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FredinBroome
04-01-2019, 01:31 PM
Hi everyone,


I bought some "Laser" screen cleaning kit which contains some fluid and microfiber cloth to clean my eyepieces and telescope objective. It seems to be for computers, LED TVs mobile phones etc with only a single mention of glass. I think that it is my only choice here in Broome (purchased at Harvey Norman).


Just want to confirm it won't do any damage to my telescope.


Cheers

Wavytone
04-01-2019, 02:04 PM
Personally I wouldn’t use it.

Plenty of older threads here on cleaning optics.

Startrek
05-01-2019, 02:38 PM
I agree with Waytone. Don’t use it
I use a hurricane blower ( 5 to 6 squeezes) to clear the glass of any loose dust and particles and then cotton tips with a small amount of isopropyl alcohol, dab and softly wipe in a circular motion from centre to outside to remove oils etc..
Repeat twice or 3 times and then use the hurricane blower again
I use my Astro torch to check the cleaned surface in a dark room during the day or outside at night.
Never use your breath to blow on the glass
I don’t use microfibre , it tends to smudge than clean
My 2 cents .....

FredinBroome
05-01-2019, 06:35 PM
Hello Martin,


Thanks for your help. I relegated the cleaning kit to the tV and phones. It won't be wasted. I'm happy to get these tips so I can do it right from the beginning. I'm sure others will reference this also. Cheers mate

PhilTas
06-01-2019, 11:53 AM
Gday fred,
I use the lens cleaning solution that Bintel makes/sells.
Have had no issues with it. I've used it on telescopes, eyepieces and camera lenses for several years now.

Be very particular about the cleaning cloth or tissues that you use. I shie away from using a single cloth (microfibre or otherwise), or household tissues, and instead use the Kimtech delicate task wipes.
Lens tissues do the same job.
cheers Phil

FredinBroome
06-01-2019, 02:11 PM
Hi Phil,


Thanks for that info. I'll go on the Bintel website and see what they have.


Cheers Mate

FredinBroome
06-01-2019, 05:39 PM
Wow I just priced a box of these at $168.00 at Officeworks. Money is no object then Phil heheh


Cheers Fred

PhilTas
06-01-2019, 11:17 PM
Whoa, holy smokes Batman,
I had no idea they were that expensive. My box was left over from an optical project I was involved in a few years ago. Only a few tissues were used from the box, and the U.S. crew did not want to take anything back with them.
I will certainly be careful how and what I use them on.
The Bintel solution is $15, and will last you for ages.
Cheers Phil

PhilTas
06-01-2019, 11:30 PM
Aaaaahhh,
The $168 price from Officeworks is for a carton of 30 boxes.
Also just checked amazon.com.au - they list a single box for $12.65 plus about $9 for delivery from the US.
Photographers lens tissues are also ok, but they would be more expensive in the longer term.
Cheers Phil

GAL1LEO
07-01-2019, 01:15 PM
Some good info on the Televue website regarding the cleaning of optics

FredinBroome
07-01-2019, 02:15 PM
Excellent. That sounds better. I can afford a box now. The local price foir a box of 250 was $85 so I will have to look around. Cheers

Outcast
07-01-2019, 10:21 PM
Hey Fred,

I've looked at them too; I think you will find that is $168 for 30 x boxes of 280 Kimwipes.... probably about 50 lifetimes worth...

I've been trying to find a source of like one box of 280 wipes here in Cairns, no-one seems to stock them...

You can find them online in single boxes, can't remember where or how much though...

I haven't bought any yet...

Tropo-Bob
08-01-2019, 08:12 AM
I brought some online a few months ago. It was easily done. From memory, 5 boxes cost me about $30; but it is possible to buy a lesser number of boxes.

leon
08-01-2019, 09:51 AM
We hear this question a lot, and really lenses, eyepieces and the and telescope objectives are much tougher than you think. ;)

Just go and buy yourself a good quality 12mm Lens pen, I have used one of these to clean Eyepieces, Canon Lenses and My cannon 5D sensor, for ever, and to this day.

You will not damaged anything, the people that sell this sort of stuff are just covering themselves in case of damage.

The Glass and/or the coating can take a beating stay away from any spray on or apply on liquids, IMHO

Leon :thumbsup:

FredinBroome
08-01-2019, 11:29 AM
In Broome I tried Blackwoods but when they did a search for "Kimwipes", Scotts wipes came up so perhaps they don't deal with that product anymore. I'm feeling this is getting delegated to the too hard basket

PhilTas
08-01-2019, 08:03 PM
Buy the carton, Fred,

You take two.

I'll take two.

Only 26 to get rid of.........

cheers Phil
;);):)

FredinBroome
10-01-2019, 11:46 AM
Hahaha. I could charge $15 each including postage and make a bundle here lol

StephenV
04-04-2019, 09:10 PM
I second the advice on the lens pen. I have never had any trouble using them, they're easy and convenient to use.

Ukastronomer
04-04-2019, 09:50 PM
I use this by Zeiss

https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B07339STBJ/ref=oh_aui_search_asin_title?ie=UTF 8&psc=1

Ukastronomer
04-04-2019, 09:51 PM
I agree sorry but people do worry too much, a good spray and micro fibre cloth, I have lenses in their thousands of pounds I use in my work, I use this spray on my 14-24 Nikkor, 70-200 f2.8 and my Esprit 120 triplet and I am NOT light handed


https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B07339STBJ/ref=oh_aui_search_asin_title?ie=UTF 8&psc=1




.

Ukastronomer
04-04-2019, 09:53 PM
Try this (just a ;) ;) )

Should work with most eyepieces

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lrdkFXsr5Us


.

Wavytone
05-04-2019, 08:22 AM
Jeremy I would put that Zeiss product in the bin, NOW.

