Lunt LS130MT

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rimcrazy
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Lunt LS130MT

Post by rimcrazy »

So I've been considering on getting a Lunt LS130MT. I currently have a Vixen ED103S refractor and was considering going the Daystar route but it appears that there is a significant variability to the success of this, let alone when I go to their website it seems to be a hodgepodge of 404 pages along with information that basically says "you can't get there from here starting with a ED103S" so that does not give me a whole lot of confidence especially when one considers the coin you are about to drop. I like my ED103 and I have the luxury that if I swap it out for a LS130MT I have use for it at a second residence for a photometry collection scope. My big question is has anyone used this particular scope for both Day (sun) and Evening (DSO, Planets) use and how does it work adapting between day and night? Is the setup such that things are tight enough so swapping out the etalons from the day and slapping on the just the focuser for the evening do you have to recalibrate every day or does it work so your not out to lunch every time you swap? I like to work quasi-remote, ie scope is outside and I'm inside either with nice heat or AC but I'm not fighting the elements. As such I want to get a Moonlight focuser most likely a NightCrawler with my setup. Is that unit totally hosed swapping night/day or can I expect good performance out of that kind of a setup? I did do a forum search on the LS130MT and found only one user, solardave, that has one. Maybe he can speak up to the success of that unit or perhaps others have the unit but have just not posted to the effectiveness of it's day/night capabilities. Anyway, it is obviously a significant investment. I'm not against making it if it is going to work. If it is a waste of $$ I'd like to know that ahead of time too. Having one scope to do both day/night observing with a 130mm objective is actually very, very appealing. If, OTOH it works like garbage, well I don't want to spend the money. Would appreciate any feedback anyone has. Thanks much.


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Re: Lunt LS130MT

Post by dhkaiser »

I have two Lunt telescopes, a 60mm Ha solar and a 102ED visual. Both are very well made and I can't imagine that the 130 could be any different. You potential issue with the 130 is daytime seeing. Is your local seeing up to 130mm? Daytime seeing is a whole different ballgame compared to nighttime.


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Re: Lunt LS130MT

Post by rimcrazy »

Well, my assumption on what is on the Lunt website is you can get a double stacked (what I would get) Lunt 130mm scope that works for daytime solar viewing. In the evening you yank the two etalons and the solar block right angle filter and you have a 130mm scope for in the evening for DSO, Planetary, just all around stelar viewing and in my case, DSO astrophotography and some spectrometer work. In "Theory" it is pretty ideal IMHO. The literal $10,000 question is how well does that all work? I've had an older original Coronado 90mm Max on loan to me for a few years. Long story short, the loan has expired and it is going away. As I mention I have my Vixen ED103S which is really not a shabby OTA but I don't want to venture down doing some fix with DS filters if it is not going to work. I'll spend the extra coin to get the Lunt but my concern is how does it really work swapping between daytime solar work and night time DSO work? I know Lunt really makes quality optics and complete solar solutions. Its just that while I've looked I'm not seeing lots of reviews on the Modular Lunt 130mm system. Lunts own site only has 1 review. That does not say much. I am just looking to see if there are other users that have used either the 130mm Lunt modular system or one of the others (There is a 130, 100, 80, 60) modular system they now sell. It would just be nice to hear from other users that "Yes these are the great" or "No don't waste your money there are a lot of issues switching between day/night that just don't work"


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Re: Lunt LS130MT

Post by DeepSolar64 »

dhkaiser wrote: Sat Jan 30, 2021 2:24 am I have two Lunt telescopes, a 60mm Ha solar and a 102ED visual. Both are very well made and I can't imagine that the 130 could be any different. You potential issue with the 130 is daytime seeing. Is your local seeing up to 130mm? Daytime seeing is a whole different ballgame compared to nighttime.
I second that. I rarely can use my Celestron C102 anywhere near it's maximum resolution most of the time. A considerable amount of time my 70mm Orion and Astro-Tech 72mm will approach or keep with it and sometimes exceed it's performance. These are my white light scopes. Bad seeing can also narrow the difference between my SMII60 and SMII90 as well. But a larger scope can always be stopped down to a smaller aperture and on those days when you do have really nice seeing a big scope will shine!


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Re: Lunt LS130MT

Post by rimcrazy »

dhkaiser wrote: Sat Jan 30, 2021 2:24 am I have two Lunt telescopes, a 60mm Ha solar and a 102ED visual. Both are very well made and I can't imagine that the 130 could be any different. You potential issue with the 130 is daytime seeing. Is your local seeing up to 130mm? Daytime seeing is a whole different ballgame compared to nighttime.
You bring up a very good point but.... assuming the original design/configuration of the scope is, in fact, at 130mm Solar Telescope I have to believe that in the daytime solar mode you do, in fact, get the full 130mm resolution of that scope. In night time mode... well there too I have to believe I have a hard time thinking you don't get the full 130mm aperture resolution. Lunt scopes are not like a regular scope with a bunch of DayStar filters that crop the primary objective. The energy rejection filter for a Lunt is in the right angle prism NOT on the objective filter. This is really the appeal of the whole system. You do, in fact, get the full 130mm objective resolution. Back to my original post, my real concern at the moment is simply the "dearh" of reviews of the modular system. Either they are so new there are not very many reviewers of them or.... they don't really work that well and no body is buying them because of this but for some strange reason there are no posts saying why they don't work. It's all a bit confusing and given the significant $$ involved in making this kind of investment I would really like to talk to someone who has one and is using it in both modes and either has glowing remarks about how well it works or scathing remarks about how well it does not work. $10K is just way too much money to invest in an optical system and not know right up front how well it is going to work or not work.


