Skywatcher ED 90 + pst mod II
Skywatcher ED 90 + pst mod II
Hello,
This my first post .
I would like to share the mod II I did by following all the great information you provided into this forum.
Hope that will help other too.
First the Refractor :
Following the great advice of Oliver Smie, I choose a skywatcher accuter 90/900 ED.
It is a great ed refractor that cost less than the ed 80....300€
The link :
http://www.astroversand.com/Skywatcher1 ... O-ED-9.htm
I bought this refractor and ship it to Oliver. He adapted it for a prominence viewer and for H-Alpha :
So this tube is used for :
- prominence viewer (done by Oliver)
- h-Alpha, with pst mod
- Deep-sky & planets.
In all mode, I am using this refractor for visual only with a binoviewer.
DSO and planet views are excellent. Chromatic aberrations are better corrected than with a 80ED.
About the configuration for the Sun H-alpha views :
- a Belpotik ERF
- a skywatcher 1:10 focuser to replace the default one (not mandatory)
- a x1.8 Siebert optic corrector for the binoviewer head. It is a dobson corrector for bino.
Its performance are excellent. This corrector gives great result with the pst and the default 5mm blocking filter.
That means that with this corrector it is not required to put the 5mm filter at each eyepiece.
The tube has been cut so I can use the refractor focuser with the bino head + the x1.8 corrector and with the etalon around 700mm (700 = 900mm-200mm) +/- 4mm.
About the pst mod II:
1.25 eyepiece holder + 2'' 14mm extension + 2'' to Sct adaptor + 1'' sct extension + Etalon + 2'' pst nose
I used some teflon tape to fix the 1'' sct extension to the etalon.
About the diagonal :
I modified a celestron 1.25 diagonal, put the 5mm pst filter as eyepiece holder and place a KG5+a mini ref at the nose of the diagonal. With the siebert corrector I can get view into the bino without vignetting.
But at this focal (900) eye positioning is more critical.
So most of the time, I am using a BF15 I own and let the 5mm diagonal for a 60mm solarmax. Witht he BF15, views are brighter and my eye positioning is simpler.
About the eyepieces :
On the pst alone : 30mm ploss = full view of the sun with h-Alpha on 90% of the disk.
With the 90 ED : I am using a pair of Radian 18mm. The result a tremendous :full h-alpha into the fov. With 30mm Ploss, views are great but only a parts of the view is full of h-alpha details.
About the results :
I do not do photo. I can only share my feelings.
Day to day usage :
I have to wait 20mn before getting the best views. This time is required to get the same temperature across all the elements. This setup remembers me my old TScanner and I am very happy with it.
Comparaison with a Daystar.
I own a 0.5 TScanner that has been transformed with the new ION housing. It has 30mm clear aperture.
I am using a MARKV bino head with it.
I found that the result with the pst mod II provides more contrast and pleasant view than with the daystar without the requirement to put my head under a carpet to make the black around.
But the clearer the sky is, the longer my eyes adaptation is and greater and subtil the details with the daystar are.
Final result :
If you already own a pst, considering the price, this mod cost less than 1000€ to get a 90mm H-alpha refractor.
My own opinion : it is a bargain and nothing can compete because at the same time you will get a marvelous lightweight travel telescope for night and days.
Thanks for all your helps and great previous post !
Greetings,
Cyrille
This my first post .
I would like to share the mod II I did by following all the great information you provided into this forum.
Hope that will help other too.
First the Refractor :
Following the great advice of Oliver Smie, I choose a skywatcher accuter 90/900 ED.
It is a great ed refractor that cost less than the ed 80....300€
The link :
http://www.astroversand.com/Skywatcher1 ... O-ED-9.htm
I bought this refractor and ship it to Oliver. He adapted it for a prominence viewer and for H-Alpha :
So this tube is used for :
- prominence viewer (done by Oliver)
- h-Alpha, with pst mod
- Deep-sky & planets.
In all mode, I am using this refractor for visual only with a binoviewer.
