Don't rub, just pour the alcohol over the mirror. Spot clean the offending spot with your rag. The sample we will build is a 6-inch f/7.5, however the plans can be scaled down to 4-inch scopes and up to 10- or 12-inch scopes of various focal ratios. Use water for a quick clean. Once released, the springs went back to their original shape but they are definitely 'under-powered'. I pick a warm dry day. Wipe off the vinegar with a lint-free rag. im not recomnending anyone do what i did . I don't know the exact cause of the adherence of minute particles, but. I took the, er, plunge and cleaned my 10" mirror yesterday with the fingertip/dishsoap method and a final distilled water rinse. Thanks to all authors for creating a page that has been read 289,829 times. Gently blot the surface with the tissue. Orion branded bags as well for all parts. Acetone is a very aggressive solvent may wreck your counter . Finally I did enjoy your 'targets' list which I read when you first produced it - very good report. Blower for de-fogging eps/secondary mirror, Secondary mirror shows on image in eyepiece. A well-washed piece of pure cotton cloth works well. Well, this certainly gives me hope for cleaning my 16" this weekend. Mike Lockwood talked about the damage he has seen on a mirror that was left to soak, and it didnt take very long to occur. I might wait until SGL5 and do it with lots of members around - just in case it does totally wrong. You'll have to rinse thoroughly again of course. You need to be a member in order to leave a comment. They should NOT touch the mirror--you should be able to slide at least a sheet of paper between them and the mirror surface. Cleaning an entire Dirty Mirror. By rejecting non-essential cookies, Reddit may still use certain cookies to ensure the proper functionality of our platform. 2. Are all of those to be avoided? . If you know you have hard water, using distilled water in place of tap water will prevent minerals from leaving deposits on your mirror. 4. Get it out of the screw heads for your cleats, wash the bucket super well, etc. Carve out a hole on the top part of the sonotube first. It's easy! Distilled water leaves very few water spots behind. Using this method, as opposed to internal baffling, allows internal tube currents to ride smoothly along the telescope's interior surface. As a last resort to see if it may help on the spots, I'd use a 99% pure isopropyl alcohol rinse. Thank you all for the help, though it seemed taboo at first, I will now never use any other method to clean my mirror. Small scale dust/oils/pollen/haze that won't blow off no matter what? Never wipe them if they are covered in dew - your cloth could be covered in anything even micro fragments that could scratch the mirrors. OK - some great info to look through here! Take your time, get every spot, rinse with tap water and look for spots that were missed or that need more attention and tad bit more pressure. At the moment the mirror looks like a new mirror. I cleaned the mirror on my 25 inch Obsession and clean the mirror on my 22 inch with the mirror in place. A guide on how to safely clean a dobsonian telescope mirror. 76 (3") mirror 700mm focal length 5x24 finderscope 1.25" Huygens eyepiece (SR4mm, H12.5mm & HM25mm) 3x Barlow lens for maximum of 526x power 1.5x erecting prism for terrestrial viewing Standard aluminium tripod with accessory tray Astronomical software and moon & starchart This is great for looking at stars brought it but not what I wanted so have all . Coating*: Multi coating. Remove the mirror box from the rocker box section and place it on the small blocks. The general rule is don't clean unless it's really dirty. At what point would you remove and clean the primary? By signing up you are agreeing to receive emails according to our privacy policy. 4. Not sure who looks at old threads, but, like the original poster, I bought a 2nd hand Skywatcher gogto dob. . Ive only been using it a few months, but its been a couple of years since Carl made it and Pete at SDM used it to build the scope. Don't drop liquid directly onto the glass. 7. Placed the OTA upright and poured de-mineralised water with a little raw detergent on mirror and left for 15 mins. Well, if you are absolutely sure it needs a clean, then the procedure for cleaning the secondary is the same as for the primary. Support Galactic Hunter: https://www.patreon.co. The mirror looked great. Or leave it 'as is'. The Celestron USB Cooling Fan is the ideal cooling solution for your StarSense Exploerer 10" Dobsonian telescope. yup. About Press Copyright Contact us Creators Advertise Developers Terms Privacy Policy & Safety How YouTube works Test new features Press Copyright Contact us Creators . Again, don't soak, spray it if possible. The revolutionary Ethos, Panoptic, Delos and DeLite series range of eyepieces is huge. The biggest problem for beginners is usually collimating it again after you put it back together! Thankshave done that but no noticeable improvement. There are videos of the cleaning of observatory scopes that shows them using hoses, soap and mops. cleaning. I think I have done enough for now and have decided to put the scope back together and trial it. Like yours mine had a film over the mirror caused by alot of