Solarscope 70mm double stacked with Lunt 60fha

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Solarscope 70mm double stacked with Lunt 60fha

Post by Highbury Mark »

The enforced Coronavirus lockdown has left me with lots of time - probably far too much time - to ponder how to upgrade my solar set up. I am visual only, and currently have a Lunt 60 with the 60mm DS filter. With help from George and others on Cloudy Nights, I’d decided to go for the LS80 DSII, having heard how concerns about haloes and glare had been mitigated by an additional polariser....
Then today I’ve thought of another option costing around the same amount of money.
How about buying a Solarscope 70mm filter, mated to my TeleVue 85 refractor, and double stacked with my existing Lunt 60fha? If the adaptors could be made, I could run this as a great 70mm single stack and 60mm double stack set up until some time in the (distant) future when I might be able to afford a second 70mm Solarscope etalon. But would the SS and Lunt filters be compatible, or should I just go for the LS80? I’ve emailed Solarscope to ask them, but I’d be very interested to hear the opinions of Solarchat members.


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Re: Solarscope 70mm double stacked with Lunt 60fha

Post by marktownley »

Hiya Mark, welcome to the forum and to solarchat.

My question, what are you hoping to achieve by upgrading? How do you like to view - full disk, closeup? What do you feel you're not getting from the Lunt DS?

Mark


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Re: Solarscope 70mm double stacked with Lunt 60fha

Post by Highbury Mark »

Thanks Mark.
I’d like more resolution and contrast of the sun’s surface features (when they wake up again. Frankly both full disc and higher magnification details. The Lunt60 DS is good but want to push things a bit further to get best out of U.K. seeing


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Re: Solarscope 70mm double stacked with Lunt 60fha

Post by DeepSolar64 »

Highbury,
You sound a lot like me. I have a Coronado SolarMax II 60 DS and am considering upgrading to a Lunt 80 or a Lunt 100 preferably double-stack system. My Coronado wets my appetite but I feel it is not enough. I seek higher contrast, it seems that seeing details in the Coronado is sometimes a lot of work and I seek higher magnification capability as well as full disc. The SM60 is a low power full disc scope. I certainly have issues seeing stuff like spicules! A Lunt LS100Tha double stack system should fit the bill but costs 3+ times what my Coronado does. Less of a sweet spot and more even illumination would be a bonus too.

In time going into imaging is a goal too.

White light is so much easier and cheaper to upgrade.

Mark and I have conversed on another ongoing post on the same lines as this.

James


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Re: Solarscope 70mm double stacked with Lunt 60fha

Post by marktownley »

To be honest, going from 60mm to 70mm the jump isn't huge and not sure you'll really reap any benefits. Given your talking about 70mm solarscope etalons i'm guessing budget isn't an issue here.

The Lunt 80 is a nice scope, have used one visually a number of occasions, it would be nice for visual and allow you to get closer with more resolution than the 60 you currently have. You could also keep the double stack etalon and mount this on their for those full disk views in DS that are great. There's the Lunt100 to consider too, which, you could double stack with your 60mm external etalon.

Bigger than this I would seriouslly consider your local seeing and would advise getting a SSM (maybe you can borrow one?) and getting an idea whether you can support the larger apertures. It maybe you already have a larger refractor in which case, you could consider a quark, or if you want to spend one of the solar spectrum etalons. Rupert from Astrograph stocks both solar spectrum rear etalons and Lunt scopes - you should check him out http://astrograph.net/epages/www_astrog ... _Observing


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Re: Solarscope 70mm double stacked with Lunt 60fha

Post by Montana »

A very warm welcome Mark :hamster:

That is a tough question and something James is also encountering. As you both enjoy looking visually then it is the question of how bright and contrasty the Sun will appear through the eyepiece AND how good is your eyesight (will be different for everyone).

I have limited knowledge, I only regularly view the Sun through either a double stacked PST at 40mm or the complete opposite of a Solarscope 100mm double stack. The difference visually between the 2 are like night and day with the Solarscope being so much brighter and crisper to see. But my eyes aren't that good, you can't see individual spicules on the surface like you can see in images, you can just make out the furry edge of the disc with good seeing. But then who knows what the view would be like with binoviewers and eyepieces that cost lots of money? However, the more your eyes get adapted to the dark you see more detail. But then if I stare long enough through the PST I can see nice prominences and active region detail. I am not sure how much a difference 1cm in aperture will make? I am sure it more depends on how bright the Sun's disc is as to what you actually see. It is a pity we can't get all telescopes of each make and size together and all have a visual comparison.

