Pentax 10 - Manual (Page 20)

20
Cleaning
Cleaning the Primary
Protect your mirror by keeping your telescope closed when not in use,
so that cleaning will be needed very infrequently. Over time, you will
see an accumulation of dirt, but it will have less effect on the image
quality than you would expect. (Under some lighting conditions, such
as with a flashlight aimed at the mirror in the dark, even a fairly clean
mirror can look terrible.)
With proper care, cleaning should be needed only after extended use.
When finally required, proceed as as follows:
1. Open the Teleport, place an eyepiece in the focuser for balance, and tilt
the scope almost horizontal.
2. Place a support under the secondary cage and tilt the scope until the
cage rests on it. (When the mirror is
removed, the scope will be unbalanced
and could fall.)
3. With a philips screwdriver, remove the
six screws holding the mirror cell (Fig
28). Be sure to hold the cell securely
Be sure to hold the cell securely Be sure to hold the cell securely Be sure to hold the cell securely Be sure to hold the cell securely
while removing the last ones. while removing the last ones. while removing the last ones. while removing the last ones. while removing the last ones.
4. Lift the cell away enough to reach into
the mirror box, and unplug the fan cord.
5. Place the cell on a table and blow loose
dust away with clean compressed air.
6. If the air cleaning proves sufficient, skip
to step 19.
7. If washing is required, first slide the cell so the top post overhangs the
edge of the table about an inch.
8. Loosen it's lock nut fully so the post is loose.
9. Peel the strap loose from the tape on the mirror edge, tilt the top post
slightly, and lift the mirror out. (The three support triangles will
remain attached to the back of the mirror)
10. Place it face up in a clean sink and run warm water to cover it.
11. Prepare a cleaning solution of three drops of mild hand dishwashing
detergent in about a cup of warm water. Stir thoroughly to dissolve the
detergent.
12. Pour most of the cleaning solution over the mirror surface.
13. Dip a cotton ball in the remaining cleaning solution and swab the
mirror surface gently in a circular motion. Work from the center to the
edge, being sure to not miss any of it.
14. Rinse thoroughly with running warm water, lifting and tilting the
mirror to rinse the back, then finally the front surface again.
15. Pour a cup or so of distilled water over the surface then drain it off and
stand the mirror on edge on a clean towel.
six mirror-cell screws
Fig 28: Mirror cell