#1  
Old 03-06-2007, 11:04 AM
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Zander
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cleaning TouCam CCD

hi guys, i noticed last night when imaging that there is some dust particles on my camera CCD which show up as black spots on screen. i was wondering how i'd go about cleaning the CCD an what precautions i should take.
thnks

Regards,
Zander
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  #2  
Old 03-06-2007, 11:18 AM
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[1ponders] (Paul)
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It may be overkill but I use an Arctic Butterfly. Mind you I have a number of chips to clean.

Whatever you do, DON'T USE CANNED AIR!!! No matter how hard you try you will get contaminant on your chip. Avoid blowing in it for the same reason. Try a simple photographic puffer bulb for a cheap effective system. I have been known to use CLEAN cotton buds, gently , but can end up with more lint than I started with. I've also used a fine sable brush dipped and shaken out really well in demineralized water and isopropyl alcohol. Then just gently wiped across the glass cover.
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Old 03-06-2007, 11:21 AM
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Zander
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thnx for advice. i'll try blowing it off with a puffer
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Old 03-06-2007, 11:39 AM
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My routine:

1. Blower bulb for easily removed particles.

2. Dry Q-Tip (cotton bud) wiped very gently (repeatedly if necessary) in one direction across ccd chip.

3. For stubborn particles (rare) a light spray of Bintel 'snake oil' UHTC fluid over Q-Tip, gently passed over ccd chip.

Works for me
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  #5  
Old 03-06-2007, 01:50 PM
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iceman (Mike)
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I just dip a q-tip in de-mineralised water and wipe it across. Sometimes you still have some on there, or introduce some new ones, but eventually you get them all off
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Old 04-06-2007, 08:59 AM
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ving (David)
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blower and q-tip for me too
if i have any dust particles on the outter extremities sometimes i leave them and just dont image in that area (when doing planets).
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Old 07-06-2007, 08:58 PM
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ballaratdragons (Ken)
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I guess I've just been lucky.

I don't give my Toucam any special treatment (like locking it in dustproof cases etc) and for over 12 months it has been dropped several times, accidentally left on the table overnight a few times (unprotected) carted around to Camps and club nights in a cardboard box of bits, wringing wet when left in the rain a few times , and when I'm not carting it about, it lives outside in the scope, which is most of the time.

I don't use a cover on it, and yet I still don't have one speck of dust on the chip!
And we get a LOT of dust around here with all the dirt roads and windblown paddocks!!!

And yet I get a lot of dust on my EP's when they sit outside the EP case for a few hours.

Wierd but lucky.
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Old 08-06-2007, 12:08 PM
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ving (David)
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thats right peeps, ken uses a force filed to protect his!
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  #9  
Old 08-06-2007, 07:26 PM
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jjjnettie (Jeanette)
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I think I've got mould on my chip.
It shows up as a couple of grey shadows. I can't see anything on the chip itself.
So just wipe it off with a cotton bud?
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Old 08-06-2007, 07:28 PM
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If they are grey shadows Jeanette then it's unlikely the spots are on the chip. Dust motes on the chip are often (not always) more sharply defined. If you are using a barlow, I'd check that as the culprit, or your IR filter, if you are using one.
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  #11  
Old 09-06-2007, 09:55 AM
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jjjnettie (Jeanette)
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I wasn't using a barlow at the time.
The camera was last used when it was very dewey. Maybe it isn't mould, could be spots left from condensation.
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