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[patrickm]

Still quiet around here. A little TOO quiet I think. Here's something to entertain yourself with for a bit then.

I have had a huge fingerprint smudge on my corrector plate for months. I wanted it gone. Did my research. Cleaned it off. Opened a Pandora's box of CP whoopass on myself. Here's they story.

Enjoy.

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[Paulie pchris00]

Nov 19, 2010 7:40:19 GMT -6 patrickm said:

Opened a Pandora's box of CP whoopass on myself. Here's they story.

Enjoy.

I see no explanation of Pandora's Box in the thread. Am I to assume that is the "after" picture, not the "before" picture? If so, YIKES!!!

[Chicago Astronomer - Astro Joe]

I have been following along with Patrick on and off on this.

I think it's a Celestron issue.

Patrick attempted to clean just the smudge on the outside, but condensation on the inner surface area of the CP started to display this mess for no real reason or cause.

This looks like deposits left to dry on the CP at the factory and not sent out in a pristine condition. It looks a lot like hard water mineral stains to me. ( Maybe some C.L.R. to clean it off). There was some speculation on perhaps being new, the innards of the OTA was outgassing, but Patrick says that the secondary mirror surface is great....so I don't think so.

And there are some who say just to leave it alone, as the view wouldn't be compromised much. I think they are idiots and the CP should be cleaned, as Patrick is doing.

I'm sure when Patrick gets back, he will open it up again and do a complete meticulous cleaning, but he needed it for his trip to Texas. CP are robust and tough and can take aggressive cleaning without adverse effects....with a final hot breath and Kleenex polish for the finish.

But Celestron should be held accountable.

[Paulie pchris00]

Good advice, Joe, and glad to have you back.

[patrickm]

Paulie,
The Pandora's Box was perhaps a not quite accurate usage of that term. All I meant was that I just wanted to do a simple cleaning of a fingerprint smudge on the outside of the CP and ended up with my scope taken apart for five days It seemed that every step I took actually made things worse, not better, and required progressively more aggressive and complicated tactics to solve the problems caused by my previous attempt at a solution.

Extra frustrating for me because this time I thought I had really done my due diligence and researched the hell out of the procedure and how to do it. To no avail!

That photo is A before picture but not THE before picture. Not the very first before picture, but after I had removed the CP and given it a bath inside and out that was supposed to make it look better, but did the opposite. So this is before the actual physical touching of the CP but after repeated baths with distilled water, alcohol and PhotoFlo. Anyway, it is much better now.

Am still not sure it's not outgassing.
Am thinking perhaps the secondary baffle could have prevented condensation forming on the secondary and trapping the condensate. Dunno. Curious.

Joe, not sure how one "holds Celestron accountable" without returning my scope. Would rather chew off my own arm than do that and wait 6 mos for a warranty repair. F that! Also have no proof of anything that couldn't be countered with the Argument Clinic.

The after shots are the very last pics on the thread. I will post another here.

Still some work to be done but much, much improved. Is at a point where I can attack with Q-Tips (TM) and and solution in a more surgical manner. Will see, but am just going to enjoy some clear Texas skies and relatively warmer weather for a few days. Get a chance to hopefully get mom out of the house for a few to see the Moon and Jupiter in the scope she bought for me. :-) And hang with the nephew who also hasn't seen it, but does have the astrobug after this summer with us.

Later y'all and yes, welcome back Joe!
P

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[patrickm]

The saga continues. Took another crack at cleaning tonight and no noticeable headway. Also posted again on CN if you want to follow there. Not feeling happy about my new baby though.

[Chicago Astronomer - Astro Joe]

Ok...

And this next suggestion, and I'm not kidding, is to use some C.L.R. Suspended in a solution of water and near the edge somewhere, see if you can lift the gunk off with a Q-tip. If so, then you made headway. Let it dry completely and see if any residue or damage is evident. If still there, I would progress up to more potent solvents, ( Acetone, Toulene etc...) Quick evaporating. Did you try the pure alcohol wipe yet?


If it doesn't work, I think a soaking is in order.

Take off the secondary and place the CP in a large enough container to completely immerse the plate. A day soak I say...enough to loosen the deposit rings...perhaps.

We'll get the CP clean again...

Oh....

...And there's a face in your CP...

[Paulie pchris00]

I see the problem now. A tiny man has been living in your OTA! I don't even want to know what he's been doing to that glass...

[patrickm]

What is CLR?

Face courtesy of Julia's hall of hot guys in the laundry room. I have no residual privileges.

[Chicago Astronomer - Astro Joe]

Patrick...

Maybe a 10:1 ratio with water at first.

Your spotting looks a hell of a lot like hardened mineral deposits. If this doesn't remove it, (from a edge section first), then I recommend a cold chisel and ball peen hammer...both of which I got.

No extra charge.

(But CLR is used to clean glass pots from hard water mineral deposits with no damage to the container. Then again, coffee carafes aren't coated.)

[patrickm]

Dec 3, 2010 3:42:53 GMT -6 Chicago Astronomer - Astro Joe said:

We'll get the CP clean again...

What "we," white man??
;-)