Exit-pupil
sage
Reged: 11/13/07
Posts: 230
Loc: Eastern Long Island, NY
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Mark, thanks for that. It's the first time I've laughed today.
Jono
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Erik Bakker
professor emeritus
Reged: 08/10/06
Posts: 527
Loc: Haren, The Netherlands, Europe
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Hi Jono,
Don't even think of taking the lens cell apart. Your 155 is definetely oilspaced. Only Astro-Physics and Baader (Germany) can clean and re-oil your lens. Might even be a warranty case. Please contact Marj or Roland and follow their directions. Turn-around time should be weeks, not years!
Erik
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Visual astronomer, main instruments:
Fully mounted Questar 7 P-BB
Celestron C 102F f/8.8 fluorite
Vixen FL 70S f/8 fluorite
Celestron C 55F f/8 fluorite
Sets of Zeiss, TeleVue and Brandon eyepieces
Zeiss 7x50 Marine B/GA
Zeiss TM german equatorial
Gitzo 224 with Manfrotto 501 fluid head
Unitron alt-az mount
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Exit-pupil
sage
Reged: 11/13/07
Posts: 230
Loc: Eastern Long Island, NY
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Thanks very much, but I'm confused. How come so many folks know the lens is oil spaced and yet I can't find a reference to it anywhere?
Jono
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Joe Bergeron
Vendor - Space Art
Reged: 11/10/03
Posts: 930
Loc: Upstate NY
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If those stains are really internal, do not try to clean them yourself. Send those pics to Roland. I've never seen (or owned) an AP lens remotely as screwed up as that one. Oil spacing: you can prove it for yourself. How many reflections can you see in the lens? Two? That's one per air-glass surface. If you had an air-spaced lens you'd see six. The oil is a very thin film between the elements. The whole lens assembly is sealed with some sort of fancy tape (Kapton?) You will court, and probably successfully woo, disaster if you try to deal with this yourself.
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Seven telescopes of a diverse nature.
Multiple chums glittering in the sky. New friends await.
My Web Site
English Lessons for Amateur Astronomers
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Exit-pupil
sage
Reged: 11/13/07
Posts: 230
Loc: Eastern Long Island, NY
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Quote:
If you had an air-spaced lens you'd see six.
Thanks Joe. Things just get curiouser and curiouser. Using a single bulb LED keychain flashlight, I see six reflections of various sizes and colors in the A-P 155. With the 1966 3" Sears f/15, mounted piggyback, I see three. Does this make sense?
Jono
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ryderc1
super member
Reged: 04/15/06
Posts: 137
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Your choice is simple: Take apart the lens yourself and risk disaster or send it to AP where there will be no risk. They can also tell you whether the lens is air-spaced, oil-spaced, or cemented.
Why agonize over this?
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bobhen
super member
Reged: 06/25/05
Posts: 158
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Jono
I sent my 1998 AP155 back to AP about 2 years ago. The lens spacers had migrated some but I really wanted the tube repainted with the new paint. Roland did not charge me for cleaning the lens and replacing the spacers. The tube was at AP for 4 months or so but that did include repainting the OTA.
The OTA came back looking new – I really mean new. It was just like getting a new scope from AP.
Send your lens back. If you are thinking of having your OTA repainted or worked on as well, send it all back. It’s worth the effort.
Bob
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Joe Bergeron
Vendor - Space Art
Reged: 11/10/03
Posts: 930
Loc: Upstate NY
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If you see six then it looks as though you do indeed have an air-spaced lens. Roland has been known to produce an occasional air-spaced lens.
I would normally expect to see 4 with an air-spaced doublet, not 3, but maybe the curvature of one of the surfaces is such to make its reflection elusive.
Roland doesn't inhabit CN. He does hang out on the AP forum on Astromart, and also on the AP-UG Yahoo group. You might want to post your query to one of those places.
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Seven telescopes of a diverse nature.
Multiple chums glittering in the sky. New friends await.
My Web Site
English Lessons for Amateur Astronomers
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Rich N
Post Laureate
Reged: 09/22/04
Posts: 5562
Loc: San Francisco Bay Area, Calif...