I don't think we could ever answer this question without setting them up side by side and you looking down them.

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Re: Solarscope 70mm double stacked with Lunt 60fha

Post by Astrograph »

Hi Mark,

As has been suggested it depends what you are ultimately trying to achieve. If you want more resolution and contrast then the answer to the first is aperture. In the UK up to about 130mm is the practical limit for consistent seeing. In my experience the difference between a 100mm and 80mm scope is night and day. If you already have a 60 then I think there is little point moving up to an 80 (or a 70). It would be a bit better but nothing major.

In terms of adding a Solarscope Etalon to a Lunt. Double stacking any old etalon does not just work. The filters used within the etalons can interfere with each other and lead you with a poor view or none at all. For instance the non Pressure Tuned Lunt 60 scopes cannot be double stacked with a Lunt DS module unless a matched etalon is ordered. Only the PT version can be stacked with an off the shelf DS module and that does not even guarantee you a perfect view. Its not to say it won't work but that is luck more than anything else. A Solarscope front etalon is a much higher quality item than a Lunt in terms of uniformity but other than that it would not guarantee you any more contrast or resolution than what you have.

Given the cost of a Solarscope front mounted etalon I would consider looking at a large rear mounted one. You have many benefits here.

1. Due to the nature of etalons it is very hard to may a big one and keep it uniform. To do it well at 100mm is pretty special which is why a big Solarscope front etalon is so expensive. Its also why for the Lunt 100mm scope, they use a small etalon internally and the DS module is another small etalon added internally. There front 100mm has 3 central obstructions in it which is how you do a big etalon on the cheap. Trouble with that is that get a reduction in contrast and diffraction effects. Even with Solarscopes skill it would be a tall order to make a 0.5A big filter so you stack two that will work with each other. Mega bucks. With a rear etalon it is kept small (up to 46mm max) and so the cost can be kept under control.

2. You can order a filter with a narrow bandpass. If you want contrast then that means having a system of at least 0.5A which is a double stack on a dedicated solar scope. With a rear filter you can choose. With Solar Spectrum its 0.65, 0.5 and 0.3A.

3. The filters bandpass is controlled by temperature. Tilting an etalon (as with front mounted types) requires you to tilt it to allow for wing shift. Tilting an etalon increases its bandpass and does not do a lot for image sharpness. To avoid tilting you can use air pressure, hence the Lunt PT system. With a temperature controlled etalon like a Solar Spectrum it can be heated AND cooled to suit so you can use it in all temperatures and keep it on band at the exact wavelength you want.

4. You can change the resolution of your system by putting the rear etalon on a different scope. That scope can also be used for white light and calcium.

Now you list that you have a Quark so I guess you have some experience of using a rear mounted filter. If you have been using it with your TV85 then I doubt it would have been a good experience (assuming you have a good Quark) as that scope is not compatible with a Quark. A Quark also has a small etalon so while OK for imaging, its not so hot for visual, but that does depend on if its optimised or not.

Finally, bear in mind that when buying a dedicated solar telescope, apart from being a one trick pony, the telescope part of it is an off the shelf item. A Lunt 100mm is based on a £700 ED doublet. The 152 is based on a £800 Achromat. Using similar scopes as the base and putting a truly high end filter on the end of one will result not only in a far superior solar scope but also one which has not actually cost you any more. It will have pro's and con's compared to a dedicated solar scope but overall you will have a significant extra bang for your buck.


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Re: Solarscope 70mm double stacked with Lunt 60fha

Post by Solar B »

Hello Mark ... I do hope your keeping safe and well.

I agree with all that's already been said , however I'm quite a lazy astronomer and much

prefer the grab n go option , you just can't beat taking a scope out of its case and

your away , I'm good with the solar-scout options but cannot be bothered with the quark faff ,

as I said I'm a lazy astronomer :)

Re Solar-scope is the gear available ? ... Ken sold the business a few years back , I had been in

touch with the new owner Helmut about 3 yrs ago but didn't think or realise he was in production.

