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Learning Center
Cleaning your mirror
The series of photos below show the process for cleaning a mirror in the mirror cell. The process is fairly straight forward. The list of supplies is small and should be available at your local grocery store or Drug store.
The list includes:
- one gallon of distilled water with a drop of dish soap added for washing the mirror
- one gallon of distilled water for rinsing
- a roll of clean cotton batting
- paper towels
- three small wooden blocks (or similar).
1
Begin by clearing some space near your telescope and setting the small wooden blocks out to support the mirror box. You will be washing and rinsing the mirror in its cell so make sure there is ample drainage in the area. Note: if you have Argo Navis or Servo-Cat installed on your scope disconnect the Alt drive cable and Alt encoder before lifting the mirror box out of the rocker box.
2
Remove the mirror box from the rocker box section and place it on the small blocks. Try and make sure the mirror cell is level.
3
Pour the distilled water and dish soap solution onto the mirror. Pour enough to fill the mirror with the solution.
4
Let the mirror soak in the solution for a few minutes.
5
Take a small section of cotton from the roll. Gently swish the solution around with the cotton batting. DO NOT SCRUB! Tilt the mirror cell so the remaining solution runs off of the mirrors surface. Repeat steps 3, 4 and 5.
6
Rinse the mirror with distilled water.
7
Drain off any remaining distilled water.
8
Gently lay paper towels onto the mirrors surface.
9
Lightly pat the paper towels to help absorb any remaining water and gently remove the paper towel trying not to drag it across the surface. Let the mirror box dry if needed and reinstall it in to the rocker box section.
