Cleaning UHTC

[Popeye]

Anyone out there with a Meade scope with UHT coatings?
I've had my LX90 for about 4 years now and have cleaned the corrector once, about three years ago using the special cleaning fluid from Bintel.
But since that time my scope has basically sat in the shed, covered but not being used. Now I am back to using it again. The other night I was surprised by the amount of dew (low dew point,) that accumulated on the scope while I was inside waiting for total darkness. The next day I noticed that there was a lot of what I thought was dust on the corrector plate and, using a brush with the puffer on it genly tried to brush it off. Bad move! Now the dust marks are streaks! :scared: I know that its not good practice to clean the corrector too often and should take no notice of this sort of thing but I am concerned that the streaks could harm the UHT coating.
Due to the long time since I last cleaned it I would be grateful if someone who knows more about the process could give me some tips to regresh my memory. :shrug:
I still have the Bintel fluid.
Cheers!
Popeye

[Popeye]

Uh! I suppose you've worked out that 'regresh' is a typo and should be 'refresh.' I wonder what the Freudian significance of that is........:whistle:
Cheers!
Popeye

[acropolite]

I would clean it immediately, I suspect that it's smoke partices from woodfires and it's likely to damage the coatings. The bintel snake oil is the go if you already have some, or you can mix up some of Dr Clays recipe which I suspect is identical. Dr Clay's recipe and cleaning technique are listed here (http://www.arksky.org/asoclean.htm).

[Popeye]

Thanks, Phil. The link that you provided it exactly the site that I have been trying to access. It is now in my 'Favourites.'
I think that the stuff on the corrector plate is dust that has been 'cemented' in place with exposure to dew.
Cheers!
Popeye

[Popeye]

Phil, the good doctor uses a product that he describes as 'synthetic cotton replacement pads.' The folk at the only chemist in St Helens had no idea what I was talking about.
Have you been able to find these things? If so where? (We are coming to Launceston on Friday, so might be able to get some myself.)
If not, what do you use as a replacement? :shrug:
Cheers!
Popeye

[nightsky]

G'Day,
This link may also help you
http://www.analyticalsci.com/Astronomy/Telescopes/imagestv/cleaning_eyepiece_and_telescope_.ht m
sorry it's so long,not sure how to make it smaller,like the one above that "acropolite" done
Cheers
Arthur

[Rodstar]

Popeye,

I used to have an LX200 with UHT coatings, and like you, I was paranoid about avoiding cleaning the corrector plate if at all possible. When I took the scope to Bintel for a service after 18 months, I hadn't cleaned the corrector plate once. I recall how horrified Don Whiteman was.....he described it as filthy, but to my eyes it looked OK. I was less hesitant about cleaning it after that.

There is no great mystery to cleaning the corrector plate, the only thing of course is to avoid the cleaning fluid getting in through the edges to the inside of the scope. The Bintel snake oil works very well! As you seem well aware, care must be taken to avoid anything gritty being rubbed against the plate.

Good luck!

[rogerg]

I took the opportunity of my LX200 being out of action and cleaned it's corrector plate last weekend. I should have done it sooner, I had forgotten how clean it could look. Also, I think some kind of particles have damaged my corrector (probably smoke, if it does damage - 3 wood fires within immediate vicinity). After cleaning the corrector it's a lot better, but there's specs on the corrector that appear like specs of coating missing. :( I'm not too fussed, I very much doubt the resulting image won't be affected noticeably.

I'd recommend you clean yours.

I wish I had the BINTEL stuff, would have made my life easier, must get some sometime.

[matt]

It's only $10 a bottle and worth every drop.

I hear the 2006 vintage is especially good:lol:

[Popeye]

Phew! After reading the site that Phil suggested I re-read all of Dr Whatsit's warnings and the deep care that should take place when cleaning, including the painstaking procedure. I was really worried that I would ruin the coating.
Then I went to Arthur's site and it recommended Windex, with the statement that all the coatings are able to withstand stuff that is not corrosive! Chee!! :doh: Confused? A bit but its what I wanted to hear (read.)
So then Rod pipes up and tells me what Don Whitman said and I began to relax a bit more. Next comes Roger whom I know quite well and I finally thought, "Ah! To heck with it!' Pulled the OTA into my study with the Bintel 'snake oil??' and cleaned it gently with some very soft material that I got with a pair of sunglasses once. Dried off with Kleenex man-sized tissues (very butch I am!) used the brush on the end of one of those puffy 'thingys' to get rid of the left-over dust from the Kleenex and voila! It looks like a bought one! No scratches on the surface but there are one two pin prick size 'gaps' that I won't worry about. And I won't ever worry about it again. :thumbsup:
Thanks fellas,
Bert
PS. If I was still in WA I would let you use some of my 'snake oil' Roger! :lol:

[nightsky]

G'Day Bert.
Good on you m8 :) thats the way to go, loved the "Butch" bit:rofl: hope you didn't spit afterwords :P
Cheers
Arthur

[Popeye]

No spitting (with my wife around!) ;) But I am the boss.
Say 'Hello' to the Central Coast. I used to live in Umina once - one of the many places in the country that I've lived! :whistle:
Cheers!
Bert