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Main
Date: 25 Jul 2006 09:39:09
From: Dave Nay
Subject: Telescope storage
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Hi Everyone!
About three years ago, I purchased an Orion XT10 as my first telescope.
Since then, I have used it sparingly, and due to fortunate
circumstances (our small business is doing very well), it looks like I
am going to have very little time in the next few years to use it. I
was thinking about removing the primary mirror and giving it a careful
cleaning (it has accumulated dust and spider webs sitting in the
garage), then finding some safe and secure method of storing the mirror,
separate from the tube. I would feel more comfortable knowing the
mirror is not going to get damaged in the future.
Does anyone have a good method for cleaning (warm water and a drop or
two of mild dish soap I believe) and storing a 10" mirror?
The other option I have considered is selling it, but I don't believe
the market is all that great for used telescopes, plus I am sure I would
always find an excuse in the future to not buy a replacement.
Thanks!
Dave
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Date: 25 Jul 2006 08:34:29
From: jc
Subject: Re: Telescope storage
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Dave Nay wrote:
> Hi Everyone!
>
> About three years ago, I purchased an Orion XT10 as my first telescope.
> Since then, I have used it sparingly, and due to fortunate
> circumstances (our small business is doing very well), it looks like I
> am going to have very little time in the next few years to use it. I
> was thinking about removing the primary mirror and giving it a careful
> cleaning (it has accumulated dust and spider webs sitting in the
> garage), then finding some safe and secure method of storing the mirror,
> separate from the tube. I would feel more comfortable knowing the
> mirror is not going to get damaged in the future.
>
> Does anyone have a good method for cleaning (warm water and a drop or
> two of mild dish soap I believe) and storing a 10" mirror?
>
> The other option I have considered is selling it, but I don't believe
> the market is all that great for used telescopes, plus I am sure I would
> always find an excuse in the future to not buy a replacement.
>
> Thanks!
> Dave
Try ASO's cleaning guide at; www.arksky.org/guides.htm
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Date: 25 Jul 2006 16:52:23
From: lal_truckee
Subject: Re: Telescope storage
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jc wrote:
> storing a 10" mirror?
Wood boxes, with felt pads and screw-on lids, custom made to fit mirror.
If you go that route I'd be wary of padding with modern foams, etc, that
might outgas onto your clean mirror.
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Date: 25 Jul 2006 21:20:43
From: lal_truckee
Subject: Re: Telescope storage
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lal_truckee wrote:
> jc wrote:
>
>> storing a 10" mirror?
My bad. Miss-attribution. Dave Nay asked that, not jc.
Sorry, jc.
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Date: 25 Jul 2006 16:39:45
From: Joe S.
Subject: Re: Telescope storage
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"Dave Nay" <dave.removethis.nay@vidanay.notreallyhere.com > wrote in message
news:UoWdnTIEYemTsFvZnZ2dnUVZ_radnZ2d@mssinternet.com...
> Hi Everyone!
>
> About three years ago, I purchased an Orion XT10 as my first telescope.
> Since then, I have used it sparingly, and due to fortunate circumstances
> (our small business is doing very well), it looks like I am going to have
> very little time in the next few years to use it. I was thinking about
> removing the primary mirror and giving it a careful cleaning (it has
> accumulated dust and spider webs sitting in the garage), then finding some
> safe and secure method of storing the mirror, separate from the tube. I
> would feel more comfortable knowing the mirror is not going to get damaged
> in the future.
>
> Does anyone have a good method for cleaning (warm water and a drop or two
> of mild dish soap I believe) and storing a 10" mirror?
>
> The other option I have considered is selling it, but I don't believe the
> market is all that great for used telescopes, plus I am sure I would
> always find an excuse in the future to not buy a replacement.
>
> Thanks!
> Dave
Why remove the mirror for storage? Installed in the scope is probably the
safest place for it -- if the mirror is removed, all sorts of bad stuff can
happen -- the mirror could be dropped in handling; knocked around when you
go digging through your stored stuff looking for something; you could pad it
with a foam that outgasses and ruins the coating. Also, you might forget
where you put it.
