13 replies to this topic

[bmorescuba]

I'm guessing this is something very common. I've noticed my Nauticam flat port (which is fairly old at this point and has seen a lot of action) has a "cloudiness" when viewed at a certain angle. Cloudiness is not exactly the right term, but hopefully the attached image explains this better. This does not seem to affect image sharpness very much, but it does have me wondering. I'm pretty faithful about fresh water rinses, but this port has been through a lot, getting wet, drying, getting wet, etc. If you view the port glass head on, this is not visible. If you view it at an angle, it's quite apparent. I'd like to know what causes this, what it's called, prevention, fixes, inevitability - really any information would be helpful. One note - I have thoroughly cleaned both sides of the glass with a lens-safe cleaning cloth - whatever this is, it doesn't come off that way

 

Thanks!

 

port glass cloudiness not visible

 

sane port glass with reflected light, cloudiness visible

[TimG]

I had a similar problem some years ago with a Subal port which seemed to have gone "hazy". The conclusion was that something had damaged the glass - although not something you could feel. Although looking back, it could have been mould. Whatever, I tried all sorts of things to get it off with no success.

 

The solution was to replace the glass - not horrendously expensive (at least not compared to the cost of the port). I was very fortunate that someone I knew could actually do the necessary job which involved prizing the glass out then reseating a new piece of glass with accompanying o-rings. 

[trimix125]

Hi,
what you can try is

SONAX PROFILINE GlassPolish

Have done this with a Nauticam macro port for the m43.
Use a Dremel, takes long time....
And you should cool from time to time...
The Dremel and the port...

Regards,
Wolfgang
 

[TimG]

 

Hi,
what you can try is

SONAX PROFILINE GlassPolish

Have done this with a Nauticam macro port for the m43.
Use a Dremel, takes long time....
And you should cool from time to time...
The Dremel and the port...

Regards,
Wolfgang
 

 

 

Worth a try for sure!

 

Presumably you're grinding off a layer of glass, Wolfgang? Or should I say polishing off.....

[thetrickster]

Thats salt damage from not washing and cleaning the front of the port correctly and leaving it to dry on its own (which has then left the salty deposits)

 

Once I've given the housing a good wash and then I use a lint-free microfibre cloth to wipe away the excess off any glass elements, I then use alcohol free spec cleaning wipes (the wet type) to give the glass parts a good clean.

[trimix125]

Hi Tim,
yes polishing.
Long time work, but was worth it.
As long there is no coating on the glas!

Regards,
Wolfgang

[Stig]

I'd suggest cleaning with vinegar before resorting to glass polish.  I had a similar 'bloom' on mine (perhaps not quite as bad) and vigorous rubbing with alcohol and then vinegar seemed to improve, if not eliminate, it.

[ChrigelKarrer]

Me too consider this blind spots as water spots and i guess they influence picture quality!
i have them on my Nauticam houing, but not on my front glass as i wash and dry it after every use.
Be careful with glass cleaners, they ruined the o-ring holding the glass in position and i needed to change the o-ring.
While mounting the o-ring the glass jumped out and scattered on the floor, so no glass too...
price for glass and o-ring was about 100$ and some bad words when installing the o-ring as it's somehow tricky (you may order a few spare o-rings)
I would try with vinegar to clean the glass, if still cloudy just get a new one and clean and dry it after every dive.

Chris
 

[Pajjpen]

Isn't it just regular waterspots? U will most likely get them to some extent eventually, but I doubt it shows in pictures, do they?

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[Undertow]

So I think I can claim tentative success with this after some research and choosing Mothers Chrome Polish.

 

3 x 15min applications later and all of this etched blotchiness is finally gone. Did put some proper effort into this, scrubbing quite vigorously. 

 

I've had this dome (Aquatica Megadome) for about 10yrs and was pretty bad about giving it proper care. It would sit salty on the boat in the sun for hours on end on a regular basis. I never wiped it dry after rinsing etc. 

 

In the second photo, you can see the leftover blotchiness right by the hotspot. This is because I didn't scrub properly all the way to the tape (used to protect the o-ring). I might try another application to get a bit further down.

 

The rest of the dome looks fantastic. 

 

However my secondary issue is the optical coating on the inside is wearing off (you can barely see as 'streaks' just to the left of the visible blotchiness). So I have to decide if I do an application on the inside to clear it. Not sure its necessary though. 

 

 

 

Cheers,

 

Chris

[bmorescuba]

I thought I would let everyone know that I followed some of the advice left here and worked the port glass with alternating alcohol, vinegar, and water for a good while. All the cloudiness is basically gone and it looks almost new. I appreciate the advice - I was already shopping for a used replacement and vinegar is a lot cheaper... I have also altered my cleaning routine and will try to not only rinse, but wipe with a wet lens cloth and dry after being in salt water. Thanks, everyone!

[TimG]

I thought I would let everyone know that I followed some of the advice left here and worked the port glass with alternating alcohol, vinegar, and water for a good while. All the cloudiness is basically gone and it looks almost new. I appreciate the advice - I was already shopping for a used replacement and vinegar is a lot cheaper... I have also altered my cleaning routine and will try to not only rinse, but wipe with a wet lens cloth and dry after being in salt water. Thanks, everyone!

 

Good news - well done! It's amazing what vinegar will shift. 

[Gudge]

Mothers California Gold Water Spot Remover For Glass cleaned up my ports nicely, it's polish combined with mineral dissolving agents :

 

 

https://motherspolis...or-glass-355ml/

Edited by Gudge, 26 June 2018 - 03:23 PM.

[ashleeruss]

I use water in a soft cotton cloth or baby wipes work too. They say vinegar is also a good solution.

 

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