I was given a telescope now what?

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SPellinen
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Real Name: Steven Pellinen

I was given a telescope now what?

Post by SPellinen »

Good afternoon,

So recently I was given an old Meade 2080 8" Cassegrain telescope by my neighbor as thanks for doing yardwork and other random things over the last few years since their spouse passed.

This telescope was collecting dust in their basement for a few years and no one in their family wanted it. They didn't know if there were any controllers or any other peripherals.

While looking at it, I have noticed that there is quite a bit of dust and whatnot on the glass and mirrors. So I'm looking for suggestions on safe ways to clean it.

Also looking for tips and tricks for winter viewing. I'm up on the Iron Range, and when there are clear skys I'd like to use it a bit.

My next thoughts have been on a box to transport it in if I want to take it somewhere. Has anyone built a carrying box for a telescope before?

Thanks for any tips and thoughts.

Image
Steve Pellinen
non-member, but could be in the future
Eveleth, MN - Bortle 3/4

8" f/10 Meade 2080 SCT
Meade quartz lx pulse drive fork mount on equatorial wedge, but manual mode only.
13.8mm Meade superwide 1.25"
26mm Svbony 2"

"Do good recklessly" ~Clint McElroy
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SEmert
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Re: I was given a telescope now what?

Post by SEmert »

Hopefully the dust is on the outside glass surfaces, not inside! Don't disassemble the OTA - that's for those with some experience! If the corrector plate is really dirty you can carefully clean the outside of the front corrector plate using the optical cleaning pads called Pec Pads and Eclipse cleaning fluid. Both are available on Amazon. Fold a Pec pad sheet into quarters, put several drops of Eclipse optical cleaning fluid on the folded edge and gently wipe the surface. Never go over it again with the same edge for fear of scratching the surface with removed dirt. The Eclipse fluid evaporates very quickly and doesn't leave residue like alcohol.

What I use for cases is to go to Home Depot and get a couple of those black plastic storage cases with the yellow lids. Measure your optical tube and your mount for the dimensions and pick the smallest pair of cases that will fit the pieces. Then I go to Jo Anns and get some seat cushion foam which you can custom cut to fit the OTA and the mount. The foam isn't dense enough to stand up to shipping, but it works fine for carrying in your car.
Steve Emert
MAS Membership Coordinator
12.5" f/4.7 Obsession Clone Homemade Truss Dob, sometimes equipped with Celestron StarSense Explorer app
Celestron C8 SCT OTA on AVX GEQ mount
Astro-Tech AT72 ED Refractor OTA usually on Explore Scientific Twilight 1mount or tripod with Benro geared head
Celestron 5" SCT OTA on Synta AZ-4 or Explore Scientific Twilight 1 Alt-Az Mount, usually equipped with StarSense Explorer app
Orion 150mm Mak OTA and Orion EQ-G computerized mount
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BradNasset
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Re: I was given a telescope now what?

Post by BradNasset »

Sweet! What a nice gift. Blow or vacuum the dust off - without touching - and get at it while you wait for the cleaning stuff Steve says to get. 'Sort of clean' is often clean enough. Oh, does Amazon get to the Iron Range??? (smile)

Get an astronomy app like SkySafari. Or Stellarium is available for phone and computer. I have your telescope twin, except it is a Celestron. A lower watts cigarette-plug inverter from 12 volt to the 115v required, and you are all set. (I think yours is 115 volts- mine is)

A really nice addition for a finder scope, if you can't become friends with your finder scope, is the Telrad Finder Scope. We even have these on our observatory scopes.

Saturn, Jupiter, Mars, Orion Nebula, Moon -- Perfect timing for all this. Lucky you with the dark skies. Have fun.
Brad Nasset
ELO, CGO Keyholder
Celestron Edge HD 8 inch, CGEM mount, with HyperStar system
Celestron C8 (Classic 1975 orange-tube), RA drive, equatorial wedge
Celestron 5 inch truss tube Newtonian, “Astronomers Without Borders” scope
3-D Printed 114/900 Reflector- homemade by me
Celestron 15x70 binocs, Homemade parallelogram binocs mount
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merle
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Re: I was given a telescope now what?