If I were storing my Dob, I'd leave the mirror installed in the OTA and put
the OTA in the original shipping carton, seal the carton with packing tape,
and store the OTA in the carton.
If I were storing the OTA separately, I'd leave the mirror in place and seal
the OTA to prevent dust entry. Do it the way my wife does her quilts -- get
yourself two pillowcases, wash them a couple of times; slide one over the
top of the scope and another over the bottom and tie them in place with
stout string. This way, you keep the dust out of the scope. Get
pillowcases with high thread count -- 400 to 600 thread count -- lower
thread counts mean the cloth is porous -- high thread count means the cloth
is tightly-woven so dust and other crap does not filter in.
If you don't have the original shipping carton -- go to a place that sells
packing cartons for moving and ask them for a full-sized wardrobe -- these
things stand about 5 feet tall and are designed to have a steel bar
installed across the top so clothes hang in the wardrobe just like in a
closet. Pick up a couple of small packing cartons (book cartons, 1.5 cubic
feet). With a sharp knife and some ingenuity, you should be able to fashion
a cradle out of the small boxes -- the cradle will slip into the wardrobe
carton -- seal the top and bottom of the OTA with the pillow cases -- put
the OTA into the cradle, seal the wardrobe with packing tape and there you
have it -- the OTA is in a secure carton, sealed from dust, and the mirror
is right where it needs to be.
Don't forget to pack all the other stuff together -- eyepieces, Barlows,
instruction manual, collimating devices -- and write a complete list of
contents on the outside of the cartons.
In my 28 military career, I moved 23 times and have moved four times since
retiring (the last move was involuntary, forced by a hurricane) -- I know a
little about packing cartons, marking the contents, and trying to dig
through a storage unit to find one small box.
Just one idea.
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Date: 25 Jul 2006 22:32:39
From: canopus56
Subject: Re: Telescope storage
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"Joe S." <anon@mous.com > wrote in message
news:ea5vi501csu@news4.newsguy.com...
> "Dave Nay" <dave.removethis.nay@vidanay.notreallyhere.com> wrote in
> message
news:UoWdnTIEYemTsFvZnZ2dnUVZ_radnZ2d@mssinternet.com...
<snip >
I was wondering if anyone had an idea for storing a newt over winter that
would not allow dust to pentrate the optical tube assembly (OTA). I store
in a zipped soft case, but somehow the dust still gets inside.
I was thinking along the lines of some type of plastic elastic band cover
for both ends of the tubes that would keep the dust out.
Anyone have an ideas or experience along these lines?
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Date: 26 Jul 2006 00:00:17
From: William Hamblen
Subject: Re: Telescope storage
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On Tue, 25 Jul 2006 22:32:39 -0600, "canopus56"
<canopus56@NOyahooSPAM.com > wrote:
>I was thinking along the lines of some type of plastic elastic band cover
>for both ends of the tubes that would keep the dust out.
Depending on the size of the telescope, the cheap shower caps that
they give away at hotels will work.
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Date: 26 Jul 2006 00:41:53
From: canopus56
Subject: Re: Telescope storage
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"William Hamblen" <wrhamblen@comcast.net > wrote in message
news:ojtdc2tllgnc9pm1s49d4ivi1uldt43f6d@4ax.com...
> Depending on the size of the telescope, the cheap shower caps that
> they give away at hotels will work.
Thanks, Bill. I'm talking an O.D. of the tube at 12"-13". That's bigger
than a shower cap. - Canopus56
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Date: 26 Jul 2006 06:55:41
From: Dave Nay
Subject: Re: Telescope storage
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canopus56 wrote:
> Thanks, Bill. I'm talking an O.D. of the tube at 12"-13". That's bigger
> than a shower cap. - Canopus56
Look at your grocery store in the aisle with the zipper bags and such.