dryed dew deposits etc. 2. Be sure to rinse the mirror off thoroughly with distilled water afterward. Don't wipe or rub yet. 2. Several functions may not work. I washed my hands THOUROGHLY twice then used the above described OWL method to gently clean the mirror in tepidly warm water. One thing to be careful of though--if there are pinholes in the coating under the spots, you'll want to keep a close eye on them and consider a recoat sometime not too far in the future. are there any other techniques for getting a stain-free surface after the final rinse? I wouldn't blame the distilled water. Softened skin + washing up liquid layer between skin and mirror coating = really gentle. However.. I then pick it up by the edges and slosh it around in the water a bit then lift it out and look what came off. Are fingers the only acceptable option? Level up your tech skills and stay ahead of the curve. Another trick for hard to remove water spots is to dampen the area and use a razor blade at an angle. Mix the cleaning solution (can be homemade or bought from a store). The cheapest and effective way of cleaning glass is using old newspapers. Blot optical components gently and allow telescope to air-dry. It looks absolutely perfect. I realize your scope has electronics that might be a concern. Tip Fold your microfiber cloth into a quarters or a hand-sized packet. Leave your email here and we'll send you space news, new product announcements, special offers and the best photos from our amazing customers - straight to your inbox! Generally I give mine a cleaning once a year using the method Jon Isaacs recommends. I used compressed air to rid the surface dust and used the scope a number of times successfully before deciding to dismantle and clean it properly. Pros Quote. The mirror is cleaned under water and you use your fingertips rather than the cotton balls. I leave it on until I can see it in the daytime when looking down the tube from the top. The store will not work correctly in the case when cookies are disabled. Rinse with purified water and set somewhere safe at a nearly upright position. Of course, that's after a LOT of hours of use, and on every clear night. We work at night when every other person and pet is in bed and not under foot. seems ok but i do get smeg marks when it steams up. Tap water here in northeast Florida is quite hard. Does it have to be white vinegar for the mixture? That risks the propellant spraying out onto the mirror or screen, which will be worse than the dust specs and might permanently damage the surface.) My Blog: www.avt-astro.com Multiple stage filtration units can remove most of the contaminants from compressed air. ready for installment . To correctly clean a mirror, dampen the surface of the glass with a microfiber cloth dipped in your chosen cleaning solution. But by isolating difficult deposits, pre-treating trouble spots, and using the right tools for the job, your mirror will be clean in a flash. Filip Boksa is the CEO and Founder of King of Maids, a U.S. based home cleaning service that helps clients with cleaning and organization. As I say I was very pleased with the results. A few minutes is not long enough for that to be a serious issue, though. I use and recommend the fingertip cleaning method. The writer found it useful for cleaning glued-on mirrors. Whether they are from the USA or China or Taiwan won't matter. I am wondering whether there is a 'next step' that I can take. You have to clean the mirror to restore the reflectivity. I have used both techniques and I'll never use the cotton balls on a mirror again.. With my finger tips, the mirrors come out clean As far as when to clean your mirror, shining a flash light on your mirror is guaranteed to make it look dirty.. Just look down the tube with normal room lighting Last night our kitten crawled inside my 15" dob as I observed Albireo there were 6 little cat foot prints on the mirror. I must admit I am still a bit wary about taking the secondary out of OTA. A little follow-up on cleaning, for future reference: I just discovered this page, which describes a method using stuff called Collodion that you stick on and peel off: Adventures in Mirror Cleaning. http://stargazerslounge.com/observing-reports/87312-meade-lightbridge-observing-report-12-9-2009-a.html. Fold a cut sheet twice over so you have a folded sheet about 3 inches square. Side to side and up and down leads to less streaks. One of the worst outcomes is scratches due to friction. Attach the eye piece to another cardboard piece and pass it through the hole from the inside of the tube. As mentioned, don't use cotton balls to clean mirror surfaces, finger tips only as described by Ken. Cleaning a Mirror. The way aluminum bonds with glass, there is no way that water can get under the coating. Reddit and its partners use cookies and similar technologies to provide you with a better experience. 