Post by merle »

For cleaning the corrector plate, here's a video I like. There are many others too, key point would be to not "over clean" and be gentle.
Would be nice to see a picture of the amount of dust you have. A little dust shouldn't be a problem and not worth messing with.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=loRrpM2MIdk

For a case, I have a JMI case for my scope, otherwise you could make one as Steve suggests. I get my foam at A1 Foam in the Twin cities, but you could probably find something online as well.
http://www.jimsmobile.com/buy_cases.htm

There is also the Case Builder site brought up in our forums before:
https://mycasebuilder.com

While many prefer a "red dot" Telrad finder as Brad mentioned, I prefer a finder scope like the one you have. I do see you only have 1 1/4" eyepiece on a 2" diagonal. I'd recommend good 2" eyepieces (if you don't have already).

Merle
Clear skies,
Merle Hiltner
MAS Eagle Lake Observatory
Onan Observatory • Sylvia A. Casby Observatory • HotSpot Classroom
merle.hiltner@gmail.com
SPellinen
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Real Name: Steven Pellinen

Re: I was given a telescope now what?

Post by SPellinen »

Brilliant.

Thanks for all the suggestions so far. I've been using an app SkyView Free for quite some time now to identify things when someone asks, but I'll look into some of those other ones.

Also, thanks for the ideas on cleaning. I'll try to take a picture some time of the dust and smudges that I'm looking at cleaning. I have a bit of a hobbyist background in photography, so I've always been a bit particular about keeping lenses and glass free of imperfections.

Another question to help familiarize myself with what I've actually got on my hands...
I see a lot of people on the forum with signatures describing what they have for equipment. What would be the best way to identify what I actually have, and from there be able to look at adding little upgrades here and there? Is there a "checklist" of parts out there that I should look at identifying?

Thanks again,

Steve
Steve Pellinen
non-member, but could be in the future
Eveleth, MN - Bortle 3/4

8" f/10 Meade 2080 SCT
Meade quartz lx pulse drive fork mount on equatorial wedge, but manual mode only.
13.8mm Meade superwide 1.25"
26mm Svbony 2"

"Do good recklessly" ~Clint McElroy
FF2Rydia
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Real Name: Kris Hultner
Location: Bloomington

Re: I was given a telescope now what?

Post by FF2Rydia »

Basically, list it as the telescope identifies itself (if you choose to go the list route). In this case, it appears that "Meade 2080 8" SCT" is how you should go (abbreviate Schmidt-Cassegrain to SCT, and if it identifies itself as only a Cassegrain but has a corrector plate, call it an SCT).

Keep that particularity about imperfections with regard to eyepieces. But when it comes to objectives on telescopes, there's just so much area compared to a camera, and the size of dust, that you can afford to be somewhat less particular there.

There isn't really a checklist of equipment, but the two biggest categories are finders and eyepieces. Some form of one power finder combined with a good finder (like a 50 mm RACI) is the best combination for star hopping. I haven't really had a chance to try out a Rigel QuikFinder, but I think I'll like that better than a Telrad. Eyepieces is a massive discussion that I really don't want to get into right now (although you might not need to, if you focus on astrophotography over visual).
Last edited by FF2Rydia on Sat Dec 10, 2022 4:55 pm, edited 1 time in total.
Kris Hultner
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SEmert
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Re: I was given a telescope now what?

Post by SEmert »

For selecting zero power finders, you'll get a bit of a "Ford vs. Chevy" debate as some like Telrads more, some like Rigel QuickFinders more, and some like one of the red dot zero finders more. I have all three and it depends on the size of the scope. The Telrad is larger and it fits well on an 8" or larger SCT as well as 6" or larger Dobs. The Telrad has three red lit target rings vs. two rings in the Rigel and is easier to line you head up with to see through. So, I would recommend the Telrad on your scope. I use my Rigel on small refractors and my small 90mm Mak because it fits those better. Red dot ones take up less space but the small ones with 3/4 inch windows are more fragile than either the Rigel or Telrad. As Brad mentioned, I definitely recommend some form of zero power finder. With my first scope equipped with a 6x30 optical finder I couldn't find anything until I got the Rigel (it was a smaller scope)