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My 1997 AP 155EDFS has an oil spaced objective. My 1999 AP155EDFS also has an oil spaced objective. I've never seen anything about AP making an air spaced 155EDF f/7.
AP did make some air spaced 152mm f/9s around 1991 and may have made a few 155mm f/9 EDTs air spaced in 1992 but I think most the 155mm f/9 EDTs were oil spaced. My 155mm f/9 EDT made in 1993 was oil spaced. A friend has it now. It looks great and has absolutely outstanding optica.
If it looked bad from when you received it from AP, why didn't you return it?
Something doesn't smell right here. From your photos it looks like someone tried to clean both the front and rear surfaces of the objective. That gray stuff in the lower part of the objective looks like some type of film on the back of the objective.
Rich
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Exit-pupil
sage
Reged: 11/13/07
Posts: 230
Loc: Eastern Long Island, NY
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Quote:
That gray stuff in the lower part of the objective looks like some type of film on the back of the objective.
Rich
Rich, you're absolutely right, and I feel like such a fool. When I wrote in my original post that the haze "appears" to be internal, I forgot to take into account that refractors refract and light bounces all over the place. It can be very deceiving. The overwhelming consensus was that I should send it to A-P, which would mean lifting the cell off the tube for the first time anyway. So today - wearing latex gloves - I did just that. I don't mind admitting I was a bit nervous.
Guess what? Rich was right. The haze is simply on the inside surface (inside the tube). I buttoned it all back up and have already gone online and ordered the Astro-Physics Optical Cleaning System. Considering the alternatives, it's a bargain at $48. A few careful swipes and it should be gone.
Please accept my apologies for being so dumb and not checking that first. You have my sincerest appreciation for being so helpful and understanding, and sharing your wisdom. My gratitude to all, and I'm sorry for wasting everyone's time. I think there's a saying, "there's no fool like a happy fool", and I'm a pretty happy fool right now. Thanks again.
Jono
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Mark Jenkins
sage
Reged: 06/25/08
Posts: 437
Loc: Wisconsin
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We demand after cleaning photos! 
Seriously. I would like to see it after you clean it.
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Astro-Physics 130mm f6.3 StarFire EDF 'Gran Turismo'
TEC MC200/15.5
Astro-Physics AP Mach1 GTO
EarthWin PFS-B
Canon EOS 50D Hap Modified
DFK21AU04.AS
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JakeJ
Carpal Tunnel
Reged: 08/31/04
Posts: 1521
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Sounds like the promise of a happy ending. 
Look forward to seeing the "after cleaning photos".
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12.5" Discovery TD
Vixen ED103S
...and way too many eypieces to list!
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BrendanF
member
Reged: 12/04/07
Posts: 19
Loc: Los Angeles, CA
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I hope the cleaning works. The photo is hard to interpret. I have an 80mm refractor that once I thought the front coatings were peeling. After calling and talking to the Mfg, and a simple cleaning and it was back to new. On such instruments (I also have an AP 155EDFS, 1997 vintage), the coatings are so so good that it is hard to say just where the problems are--eyes are not good enough detectors. Just from the picture, though, I would guess the 'bubbles' are front surface contamination and not internal. The reason being that if the front surface was clean, the reflection would be uniform in color and the 'bubble' images would be purple as they would have to be going through the front surface coating also. I'm not sure how the back got dirty...humidity? Of course, it is very hard to tell.
Follow the cleaning directions carefully, spare no supplies (plan on using a lot wipes and/or cotton balls), and you will probably end up with a pristine optic. If there is any remaining issues, talk on the phone to AP--they are friendly and very willing to help fix you up right. There is a good chance they will have you speak directly to Roland if you have some outstanding issues with the optic.
I don't think there is any reason for anyone other than AP to ever take a AP objective apart as long as Roland is alive.
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Exit-pupil
sage
Reged: 11/13/07
Posts: 230
Loc: Eastern Long Island, NY
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You're right - the eyes are not good detectors. A lens like that looks thinner than it really is when just looking through the front, and that's why the haze - whatever it is - appeared to me to be somewhere between the elements instead of on the back. It's even harder to tell from the pictures. There are no bubbles whatsoever, only some dew spots on the front surface.
