's advice isn't too far off. I found on Weasners ETX site a good deal of info and most of it is very similar to that given here. The local Guru on Weasner's is Doc. Clay. I've included the link to Doc Clay's advice for a homemade cleaning mixture, it's a bit complicated in the steps you take and I'm not sure that I'll be going to that much trouble, although I would like to find those cotton pads he mentions. I've also found that OPT sells his solution in a kit http://www.optcorp.com/product.aspx?pid=1952&kw=clay&st=2 It's a bit pricey for me so I'm going to give the windex diluted with some distilled water and alcohol a try and let you know how it went. I hope to get some pictures posted of the fingerprints so you can all see what it looks like. I did check the MAPUG website and they all suggest the blue windex as well.
Thanks again
Howard
On 3/10/07, diveboss@xmission.com <diveboss@xmission.com> wrote:
It's an $80.00 scope. Windex and paper towels. ;)
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Hi Howard, I don't have direct experience with the ETX, although I own a couple of Celestrons. I don't know if the same issues apply to a Mak as to an SCT, but anyway... In an SCT, the corrector is sometimes aligned by means of shims. If that's the case with a Mak, then you'll need to look for them and mark them in some way so the thing will go back together properly. But as Guy indicates, you didn't break the bank to buy this one. MC
OK everybody, time to get this list a bit active I hope.
I recently bought an ETX 90 for the tidy sum of $80. That's not relly necessary to tell you but I wanted to brag a little. I already have one but I'd like to give it to my son as a present since his interest in astronomy is increasing. Anyways it has a few very distinct fingerprints on the outer and <GASP> inner corrector lens surfaces!! I know I almost cried when I realized that they were inside. I've perused the web for cleaning tips solutions etc, specifically Weasners Mighty ETX site which is amazing by the way I've followed that site for over 10 years. I'd like to know of any local wisdom, tips, in this area and possible suppliesand/or ingredients to buy. Any and all help would be very welcome.
Thanks!
Howard
Weasners is THE place for finding info on the ETX scopes, but you might try http://www.mapug-astronomy.net/ and ask Doc G's advice. Quoting Michael Carnes <MichaelCarnes@earthlink.net>:
Hi Howard, I don't have direct experience with the ETX, although I own a couple of Celestrons. I don't know if the same issues apply to a Mak as to an SCT, but anyway... In an SCT, the corrector is sometimes aligned by means of shims. If that's the case with a Mak, then you'll need to look for them and mark them in some way so the thing will go back together properly. But as Guy indicates, you didn't break the bank to buy this one. MC
OK everybody, time to get this list a bit active I hope.
I recently bought an ETX 90 for the tidy sum of $80. That's not relly necessary to tell you but I wanted to brag a little. I already have one but I'd like to give it to my son as a present since his interest in astronomy is increasing. Anyways it has a few very distinct fingerprints on the outer and <GASP> inner corrector lens surfaces!! I know I almost cried when I realized that they were inside. I've perused the web for cleaning tips solutions etc, specifically Weasners Mighty ETX site which is amazing by the way I've followed that site for over 10 years. I'd like to know of any local wisdom, tips, in this area and possible suppliesand/or ingredients to buy. Any and all help would be very welcome.
Thanks!
Howard
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participants (6)
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diveboss＠xmission.com -
Howard Jackman -
Howard Jackman -
Joe Bauman -
Michael Carnes -
Rob Ratkowski Photography