c14 corrector plate destroyed

[icytailmark (Mark)]

my corrector plate was very dirty so i tried to clean it with a tissue and demineralised water. It has now left massive amounts of smudging.

How much does it cost for a new corrector plate for a c14?

[Hotdog (Anthony)]

It may be a bit premature to write it off just yet. By attempting to clean it using water alone you've probably just smeared out the oily residues that were on the surface. To remove oily contamination you need an organic solvent, I would try again using a mix of isopropanol and water (a.k.a. rubbing alcohol). Be careful not to scratch it though. Celestron have cleaning instructions on their website: http://www.celestron.com/c3/support3...eid=1738&nav=0

[casstony]

At this point Mark, I'd recommend using pure cotton balls to clean the corrector with 100% Isopropyl alcohol (can be found at a pharmacy). Then clean again with cottons balls and distilled water and use folded Kleenex tissues to absorb the water droplets off the glass.

Smearing the corrector doesn't do any damage; the coatings can be scratched by dragging particles across the glass, but there shouldn't be any more particles to worry about since you've already had a go at cleaning.

[astroron (Ron)]

Hi Mark, I think you are giving the Robustness of the corrector plate a bit of a bum rap.
I have had a Schmidt Cassegrain for over twenty years and cleaned it many times, without a mark on it.
I suggest that you get in touch with "BinTel" and get a bottle of their lens and plate cleaner, it works wonders.
I saw it demonstrated at AstroFest by Don Whitman a few years ago and it was just fantastic.
Slight smears on corrector plates do not degrade the image one bit.
The Schmidt 48" plate at Siding Spring get cleaned with Windex.
They get bird **** and other crap on ,and it has been working for over thirty years.
Cheers

[Rod771 (Rod)]

Mark, sounds like all is not lost

I must admit, I've been thinking of cleaning my C11 plate but the fear of damaging it makes me feel sick so I keep pretending the dust is not on it

Thanks for the tips in this thread, good to know it can be done

[icytailmark (Mark)]

i might just try using the demineralized water in a sprayer then wipe with cotton balls.Let it dry then use some windex and a micro fiber cloth to finish it off.

[multiweb (Marc)]

Ha... I thought you broke it. Then you'd be up s||t creek. Don't worry if it's only smudges. A soft rag with bit of soapy(dish washing drop) warm water will clean it. It does have a small curve and it is a lens with a profile so don't rub it with a hard material in a concentric manner or it is possible to bugger it. Just wipe it radially from the inside out. If you keep it clean it'll be easier to keep it dew free as well.

[astroron (Ron)]

Originally Posted by icytailmark

i might just try using the demineralized water in a sprayer then wipe with cotton balls.Let it dry then use some windex and a micro fiber cloth to finish it off.

Make sure the scope is facing the floor when you spray with liquid as it can seep in through the sides.
The scope is not waterproof.
Cheers

[multiweb (Marc)]

Originally Posted by astroron

Make sure the scope is facing the floor when you spray with liquid as it can seep in through the sides.
The scope is not waterproof.
Cheers

Just remove the corrector to clean it.

[astroron (Ron)]

Originally Posted by multiweb

Just remove the corrector to clean it.

Mark that is bad advice in my opinion..
You don't need to remove the corrector plate to clean it unless there is dirt or any other stuff on the inside.
Just simply clean it with as little interference to the plate as possible.
If you remove the plate, there is every possibility that you would need to collemate it.
Cheers

[icytailmark (Mark)]

it has alot of streaks and smudges will that degrade the performance of the scope?

[multiweb (Marc)]

Originally Posted by astroron

Mark that is bad advice in my opinion..
You don't need to remove the corrector plate to clean it unless there is dirt or any other stuff on the inside.
Just simply clean it with as little interference to the plate as possible.
If you remove the plate, there is every possibility that you would need to collemate it.
Cheers

Removing the corrector is very straight forward. Just mark where the shims are and put them back in place. If you wet the corrector in place by spraying it's very likely water will get under the retaining ring and may cause more problems in the long run. You won't have to re-collimate your scope. Only if you remove the secondary cell.

[Astro_Bot]

This came up not so long ago, so rather than type it again ...

http://www.iceinspace.com.au/forum/s...d.php?t=114896

[astroron (Ron)]

Originally Posted by multiweb

Removing the corrector is very straight forward. Just mark where the shims are and put them back in place. If you wet the corrector in place by spraying it's very likely water will get under the retaining ring and may cause more problems in the long run. You won't have to re-collimate your scope. Only if you remove the secondary cell.