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Re: Solarscope 70mm double stacked with Lunt 60fha

Post by Highbury Mark »

Thank you all for your time and considered advice - it’s really appreciated.
Alexandra - it’s very interesting hearing your experiences with Solarscope.I guess even the best 70mm etalon in the world is still only 70mm, and can’t act as a larger filter. As I’m not an imager - at least not yet - getting a perfectly even image across the fov is less important than achieving greater detail and contrast, even if it’s within a sweetspot.
Rupert - you may remember, I I met you at the last Astrofest. We were discussing night vision astronomy which is another of my wallet-bruising interests.I’ve looked closely at Solar Spectrum and have been on the point of contacting you a couple of times, but the main stumbling block is getting an F30 system to work well in London seeing. My Quark is excellent on proms, and so far unimpressive on surface detail, which I partly put down to the level of magnification used (through a Takahashi FC-100 F/7.4 - TeleVue Plossl 40mm and 0.5x reducer). With better seeing I’d have ordered a Solar Spectrum 0.3A from you a while ago and had the perfect combination of full disk and close detail set ups. I’m going to absorb your advice anyway.
Thanks all - what a great response to my post :bow


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Re: Solarscope 70mm double stacked with Lunt 60fha

Post by Montana »

Brian, as far as I last knew Helmut the new owner is producing Solarscope etalons now. He was going to attend the very recent astro meeting in March which was cancelled, so if he is doing a stand he must now be in full production swing.

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Re: Solarscope 70mm double stacked with Lunt 60fha

Post by Highbury Mark »

Yes, Solarscope are alive and kicking - professional website now. Will be interesting to see where the new owners take the business. Either follow the BMW model and use your brand image to spread more into the mass market, or do an Aston Martin and continue to target a small and specialist minority. Right now it’s around 7300 euros for a single 70mm filter, so no signs of going mass market yet....


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Re: Solarscope 70mm double stacked with Lunt 60fha

Post by Astrograph »

Solarscope is Manx Precision Optics. You can't mass produce these things at the quality they are. When you mass produce you get Lunt, Coronado and Daystar. Meaning you are more likely to see non uniformity. As with mass market optics there is a huge variation is quality. You can get lucky and get something very good, having spent very little but its luck. More often than not there will be something negative about it. Choose quality and yes it costs more but 99% of what you get will be what you expect.

As a supplier I can say that for optics, all those out of China need to be checked and usually worked on to deliver the quality I expect. They absorb a lot of my time. With premium optics, I rarely need to worry.

For solar I have never had an issue with Solar Spectrum and do not know of anyone having an issue with Solarscope. With Lunt I have returned product and with Daystar, Quark returns were easily 50% until they refused to take them back and that's when we parted company. Ultimately you can get some excellent products without spending a fortune but money spent on quality is seldom wasted.


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Re: Solarscope 70mm double stacked with Lunt 60fha

Post by Solar B »

Hey that's great news that Solar scope are alive and well 💛

I had a spoken to Helmut a few times during the transition stage and he's a top bloke.

Having owned an SV50 in the past I've always hankered after an SV60 ... now thats the

ultimate grab n go ha scope for the lazy astronomer 👽

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Re: Solarscope 70mm double stacked with Lunt 60fha

Post by DeepSolar64 »

Interesting thread everyone. I am thinking about upgrading too. To a Lunt 80 or 100. I am looking for more resolution and better magnification ability than my current Coronado SolarMax II 60 DS will do. I think Highbury Mark and I are in the same situation here.

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Re: Solarscope 70mm double stacked with Lunt 60fha

Post by Astrograph »

Mark, I missed one of your earlier posts. I remember the chat at Astrofest.

On the subject of a good clear FOV. Visually you should be a lot more demanding of this than for imaging. With a camera sensor if the central part of the filter is good then it does not impact images. With visual, I for one don't like seeing dark patches, marks etc across the field of view.