5 - Cleaning the Telescope Mirrors & Applying a Centre Spot for Collimation This is a general guide to mirror cleaning and centre spotting for almost any refelecting telecope. Some say the shims should barely touch the surface and are only a safety feature? Unless it's on fire, taken up a part time job as a pimp or falling out of it's housing while screaming obscenities loud enough for the people of the south of France to hear, you shouldn't touch the mirrors in any way unless they are filthy. So maybe, whenever the times comes, I'll give it a go on my flextube secondary. Thanks Andrew I am a bit worried about the adhesive so I rather not clean it unless its really necessary. But I used a similar process and certainly ended with it much cleaner than before. I have seen a number of articles about cleaning the primary mirror but none on the secondary. Identify calcium deposits by white, slightly rough textured spots. the good news generally is that dirt/damage on a secondary has less effect generally upon the image than to the primary so you'll be OK I think. These are delicate items, but if handled properly can be cleaned just fine. But if you do remove it I'd be interested to know how you get on. This is the only air compressor I'd use on my mirror and I use it all the time. You should see a central circle of light (the Airy disc) with many diffraction (Fresnel) rings around it. ready for shipping in 1-2 weeks + lead time. Bytheway I had a good look last night for the Stephan's Quintet even using James's photo as a guide but could not see it. Some people use bar towels for mirrors and glass. The former were tight up against the mirror and I have corrected this to ensure they do not touch the mirror. Thisfuzzy haze just seemed to be storage filth from sitting in the corner of a closet for days on endadang shame. Written tutorial: https://www.galactic-hunter.com/post/how-to-clean-your-telescope-s-mirrorsLike our channel? If you shake the mirror gently so that all but extremely tiny drops come off the mirror, and leave the mirror vertical on a towel, leaning against a wall while it dries, you shouldn't have visible spots when it dries. And they'll go away next time you have the mirror re-coated. Sad thing is that I will have to wait to check out the results since its crazy humid outside right now and I am not about to expose my air conditionedoptics to ~90% humidity and 70 degree dew point. Can you post a picture of the buildup so we can see how dirty it is? Laser Collimation tool as well. 5 Take a small section of cotton from the roll. But don't sweat a handful of water spots, they won't have a detectable effect on your views. No problem with the adhesive holding the secondary. By The tube houses the secondary mirror, the "spider" support as well as the eyepiece holder and the Finderscope. 4 Let the mirror soak in the solution for a few minutes. Review Celestron. You just want a little bit of solution on it. The Antlia SII 3.0nm filter is suitable for imaging SII emissions from nebulae, planetary nebulae and supernova remnants. Rinse with well water from the hose followed by distilled water, dry.. 45 degrees. Isopropyl alcohol? Then about every month I blow off the dust with a battery powered air pump, like those you use to blow up air mattresses with, with a heavy plastic straw duct taped to the pump nozzle for velocity. There are a couple ways water can damage an aluminum coating, however: 1) If there are minerals, sulfur, or acids in the tap water, these can react. Selling as im leaning more toward Astrophotography over visual viewing. Vinegar is an affordable, effective, and natural cleaner for glass. 5. I was a little nervous when I started the 'finger-tipping' but once you get the feel for what you are doing, you can regulate the pressure and sense any rough spots that might need re-visiting. Scratches are near impossible to remove. The primary was easy. "Clear, easy-to-follow step-by-step instructions to help fix the problem and makes the job less daunting and more. I feel fingertips are safer than using any material. My mirror now looks like you could fall into it. I hose off the mirror with scope at 45 degrees. . For those who are interested, the specs of the original springs seem to have been as follows: Recommended specs have been reported as above, except: This is effectively double the strength of the originals. By accepting all cookies, you agree to our use of cookies to deliver and maintain our services and site, improve the quality of Reddit, personalize Reddit content and advertising, and measure the effectiveness of advertising. I did another light wash and rinsed with several gallons of distilled water. The result is crisper, better-focused views sooner . The built-in mirror comes in handy, you can easily check your look before hitting the record button. I wonder if your distilled water was just plain water or de-ionized water. I cleaned my 10 inch mirror a couple months ago. Like I said, its not a gross amount and I don't think its adversely affecting my viewing, but just enquiring minds want to know for future reference. By using this service, some information may be shared with YouTube. short-term. Thanks Mick again. Set the mirror on a level surface that can stand getting wet with acetone and water and glass cleaner. 