Window cleaning...

[Maelstrom]

WEll got my 803t diode de-soldered, so I am going to mount it in the housing, but the window seems to have a little bit of dust on it. SHould I try and clean it or is that too risky? What should I use to clean it?
EDIT: I am asking because Im scared by all of the horrow stories of windows breaking. Are they really that brittle or should I be fine with a soft brush?

 

[heruursciences]

I clean them with dust off spray and if messy a clean room wipe swab. If you got it greasy with a fingerprint use a q-tip and windex rinse with distilled water and blow dry with dust off spray.

The windows i've broken were busted during the extraction procedure.

If it breaks i gently crush the window more or less completely with diagonal cutters and shake the glass out of the can. Then you get a windowless version with slightly more output with out the trouble of de-canning it entirely.

 

[Maelstrom]

Do you know how much output removing the window gives? Has anyone done power tests between a normal v. open window v. an open can?

 

[keeperx]

in the immortal words of the dooshbag Kent (Real Genius)
"It's your own fault, Knight. Didn't anyone ever tell you to make sure your optics are clean?"