[AZ-Observing] Re: Image Question
- From: "William R Wood" <wmrwood@xxxxxxx>
- To: <az-observing@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
- Date: Fri, 5 Sep 2003 10:08:49 -0700
Tom,
I could not get a firm answer to your question which worried me a little
when I bought the open tube scope last June. If I were a Tak dealer I guess
I would probably be vague too since I don't believe that any of the Mewlons
are 25 years old yet so there is little experience to go on. Even in AZ and
after only 1 year, my primary is covered with "stuff" that will not blow off
with compressed air (don't worry, its well filtered) or brush off. I am
guessing that the contamination is mostly sticky tree sap/pollen that floats
in the air plus bug deposits. The dust blows right off. At the current
rate it looks like I can go about 2 years between cleanings. The Tak manual
says that the mirrors will become cloudy or white over time and, at that
point, require recoating.
I have not read anything definitive about the coatings or what might attack
them, but I am hoping that the original coatings will last me forever here
in AZ and only require routine cleaning. If they last 25 years I am home
free since I will then be 85 and probably unable to see the dirt or cloudy
coatings :o) I also assume that the current coatings Tak and others use are
tougher and longer lasting than the coatings employed 25 years ago.
Regards,
Bill Wood
Fountain Hills, AZ
Tom Polakis asked:
>
>
> Bill Wood wrote:
>
> > The new Tak mirrors are coated with real high tech stuff that lasts a
> long time but none of the Tak dealers suggest that they will last as long
> as 25 years without recoating.
>
>
> Is this true even here in Aridzona? Other than a lot of dust, what
> attacks coatings in this climate? Shouldn't mirror coating last for
> decades in the desert, or am I misinformed again?
> snip
>
> Tom
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