Replace PST 20mm etalon with a Solarmax II 60mm one?

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Moriniboy
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Replace PST 20mm etalon with a Solarmax II 60mm one?

Post by Moriniboy »

Hi,

Is it possible to swap over the PST etalon in my Stage 2 scope to the 60mm one from my Solarmax II double stack unit?

Sure I have read somewhere that the PST has lenses which make the light cone parallel as it passes through the etalon and then converts it back as it exits.

With this in mind I'm assuming that using the Solarmax etalon would not work as the light would not be parallel?
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Last edited by Moriniboy on Tue Apr 21, 2015 12:49 pm, edited 1 time in total.


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Re: Replace PST 20mm etalon with a Solarmax II 60mm one?

Post by swisswalter »

Hi John

welcome to that wonderful site. Have fun in the sun. Valery from the ukraine can explain how to do it


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Re: Replace PST 20mm etalon with a Solarmax II 60mm one?

Post by marktownley »

Are you talking about the external 60mm etalon here?


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Re: Replace PST 20mm etalon with a Solarmax II 60mm one?

Post by Valery »

Moriniboy wrote:Hi,

Is it possible to swap over the PST etalon in my Stage 2 scope to the 60mm one from my Solarmax II double stack unit?

Sure I have read somewhere that the PST has lenses which make the light cone parallel as it passes through the etalon and then converts it back as it exits.

With this in mind I'm assuming that using the Solarmax etalon would not work as the light would not be parallel?
At this moment don't think about this. You will sure failed. Better to use PST mod 2 for medium and high resolution imaging. Of course, if your PST etalon is good.
A 60mm scope can be used for a Full Disk (FD) imaging and for visual observing.


Valery.


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Re: Replace PST 20mm etalon with a Solarmax II 60mm one?

Post by Moriniboy »

Thanks for your replies everyone, think I'm going to use it on a 66mm f6 scope for low power full disk and as Valery says keep the stage 2 for medium and high power work.

Will also try it on front of the stage 2 scope but reducing the aperture down to 60mm means it will then be an f16.7 scope and may not work.


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Re: Replace PST 20mm etalon with a Solarmax II 60mm one?

Post by Moriniboy »

Decided to get an adaptor made and single stack it on the front of the Equinox 80 instead and slightly modded the inside of the etalon housing to stop reflections.
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20150509_175729 - Copy.jpg
20150424_075219 - Copy.jpg
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Re: Replace PST 20mm etalon with a Solarmax II 60mm one?

Post by marktownley »

A very nice looking setup!


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Re: Replace PST 20mm etalon with a Solarmax II 60mm one?

Post by swisswalter »

Hi John

that looks good, any first lights?


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Re: Replace PST 20mm etalon with a Solarmax II 60mm one?

Post by Moriniboy »

Not the best day's viewing yesterday in the UK, but late afternoon I had a couple of cracking views between the clouds.

Loved the fact that compared to my TAL stage 2 mod I can have a full disk detailed view without a sweet spot.

As I will be mounting both side by side on a Skytee 2 I could not be happier.


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Re: Replace PST 20mm etalon with a Solarmax II 60mm one?

Post by swisswalter »

Hi John

great to hear


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 :)

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from 7.01 pm - 6.59 am http://www.wastronomiko.com some times vice versa ;)
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Re: Replace PST 20mm etalon with a Solarmax II 60mm one?

Post by marktownley »

Excellent news!


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Re: Replace PST 20mm etalon with a Solarmax II 60mm one?

Post by Moriniboy »

Now paired up with the TAL and as expected the TAL is brilliant for prom close up's and the Equinox shows the full disk
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Re: Replace PST 20mm etalon with a Solarmax II 60mm one?

Post by marktownley »

a setup for all situations! Nice!


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Re: Replace PST 20mm etalon with a Solarmax II 60mm one?

Post by Rybak »

Hi Nigel!
I want to make PST 2mod with my old TAL-100R (1:10). Did you shorten the tube? If yes, what is the length of the shortened tube?


Aleksey

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Re: Replace PST 20mm etalon with a Solarmax II 60mm one?

Post by marktownley »

I did a PST mod with my Tal, I took 100mm off the tube and replaced the focuser with a moonlite.


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Re: Replace PST 20mm etalon with a Solarmax II 60mm one?

Post by Moriniboy »

Hi Aleksey, here is a picture of the offcut next to a rule in mm. Also attached is a photo of the adaptor which replaced the original TAL focuser.

Hope they help, Nigel
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P1050932.JPG
P1050931.JPG


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Re: Replace PST 20mm etalon with a Solarmax II 60mm one?

Post by Rybak »

Thanks Mark and Nigel!


Aleksey

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Re: Replace PST 20mm etalon with a Solarmax II 60mm one?

Post by axlefoley »

Nigel can you tell me why you removed the original focuser then cut the tube by about 140mm then made a 60mm adapter then added a focuser on the end of the adapter.

So what I can see is you've cut off 140mm then added on 60mm.

Why not cut off 80mm and leave the focuser.

Maybe I'm missing something,,,,,my wife recons I'm missing something in the brain department.


Alan
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Re: Replace PST 20mm etalon with a Solarmax II 60mm one?

Post by Moriniboy »

Hi Alan,
As the original TAL 100R focuser was 1.25" and only had 25mm of travel I was faced with 2 options
1. replace focuser with 2" version before etalon and then put a helical focuser after it.
2. replace focuser with sliding tube and then a 2" focuser after the etalon.
Picked item 2 because it was cheaper, looked better (IMO) and would lock the critical etalon distance once set.
I took off then added back because there does not seem to be a definative distance to chop off the tube (apart from approx 100mm) and I knew that any slack could be taken up by the tube.
Here are some sketches I prepared beforehand to check the logistics of what I was doing.
Attachments
002 Etalon - focuser adaptor.png
001 Focuser tube design.jpg
001 Focuser tube design.jpg (57.1 KiB) Viewed 5019 times


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Re: Replace PST 20mm etalon with a Solarmax II 60mm one?

Post by axlefoley »

Ok I have a better understanding now, thank you.


Alan
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