For the checklist items, something to control the dew will be necessary at some point. It could be a little 12V hair dryer like used for camping, or dedicated 12V resistor heat bands around the outside of the OTA at the corrector plate end and around the eyepiece, and a controller for them (the commercial ones are too warm by themselves without a controller). If you're handy with a soldering gun you can make your own too. See https://www.dewbuster.com/heater-resistors.html and for a controller you can either use one available from the astronomy retailers, or build one using 12V LED Dimmers. Check eBay for ones like either of these two. I use the second one in a battery case I built.
https://www.ebay.com/itm/361498067277?h ... R57y2cWfYQ
or
https://www.ebay.com/itm/283672069143?h ... R57y2cWfYQ
Steve Emert
MAS Membership Coordinator
12.5" f/4.7 Obsession Clone Homemade Truss Dob, sometimes equipped with Celestron StarSense Explorer app
Celestron C8 SCT OTA on AVX GEQ mount
Astro-Tech AT72 ED Refractor OTA usually on Explore Scientific Twilight 1mount or tripod with Benro geared head
Celestron 5" SCT OTA on Synta AZ-4 or Explore Scientific Twilight 1 Alt-Az Mount, usually equipped with StarSense Explorer app
Orion 150mm Mak OTA and Orion EQ-G computerized mount
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SEmert
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Re: I was given a telescope now what?

Post by SEmert »

BradNasset wrote: Mon Dec 05, 2022 1:24 pm Get an astronomy app like SkySafari. Or Stellarium is available for phone and computer. I have your telescope twin, except it is a Celestron. A lower watts cigarette-plug inverter from 12 volt to the 115v required, and you are all set. (I think yours is 115 volts- mine is)
And if you want to go "old school", you can get a paper atlas. The Sky and Telescope Pocket Sky Atlas is what most people pick up. Get it at S&T's web site, not Amazon. I see Amazon has extortion-level prices for it. Or if you want a free one, print out the Mag 7 Star Charts at CloudyNights - https://www.cloudynights.com/articles/c ... arts-r1021 and print the B&W version - the color version uses red to mark some objects, and red disappears under your red flashlight.

Speaking of red flashlights, you'll need one. Either put red cellophane of some kind over the front of a regular flashlight or get a dedicated one. The most popular one is the Celestron one, enter Celestron 93588 Astro Night Vision Flashlight on Amazon or go to Orion or ScopeStuff or any astronomy retailer. By the way, I have links to most of these sites in the Announcement section at the top of the Beginners SIG forum.

I also like to have a Planisphere to get me oriented for the night. He has a number of them listed at skymaps.com Or you can make one with stiff paper. I have links to a couple on that Links announcement in the BSIG forum.
Steve Emert
MAS Membership Coordinator
12.5" f/4.7 Obsession Clone Homemade Truss Dob, sometimes equipped with Celestron StarSense Explorer app
Celestron C8 SCT OTA on AVX GEQ mount
Astro-Tech AT72 ED Refractor OTA usually on Explore Scientific Twilight 1mount or tripod with Benro geared head
Celestron 5" SCT OTA on Synta AZ-4 or Explore Scientific Twilight 1 Alt-Az Mount, usually equipped with StarSense Explorer app
Orion 150mm Mak OTA and Orion EQ-G computerized mount
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Deane Clark
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Re: I was given a telescope now what?

Post by Deane Clark »

I’d like to make a persnickety note.

A zero power finder would be something like a brick. Can’t see anything.
The Telrad or Rigel Quickfinder are unit power (1x), or non-magnifying finders. Personally, I prefer the Rigel since it’s easier to mount on smaller scopes, and sticks out away from the tube further, making it easier to get my eye behind it.
Deane Clark
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FF2Rydia
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Re: I was given a telescope now what?

Post by FF2Rydia »

Deane Clark wrote: Sat Dec 10, 2022 11:31 am A zero power finder would be something like a brick. Can’t see anything.
You're right, difference between 1x and 0x.
Kris Hultner
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merle
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Re: I was given a telescope now what?

Post by merle »

Hmmm... 1x magnification is the same as no magnification. Since nothing is zero then in this case 1=0... hmmm.

Googled it and found this at https://www.oreilly.com/library/view/as ... 04s11.html

"Install a Unit-Power Finder" - Find deep-sky objects quickly and easily.

Installing a unit-power finder, often mistakenly called a zero-power finder, is the best single upgrade any Deep-Sky Object (DSO) observer can make to a scope. A unit-power finder provides no magnification. Instead, it allows you to view the night sky naked eye with a superimposed dim red target-locating pattern. By orienting that pattern relative to the background stars, you can locate most deep-sky objects in a fraction of the time needed if you use an optical finder alone.

hmmm...

