Breeding Dust Bunnies!

[Fay]

Can someone please advise me the best way to clean dust from filters.  

Also, when you use a Ha filter, should you focus without it on first, being that hardly anything is visible with it on, & do you then have to refocus?

Should you see anything obvious pertaining to nebulae when using one that you would not see without it?  

Thanks,

Fay

[JohnP]

Hi Fay,

With Ha filter you need to pick a really bright star & focus on that first (with Ha in place of course) then go to the object you want to image & start imaging...

I have had limited success with Ha - I think the CLS does nearly as good a job but with much shorter exposures.. You'll definitely need tracking to make full use of the Ha. You may have more success using it with your SX rather than the SC3..

Cheers,  John

[Mike]

The best way to clean dust from filters is with a photographers air blower - If they are REALLY dusty then wash them in a very mild lukewarm washing up liquid solution and then rinse with distilled water, then allow to dry.