OC-1 Crayford. On our Dobsonian models, where fitted, the draw tube is silver in colour.
Virtually all parts of your telescope are resistant to normal usage and, to the sometimes aggressive
weather we can have. There are though two or three exceptions and these need special care and
attention.
Whenever possible, always store your telescope tube indoors, in a dry room ideally. Its not important if
its unheated as long as its dry and little dust.
Before putting your tube in a suitable storage position after having used it outside, carry out the
following procedure. This will extend the life of your optics for years.
When you bring indoors your telescope tube, the parts of the telescope are usually much colder than
indoors. This means that often condensation will collect on the optical surfaces of your mirrors, just as
steam condenses on a cold mirror in a bathroom. If you put your telescope away in this condition, the
moisture can remain on the mirrors for hours and, slowly, but very surely, start to attack the coatings.
By far the best method is to blow, by means of a hair dryer or fan, air directly onto both mirrors until the
condensation disappears. Then, and only then, put the dust caps on the tube end(s) and the plug into
the focus mount and store the tube correctly.
We don’t recommend cleaning the mirrors unless you have the correct equipment and are experienced.
A small amount of dust will cause far less of a problem compared with the possible damage which can
be caused with incorrect cleaning.
The tube external surfaces can be wiped down with a cloth moisten with water or a dry cloth to remove
dust.
The mount can be stored within a garage or outhouse but make sure it is kept dry as dampness will dull
the powder coating on the aluminium.
Care and Maintenance