Merle
Clear skies,
Merle Hiltner
MAS Eagle Lake Observatory
Onan Observatory • Sylvia A. Casby Observatory • HotSpot Classroom
merle.hiltner@gmail.com
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merle
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Re: I was given a telescope now what?

Post by merle »

merle wrote: Sat Dec 10, 2022 5:46 pm Hmmm... 1x magnification is the same as no magnification. Since nothing is zero then in this case 1=0... hmmm.
Got it... 1x is no magnification, but what if you had .9 magnification? We're now in the wide angle realm.

.9, .8, .7, increasing the angle view until you reach .1, .01, 0 when you would see the entirety of the "universe" in every direction you look.

These are things that wake me up at 3:00 am :-)

So PLEASE, if anyone has a zero power finder, I'd like to take a look through that.

Merle
Clear skies,
Merle Hiltner
MAS Eagle Lake Observatory
Onan Observatory • Sylvia A. Casby Observatory • HotSpot Classroom
merle.hiltner@gmail.com
SPellinen
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Re: I was given a telescope now what?

Post by SPellinen »

Well, better late than never. I'm finally getting around to doing some cleaning, and here's a picture of what I was talking about so long ago. It looks like a hazy layer on the plate. Both inside and out.
20230318_200107.jpg
20230318_200107.jpg (1.11 MiB) Viewed 11420 times
I did a light cleaning with some optical cleaning pads, but it doesn't look to have done anything.

Either way, I'm still happy with what I've got. I've done a little bit of viewing with it, and it's not terrible, would just like to have it be cleaner.

Have a great day.
Steve Pellinen
non-member, but could be in the future
Eveleth, MN - Bortle 3/4

8" f/10 Meade 2080 SCT
Meade quartz lx pulse drive fork mount on equatorial wedge, but manual mode only.
13.8mm Meade superwide 1.25"
26mm Svbony 2"

"Do good recklessly" ~Clint McElroy
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SEmert
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Re: I was given a telescope now what?

Post by SEmert »

SPellinen wrote: Sat Mar 18, 2023 8:42 pm I did a light cleaning with some optical cleaning pads, but it doesn't look to have done anything.
With PEC Pad and Eclipse cleaner?

Exact descriptions copied from Amazon:

PEC-PAD Lint Free Wipes 4”x4” Non-Abrasive Ultra Soft Cloth for Cleaning Sensitive Surfaces Like Camera, Lens, Filters, Film, Scanners, Telescopes, Microscopes, Binoculars. (100 Sheets Per/Pkg)

Eclipse Optic Cleaning Solution - Camera Lens and Digital Sensor Cleaner Fluid - Works with All Cameras, Binoculars, and Other Optical Products - Dropper Tip (59ml) - 2oz
Steve Emert
MAS Membership Coordinator
12.5" f/4.7 Obsession Clone Homemade Truss Dob, sometimes equipped with Celestron StarSense Explorer app
Celestron C8 SCT OTA on AVX GEQ mount
Astro-Tech AT72 ED Refractor OTA usually on Explore Scientific Twilight 1mount or tripod with Benro geared head
Celestron 5" SCT OTA on Synta AZ-4 or Explore Scientific Twilight 1 Alt-Az Mount, usually equipped with StarSense Explorer app
Orion 150mm Mak OTA and Orion EQ-G computerized mount
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merle
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Re: I was given a telescope now what?

Post by merle »

SPellinen wrote: Sat Mar 18, 2023 8:42 pm Well, better late than never. I'm finally getting around to doing some cleaning, and here's a picture of what I was talking about so long ago. It looks like a hazy layer on the plate. Both inside and out.
You'll need to remove the corrector plate to clean the haze on the inside. Just mark it carefully so it is put back in the exact location it is now.

You can then check the primary and secondary mirrors. I wouldn't worry about a little dust on the mirrors, but check there isn't a haze on them as well.


Merle
Clear skies,
Merle Hiltner
MAS Eagle Lake Observatory
Onan Observatory • Sylvia A. Casby Observatory • HotSpot Classroom
merle.hiltner@gmail.com
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Deane Clark
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Re: I was given a telescope now what?

