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Can I clean the inside of my SCG corrector plate?


KirkD

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I was installing the dew heater ring on my new Celestron 9.25 when I noticed that the inside surface of the front corrector plate has a film on it. I don't know if it is an oily film, or smoky or what but it is splotchy and uneven and even has a factory fingerprint on it. There are a few whitish spots that might even be fungus (see photos, but ignore the multitude of tiny spots-those are on the outside and are from dried condensation). I contacted Celestron about this and they said they would clean the inside surface of the corrector plate and emailed me a pre-paid UPS ticket to send it from my place in Canada to Califonia. I don't even want to think about packing the tube up in a way that will give it safe passage so I have some questions:

  1. To install the dew heater ring, there were six or seven screws I removed, and it looks to me that if I removed those screws again and the heater ring, the front corrector plate should just lift out (there are some tiny nylon pegs that I assume are for positioning but I don't think they do any restraining from lifting out). Am I correct about the ease of lifting out the corrector plate?
  2. Option One: would be for me to clean the inside of the glass myself. I don't know if it is multicoated but I'm also a photographer and know how to clean lenses without damaging the coating. Is there anything I should know before attempting to clean the inside of the plate?
  3. Option Two: Just send the corrector plate to Celestron. They do say to remove any unnecessary equipment or parts and I figure the tube is one of those unnecessary parts (I'll have to do my own collimation when I got the part back). I'd much rather go with option one unless there is some tricky stuff about doing my own cleaning.

film fog on inside of corrector A.jpg

film fog on inside of corrector B.jpg

film fog on inside of corrector C.jpg

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Personally as it is a precision instrument I would send it including the tube back to the manufacturer rather than mess about with it myself.

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Thanks for the input. Although I think I can do it myself, I would hate to find out that, "I think I can do this myself" were famous last words. As much as I hate to trust my scope to UPS, I think I'll pack it up with great care and ship it off.

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  • 1 month later...

Hi @KirkD and welcome to BYA.org

 

Bit late replying to this!

 

If you are confident and have the patience, it can be done. You need to mark the position of where the corrector plate retaining ring lines up with the OTA during re-assembly... [i.e. pieces of masking tape on the OTA and retaining ring before cutting the tape] and with a marker pen or pencil, draw a line on it, then cut the tape. Do not remove the corrector plate from the retaining ring unless you are absolutely certain it needs it. There are videos on YouTube and other video/media sharing sites. 

Edited by Philip R
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Thank you, Philip R. You caught me packaging up my tube as we speak! It is a major packing job, to make sure it is thoroughly protected and cushioned, but I've got the worst of it done. Now it will be up to the tender mercies of the UPS shippers.

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