Solar Spectrum Sundancer 2 vs. PST40 mod 1

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Bastelhannes
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Solar Spectrum Sundancer 2 vs. PST40 mod 1

Post by Bastelhannes »

Hi folks,

just had first light with the brand new Sundancer 2, which arrived yesterday.

Unfortunately I am still fighting with camera technique, but I wanted to share my first impressions.

It's a nice unit: I took my Evostar 120, attached a DERF 110 mm in front and just the Sundancer 2 in the back.

Wow.

A nice, evenly illuminated and homogenous field of view. No sweet spot detectable. But... huge scale. The 3x telecentric lens quite magnifies the details.

I directly compared it with a PST40 mod stage 1.

To be honest: The details are the same in both systems.

Pro Sundancer 2:
- no sweet spot
- no internel reflections

Cons Sundancer Pro 2:
- really great (die I mention great?) maginfication
- longer exposure times

Pro PST mod 1:
- same details for less money
- more fun

Cons PST mod:
- a few reflections (ghost image), but this will be solved
- sweet spot


More information is going to follow soon...

Cheers,

Bastelhannes


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Re: Solar Spectrum Sundancer 2 vs. PST40 mod 1

Post by marktownley »

Thanks for the first impressions!

Just bear in mind any telecentric etalon system won't have a sweet spot, this is only something you get with a collimated etalon system - as in the PST...

Very much looking forward to more thoughts and details.


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Re: Solar Spectrum Sundancer 2 vs. PST40 mod 1

Post by Bastelhannes »

Mark,

Thank you for clarifying. It was my first raw impression I wanted to share. (Of course I am going to try a telecenter in front of a PST soon).

As soon as I got the first images I am going to show them here. But please be gentle to me, I am a beginner in imaging and will do a lot of mistakes and there will be plenty room for improvement...


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Re: Solar Spectrum Sundancer 2 vs. PST40 mod 1

Post by marktownley »

Bastelhannes wrote: Sat Sep 18, 2021 6:55 am Of course I am going to try a telecenter in front of a PST soon.
I wouldn't bother - the PST bandpass becomes huge and will show very little in the way of features. Different types of etalons with sundancer / solar spectrum and PST.


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Re: Solar Spectrum Sundancer 2 vs. PST40 mod 1

Post by Bastelhannes »

Okay.. first pictures
PST_Surface_mod.jpg
PST_Surface_mod.jpg (1.08 MiB) Viewed 1968 times
This was taken with Evostar 120 (shortened), DERF 110 mm, PST40-mod 1,Baader Hyperion MK IV (24mm) and ZWO ASI 178

Sundancer2_Surface_mod.jpg
Sundancer2_Surface_mod.jpg (1.03 MiB) Viewed 1968 times
This was taken with Evostar 120 (original), DERF 110 mm, Solar Spectrum Sundancer 2, focal and ZWO ASI 178


PST_comb.jpg
PST_comb.jpg (356.65 KiB) Viewed 1968 times
This was taken with Evostar 120 (shortened), DERF 110 mm, PST40-mod 1,Baader Hyperion MK IV (24mm) and ZWO ASI 178

sundancer_comb.jpg
sundancer_comb.jpg (476.04 KiB) Viewed 1968 times
This was taken with Evostar 120 (original), DERF 110 mm, Solar Spectrum Sundancer 2, focal and ZWO ASI 178


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Re: Solar Spectrum Sundancer 2 vs. PST40 mod 1

Post by marktownley »

Good first results Karsten! Are you using eyepiece projection with the PST mod?


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Re: Solar Spectrum Sundancer 2 vs. PST40 mod 1

Post by Bastelhannes »

Mark,

yes I do. It is so far just a stage 1 mod, so its the only chance to use a ZWO ASI 178.

I am designing, as I mentioned before, a conversion kit for the PST40, so it going to be easier to build a stage 2 mod of the PST40. After I have built this I am going to compare the Sundancer 2 focal with PST mod 2 focal.

The sundancer 2 was a test device, but I decided to keep and buy it. But in the future with a Baader 0.4 reducer.


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Update: Solar Spectrum Sundancer 2 vs. PST40 mod 1

Post by Bastelhannes »

Update:

I played along with the Sundancer 2 for a few days. I collected some thoughts, results and impressions:

1. The little hand controller clicks every few seconds very audible. Baader Planetarium is aware of this and is working on a solution.
2. My ZWO ASI 178 definitely is not suitable for monochrome as mentioned already in this forum
3. No remote control possible so far. I am thinking about replacing the existing controller box with the annoying clicking by an Arduino solution: the control of the temperature to adjust the CWL of the etalon. The micrometer for a rapid tilt adjustment is a different issue (no idea so far)
4. For details the Sundancer 2 with the 3x telecentric is fantastic, but I am going to get a 0.4x reducer to get a better overview.

Because I am a noob in programming: has anyone designed a program for temperature control with Arduino or ESP so far?


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Re: Solar Spectrum Sundancer 2 vs. PST40 mod 1

Post by mdwmark »

HI from your images with both filters. You are in the red wing of Ha.
The SD2 lower the setting and try -4 and see if the contrast is better.
Mark W.


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Re: Solar Spectrum Sundancer 2 vs. PST40 mod 1

Post by Bastelhannes »

Hi Mark,

Thank you very much for your hint. I am going to try it as soon as the sun is visible again and i have free time to try it.

Your help rises a general question: How do I know, if I am in the red wing or blue wing of H-alpha?


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Re: Solar Spectrum Sundancer 2 vs. PST40 mod 1

Post by marktownley »

Bastelhannes wrote: Mon Oct 04, 2021 7:04 am Your help rises a general question: How do I know, if I am in the red wing or blue wing of H-alpha?
You can tell you are in the red as the spicules are seen as dark clusters of 'rosettes'.


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