halos and reflections

[Joshua Bunn]

Hello,

I cleaned my eyepieces for the first time yesterday, when i went to use them last night, i noticed star halos and i could see out of focus reflections in the eyepiece aswell. I had never seen either of these things in the eyepieces prior to cleaning. I used the bintel UHTC cleaning solution to clean them.
This was also the first time i used my scope after cleaning the corrector plate with the UHTC solution, so i hope i havent damaged the coatings on the CP.
I read that the halos or reflections were from less than optimal lense coatings - but like i said i had sever seen it until after cleaning.

Could someone please help me to understand whats happened? :help:
I hope there is just a thin film of something left on the eyepiece that needs to come off.

thanks
Josh

[casstony]

Most likely a film on the eyelens. I use a kleenex tissue rolled and twisted into a pencil shape then torn in half in the middle. The broken fuzzy end is used to apply the solvent (ispropyl in my case) then before that dries I flip the tissue and use the other end to gently wipe and soak up the solution, avoiding residue. I don't use any pressure with either end of the tissue.

Similarly some people use one end of a cotton bud to apply the solvent, then flip it and use the other end to absorb the solution before it dries.

Eyelash/skin oils can be only partially removed and the remainder smeared across the eyelens if the residue isn't soaked up before it dries.

[gregbradley]

I doubt you damaged the coatings as they are usually tougher than you think. You probably left sleeks on it or the cleaning fluid
partially removed some gunk but now its smeared or something like that (hopefully!).

I've used Bintel's lens cleaning solution for years. Its awesome.

You need though to thoroughly clean off any residue. It will come off or simply reclean it and use several fresh clean nonscented tissues or perhaps microfibre cloth.

I change the tissue frequently when cleaning. If I were cleaning a refractor lens I use the Tak recommended approach.

1. Blow off any loose dust with a hurricane blower bulb.

2. Daub cotton puffs with a bit of Bintel lens cleaning solution on them. Use lots of them not just one. One daub throw it out, new one, one daub, throw it out. You goal is to remove the loose surface dust and grit. It leaves the lens a bit wet with the fluid but not dripping wet. You don't want fluid running down and somehow getting in the lens cell so use common sense here.

3. Don't let it dry. Whilst its still wet I use white unscented tissues.
One tissue, wipe one small section of the lens. Throw it out. Fresh tissue. Wipe a bit more, throw it out. Fresh tissue etc. Continue until all cleaned.

Now look at it held at an angle in light so you can see the reflection coming off the surface to see if you missed any sleeks. Wipe them off with a fresh tissue and if no go a fresh bit of cleaning fluid and wipe fully off.

Coatings are pretty tough and you can wipe a clean lens without any worry. But dust and grit on the lens will scratch hence the dauding step to get the dust and grit off the lens before you wipe otherwise you will leave fine scratches on the lens. I have done this on very expensive APOs and it works beautifully and leaves them like new.

Don't skimp on the daubing.

Don't attempt to skimp on the number of cotton puffs or tissues.

Use lots. I don't even turn over the tissue usually and reach for a fresh one. They are only worth a few cents each.

Greg.

[Joshua Bunn]

Thankyou Greg and Casstony,
I will give it another go following your recomendations.:)

Josh