I'll follow Roland's instructions to a T when cleaning it next week, and will definitely post a picture or two. Thanks, everybody!
Jono
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ken svp120
Pooh-Bah
Reged: 12/19/04
Posts: 1268
Loc: Ohio
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Jono - as long as someone learned something from this thread then nobody's time has been wasted. I'm with the others too...please post after-cleaning pics!
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Orion 120 Refractor
Orion SkyviewPro Mount, Single Axis Drive
Losmandy G11 Mount, Non-Gemini
TEC 140 Apochromat #300
Meade DSI Pro II Monochrome
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mikey cee
Post Laureate
Reged: 01/18/07
Posts: 3507
Loc: bellevue ne.
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Quote:
Roland doesn't inhabit CN. He does hang out on the AP forum on Astromart, and also on the AP-UG Yahoo group. You might want to post your query to one of those places.
Well that makes me feel like I'm "hangin'" with a 3rd rate bunch here on CN! I don't know if this is accurate or not but if it's true to the point of appearance than I could care less........ I like this bunch anyhoo!!   Mike
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7x35 and 10x50 sears tower binocs, 3" f/10 edmunds reflector, 2.4" f/11.7 manon refractor, 6" f/8 jaegers refractor, "The 8 Ball" 8" f/13.3 brandt refractor, 3" f/15.8 sans&streiffe refractor, 3.1" f/15 selsi refractor(towa 339), 2.4" f/15 sears refractor, selsi 30x30mm spyglass, criterion 5-draw 25x45x75x spyglass(1957), 4.25" f/14.8 tasco 20te.
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Joe Bergeron
Vendor - Space Art
Reged: 11/10/03
Posts: 930
Loc: Upstate NY
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Quote:
I don't know if this is accurate or not but if it's true to the point of appearance than I could care less........ I like this bunch anyhoo!! Mike
Errr...what? I can't quite parse that sentence.
As for the accuracy of my statement, I fully understand why you wouldn't want to take my word on such a vital matter.
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Seven telescopes of a diverse nature.
Multiple chums glittering in the sky. New friends await.
My Web Site
English Lessons for Amateur Astronomers
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Downward Bound
Adrenaline Junkie
Reged: 03/29/06
Posts: 2640
Loc: Seattle
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Quote:
Has anyone ever dared take apart an A-P lens cell?
I am sooooooo glad you didn't. Good luck with the cleaning and if that doesn't do the trick please send it back to AP.
We're all waiting anxiously for the news......
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Bill
'flector: R200SS, 22" f/3.6 (on order)
'fractors: PST, AT-66, TV-85, FS-102, NP-127, TMB-152
'bins: 15x63, 10x52, 22x85
410+028B, Sphinx, Telepod, EZ Touch, G-11
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bluestar
Pooh-Bah
Reged: 11/06/05
Posts: 1123
Loc: Maryland Eastern Shore
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Quote:
Quote:
Roland doesn't inhabit CN. He does hang out on the AP forum on Astromart, and also on the AP-UG Yahoo group. You might want to post your query to one of those places.
Well that makes me feel like I'm "hangin'" with a 3rd rate bunch here on CN! I don't know if this is accurate or not but if it's true to the point of appearance than I could care less........ I like this bunch anyhoo!! Mike
I feel sooo dirty, but the beer @ CN is much better
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D&G refractors 5" f/12 & f/15; 6" f/15; 8" f/12...
Royce Dall-Kirkham Cass 10" f/20
Epoch Instruments Parsec/12, Astro-Physics 1200 DA, AP800 HDA mounts...
Previous telescopes A-Z...Astro-Physics to Zeiss
Old school @ BlueStar Observatory...this is how we do it.
D&G Optical Telescope Users Group ...D&G/long focus Yahoo refractor Group...back up and running
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Exit-pupil
sage
Reged: 11/13/07
Posts: 230
Loc: Eastern Long Island, NY
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Just got a UPS notification that the Astro-Physics cleaning kit has been shipped. I should have it in a few days, and will let you all know how it goes. Thanks for all your help and advice with this.
Jono
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