Your current setup (without the reducer) should deliver views with high contrast. I had no problems with a 100mm F7 or F8 scope plus Quark back in the day. Having said this I have had Quarks returned that no longer show any detail. The thermostat internally seems to fail. I would say there is more chance of this than there being a fundamental problem with the system itself. Using reducers visually never works IMHO. It is better to use an eyepiece with more focal length. Generally the optical limit of a system means that a eyepiece focal length that is double the f ratio delivers the highest contrast. So F30 = 60mm. In reality that means either a 55mm Plossl or 50mm Erfle eyepiece. A 40mm plossl still holds up but as you like Night Vision you will need a 55mm anyway!

If you were to change to a Solar Spectrum filter on your FC-100 then you would use this with a 4x Telecentric. This gives you F29.6. Focal length will be 2960mm so the solar disc will be just under 26mm. If you were not worried about a full solar disc then using a Solar Spectrum Solar Observer 1.5 with a 25mm etalon will provide almost a full disc. As you can use this with a 2" eyepiece like the 55mm you will have a nice big almost full disc view at 58x. If you really want a full disc then you could opt for a 32mm etalon. You can still use the 40mm for a bit more magnification. I assume you have a front ERF?

The SS etalon is a different animal to a Daystar and you would find it is usable in all temperatures. It can't make up for poor seeing though. To avoid that observe early in the day.

The SS etalon does have dedicated telecompressors for it (reducers) but as mentioned these are intended for imaging not visual.


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Re: Solarscope 70mm double stacked with Lunt 60fha

Post by marktownley »

Agree, a Solar Spectrum on the Takahashi would be an excellent choice, you should utilise the Tak.


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Re: Solarscope 70mm double stacked with Lunt 60fha

Post by Highbury Mark »

Well I have slightly shocked myself today. Done something that I could never have envisaged, even when I started this thread. With apologies to Rupert after all his excellent advice, after six months of analysis paralysis, I’ve just ordered two Solarscope 70mm filters for my TeleVue 85.
This came about because I emailed Solarscope yesterday for the first time, to ask about compatibility with other manufacturers’ filters. In Helmut’s reply, it became clear that the (UK) price for Solarscope products was less than I had thought - just as Lunt and Coronado prices are more affordable in the States - and within my budget following a work bonus (and a lot of astro gear to sell off). So I pressed the button. Thought of a double stacked external system was too much to ignore. And hopefully in a few weeks’ time I’ll have a top quality solar set up to report back on. Least I can do after receiving so much good advice from you all!


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Re: Solarscope 70mm double stacked with Lunt 60fha

Post by Solar B »

Wow ..... congrats on the purchase Mark 👍... I'm dead jealous :mrgreen:

I do look forward to both seeing and hearing about the SF70s

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Re: Solarscope 70mm double stacked with Lunt 60fha

Post by Highbury Mark »

Thanks Brian - will report back. Expecting 4 weeks until delivery.


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Re: Solarscope 70mm double stacked with Lunt 60fha

Post by RKBerta »

Astrograph,
You wrote that:
+++++++++
Now you list that you have a Quark so I guess you have some experience of using a rear mounted filter. If you have been using it with your TV85 then I doubt it would have been a good experience (assuming you have a good Quark) as that scope is not compatible with a Quark. A Quark also has a small etalon so while OK for imaging, its not so hot for visual, but that does depend on if its optimised or not.
++++++++++++++++++
Why isn't the TV85 compatible with a Quark? I have a Quark Chromosphere that I normally use with a Officina Stellare 80mm f6 APO triplet. I also have a TV 85 f7 APO and have used it a couple of times with a 1 1/4" diagonal. The scope won't work with the 2" diagonal as it doesn't have enough in focus. The Officina Stellare works fine with it allowing me to use a 2" diagonal so a better selection of longer focal length eyepieces which are more appropriate. With that setup I can get decent visual image comparable to double stacked scopes I have used.

My main scope is the OS 80 with a older US made Coronado 60mm Ha external front mounted etalon and tuner and the BF30 blocking filter straight through along with a 2" Astrophysics diagonal. That allows full disk viewing or high magnification. That is only single stacked but I get excellent resolution on Prominences and pretty good images of surface Chromosphere, including spicles and convection cells. With processing it yields very good images of both.

I am considering a larger 100mm aperture double stacked Lunt setup but it seems the chances to get a decent one are iffy so reluctant to spend the money if it is iffy as far as getting a marked improvement guarantee. While I am impressed with the old Coronado filters on either scope, the Quark is not as impressive. I know SS scopes are the best but they are priced way out of my range.

I want both a visual and a photographic capable scope. I know it is a balancing act for sure :seesaw


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Re: Solarscope 70mm double stacked with Lunt 60fha

Post by DeepSolar64 »

Congratulations Highbury Mark. Your decision is made. I hope the new etalons meet or exceed your expectations.


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Re: Solarscope 70mm double stacked with Lunt 60fha

Post by Montana »

Wow!! you won't be disappointed :hamster: :hamster: :hamster:

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Re: Solarscope 70mm double stacked with Lunt 60fha

Post by Astrograph »

Highbury Mark, that's a shock. It will be a nice combo. I just hope it offers you the increase in resolution you are after.

RKBerta, My comment about the TV-85 plus Quark was not right. I forgot the TV-85 was an F7 scope and was think it was F6.3 like the TV-76 is. In the context of your 80mm F6 then my advice would have been that is not really compatible for the same reason. The reason being that a rear mounted etalon needs to have light passing through it that is parallel and perpendicular to it. This happens at approx F30. Below that the light rays through the filter are still converging and it will hotspot and work with a wide bandpass. The Quark has a built in 4.3x telecentric. At F7 the scope is running at F30.1 so it will actually allow the Quark to work normally. If at F30 it offered an 0.5A bandpass then thats what it would deliver. With the 80 F6 it will be running at F25.8. Daystars own information suggest this will mean that a 0.5A filter acts with a bandpass as high as 0.7A so you lose significant contrast. Certainly every time I saw a Chromosphere Quark on an 80 F6 the sun was far more featureless than on a scope with a higher F ratio.

If you want a visual scope then it would be good to know if you want to see a full disc or are happy with just a partial disc. All pure solar scopes will offer a full disc by default. Do get the same with a rear mounted filter requires a bit more thought in choosing the filter as I suggested earlier when advising Highbury Mark.


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Re: Solarscope 70mm double stacked with Lunt 60fha

Post by DeepSolar64 »

Highbury Mark,
I hope the 70 is good enough. That is only 10mm above a 60. That's why I prefer an 80 or more. Solarscope are said to be really good etalon filters though.

You do have a DayStar Quark. If you have a good one they do good for high-rez work don't they?

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Re: Solarscope 70mm double stacked with Lunt 60fha

Post by Highbury Mark »

Fair questions James.
When I upgraded from an Lunt 50DS to a 60DS three years ago, I was impressed by the increase in detail (though in single stack it was a little disappointing. it really needed double stacking to achieve satisfying surface views). The 60 allowed me to observe at up to 75x without losing sharpness - maximum was probably around 50x with the LS50. So I’m hoping 70mm will produce another noticeable step up in resolution.
Last year I bought the Quark, which gives very nice prom views through a 4” frac (if seeing is good) but surface detail is poor. Even after extensive tuning readjustments.
Both set ups have given me plenty of pleasure. But neither was what I’m looking for as a lifetime solution.
Obviously the LS80 was a serious consideration this time - I almost ordered one several times, but I hesitated because of cost in the U.K. and concerns about the double stack unit. If I’d been offered an LS80DS with guaranteed 0.5A performance and no haloes, I’d have happily gone for it. Also worth remembering that if we have any problems with Lunt scopes here, they have to go back to Germany, as my LS50 had to. Not the same service you get in the US.
I had never considered Solarscope as an option - presumed they were out of my league. Clearly they have an outstanding reputation, so when I saw the 70DS package was not much more than the LS80, it didn’t take long for me to make a decision - particularly as I own a TV85 - perfect scope for the Solarscope filters. It may be 10mm less aperture than the LS80, but that’s with two unobstructed external etalons v two internal etalons. And I’ve read various reports from owners saying that these filters punch well above their weight. Alexandra seemed to rate the SF70 very highly, and I believe 70mm is more than enough aperture for my seeing in London if filters are top quality.
Ultimately, every solar ha purchase is a risk and a compromise. And I won’t know for a few weeks if I’ve made the right decision. But as a fellow trader-upper, I will follow your search with interest and keep my fingers crossed that whatever your choice, it produces the results you’re looking for.


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Re: Solarscope 70mm double stacked with Lunt 60fha

Post by DeepSolar64 »

Highbury Mark,
I certainly wish I had the Solarscope option here. But like Lunt there it has disadvantages here. Right now I am considering most seriously the Coronado SolarMax II 90 DS. They are quite reasonably priced for their size. I have found a couple of dealers selling them for well under 4000 dollars. Cheaper than a double stacked LS80 but larger. I also have some familiarity with Coronado since I have a SolarMax II 60 DS. BUT I still have my doubts with Coronado and especially Meade Instruments. I am also considering converting my Celestron 102 refractor to Ha solar by adding a rear etalon like a Solar Spectrum or Quark but preferably the first since their quality is higher and add an ERF to the front of the scope. I need to learn what exactly I will need to do this. I think a barlow also must be added before the etalon. And I may also have to replace the focuser on the refractor to hold the extra weight. Buying a purpose-built commercial solar instrument is easier but if I can learn what is needed and how to do it building my own custom solar refractor may be both cost effective and better. Now to find someone who sells Solar Spectrum in the US who lists their prices. I have found the ERFs at DayStar.

You did well with the magnification with your LS50 and LS60. Only very rarely can I exceed 50x on my Coronado 60. I usually run between 16x and 33x for the best views. That's one of the main reasons I want a bigger longer focal length scope. Usable higher power views. Getting closer views of ARs and prominences would be really nice. It's hard to really see them well on the SM 60s small image scale.

James


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Re: Solarscope 70mm double stacked with Lunt 60fha

Post by Solar B »

I think ultimately it does come down to what you can afford and logically handle ect.

I have been seriously considering a SM90II as well but I can't afford to DS it (could with an

SM60II) and it would also be at my mounts capacity.

Ease of use is probably the biggest thing for me as I cannot be bothered screwing everything

together , I've had some experience with a couple of quarks and they're performance was good

but they were a faff and EP positioning was always an issue , this is not the case with my 60mm

Day star SS which offers the same ease as my DSSM60 ... so I'm thinking again about the 80mm

SS as I'm sure it will not be similar to a separate quark and an 80mm scope and could offer a

DS experience.

'Re Solarscope I remember once or twice with my SV50 thinking that the view was a bit

boring 😅 as the whole disk was always perfectly on band and you never once had to work

with it to see any detail 👍

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Re: Solarscope 70mm double stacked with Lunt 60fha

Post by marktownley »

Highbury Mark wrote: Sat May 02, 2020 7:33 pm I had never considered Solarscope as an option - presumed they were out of my league. Clearly they have an outstanding reputation, so when I saw the 70DS package was not much more than the LS80
Interesting, I did wonder how much they were.


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Re: Solarscope 70mm double stacked with Lunt 60fha

Post by Highbury Mark »

Interesting, I did wonder how much they were.
[/quote]

That’s in comparison to an LS80, B1800, Feathertouch here in the UK Mark. Not inexpensive! But I was surprised that the Solarscope package was even in the same ballpark.

Brian - I’d be interested to hear your thoughts on the Solar Scout. Still not a great deal of reviews out there from experienced solar observers/imagers.

James - you have a big decision to make. Frankly all your options sound pretty tempting. The SMII90 DS is great value - if you get a good example it would be a huge step up from your 60. But a Solar Spectrum/Daystar Quantum filter would be amazing too with your 4” scope. Precision, high magnification views at your chosen bandwidth. Would love to experience that one day.


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Re: Solarscope 70mm double stacked with Lunt 60fha

Post by DeepSolar64 »

I just learned this morning upon looking it up that Meade has discontinued the Coronado SolarMax II series!! I had noticed lately that fewer dealers were carrying them. This worries me because I have a SolarMax II 60 and I worry that support will end for it. I noticed Meade had discontinued sales of all parts for it too. Even the blocking filters and DS etalons. The SM II was a great alternative to the SM III because of the lower cost with the III being sold as a premium model. The PST is still available, in fact they have dropped the price on both the standard and DS models and of course the SMIII is still available.

I might end up going Lunt after all.

https://www.meade.com/solarmax-ii-solar-telescopes.html

https://www.meade.com/pst-telescopes.html

James :(


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Re: Solarscope 70mm double stacked with Lunt 60fha

Post by Astrograph »

Meade filed for Chapter 11 in December (again) and is probably just trying to generate cash by selling through all product. They are currently selling off lots of products.


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Re: Solarscope 70mm double stacked with Lunt 60fha

Post by Solar B »

James I wouldnt necessarily worry about the SMII series being discontinued ... it probably

already was months ago in favour of the III series , I'm still using some "series I" kit and have

been using an SM60IIDS for years without issue ... Truth be told its a very rare chance to obtain

some new SM90II kit at very competitive prices.

Mark I do like to Day star 60mm SS but find the image a tad dark .... I think it might work better

with a good 32mm Ep as opposed to the recommended 25mm ( will try soon )

I think the 80mm could be amazing and offers a carbon ota , the stuff of dreams 😎

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Re: Solarscope 70mm double stacked with Lunt 60fha

Post by marktownley »

DeepSolar64 wrote: Sun May 03, 2020 4:43 pm I just learned this morning upon looking it up that Meade has discontinued the Coronado SolarMax II series!! I had noticed lately that fewer dealers were carrying them. This worries me because I have a SolarMax II 60 and I worry that support will end for it. I noticed Meade had discontinued sales of all parts for it too. Even the blocking filters and DS etalons. The SM II was a great alternative to the SM III because of the lower cost with the III being sold as a premium model. The PST is still available, in fact they have dropped the price on both the standard and DS models and of course the SMIII is still available.

I might end up going Lunt after all.

https://www.meade.com/solarmax-ii-solar-telescopes.html

https://www.meade.com/pst-telescopes.html

James :(
That works in your favour young Jedi ;)

There will be lots of people that will sell off perfectly good SMii series kit just to go to the SMiii series, you have the benefit that if anyone has imaged with it you get to see what is capable of (or not!) before you buy. Kinda indirect try before you buy.


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Re: Solarscope 70mm double stacked with Lunt 60fha

Post by DeepSolar64 »

I had heard about Meade filing bankruptcy after Orion sued them. Though I have had no trouble out of my SM 60 I have read of people having rusting issues with the blocking filters and dielectric coating issues as well. And the SM III blocking filter won't fit the II. I hope mine does last for many years!!

I wish I knew someone locally who had a Lunt 80 I could try.

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Re: Solarscope 70mm double stacked with Lunt 60fha

Post by DeepSolar64 »

True Mark. Maybe sales too! but probably little or no Meade support.


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Re: Solarscope 70mm double stacked with Lunt 60fha

Post by Solar B »

Oh dear oh dear ... it sounds worse than the current pandemic 😷

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Re: Solarscope 70mm double stacked with Lunt 60fha

Post by DeepSolar64 »

Solar B wrote: Sun May 03, 2020 6:06 pm Oh dear oh dear ... it sounds worse than the current pandemic 😷

Brian
Oh yeah! I gotta laugh on that comment! :D


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Re: Solarscope 70mm double stacked with Lunt 60fha

Post by marktownley »

DeepSolar64 wrote: Sun May 03, 2020 5:34 pm True Mark. Maybe sales too! but probably little or no Meade support.
There's nothing on a coronado we cant fix if something does go wrong ;)


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Re: Solarscope 70mm double stacked with Lunt 60fha

Post by rsfoto »

marktownley wrote: Sun May 03, 2020 6:57 pm
DeepSolar64 wrote: Sun May 03, 2020 5:34 pm True Mark. Maybe sales too! but probably little or no Meade support.
There's nothing on a coronado we cant fix if something does go wrong ;)
Hi,

Yes the rust in the Coronado Blocking filters is a nuisance. I have three BF30 and already got all three exchanged free of charge but the 4th time I was just fed up.

Based on information here I just replaced the rusted ITF by a Deep Sky Object 12nm H-alpha filter from Astronomik and that is what produces my Sun disk mosaics everytime there is sunshine. So far nothing is broken ... and it looks like it works great ¿?