Lunt 80MT - Ha, CaK, W filters, EQ6R-Pro, PierTech PT2
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Re: Lunt LS130MT

Post by MapleRidge »

The modular scopes are a relatively new entry in the Lunt lineup, so the lack of reviews isn't surprising. The 130 model will work much like their LS152...loosen thumbscrews and remove the single/double etalon and replace with a second visual back to allow use of WL/CaK filters or put it to use at night. I haven't seen one yet nor heard first hand reviews...likely would have had them at NEAF had it not been cancelled last spring.

In Ha mode, the ERF is built into the etalon body...smaller diameter makes for a less expensive ERF. My LS80T is like this, but not a modular scope...Ha only. It is making use of the full aperture.

I would be confident that Lunt has this ready to go...I've used their hardware since it was launched and always been very happy with their equipment.

Brian


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Re: Lunt LS130MT

Post by marktownley »

I would just echo what others are saying about seeing. I would not regularly be able to support 130mm aperture.

Solardave on here has that scope, you may want to PM him.

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Re: Lunt LS130MT

Post by rimcrazy »

marktownley wrote: Sat Jan 30, 2021 7:41 am I would just echo what others are saying about seeing. I would not regularly be able to support 130mm aperture.

Solardave on here has that scope, you may want to PM him.

Mark
Understood and point well taken. That being said, in Phoenix Az we do have lots of clear skies. Now that's a qualitative assessment not a quantitive one but usually our weather reports are quite boring... Clear skies and hot. I live on the northern edge of the city and we don't get near the smog as those who live closer to downtown. I also have a residence in the White Mts in Az and up there seeing is pretty spectacular most of the time, but if I got the Lunt 130 it would be for use in Phoenix not up there. I'm not at a point of buying anything just yet, just evaluating my options. I'll send solardave a PM and see how he likes his unit.


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Celestron 14" EdgeHD, EQ8, PierTech PT2
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Re: Lunt LS130MT

Post by solardave »

I love it and I live in Scotland where my seeing is not always good


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Re: Lunt LS130MT

Post by rimcrazy »

Appreciate the inputs especially on the seeing. I think I'm in a bit of a unique situation in that I'm looking to not only use the scope in the day for solar work but at night for visual observing and astrophotography work. That is what the Lunt modular system is designed to do. To the end of looking at seeing conditions I ordered a Solar Scintillation Monitor from Airylab. When I was using my Coronado 90 there were days where the seeing was just garbage and others where it was fine and visually it was difficult to tell the difference. Never even dawned on me that there was a way to measure that. The strength of forums once again, I always learn something. Going to do some Ad-Hoc surveys over a period of time and see what my seeing really is at my location. Then, thought I give Lunt a call and talk to them and possibly, given that Lunt is only about a 1.5 hr drive from my house, if I can see someone to talk more I might just take a jaunt down to Tucson and check them out. For evening viewing having the Lunt LS130MT would be sweet and if I have to stop it down a little for solar viewing to gain my resolution back there appear to be a number of ways to do that.


Lunt 80MT - Ha, CaK, W filters, EQ6R-Pro, PierTech PT2
Celestron 14" EdgeHD, EQ8, PierTech PT2
Vixen 103ED, EQ8
ASI174MM, ASI1600MM, ASI2600MM, ASI533MC, ASI290 Mini, QHY5III462, QHY5LII
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Re: Lunt LS130MT

Post by MapleRidge »

If you get a SSM you not only can get a reading of the seeing, but with Firecapture plugin you can have the camera record when the moments of better seeing occur.

As a deep sky scope the 130mm, f7 market produces lost of superb images and with a good barlow and/or short focal length eyepieces you can get the hi power lunar/planetary targets too.

Brian


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Maple Ridge Observatory
Cambray, ON Canada

Photos: https://www.flickr.com/photos/185395281@N08/albums

10'x15 Roll-off Roof Observatory
Takahashi EM400 Mount carrying:
C14 + Lunt 80ED
Deep Sky Work - ASI294MM Pro+EFW 7x36/Canon 60D (Ha mod), ONAG
Planetary Work - SBIG CFW10, ASI462MM

2.2m Diameter Dome
iOptron CEM70G Mount carrying:
Orion EON 130ED, f7 OTA for Day & Night Use
Ha Setup: Lunt LS80PT/LS75FHa/B1200Ha + Home Brew Lunt Double Stack/B1800Ha on the Orion OTA + Daystar Quantum
WL, G-Band & CaK Setup: Lunt Wedge & Lunt B1800CaK, Baader K-Line and Altair 2nm G-Band filter
ASI1600MM, ASI432MM, ASI294MM Pro, ASI174MM, ASI462MM
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