So, I have a decent mx-10130D style tube that has dark areas that you could call "splotches" or shadowing. These spots are see-through and are difficult to see in low light conditions. Here is what it looks like brightened up on a flat colored wall and IR illumination:



I was wondering if there was any way to attempt a rehab on this tube and repair/lessen the dark areas? I have heard of ways to repair blemishes in tubes by leaving them turned on for days on end to "burn in" a clear image. Would this be worth a shot to improve this particular blemish? What is the procedure to attempt a fix?

Any advice would be appreciated!

To do the "Sock Drawer" trick wrap put on the day light cover, install batteries, wrap the unit in tin foil  or inclose a pelican case with the unit turned on, place it into a drawer or safe where no light can get to it for at least 24 hours. Some will run it until the batteries die. Your damage looks like the tube was dropped or suffered from recoil damage, so I doubt if it'll work. I have a blem tube like that, but my damage is a lot more darker in zone 1/2. For me the blems don't bother me, but everyone is different. Try it out in the real world, you may be surprised of if it's distracting or not.

Thanks for letting me know! It's worth a shot, I only have a few cents worth of batteries and 40 hours of tube life to lose. I did try it in real life and I still notice it in low light while stargazing. It doesn't impede my ability to see things, just an annoyance. I'll try your method and report back with the results.

Looks like light damage, not recoil damage. Try the sock drawer trick. Try it several times. It helps. Exposing the tube to low light in a controlled fashion helps heal damage faster but running it in the dark is the safer bet.

Got it, thanks! I'll try running through the "sock drawer" fix several times. A couple bucks in batteries is worth the chance of improving the blemish. I have it running right now - lense cap on with hole taped shut, wrapped up in tinfoil, placed in a cardboard box, and put in a dark corner of the basement.

Why tinfoil though? It's just an extra light barrier, or some other reason?

Yeah, just to make sure it's light tight.

Well, just a quick update: I let my PVS-7 run for 4 days straight. I am surprised my alkaline batteries never died and aren't even giving off a low battery light. The PVS-7 must consume extremely low amounts of power when all it's doing is projecting is scintillation through the tube!

As for the blemish/light damage, it definitely seems less pronounced and more "see through" or lighter than it was before. It's still there and noticeable though. I gave the tube a few days of rest. I may try another 4 day run to see if I can improve it any further.

Thanks for the suggestions guys!