They have larger elastic covers for serving bowls.
Dave
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Date: 25 Jul 2006 22:42:59
From: Starlord
Subject: Re: Telescope storage
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Right now I have my Babylon 8's mirror sotored away while I get ready to
redo it's OTA and that mirror/cell is sitting inside the botten unit of 3
microwave ovens I've got for replacements. Not pluged in and being in the
bottem one nothing else will brother it until I'm ready to put it back in
the scope, it's mirror surface is covered with about 1/2 a roll of TP.
--
The Lone Sidewalk Astronomer of Rosamond
Telescope Buyers FAQ
http://home.inreach.com/starlord
Sidewalk Astronomy
www.sidewalkastronomy.info
Astronomy Net Online Gift Shop
http://www.cafepress.com/astronomy_net
In Garden Online Gift Shop
http://www.cafepress.com/ingarden
Blast Off Online Gift Shop
http://www.cafepress.com/starlords
Astro Blog
http://starlord.bloggerteam.com/
"William Hamblen" <wrhamblen@comcast.net > wrote in message
news:ojtdc2tllgnc9pm1s49d4ivi1uldt43f6d@4ax.com...
> On Tue, 25 Jul 2006 22:32:39 -0600, "canopus56"
> <canopus56@NOyahooSPAM.com> wrote:
>
>>I was thinking along the lines of some type of plastic elastic band cover
>>for both ends of the tubes that would keep the dust out.
>
> Depending on the size of the telescope, the cheap shower caps that
> they give away at hotels will work.
>
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Date: 26 Jul 2006 07:02:39
From: Dave Nay
Subject: Re: Telescope storage
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Joe S. wrote:
> <snip lots of good stuff>
>
> Just one idea.
>
>
Thanks Joe!
You've certainly given me some good ideas to work with. I am now
thinking I will build an actual wooden crate with 2 or 3 semi-circular
cradles to hold the OTA. I should be able to make room in there for
storing the disassembled Dob base also. A couple layers of polyethylene
wrapped around the OTA for dust protection, a big bag of desiccant, and
then screw the whole thing shut.
Sounds like Raiders of the Lost Ark ;-)
The only decision I now need to make is because the scope has been
stored out in the dusty garage for the last three years, there is
already a whole lot of dust and spiders inside, so I may have no choice
but to remove the mirror and clean it (GREAT LINK JC....THANKS!!!) and
the OTA. I would then re-install the mirror before storage, I agree
that is most likely the safest place for it.
Dave
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Date: 26 Jul 2006 05:03:40
From: Helpful person
Subject: Re: Telescope storage
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Dave Nay wrote:
> Hi Everyone!
>
> About three years ago, I purchased an Orion XT10 as my first telescope.
> Since then, I have used it sparingly, and due to fortunate
> circumstances (our small business is doing very well), it looks like I
> am going to have very little time in the next few years to use it. I
> was thinking about removing the primary mirror and giving it a careful
> cleaning (it has accumulated dust and spider webs sitting in the
> garage), then finding some safe and secure method of storing the mirror,
> separate from the tube. I would feel more comfortable knowing the
> mirror is not going to get damaged in the future.
>
> Does anyone have a good method for cleaning (warm water and a drop or
> two of mild dish soap I believe) and storing a 10" mirror?
>
> The other option I have considered is selling it, but I don't believe
> the market is all that great for used telescopes, plus I am sure I would
> always find an excuse in the future to not buy a replacement.
>
> Thanks!
> Dave
For storage:
There is a blue film (I forget the name, others will know) that will
protect your mirror surface. It can be either painted on or sprayed
on. After drying it sticks firmly to the surface. It is easily
removed when required as it will peel off. It is also sometimes used
to clean optics because any dust will stick to it.
I have not stored optics over a long period of time using this film.
Check with others and the manufacturer to make sure that it maintains
integrity over several years.
Please visit my web site at www.richardfisher.com
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