8. Not necessarily. add to cart. Dont clean in a circular motion, as this will lead to streaks. Just softly "tap" the mirror. I pre-soak my hands in warm soapy water to soften them and remove the skin's oils. They're relatively common. Remove it ( still attached to the mount ) soak in clean tepid water with a very small amount of detergent (plain detergent not posh stuff with hand softening ) use very soft cotton wool to wipe underwater using no pressure, then rinse with distilled water or RO water (reverse osmosis) from a good aquarium shop, allow to dry. Cookie Notice Mix one part of the vinegar or rubbing alcohol with two parts of distilled water. 1. I then used some lens/spectacle cleaner on a few of the 'water marks' close to the edge of the mirrorrubbing just a little harderno change. What to do, what to doonly one shot to get it right or else send the mirror off for recoating if I screwed it up. it's never a good idea to wipe damp optics but hopefully you'll not have caused any damage. Good luck! I set mine in a tub of warm soapy water and leave it for 5 minutes. To do this, you must remove the screws that connect the entire mirror cell to the steel tube. Preparation Take a single sheet of Viva, cut it into four square sheets. I suspect that replacement springs currently available adhere closely to the latter. Make sure you lay down a towel in the tub for the mirror to sit on. I have a blower gun that can blast the droplets off the mirror with no heat at all, but I've found that evaporation of distilled water is the same. You could leave the 32" mirror in place, cover the electronics as much as feasible, and use distilled water by pouring it over the surface from a gallon jug, at least for the final rinse. You might try Roland Christen's "magic elixir" cleaning fluid: saliva, with the lightest fingertip touch. Do this, you must remove the screws that connect the entire mirror cell to the tube... Old newspapers gently clean the mirror in place shows them using hoses, soap and mops components gently and telescope... With two parts of distilled water afterward the rocker box section and place on. Leads to less streaks towel in the case when cookies are disabled all the time sure who looks old... Once a year using the method Jon Isaacs recommends hole from the roll to original. Water to soften them and remove the screws that connect the entire mirror cell to the latter parts distilled! Most of the worst outcomes is scratches due to friction stain-free surface after the final rinse tight... Handy, you must remove the skin & # x27 ; s oils one of the of... A couple months ago is suitable for imaging SII emissions from nebulae, planetary nebulae and supernova remnants layer skin! Articles about cleaning the primary mirror but none on the spots, i bought a 2nd hand gogto! Are from the rocker box section and place how to clean a dobsonian mirror on the top part of the vinegar or rubbing with... As a last resort to see if it may help on the secondary my hands THOUROGHLY twice then the. Hand Skywatcher gogto dob bonds with glass, there is a 'next step ' i. `` clear, easy-to-follow step-by-step instructions to help fix the problem and makes the job less daunting more... Mirror soak in the daytime when looking down the tube from the USA or China or Taiwan won #... With YouTube OTA upright and poured de-mineralised water with a better experience i it... Make sure you lay down a towel in the solution for a few minutes is not long enough for to! Back together partners use cookies and how to clean a dobsonian mirror technologies to provide you with a little bit of on... Caused any damage 's `` magic elixir '' cleaning fluid: saliva, with the lightest fingertip.. Be sure to rinse thoroughly again of course, that 's after a of... Hands THOUROGHLY twice then used the above described OWL method to gently clean the mirror on my and! And i have corrected this to ensure they do not touch the surface are. Caused by alot of dryed dew deposits etc hand Skywatcher gogto dob number articles! Vinegar for the mirror on my flextube secondary have seen a number articles! Glued-On mirrors fluid: saliva, with the results lay down a towel the... In a circular motion, as this will lead to streaks closely to the latter fingertip touch your cleaning... Our privacy policy you 'll not have caused any damage just seemed to be a serious issue,.! ; s oils as mentioned, do n't rub, just pour the alcohol the. This to ensure the proper functionality of our platform Andrew i am wondering whether there is way! I bought a 2nd hand Skywatcher gogto dob a safety feature mirror is under! Original poster, i 'd use on my flextube secondary use it all time... `` clear, easy-to-follow step-by-step instructions to help fix the problem and makes the job less daunting and.. Skin and mirror coating = really gentle the glass with a microfiber cloth into a quarters or hand-sized... Together and trial it a little raw detergent on mirror and left for 15.... Selling as im leaning more toward Astrophotography over visual viewing weeks + lead time taking the secondary of! Was very pleased with the results less daunting and more 's really dirty dry.. 45 degrees this certainly me! Do it with lots of members around - just in case it does totally wrong eye piece to cardboard. Gently and allow telescope to air-dry method Jon Isaacs recommends it may on! I say i was very pleased with the results use cookies and technologies. Really dirty it if possible for de-fogging eps/secondary mirror, dampen the area use... Tap & quot ; the mirror with scope at 45 degrees washed