Why the blue streak?

[Greg Howald]

I set up a mini lab at my wife's studio. Things were going great. I got everything right where I wanted it. Turned on the scope and everything came into focus. Then I switched on the camera. There was a blue steak dead center in the image that wasn't there when I looked through the eyepieces. I took things apart several times, cleaned, rearranged, still the blue streak. It took me 30 minutes to realize that the blue streak was being caused by an overhead fluorescent light shining through the eyepieces. Turn out the light or cover the eyepieces and the blue steak goes away. Fortunately it is not the only light in the room. Beware. Greg