I’m surprised you aren’t aware there is a thread on CN in which it appears that stuff completely removed the coatings from a Meade ScT corrector, and the contents are not exactly what it seems.

Secondly while multicoatings may be quite tough (as the ones on my specs are) this does not mean all coatings are - as I found out recently - something did completely remove the coatings on my latest pair and I had to go back to using the previous pair.

In particular, Takahashi warn cleaning agents containing ammonia will damage their coatings.

Ukastronomer
05-04-2019, 06:33 PM
I assumer thare are hundreds of threads on forums people aren't aware of, anyway not bin, just sunglassers from now on

TU :)

Ukastronomer
07-04-2019, 02:29 AM
This ????

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2cMbivz-hrM

ausastronomer
08-04-2019, 04:55 PM
The Zeiss lens cleaning wipes are a good option. They have the right material for the wipe and the right chemicals for cleaning and from a company that knows something about optics.

$14 for 50 x wipes posted to your door

https://www.ebay.com.au/itm/ZEISS-Cleaning-Wipes-New-Alcohol-Free-50pcs-Binoculars-Eye-Glasses-Optical-Lens/132651242462?epid=2213017879&hash=item1ee2a153de:g:EWEAAOSwN5Vam gQY

Cheers
John B

DeWynter
09-04-2019, 07:13 AM
From my experience of cleaning photo lenses (doing that for almost 40 years on Carl Zeiss, Nikon and Fujifilm lenses) right now there are two excellent solutions for that:

Lens Clean from VisibleDust: https://visibledust.com/products3.php?pid=304
it's non-alcohol solution. Can be shipped from overseas. Doesn't leave any streaks. Available on Amazon/eBay/B&H etc.

Eclipse Optic Cleaning Solution: https://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/127525-REG/Photographic_Solutions_EC_Eclipse_O ptic_Lens_Cleaning.html
Unfortunately cannot be shipped by air. There was a local source of this solution in Australia, but looks like it's gone recently. :(

Lens Clean from VisibleDust is probably the easiest to get, cheap and works exceptionally well on multicoated optics.

In terms of cloth/fabric - yes, microfibre cloth is the way to go, but just make sure you've got lint free one, made specifically for optics.

LewisM
17-04-2019, 01:25 PM
Says a LOT about Meade's MC's then Nick. Considering Zeiss pioneered and still lead in the MC AR business, I think they know a thing or 2 about what would damage the coatings. I've been using Zeiss for YEARS, on everything from Tak to VERY expensive rifle scopes - no damage whatsoever.

Can you link to the CN article - I could not find it, using many forms of search strings.

Anyway, for Kimwipes, I use my favourite go-to Aussie supplier on eBay:

https://www.ebay.com.au/sch/m.html?_odkw=&epid=26015168612&_ssn=mektechstore&hash=item26056227c1%3Ag%3AFOIAAOSwq pVbuJ~4&item=163299076033&siteoverride=15&_osacat=0&_from=R40&_trksid=p2046732.m570.l1313.TR12.TR C2.A0.H0.Xkimwipes.TRS0&_nkw=kimwipes&_sacat=0

Wavytone
17-04-2019, 03:57 PM
Hi Lewis,

https://www.cloudynights.com/topic/654937-ruined-corrector-plate-coating-with-zeiss-lens-cleaner/

As far as I could figure from that thread it was never conclusive what happened. That the corrector was originally coated was evident from the glass under the retaining ring, but whether it was a bad job on Meade's part, or ruined over time by the way it was contaminated over the years, or as a result of the cleaning is unclear. My suspicion is the former, but I wouldn't dismiss the other possibilities either.

Realising this scope is old... there were certainly were issues with MgF AR coatings on computer monitors in the 1980's and 1990's - it was quite common for zealots keen on a scrupulously clean screen to rub the coatings off.

However I'm not prepared to experiment on the corrector of a valuable and rare scope, or my eyepieces, so frankly I'd have to say just don't do it and get rid of this stuff if you have it. Leave the experiments for those prepared to risk a cheap SCT that can be replaced easily.

Also..

I've worn specs since the age of 4 - and I get a new pair every two years - and have had coated lenses for decades. While it is true the modern coatings are tough (the pale green-yellow multicoatings have a top layer of zinc cryolite - harder than glass) and I've always thought they could stand daily gentle cleaning, twice I have had pairs where the coatings failed - the first about 10 years ago, and the last was a pair made last year which didn't last 2 months.

I've also seen academic research into the way coatings fail and its primarily the same mechanism that causes aluminium mirror coatings to degrade - all coatings have microscopic pinholes from the day they're made allowing water molecules to slowly get in between the glass and coating, very slowly the pore grows and a flake falls off. It's only a matter of time, though how you store it is clearly a factor.

Using a desiccant is obvious, whereas leaving a dewy wet scope in a sealed box isn't a great idea... and both good regarding the need to minimise the risk of fungus. I also put my scope in full sun after an observing session as soon as I can to make sure it its really dried out and gets a dose of UV.

LewisM
17-04-2019, 06:52 PM
After reading all pages of that thread, I can safely say I will continue using Zeiss cleaning products on my scopes. That entire thread was laughable, especially by the time the OP claimed he had a lawyer retained to go after Zeiss. Yeah, sure.

When I get a new-to-me 2nd hand scope, I do a Roland - acetone and Kimwipes. Then I use my homebrew distilled water-ethanol-dash of Morning Fresh (:lol:) for any maintenence (ONCE so far).

The Intes Mak I recently restored was absolutely filthy on the corrector when I got it - BLACK filthy. Ask Flash what it's like now :)

Ukastronomer
17-04-2019, 06:55 PM
Thank you all I got the isopro stuff you said the other day and it is very good, many thanks