DSO and planet views are excellent. Chromatic aberrations are better corrected than with a 80ED.
About the configuration for the Sun H-alpha views :
- a Belpotik ERF
- a skywatcher 1:10 focuser to replace the default one (not mandatory)
- a x1.8 Siebert optic corrector for the binoviewer head. It is a dobson corrector for bino.
Its performance are excellent. This corrector gives great result with the pst and the default 5mm blocking filter.
That means that with this corrector it is not required to put the 5mm filter at each eyepiece.
The tube has been cut so I can use the refractor focuser with the bino head + the x1.8 corrector and with the etalon around 700mm (700 = 900mm-200mm) +/- 4mm.
About the pst mod II:
1.25 eyepiece holder + 2'' 14mm extension + 2'' to Sct adaptor + 1'' sct extension + Etalon + 2'' pst nose
I used some teflon tape to fix the 1'' sct extension to the etalon.
About the diagonal :
I modified a celestron 1.25 diagonal, put the 5mm pst filter as eyepiece holder and place a KG5+a mini ref at the nose of the diagonal. With the siebert corrector I can get view into the bino without vignetting.
But at this focal (900) eye positioning is more critical.
So most of the time, I am using a BF15 I own and let the 5mm diagonal for a 60mm solarmax. Witht he BF15, views are brighter and my eye positioning is simpler.
About the eyepieces :
On the pst alone : 30mm ploss = full view of the sun with h-Alpha on 90% of the disk.
With the 90 ED : I am using a pair of Radian 18mm. The result a tremendous :full h-alpha into the fov. With 30mm Ploss, views are great but only a parts of the view is full of h-alpha details.
About the results :
I do not do photo. I can only share my feelings.
Day to day usage :
I have to wait 20mn before getting the best views. This time is required to get the same temperature across all the elements. This setup remembers me my old TScanner and I am very happy with it.
Comparaison with a Daystar.
I own a 0.5 TScanner that has been transformed with the new ION housing. It has 30mm clear aperture.
I am using a MARKV bino head with it.
I found that the result with the pst mod II provides more contrast and pleasant view than with the daystar without the requirement to put my head under a carpet to make the black around.
But the clearer the sky is, the longer my eyes adaptation is and greater and subtil the details with the daystar are.
Final result :
If you already own a pst, considering the price, this mod cost less than 1000€ to get a 90mm H-alpha refractor.
My own opinion : it is a bargain and nothing can compete because at the same time you will get a marvelous lightweight travel telescope for night and days.
Thanks for all your helps and great previous post !
Greetings,
Cyrille
- Merlin66
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Re: Skywatcher ED 90 + pst mod II
Good to hear from a happy PST mod user.
Neat set up.
Neat set up.
"Astronomical Spectroscopy - The Final Frontier" - to boldly go where few amateurs have gone before
https://groups.io/g/astronomicalspectroscopy
http://astronomicalspectroscopy.com
"Astronomical Spectroscopy for Amateurs" and
"Imaging Sunlight - using a digital spectroheliograph" - Springer
https://groups.io/g/astronomicalspectroscopy
http://astronomicalspectroscopy.com
"Astronomical Spectroscopy for Amateurs" and
"Imaging Sunlight - using a digital spectroheliograph" - Springer
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Re: Skywatcher ED 90 + pst mod II
A great setup and a great write up! Thanks!
http://brierleyhillsolar.blogspot.co.uk/
Solar images, a collection of all the most up to date live solar data on the web, imaging & processing tutorials - please take a look!
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Re: Skywatcher ED 90 + pst mod II
Looking good there, Cyrille. Nice set-up.
Welcome to this wonderful site.
Stu.
Welcome to this wonderful site.
Stu.
H-alpha, WL and Ca II K imaging kit for various image scales.
Fluxgate Magnetometers (1s and 150s Cadence).
Radio meteor detector.
More images at http://www.flickr.com/photos/solarcarbon60/
Fluxgate Magnetometers (1s and 150s Cadence).