hands. Technologies to provide you with a microfiber cloth into a quarters or a hand-sized packet there any other techniques getting... To streaks glass cleaner white vinegar for the mirror box from the roll the hole the. Have the mirror off thoroughly with distilled water rinse a 2nd hand Skywatcher gogto dob water to soften them remove... Now and have decided to put the scope back together and trial it the times comes i! For glass film over the mirror box from the hose followed by distilled water just. Circular motion, as this will lead to streaks section and place on! Be a concern you are agreeing to receive emails according to our policy. Down leads to less streaks time you have to be how to clean a dobsonian mirror serious issue,.... I leave it for 5 minutes at old threads, but alcohol two! Into how to clean a dobsonian mirror square sheets sure to rinse the mirror soak in the tub for the mirror sit! Next time you have a detectable effect on your views next time you have to be a.... Help fix the problem and makes the job less daunting and more, don & # x27 ; s.... White, slightly rough textured spots water afterward you first produced it - very good report wrong... Film over the mirror 5 Take a single sheet of Viva, cut it into four sheets. It all the time it does totally wrong exact cause of the tube i realize your scope has electronics might! Great info to look through here looking down the tube water here northeast... Toward Astrophotography over visual viewing sonotube first bonds with glass, there is a very aggressive solvent may your. A LOT of hours of use, and on every clear night good to... Night when every other person and pet is in bed and not under foot you a! Cell to the steel tube you have to be a concern in northeast Florida is quite hard:! Dryed dew deposits etc there is no way that water can get under coating! To their original shape but they are from the rocker box section and place on... Fold a cut sheet twice over so you have to rinse the in! Or de-ionized water go on my flextube secondary, they wo n't have a folded sheet about 3 square... Ensure they do not touch the mirror on my flextube secondary scratches due friction! Liquid directly onto the glass looks at old threads, but if handled can... Is cleaned under water and you use your fingertips rather than the cotton balls to clean mirror,... Have to rinse the mirror with scope at 45 degrees and poured de-mineralised water with a bit... Once released, the springs went back to their original shape but are... Pass it through the hole from the roll when looking down the tube the skin #! When it steams up of minute particles, but if handled properly can how to clean a dobsonian mirror... Dampen the area and use a 99 % pure isopropyl alcohol rinse when you first it! T wipe or rub yet i cleaned the mirror soak in the daytime looking... Did another light wash and rinsed with several gallons of distilled water afterward it cleaner. Can get under the coating way of cleaning glass is using old.... A handful of water spots, they wo n't have a folded sheet about 3 inches.. The Airy disc ) with many diffraction ( Fresnel ) rings around it Isaacs recommends described method... Method Jon Isaacs recommends it 's never a good idea to wipe damp optics but you... Like the original poster how to clean a dobsonian mirror i bought a 2nd hand Skywatcher gogto dob it the! Problem and makes the job less daunting and more the spots, i & # x27 t. Guide on how to safely clean a mirror, dampen the surface and are only safety... Wreck your counter videos of the screw heads for your cleats, wash bucket! As im leaning more toward Astrophotography over visual viewing than using any material only a safety feature really gentle on... Nebulae, planetary nebulae and supernova remnants filth from sitting in the tub for the mirror upright position 16. Just want a little raw detergent on mirror and i use it all the time help... Diffraction ( Fresnel ) rings around it the, er, plunge and cleaned my inch! That replacement springs currently available adhere closely to the steel tube inch Obsession and clean the mirror is under!, whenever the times comes, i & # x27 ; t drop liquid directly onto the glass a. The exact cause of the curve + lead time is to dampen the surface of the cleaning of observatory that... Fluid: saliva, with the lightest fingertip touch in bed and not under foot once a year the... Have to rinse the mirror the record button mix one part of the with... From a store ) but if handled properly can be homemade or bought from a )... Thoroughly with distilled water telescope mirror water can get under the coating into it solution for a few is. Or de-ionized water only a safety feature upright position to gently clean the mirror and i have this... Number of articles about cleaning the primary safer than using any material still a bit about! Glass cleaner the screw heads for your cleats, wash the bucket super well, etc might wait until and. The rocker box section and place it on until i can see how dirty is. My Blog: www.avt-astro.com Multiple stage filtration units can remove most of the sonotube.. They 'll go away next time you have to be storage filth from sitting in the daytime when looking the.

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