66 replies to this topic

[Michael Covington]

I remove them along with the Inspected By sticker. Alternatively, you could move it to the lens cover. That way it’s where it is still visible in a less obtrusive location.

I like that.  That is the best solution.  That way, if the telescope is passed to someone else, no one can say you removed a warning.

[deSitter]

I removed it all in one piece, with only trivial stickum left behind.

 

Since it was in one piece, I stuck it to my refrigerator

 

-drl

[LDW47]

still crazy that a little sticker can be annoying like that.

As the old saying goes ' we learn something new very day ', eh

[Airship]

I have had pretty good luck _slowly_ removing stickers. They usually come off in one piece. If they put up a fight I usually leave them alone. I may use a highlighter marker to give them a little bit of color to make them look a little nicer.

[Terra Nova]

All of my scopes except the 3 Celestron/Vixens are too old to have them, so if it bothers you remove it. 

 

As for children, do we need to put a sticker on a old scope that never had one?

 

I believe the warnings say do not let children use the telescope without adult supervision.

 

Like so many things, how did we survive before all of these warnings and such? 

I think the only scope that I have that has one is my Coronado H-alpha solar scope saying something like only used as instructed. My Vixen ED102SS (Japan, late 90s) might have one, frankly, I can’t remember?

Edited by Terra Nova, 01 March 2025 - 09:09 AM.

[deSitter]

I think the only scope that I have that has one is my Coronado H-alpha solar scope saying something like only used as instructed. My Vixen ED102SS (Japan, late 90s) might have one, frankly, I can’t remember?

My Celestron/Vixen C80 has the largest label of all! Here's Neil's (apfever) example.

 

-drl

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[Terra Nova]

My Celestron/Vixen C80 has the largest label of all! Here's Neil's (apfever) example.

 

-drl

I’ll go look. It’s in it’s footlocker hard case in the hall closet with two other cases on top of it.

[Terra Nova]

I’ll go look. It’s in it’s footlocker hard case in the hall closet with two other cases on top of it.

Nope. No Don’t look at the Sun sticker.

[Michael Covington]

I can certainly understand removing the sticker.  If you pass the telescope on, it's going to go to someone with at least some interest in astronomy.  The stickers are for the hopelessly dumb one-in-a-million.  I am wondering if we were expected to remove them ourselves after reading the message.

A sticker on solar observing equipment -- indicating that one must follow the instructions -- is a different kind of thing.

[deSitter]

I can certainly understand removing the sticker.  If you pass the telescope on, it's going to go to someone with at least some interest in astronomy.  The stickers are for the hopelessly dumb one-in-a-million.  I am wondering if we were expected to remove them ourselves after reading the message.

A sticker on solar observing equipment -- indicating that one must follow the instructions -- is a different kind of thing.

You know I didn't even consider that it might actually save an eye. I always assumed it was just liability insurance of a sort. So I would not remove the sticker from a beginner's scope. That said I'm pretty sure my 5" Mak is not going to be used by a beginner.

 

-drl

[LDW47]

My Cometron CO-62 has a sun warning sticker on the light shield, it will stay there for posterity !

 

 

 

 

Edited by LDW47, 02 March 2025 - 01:28 PM.

[Phil Perry]

I'm pretty sure my 5" Mak is not going to be used by a beginner.

Plenty of people with more money than common sense to buy very expensive toys -- and misuse them. With luck, their scope will end up on the market in good condition, rather than being stuffed in the back of a closet, or even (gasp!) discarded.
 

[abe]

The stickers are for the hopelessly dumb one-in-a-million. 

My first thought was that any person / child who is dumb or impulsive enough to look directly at the sun is not likely to pay attention to a sticker.

Then I remembered that for the last total solar eclipse, I lent my Meade 8x56 binoculars to a friend who is a research scientist in particle physics who worked at CERN.    When he returned them, he reported that he had looked through them at the partially eclipsed sun using a pair of solar film glasses and had looked away just as the sun burned through the film.

I guess that even a PhD in particle physics isn't a guarantee against stupidity.

[abe]

I don't like sun warnings plastered on my telescopes. 

I don't like stickers on nice things, period.  It seemed like a travesty when Meade started putting stickers on the sides of their telescopes.  Stickers are not meant to last. The Edmund sun warning stickers inevitably fade and the transparent Celestron stickers always end up peeling.  It reminds me of the bad old days when laptops were ugly plastic affairs plastered with stickers. 

[LDW47]

Plenty of people with more money than common sense to buy very expensive toys -- and misuse them. With luck, their scope will end up on the market in good condition, rather than being stuffed in the back of a closet, or even (gasp!) discarded.
 

Are you, by chance, talking from experience, eh.

[jimeh]

My first thought was that any person / child who is dumb or impulsive enough to look directly at the sun is not likely to pay attention to a sticker.