Radio meteor detector.
More images at http://www.flickr.com/photos/solarcarbon60/
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Re: Skywatcher ED 90 + pst mod II
You have a great set of equipment there, and a nice write-up about the systems too.
Brian
Brian
Brian Colville
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
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
- swisswalter
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Re: Skywatcher ED 90 + pst mod II
Hi Cyrille
thank you for sharing and welcome to that wonderful site. Have sun and fun
thank you for sharing and welcome to that wonderful site. Have sun and fun
Only stardust in the wind, some fine and some less fine scopes, filters and adapters as well. Switzerland 47 N, 9 E, in the heart of EUROPE
from 7 am - 7 pm http://www.nanosys.ch
from 7.01 pm - 6.59 am http://www.wastronomiko.com some times vice versa
from 7 am - 7 pm http://www.nanosys.ch
from 7.01 pm - 6.59 am http://www.wastronomiko.com some times vice versa
Re: Skywatcher ED 90 + pst mod II
Hi,
To try to give a small idea of the FOV with bino head+18mm+x1.8 corrector and result of the mod
I made a single shot of the sun last friday with my canon 600 + x5 power mate.
It was a quick&dirty setup :
- I used the DM4 mount of the previous picture (az mount, no tracking),
- Coarse focus because the mount was not tracking,
- No flat/dark/ etc...,
- The etalon was at 70mm too far from its best position,
- Histogram adjustment + resize.
Cyrille
To try to give a small idea of the FOV with bino head+18mm+x1.8 corrector and result of the mod
I made a single shot of the sun last friday with my canon 600 + x5 power mate.
It was a quick&dirty setup :
- I used the DM4 mount of the previous picture (az mount, no tracking),
- Coarse focus because the mount was not tracking,
- No flat/dark/ etc...,
- The etalon was at 70mm too far from its best position,
- Histogram adjustment + resize.
Cyrille
- marktownley
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Re: Skywatcher ED 90 + pst mod II
Not a bad start!
http://brierleyhillsolar.blogspot.co.uk/
Solar images, a collection of all the most up to date live solar data on the web, imaging & processing tutorials - please take a look!
- swisswalter
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Re: Skywatcher ED 90 + pst mod II
Hi Cyrille
that looks promising
that looks promising
Only stardust in the wind, some fine and some less fine scopes, filters and adapters as well. Switzerland 47 N, 9 E, in the heart of EUROPE
from 7 am - 7 pm http://www.nanosys.ch
from 7.01 pm - 6.59 am http://www.wastronomiko.com some times vice versa
from 7 am - 7 pm http://www.nanosys.ch
from 7.01 pm - 6.59 am http://www.wastronomiko.com some times vice versa
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Re: Skywatcher ED 90 + pst mod II
Cyrille,
When you achieve the optimum spacing of the etalon to the prime focus -200mm Majic happens!!!!
The Crayford should not be used, but "locked into final position" - you will need an additional focuser between the etalon and the eyepiece/ CCD.
When you achieve the optimum spacing of the etalon to the prime focus -200mm Majic happens!!!!
The Crayford should not be used, but "locked into final position" - you will need an additional focuser between the etalon and the eyepiece/ CCD.
"Astronomical Spectroscopy - The Final Frontier" - to boldly go where few amateurs have gone before
https://groups.io/g/astronomicalspectroscopy
http://astronomicalspectroscopy.com
"Astronomical Spectroscopy for Amateurs" and
"Imaging Sunlight - using a digital spectroheliograph" - Springer
https://groups.io/g/astronomicalspectroscopy
http://astronomicalspectroscopy.com
"Astronomical Spectroscopy for Amateurs" and
"Imaging Sunlight - using a digital spectroheliograph" - Springer
Re: Skywatcher ED 90 + pst mod II
Thanks for your encouragement !
Now I have to read again all yours previous post
Cyrille
Now I have to read again all yours previous post
Cyrille