Posts Made By: Paul Atkinson

David and others,

Check out my Opti-Dry product at www.astroproproduct.com for protection of your optics. They can be placed inside your corrector cover, etc... for moisture protection. They were designed just for this purpose and are going to be in the S&T new product showcase.

Paul Atkinson

Joe,

A telescope can fade and look bad just like a car over time. In addition, touching your scope deposits oils and dirt from your hands as well as dead skin. Add to that dew, humidity, dust, heat, cold and other environs and your scope is under more attack then people realize. Telescopes do need care and that is why I developed my ScopeWax.

Contrary to what people think, using car wax on a telescope is not a good idea. Most painted telescope OTA's are powder coated and none that I am aware of have a clear coat finish like a car. Most car waxes today have abrasives that are designed to remove slight oxidization from the clear coat when applying the wax. This could damage the finish on your OTA since it is missing that vital element.

My ScopeWax is specifically designed with polymers and oils to replenish your powder coat paint. It gently lifts dirt and oils and protects the finish without abrasives of any kind. There is no chalky residue when it dries so it wipes clean. I have sold hundreds of bottles and everyone that has tried it has been very pleased. I have several people that have $15,000+ scopes that use it once a week. One astromart user said that his scope looked better after my wax then the day he got it out of the box brand new.

I hope this helps. There is more information at my website.

Paul Atkinson
AstroProProducts.com

Bruce,

I make a product called the Opti-Dry for the inside of cases, corrector covers, etc., designed to absorb moisture. Please go to my website AstroProProducts.com (I am an Astromart vendor) and you can get all the details there.

Also, another AM vendor Particle Wave Tech makes a nifty gadget called the Desicap. Used in combination the Opti-Dry unit and Desicap will help tremendously.

Paul Atkinson
AstroProProducts.com

On the bottom of the focuser body are four screws. Try loosening those slightly until the focuser feels better to you. If you play around you'll find you don't need to regrease, although that is still an option.

Paul Atkinson
AstroPro Products

The Losmandy RDF65 is a great finder mount bracket. Highly recommended.

Paul Atkinson
AstroProProducts.com

The C14 is not offered in carbon, nor does Celestron intend to offer one. All models are aluminum and are painted in a color called "Anthracite Gray" which looks very similar to the color of the carbon C11.

Paul Atkinson
AstroProProducts.com

I make a product that will help you. It is designed for post viewing problems exactly as some have stated here. It can be placed inside of corrector covers, refractor covers, EP boxes, Equipment boxes etc... It holds 7 grams of dessicant. This desiccant will absorb excess moisture and help prevent spotting and fouling of the corrector. I have also included a picture of them mounted inside the corrector cover or a C14. However, they fit almost anywhere. Please see my website for more information.

Paul Atkinson
AstroProProducts

Don,

I do not recommend capping a scope prior to bringing it in, unless you have no other option. The glass and OTA are still cold regardless of being capped or not. As such, condensation can, and most likely will still form once you bring it into a warm house or garage. Capping the scope can also hold this moisture "IN" the scope. BAD! Putting it in a case will not prevent this either. Many times what happens is the scope still condensates but the case foam absorbs the moisture. This is just as bad as that moisture being present can still damage the scope.

There are several products on the market just for this. First, as was mentioned by Floyd, you will still have to bring the scope in but it is a good idea to let it equalize before putting on the caps, etc. Typically, the moisture will evaporate quickly if you take out the diagonal and and leave the refractor cover off. I have researched a lot on this. I also offer a product called the Opti-Dry that I developed just for this very reason. There is also a product made by Particle Wave Technologies called the Desicap.

This is not intended to be a "sales" response as we are both Astromart vendors, however, I just thought you might like to know.

Paul Atkinson
AstroProProducts.com

As mentioned, see if you have a powder coater in your area. They can usually sandblast the old OTA removing all previous paint. In addtion, they usually have a wide assortment of colors to choose from. I am doing a custom job on my C14 as we speak.

Paul Atkinson
AstroProProducts.com

Ah, perhaps you could read the other 50,000 posts and arguments that have errupted over this topic. I guess it can't help but rear its ugly head every few weeks.