Post by Deane Clark »

merle wrote: Tue Mar 21, 2023 9:17 am
SPellinen wrote: Sat Mar 18, 2023 8:42 pm Well, better late than never. I'm finally getting around to doing some cleaning, and here's a picture of what I was talking about so long ago. It looks like a hazy layer on the plate. Both inside and out.
You'll need to remove the corrector plate to clean the haze on the inside. Just mark it carefully so it is put back in the exact location it is now.

You can then check the primary and secondary mirrors. I wouldn't worry about a little dust on the mirrors, but check there isn't a haze on them as well.

Merle
I feel this is just slightly vague. The rotational orientation of the corrector is what’s important. So, for example, make a mark on both the tube and corrector at, say, 12 o’clock, then make sure those marks line up when you put it back together.
Deane Clark
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merle
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Re: I was given a telescope now what?

Post by merle »

Maybe also be aware of any gaskets or "shims" between the corrector plate and the OTA (optical tube assembly)

My Celestron had several paper "shims" stacked up. You'd want to make sure if your Meade has something similar they remain in place and do not fall onto the primary mirror. More likely there's a larger gasket, but the same holds true to keep it in place and don't let it fall onto the primary.

Merle
Clear skies,
Merle Hiltner
MAS Eagle Lake Observatory
Onan Observatory • Sylvia A. Casby Observatory • HotSpot Classroom
merle.hiltner@gmail.com
SPellinen
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Re: I was given a telescope now what?

Post by SPellinen »

merle wrote: Tue Mar 21, 2023 10:57 am Maybe also be aware of any gaskets or "shims" between the corrector plate and the OTA (optical tube assembly)
So I haven't had a chance to do the cleaning part of it, but I dug into a little bit, and found that the corrector plate has some cork shims around it, and there's already what looks like a little piece of paint...maybe whiteout...to be able to realign it when I pull it out. I can also see a main gasket. All to say when I remove the corrector plate, I will make sure to keep all those things in place.

SEmert wrote: Mon Mar 20, 2023 6:21 pm With PEC Pad and Eclipse cleaner?
Yes, I tried to be very light on it. The haze that is there looks like it's almost baked on, but I didn't want to leave the cleaner on it in fear of damaging any coatings.
Steve Pellinen
non-member, but could be in the future
Eveleth, MN - Bortle 3/4

8" f/10 Meade 2080 SCT
Meade quartz lx pulse drive fork mount on equatorial wedge, but manual mode only.
13.8mm Meade superwide 1.25"
26mm Svbony 2"

"Do good recklessly" ~Clint McElroy
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SEmert
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Re: I was given a telescope now what?

Post by SEmert »

Hmm. Eclipse cleaner evaporates very quickly, so I don't think there is any danger of that with it. It's a type of alcohol, so it is possible that it isn't a solvent for whatever is on the corrector.

You may want to try some distilled water with a very little Dawn dish soap - like a couple drops to a gallon, followed up by pure distilled water, them the Eclipse solution to finish it off. Since the corrector has the film on both sides, you could do this with the corrector removed from the OTA so there's no chance of getting anything else wet.

Distilled water with a bit of Dawn (using cotton balls saturated with the water and lightly dragged across the surface) then a rinse of pure distilled water is what we use on Newtonian reflector mirrors, and I even had to do that on a SCT primary mirror once. The main thing is to not get too aggressive with mechanical rubbing which could scratch the coatings.
Steve Emert
MAS Membership Coordinator
12.5" f/4.7 Obsession Clone Homemade Truss Dob, sometimes equipped with Celestron StarSense Explorer app
Celestron C8 SCT OTA on AVX GEQ mount
Astro-Tech AT72 ED Refractor OTA usually on Explore Scientific Twilight 1mount or tripod with Benro geared head
Celestron 5" SCT OTA on Synta AZ-4 or Explore Scientific Twilight 1 Alt-Az Mount, usually equipped with StarSense Explorer app
Orion 150mm Mak OTA and Orion EQ-G computerized mount
SPellinen
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Re: I was given a telescope now what?

Post by SPellinen »

Ok, I will try the DI water the next time I have a chance to work on it.
Steve Pellinen
non-member, but could be in the future
Eveleth, MN - Bortle 3/4

8" f/10 Meade 2080 SCT
Meade quartz lx pulse drive fork mount on equatorial wedge, but manual mode only.
13.8mm Meade superwide 1.25"
26mm Svbony 2"

"Do good recklessly" ~Clint McElroy
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