Would you remove the Rocker cover on your car just because it was dirty Of course not.
If there is NO Need to remove the corrector plate to clean it, Don't.
Three reasons not too
(1) You could drop it, then you have a useless C14 as you cannot replace it.
(2) Even doing what you said there is always the chance that it will need collamating.
3 it is much simpler to just clean it in place and not give yourself extra work.
It is a five minute job to clean it in place.
Cheers

PS Water doesn't normally flow up hill so if you point the scope facing down when cleaning it the water won't seep through"Simple."

[blink138 (Pat)]

Originally Posted by multiweb

Removing the corrector is very straight forward. Just mark where the shims are and put them back in place. If you wet the corrector in place by spraying it's very likely water will get under the retaining ring and may cause more problems in the long run. You won't have to re-collimate your scope. Only if you remove the secondary cell.

mark this a person who thinks he has knackered the corrector just with smudges............ do you really advise him to remove the corrector...... seriously?
pat

[multiweb (Marc)]

You guys treat your SCTs as if they were some kind of blackbox. It's just like another scope. The corrector is just a big lens. It comes off and on. The only thing to remember:

1_ Put it back in the same orientation.
2_ Put the shims in the exact same spots.
3_ Make sure you have the same side facing inwards (although it's not a show stopper if you reverse it)

If it was a newt you wouldn't think twice about getting the primary out to dust or clean it (without dropping it of course). So? It pays to know a little about your scope and how it works so you don't freak out everytime there's a little smudge on the corrector or something inside. Just basic maintenance.

PS: If you need help PM me for a step by step procedure.

[Astro_Bot]

Not wanting to "take sides", but I've cleaned my corrector both in situ and removed, and it's easier to get it clean when removed. On the other hand, it's quicker to clean in situ. I suppose the choice comes down to how dirty it is (and therefore how much fluid you're likely to use) and how close to the edge you need to clean.

If removing, use common sense and keep in mind that the corrector is heavier than it looks ... but it's not especially hard to do.

[astroron (Ron)]

Make sure you have the same side facing inwards (although it's not a show stopper if you reverse it)
There is only one way you can put a corrector plate in,
What are you talking about
Back to the original point,there was a smudge on the plate, all as he has to do is clean it.
End of story
It is BS to say removing it is Easy, a 14" corrector plate is not a light weight piece of glass.
Leave it alone unless there is a really big need to take it out to clean something off the inside.
BTW I have cleaned both inside and out and the mirror as well in the last twenty odd years.
The poster of this thread sounds as though he has not got a lot of experience with SCT's, so in my opinion would be best just to clean it as normal people would, and not strip it down to clean a bit of a smudge of the front of the corrector plate.
Cheers

[multiweb (Marc)]

Originally Posted by astroron

Make sure you have the same side facing inwards (although it's not a show stopper if you reverse it)
There is only one way you can put a corrector plate in,
What are you talking about

Most Celestrons have the profile only on one side of the corrector, meaning the other side is flat. Having the flat side in or out doesn't matter.

Originally Posted by astroron

Back to the original point,there was a smudge on the plate, all as he has to do is clean it.
End of story

Yes, if it is a small spot on the outside, wet a rag then wipe it off. If you want to spray the corrector It's better to take it off and give it a good wash, keep the cork/paper shims dry in the annulus.

Originally Posted by astroron

It is BS to say removing it is Easy, a 14" corrector plate is not a light weight piece of glass.

Half a dozen screws and a retaining ring. It's easier than getting the primary off a newt.

Originally Posted by astroron

The poster of this thread sounds as though he has not got a lot of experience with SCT's, so in my opinion would be best just to clean it as normal people would, and not strip it down to clean a bit of a smudge of the front of the corrector plate.

Agreed. That's why I said to PM me if he needs any further info. Better ask than sorry.

I have documented work here on my C11 with lots of pictures so you can see the guts of it. C14 is exactly the same. Just bigger and heavier. Although my C11 now is probably heavier and longer than a C14. I think it's about 25kg with the CF tube.

[icytailmark (Mark)]

thanks guys for all your help. I managed to clean it without taking off the corrector plate. I just used 50% rubbing alcohol and 50% water. I then dried with cotton balls and its all clean now.

I guess i over reacted