Then I remembered that for the last total solar eclipse, I lent my Meade 8x56 binoculars to a friend who is a research scientist in particle physics who worked at CERN.    When he returned them, he reported that he had looked through them at the partially eclipsed sun using a pair of solar film glasses and had looked away just as the sun burned through the film.

I guess that even a PhD in particle physics isn't a guarantee against stupidity.

I used to do yacht deliveries that might take a month or more to get to their ultimate destination. You would be shocked at how many times I got asked, "What do you do at night? Do you drop anchor [in the middle of the ocean]?" These weren't stupid people. These were otherwise intelligent people who had no experience with sailing and their initial thoughts were not well-formed.

 

Solar astronomy, with the advent of affordable Ha filters and the solar maximum, has never been more popular. It wouldn't surprise me in the least if otherwise bright people have a moment of stupidity and try to view the sun because they've seen pictures and don't understand that they don't have all the information yet as to how to do that safely.

 

I'll give you another example:

 

When I was about 5 years old, my parents had a dinner party and I was confined to my room for the duration. I spent my alone time doing flips on the bed. It was very easy because I was small and the bed was very bouncy. I convinced myself that I'd be able to do a flip without the training wheels of a mattress beneath me.

 

Emboldened by this new confidence, and eager to show off my new gymnastic ability, I decided further practice was unnecessary. Yes, I was supposed to stay in my room, but surely the adults would want to see me do a flip.

 

From my mother's perspective, what she saw was her youngest child open the bedroom door, call out, "Hey mom, watch this!" and then basically throw his face at the floor. My mother was horrified, I was crying and injured, and the dinner party was effectively over as I needed a trip to the hospital for stitches.

 

As a 5 year old, I hadn't taken into account the effects of gravity and thought I would have a little more time in the air.

 

My point is; no matter how smart we think we are, whether 5 or 50, we all have moments of profound stupidity. I am sure that at some point, a sticker has prevented someone from making a terrible mistake.

Edited by jimeh, 04 March 2025 - 09:30 PM.

[ccwemyss]

Or at least it has made it harder for them to sue the manufacturer for their lack of thinking through to the result. 

 

Chip W. 

[Michael Covington]

Yes, people know there is such a thing as solar astronomy, and some of them might not know it requires filters.

A more subtle point is not doing sun projection with reflectors or catadioptrics (the secondary would overheat, even if absorbing only 1% of what falls on it).  That is not at all obvious.

[stomias]

Maybe just me but I remove stickers from EVERYTHING. Especially brands and models.....WD 40 story, guitar player friends dad buys '59 Les Paul at a flea market for $50! Covered with stickers. Son takes all stickers off with WD 40 and sells it for 25K. troooof

[ayadai]

I used to do yacht deliveries that might take a month or more to get to their ultimate destination. You would be shocked at how many times I got asked, "What do you do at night? Do you drop anchor [in the middle of the ocean]? These weren't stupid people. These were otherwise intelligent people who had no experience with sailing and their initial thoughts were not well-formed.

Man, if I had a dollar for every time someone asked me this question while I'm describing a passage, I could buy an Astro Physics rig...

 

Maybe just me but I remove stickers from EVERYTHING.

Funny story along those lines and not entirely off topic: When we install monitors for our customers, I routinely peel off the clear plastic that's applied to the glossy bits. One customer made an audible shocked gasp when I began said process. Turns out that in their culture, the plastic shows that it's "new" so is left on indefinitely. I can just imagine their furniture. Auntie Hazel, anyone?
 

[stomias]

Man, if I had a dollar for every time someone asked me this question while I'm describing a passage, I could buy an Astro Physics rig...

 

Funny story along those lines and not entirely off topic: When we install monitors for our customers, I routinely peel off the clear plastic that's applied to the glossy bits. One customer made an audible shocked gasp when I began said process. Turns out that in their culture, the plastic shows that it's "new" so is left on indefinitely. I can just imagine their furniture. Auntie Hazel, anyone?
 

I have a friend that also leaves those on.....Drives me crazy!

[CarolinaBanker]

Dumb@ss yes, but what about a child?

I’m not sure that they’d read it unfortunately.

[strdst]

I don't like stickers much either, but sometimes I forget how things work 

 

 

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[RalphMeisterTigerMan]

I'm thinking that the telescope manufacturers just want to avoid getting sued. But just like "side effetcs may include...", no matter how many times people get warned there's always some "know it all" that think they know better. That's why other inoculous looking everyday things also have warnings. For instance, sulfuric acid bottles have "do not ingest", or why stepladders have the word "stop" on the top rung, or soda pop cans have "open other end" on the bottom. Hand grenades have, "throw right after pulling the pin". Don't forget the warnings from the mavie "gremlins", no bright lights, do not get wet and do not feed after midnight.

 

Clear skies and keep looking up!

RalphMeisterTigerMan

[Steve Allison]

I like to think telescope manufacturers were/are concerned about children damaging their eyes, not just with the threat of a lawsuit.