re coating of my mirror ???

[wyoming10"dob]

silly me lent my 10"dobs to a mate , he was showing me how clean it was when a looked down and saw no silver coating on the mirror , well now its just glass , how can i re-coat the lense?. or do i just send it away to be done . please help i miss looking up, even at the moon , anything HELP!!.
:shrug::scared:

[erick]

Nice to have helpful mates! :eyepop:

More information please - Where are you located? Which mirror - primary or secondary? Nothing left but glass? What did your "mate" do? Maybe the mirror surface isn't any good now? (If primary, have you checked the secondary as well?)

No choice now - you'd better tell the whole story and show us a photo!

From what I read, recoating is available. Buying a new mirror might be a better approach? Looks like around A$400 gets one a new 10" f5 mirror in Australia.

[h0ughy]

hate to state the obvious - has your mate been excommunicated???


taken from AOS web page:
Astro Optical Supplies has available to its customers a coating service for primary and secondary telescope mirrors.

Astro utilises its unique High Fidelity Alloy coating to give the sharpest, brightest images. This coating is designed and applied in a way that allows you to get the most out of your telescope.

Coating/Recoating Prices
Secondary Mirrors (major axis)
Up to 66mm $55
67mm to 90mm $77
Primary Mirrors (diameter)
Up to 115mm $99
116mm - 150mm $115
151mm - 200mm $154
201mm - 250mm $192
251mm - 318mm $209
greater than 318mm $POA
All prices are in $AUD and include GST & removal of old coatings


Under normal circumstances the coatings will give excellent results for up to 10 years. Nearly all reflecting telescope sytems will require a recoat after this amount of time.

Q: How can I tell if my mirror requires a recoat?
A: Sometimes it can be difficult to tell whether a mirror needs a recoat without another telescope mirror to compare it with. Try testing your telescope alongside another new or recently recoated telescope with the same eyepiece.
If you notice a yellowing of the image or loss of definition as compared to the other similar sized telescope then the mirror most likely needs to be cleaned and/or recoated.

A good indoor test that can be easily performed is to hold the mirror (be careful with large mirrors) up to a clear 60-100W light globe and look through it from behind. If you can see the filament of the globe through the coating then the mirror definitely needs a recoat.

Cleaning of mirrors should be done with extreme caution, otherwise removal of the coating can occur. If there is only a small amount of dust on the mirror then it is best left uncleaned. A little bit of dust will do less damage than a poorly executed clean. Remember, if in doubt just ask Astro.


Call or email Astro if you would like to book your blank or coated mirror in for a clean/recoat.



look in this thread as well (http://www.iceinspace.com.au/forum/showthread.php?t=14808)


or buy a new one andrews has them for 400, bintel similar

[§AB]

Where do you live?

If you live in Aus, go to astro-optical in Syd/Mel, as Eric said they do mirrror coating for a reasonable price.

BTW, if you havent already pasted him, get your friend to cough up the $$$ for the re-coat ;)

[erick]

I'd want to be confident of that mirror surface before recoating. Did his mate take a sander or wire brush to the surface?

[Garyh]

Ah yes, what did your mate use to get it so clean? maybe the surface is scratched to pieces and maybe not worthy of a recoat after the use of a scourer!....:eyepop:
I would pull it out and give it a real good inspection before getting it recoated!

[wyoming10"dob]

thanks for all the info he cleaned it with prepsol or thinners i will post some pics tonight im located on the central coast nsw gosford .

[h0ughy]

:scared::scared: :scared: :scared: :scared: :scared: :scared: that is so far from distilled water its not funny. hit him up for a new mirror that one is now stuffed:doh: