Bedeviled by DS LS100

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rbenton
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Bedeviled by DS LS100

Post by rbenton »

I just got my DS LS100 back from Lunt for service, and my original problem persists. I sent them a detailed description of the issue, with sample images. The invoice from the techs at Lunt said: "Sent in due to possible leak in system. Tested, resealed cavity, retested, cleaned. OK to return to customer. N/C" What happens inside the big white tube is still a vague mystery to me. But it seems to me that a poor seal in the pressure tuner would create an issue evenly across the image as the air pressure would be distributed evenly inside. My issue is a distinctly uneven image. I am simply trying to make full disc images, and I thought this scope was a good choice. So far I have not gotten a single image that is clear across the disc. My tests today were no different. I will try to upload a sample. The area of softness is across the top 1/3. I could not make that section look sharp either by tuning, or by shifting focus. No one else on this forum seems to have any trouble making FD images that are sharp from limb-to-limb. What am I missing?
I am not confident enough to disassemble it myself, and I don't want to pester Lunt anymore. (they have been very patient with me, plus it cost me $100 to ship it to them.)
Can anyone help me? This was expensive, and so far it does not work.
sample.jpg
sample.jpg (376.72 KiB) Viewed 1288 times


gabrieli
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Re: Bedeviled by DS LS100

Post by gabrieli »

This is my experience with an LS80 with similar issues.

I wish my LS80 produced even looking disks with the entire disc on band right from the camera. If images of my disks look even when posted, it's the result of some often tedious processing, usually selective and repeated applications of levels in layers in PS. Also, there are times when part of the sun takes on a crinkled orange peel appearance which my impression is depends on the sun's location in the sky. I'm not sure what kind of 2nd etalon you have but I've mounted one on the front hood and I find I rotate that etalon with the hood that does help to control where the "hot spot" is. I also tune to try and even out the disc appearance.


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Re: Bedeviled by DS LS100

Post by marktownley »

Hmm, not sure what to suggest bu sure does look annoying...


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Re: Bedeviled by DS LS100

Post by eroel »

Hi:
Looks like you have a non orthogonal image at focus, I once had the problem with my first Solarmax 90, and the problem was that one of the etalons was decontacted, changing the faulty one corrected the problem, rotate the etalon and see if the soft part rotates too, if so the etalon is the one to blame.
Rotate each etalon in respect to the other and see if the soft part rotates or gets worse or better, as Lou says, this helps to control the hotspot and sometimes a soft section too.
Looks like the polarization of the light through each etalon also has something to do, my Coronado 40mm double stack etalons are very sensitive to etalon rotation, I even had to make a mark on each one at the place where they give the best overall result.
Hope this helps.
Eric.


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robert
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Re: Bedeviled by DS LS100

Post by robert »

Does it work in single stack mode? If it does then some tweaking of the DS etalon may be the way to go.
What are you using for image stacking software?
Robert


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rbenton
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Re: Bedeviled by DS LS100

Post by rbenton »

Images are similar when single stacked also, but the affect is less obvious. I use Autostakkert to stack the images. The good people at Lunt made the same suggestion as ERoel did, so I'll try that this weekend. Thanks for all the suggestions.

Randall Benton


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robert
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Re: Bedeviled by DS LS100

Post by robert »

I was hoping the scope was ok and the extra etalon was the problem
Robert


images and animations http://tinyurl.com/h5bgoso
2024 images https://www.flickr.com/photos/69734017@ ... 0313830045
2023 images https://www.flickr.com/photos/69734017@ ... 0304905278
ED80. ED100. Celestron-150mm-PST mod. C8 edge. ES127
LS60PT-LS60F-B1200. B600-Cak. PGR-Ch3-IMX265
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