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Re: Solarscope 70mm double stacked with Lunt 60fha

Post by DeepSolar64 »

I wonder why Meade has never properly addressed that problem with the blocking filters? It seems relatively common. I don't hear of Lunt BFs having this issue.

That's ingenious Rainer! A deep-sky Ha filter used as an ITF in a blocking filter. What size deep-sky Ha filter? 1.25?


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Re: Solarscope 70mm double stacked with Lunt 60fha

Post by rsfoto »

DeepSolar64 wrote: Sun May 03, 2020 7:34 pm I wonder why Meade has never properly addressed that problem with the blocking filters? It seems relatively common. I don't hear of Lunt BFs having this issue.

That's ingenious Rainer! A deep-sky Ha filter used as an ITF in a blocking filter. What size deep-sky Ha filter? 1.25?
Hi James,

Well I learned it here and it is a 2" filter glued onto the front of the BF30.


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Re: Solarscope 70mm double stacked with Lunt 60fha

Post by DeepSolar64 »

rsfoto wrote: Sun May 03, 2020 7:51 pm
DeepSolar64 wrote: Sun May 03, 2020 7:34 pm I wonder why Meade has never properly addressed that problem with the blocking filters? It seems relatively common. I don't hear of Lunt BFs having this issue.

That's ingenious Rainer! A deep-sky Ha filter used as an ITF in a blocking filter. What size deep-sky Ha filter? 1.25?
Hi James,

Well I learned it here and it is a 2" filter glued onto the front of the BF30.

I bet a 1.25" could be used also if you have only a 1.25" focuser.


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Re: Solarscope 70mm double stacked with Lunt 60fha

Post by DeepSolar64 »

I thought it would go on the eyepiece side of the BF. Mine has a red filter there. The other side that inserts into the focuser is a more silvery color.

But my Baader Continuum filter is a very reflective color but when you look through it the color is green.


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Re: Solarscope 70mm double stacked with Lunt 60fha

Post by marktownley »

DeepSolar64 wrote: Sun May 03, 2020 8:12 pm
rsfoto wrote: Sun May 03, 2020 7:51 pm
DeepSolar64 wrote: Sun May 03, 2020 7:34 pm I wonder why Meade has never properly addressed that problem with the blocking filters? It seems relatively common. I don't hear of Lunt BFs having this issue.

That's ingenious Rainer! A deep-sky Ha filter used as an ITF in a blocking filter. What size deep-sky Ha filter? 1.25?
Hi James,

Well I learned it here and it is a 2" filter glued onto the front of the BF30.

I bet a 1.25" could be used also if you have only a 1.25" focuser.
Yes ;) For visual you would want to use some KG3 glass in addition, but it is not expensive.


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Re: Solarscope 70mm double stacked with Lunt 60fha

Post by DeepSolar64 »

KG3 glass? What's it's purpose?


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Re: Solarscope 70mm double stacked with Lunt 60fha

Post by marktownley »

DeepSolar64 wrote: Sun May 03, 2020 10:20 pm KG3 glass? What's it's purpose?
Gets rid of the infra red >1200nm. We can't see it but its not good for your eyes.


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Re: Solarscope 70mm double stacked with Lunt 60fha

Post by Highbury Mark »

Actually Lunt blocking filters are susceptible to clouding over - just a case of a simple lens replacement free from Lunt but it’s something that seems to happen regularly - though not with the Lunts I’ve owned


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Re: Solarscope 70mm double stacked with Lunt 60fha

Post by Astrograph »

It is only replaced free if within warranty and then subject to the scope having been stored properly. Solar kit should be kept in somewhere of even temperature and low humidity, i.e. not a garden shed! Out of warranty the blocking filter is one of the most expensive parts as it is a very narrow bandpass filter


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Re: Solarscope 70mm double stacked with Lunt 60fha

Post by Solar B »

True but I'm sure you already know Rupert

That rusty Coronado ITFs are only a $75 fix from Maier Photonics for a new one.

Actually last one I obtained a couple of years ago was $89 shipped 😎

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Re: Solarscope 70mm double stacked with Lunt 60fha

Post by Astrograph »

For the Coronado this is true, its a cheap fix and the replacements are better than the originals which I don't think have IR blocking. I better one still made in europe is about £150. Lunt ones are not so cheap.


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