Mick
24-07-2011, 01:48 PM
Our little group is going to a dark site next weekend so a little preparation work was in order. When I removed my SCT from it's storage box I noticed a few mould spots on the inside of the corrector plate not bad for a 9 year old scope that lives in the tropics and never been cleaned. I'm always careful to let it dry overnight under a sheet before packing it away and use plenty of desiccant in the box.
Removing the corrector to clean it has always worried me, I had no option but to give it a go as the mould if left can do damage to the glass. It was really easy in the end, as long as you remember to check for the Meade alignment marks or make your own, keep the OTA locked in a 45deg angle and don't over tighten the screws of the plastic retaining plate. I was surprised how thin the corrector plate was so handle it with care when out of the OTA.
I used distilled water and sunlight to clean the corrector plate. I'm sure there is other solutions that can be used but the water only method worked very well and being distilled left no streaks. Last thing left to do is collimate this week.
Removing the corrector to clean it has always worried me, I had no option but to give it a go as the mould if left can do damage to the glass. It was really easy in the end, as long as you remember to check for the Meade alignment marks or make your own, keep the OTA locked in a 45deg angle and don't over tighten the screws of the plastic retaining plate. I was surprised how thin the corrector plate was so handle it with care when out of the OTA.
I used distilled water and sunlight to clean the corrector plate. I'm sure there is other solutions that can be used but the water only method worked very well and being distilled left no streaks. Last thing left to do is collimate this week.