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Dylan Gladstone
scholastic sledgehammer
Reged: 08/05/07
Posts: 912
Loc: Connecticut, USA
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Like an idiot I cleaned my new TMB 6mm Planetary eyepiece with my shirt. There was a blob on the lens that was visible when looking at the moon, and being impatient I just blew off the lens and wiped it with my shirt. It left what looked like little bright chips in the coatings. I thought for sure I'd scratched the coatings.
Someone suggested that the coatings probably weren't scratched and that a proper cleaning would fix it.
Last night I hunted down the bottle of rubbing alcohol and q-tips and did a proper cleaning as described on Televue's site and that someone was right! The coatings are perfect, not a dot or a smudge! (It was also pretty cool watching the psychedelic colors flow around the alcohol film under the q-tip.)
So coatings really are tougher than they're generally made out to be. But I've learned my lesson, I'll clean my optics properly from now on, and only when they really need it.
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Orion SkyView Pro 127mm Maksutov
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FirstSight
Carpal Tunnel
Reged: 12/26/05
Posts: 2432
Loc: Raleigh, NC
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Get an optical cleaning cloth, such as any high-quality camera shopt sells, and some ROR cleaning solution (which they also sell). Keep them in your eyepiece case.
YES, it's true you should NOT try to clean lenses under field conditions in the dark or under red-light. But simply having the optical cloth and ROR in your close possession will help you mightily to stifle any impulses to try to do anything to the lens with your shirt, etc., and encourage you to wait until you can get the lens in enough light for proper, safe cleaning before attempting anything.
Here's the Televue article on cleaning eyepiece and telescope optics:
http://www.televue.com/engine/page.asp?ID=143
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Chris M., aka "First Sight"
Orion XT12i Dob with Moonlite CR-2 focuser
WO Megrez 90 refractor on UniStar Light mount
Nikon 10x50 Binoculars
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Eddgie
Carpal Tunnel
Reged: 02/01/06
Posts: 1642
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Good coatings are quite hard.
I had what looked like a chip on a Televue Radian once. Even cleaning didn't take it off.
I sent it to Televue to replace the lens.
Televue reported that it was something on the lens.
Now I have to tell you, I really scrubbed the coatings before I sent it in to have the lens replaced.. I figured that if it was a chip, I had nothing to loose, right?
Well anyway, the TV rep said that he also had to scrub at it and he used Acetone. But he said it came off. I asked him if I had damaged the coatings and if I should replace the lens anyway, and he said no, they examined them closely and the coatings were fine.
They charged me for cleaning and sent it back.
So, GOOD coatings are QUITE hard. I mean remember, they are basically thin costs of METAL. That doesn't mean they can't be scratched (they can be by sand and such), but it does mean that if minor precautions and good practices, they can (and SHOULD be) cleaned regularly.
Both Televue and AP are on record saying that cleaning eyepieces is critical for best planetary observing (I agree) and encourage you to do so.
Some oils and contaminates alter the reflectivity of the spot they occupy. This can look like a chip in the coating. Even under high power, it can look like a chip. I know, I used high power to examine mine and could have SWORN it was a chip...
Good to know that your lens is OK...
Regards.
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Celestron C14, CGE (Big Al)
Astro-Physics 6" f/8 (Buffy)
Televue 101 (No name, but I call it my Widescreen HD Space TV)
The night sky is my mistress. She seduces me away from all other lovers.
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Dylan Gladstone
scholastic sledgehammer
Reged: 08/05/07
Posts: 912
Loc: Connecticut, USA
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Thanks Chris & Eddgie! The people on this forum are invaluable in so many ways...
The spots REALLY did look like chips in the coatings, so I know what you mean Eddgie. I was amazed when they came right off with the alcohol.
I'm going to clean my other two eyepieces before I go out again. I've been baffled by a false color problem on bright objects and I'm wondering if its just a film on the lenses?
My other project is to find out if flocking the inside of the baffle tube will cut down on the flaring I'm getting when a bright object (like Jupiter) goes just outside the field of view.
Since the move I've been observing way more, and now the tinkering has begun! 
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Orion SkyView Pro 127mm Maksutov
Edited by Dylan Gladstone (08/08/08 11:39 AM)
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cuir
scholastic sledgehammer
Reged: 03/03/07
Posts: 803
Loc: 45° 1'12.78" N, 73°56'12.25" W...
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Yet another story that vindicates my habit of always having Zeiss wipes and a lenspen in my eyepiece case. I use the pen to brush-off solids and the wipes for eyelash goop. Field use is not recommendable, but the right way in the field is far less risky than having to do it in a careless fashion because one lacks the cleaning gear onsite.
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Seb
Eyepiece philosophy - The right eyepiece.
EP spreedsheets v. 6.6 - Numbers do matter.
Main scope: 150mm Skywatcher Maksutov
Favorite ep: 24 Panoptic
Pref'ed filters: Lumicon 0III and UHC
Mounts: EQ6-Pro and Skyview AZ
Just in: C8-S-XLT
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Nightknight
member
Reged: 10/12/07
Posts: 72
Loc: The great pacific northwet of ...
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Quote:
...the TV rep said that he also had to scrub at it and he used Acetone....
No kidding? Well, that's encouraging. I have an old 32mm TV that I could swear the previous owner cleaned with steel wool. I tried cleaning with alcohol and also with ROR but it still looks bad. Its still a good ep even though, bet it'd be great in decent shape- its a shame really. Maybe I'll try again, worth a shot-
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You can only talk astronomy with astronomers. Everybody else just yawns.
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