Hello i made a small scratch on my new telescope's 26mm plossl eyepiece while cleaning it, how does this affect performance????
Help I scratched my eyepiece, please respond
Started by ricardoamador, 10/10/2003 01:16AM
Posted 10/10/2003 01:16AM
Opening Post
Posted 10/10/2003 09:45AM
#2
Ricardo,
I understand your dismay at the scratch. Hopefully, it was not near the center of the lens.
A comment about cleaning your eyepieces:
Earlier in the year I acquired an older, out-of-production, premium 10mm eyepiece that had five dried condensation granules near the central location. I did extensive internet research on lens cleaning and discovered some of the biggest concerns about cleaning relate to fluid residue left on the lens, scratching the anti-reflective coating, over-flooding the lens so that moisture wicks down the inside of the barrel and recontamination of the lens. It is the wiping and rubbing that causes scratches.
The following is the procedure I use to clean my eyepieces:
1. use a bulb blower to remove loose dust.
2. use a very soft, extra-fine pointed sable watercolor paint brush to gently dislodge the more stubborn dust specks. Then use the blower again.
3. use another very soft, extra-fine pointed sable brush to apply a single drop of lens cleaning fluid onto a single granule and allow it to sit for a few minutes.
4. then use an optical cloth that is extremely absorbant to wick away the drop of fluid which contains the disolved granule. Discard wipe after one use!
5. move on to the next granule and remove them one by one
The cleaning fluid is "Formula MC" from Peca Products. Go to: http://www.pecaproducts.com
Information about Optiwipes can be found at:
http://www.mgchemicals.com/products/828.html
I can not comment about finger prints since I haven't tackled them yet.
Clear Skies,
Darlene
I understand your dismay at the scratch. Hopefully, it was not near the center of the lens.
A comment about cleaning your eyepieces:
Earlier in the year I acquired an older, out-of-production, premium 10mm eyepiece that had five dried condensation granules near the central location. I did extensive internet research on lens cleaning and discovered some of the biggest concerns about cleaning relate to fluid residue left on the lens, scratching the anti-reflective coating, over-flooding the lens so that moisture wicks down the inside of the barrel and recontamination of the lens. It is the wiping and rubbing that causes scratches.
The following is the procedure I use to clean my eyepieces:
1. use a bulb blower to remove loose dust.
2. use a very soft, extra-fine pointed sable watercolor paint brush to gently dislodge the more stubborn dust specks. Then use the blower again.
3. use another very soft, extra-fine pointed sable brush to apply a single drop of lens cleaning fluid onto a single granule and allow it to sit for a few minutes.
4. then use an optical cloth that is extremely absorbant to wick away the drop of fluid which contains the disolved granule. Discard wipe after one use!
5. move on to the next granule and remove them one by one
The cleaning fluid is "Formula MC" from Peca Products. Go to: http://www.pecaproducts.com
Information about Optiwipes can be found at:
http://www.mgchemicals.com/products/828.html
I can not comment about finger prints since I haven't tackled them yet.
Clear Skies,
Darlene
Funding Member
