Solar Instrumentation

[pluton]

Hello,
I took some time watching the sun with a small refractor and a solar lamina Baader Planetarium, frankly, I find very interesting observation astronomica.l such visual observation.
Now, I want some more progress in quality of observation, and I'm thinking if a Lunt Herschel prism 1.25 "or 2" would be a good investment in terms of improvement in relation to solar laminates.
Moreover, I have read some review on solar telescopes Lunt 60mm, and I would also like to ask you if this particular model is an improvement in solar observations in relation to the solar telescope PST, this one I've used, but he has not convinced me, lacks contrast and definition.
Now I take, finally, by asking if anyone has used the new eyepiece Quark Daystar for prominences or solar chromosphere, visually really is an improvement over the aforementioned instrumentation?
Right now I use a 80 mm refractor telescope Orion ST.
  I would see an improvement with a larger diameter on the lens?
Regards and very grateful in advance for your comments.
Paul

[michael.h.f.wilkinson]

I have seen some really great results with the combination of a Daystar Quark with an ST80. I am currently considering upgrading my little LS35 to something bigger, even though the LS35 allows me to shoot images like this:

The front runners are an LS60 (clearly ahead of the LS35), and LS50 (very interesting price point for pressure tuned system, and capable of "Frankenscope" transformations), and the Daystar Quark for use with ST80 and/or APM 80mm F/6. I am veering towards the latter.

[christhebrit]

Awesome photos, I'm hoping to get the h alpha filter to take them myself some time.

[Davey-T]

I have a Lunt LS60DS  and have a Daystar Quark Chromosphere on order as it's the old story of each having it's own merits.

The LS60 gives superb views of the whole disc and is up and running instantly, the Quark does great close ups but is battery powered and has to reach operating equilibrium before you can use it, if I could only afford one it would be the LS60. definItely a step up from the PST

Dave

[michael.h.f.wilkinson]

The non-instant availability of the quark suggests I might keep the LS35 for grab and go, and use the quark for longer sessions

[Qualia]

I don't own a Quark eyepiece or Lunt solar scope, but reading the posts here at SGL (especially those of Luke), I get the impression that the Quark isn't really a full disc device.

In virtue of its 4.2/4.3 built in Barlow, it appears to designed for close, high-resolution imaging or viewing. That's not to say that you couldn't find some way to get the Sun's full image in, but the Quark just doesn't seem to be the right tool for that kind of thing. If it were, then perhaps they would have focused on a x2 Barlow, for example. The Quark also doesn't seem to be the tool for a quick 'grab and go' due to needing a bit of time to reach initial equilibrium before and between tuning. 

On the other hand, if you want to view the whole disc of the Sun, or you want the ease of a quick set up with minimal fuss, then it looks like a Lunt 50, 60 or 80mm is the way to go. This tentative conclusion is based on only what I have read.

The only nagging doubt is that in a lot of stargazing, aperture often rules and I'm certain it is the same with Solar viewing. What makes the Quark seem so appealing is that in theory, it seems that if you had the time during sessions, and didn't need to rush, then starting from scratch you could get a Quark eyepiece, an 80mm f7 ED frac, a low power eyepiece like a TV 24mm Panoptic or 32mm TV Plossl, a 0.5 focal reducer, and have a full disc 80mm HA set up for about half the price as a dedicated 80mm solar scope. If you went down the secondhand route, it would work out even cheaper.

Hopefully someone with more knowledge will put these ideas straight

[michael.h.f.wilkinson]

If the scope you use has a short enough focal length, the Quark can certainly be used as a full disk device. I asked around on Solarchat (worth a look) and several guys with short fracs could get full disk views. A 70mm F/6 frac could and some even claim that an F=480mm scope could do it. An ST80 could certainly manage. Having said that, for larger scopes, the Quark is indeed a close-up device, much like a PST mod, which is not surprising given the fact they use the roughly same diameter of etalon (21mm for Quark and 20 for PST). The use of a solid etalon in the case of the Quark makes using a tele-centric lens easier leading to less sweet-spot issues than a PST mod, however.

[Stu]

I have a Quark on order, and also picked up a Tak FS60C as a very small grab and go option, but also to allow me to get full disk views with the Quark. It has a 355mm focal length so should be fine. Similar to the TV60 that Luke uses so am hopeful it will give good results.

I have also picked up a 2" UV/IR filter so will be able to use my refractors up to the 106mm triplet for higher power views.

A 160mm D-ERF for the Vixen is on my Lottery Win list ;-)

Stu

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[michael.h.f.wilkinson]

BTW, all this talk of using APO scopes with the Daystar Quark reminds me: you do not need chromatic correction at all, you need good correction of achromatic aberrations (spherical for starters). Putting a much smaller D-ERF halfway down a 150mm achromat (like the rather nice Explore Scientific AR152) is a way cheaper option than putting a 160 D-ERF in front of a Vixen.

[Stu]

BTW, all this talk of using APO scopes with the Daystar Quark reminds me: you do not need chromatic correction at all, you need good correction of achromatic aberrations (spherical for starters). Putting a much smaller D-ERF halfway down a 150mm achromat (like the rather nice Explore Scientific AR152) is a way cheaper option than putting a 160 D-ERF in front of a Vixen.

Yep, you are totally right of course Michael. Whilst it wasn't a tongue in cheek remark, it is not something which I am likely to do. As an aside, I would assume that the figuring on the Vixen is better regardless of CA, but how much difference this would make I don't know.

I had thought of picking up an old Helios f8 150mm for the same purpose, in fact I started a thread on just that topic some time ago. I certainly wouldn't put a hacksaw to the Vixen but it would be quite doable on a Helios or similar. Would make quite a scope.

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[michael.h.f.wilkinson]

Rather than a hacksaw, I am thinking of putting an ERF holder up against an internal baffle in the tube (works with the ST80 I have, which now has a 60mm ERF inside it). No irrevocable damage done. I am putting an 85mm ERF in front of my APM triplet, however. Not risking anything on that scope.

[Stu]

Rather than a hacksaw, I am thinking of putting an ERF holder up against an internal baffle in the tube (works with the ST80 I have, which now has a 60mm ERF inside it). No irrevocable damage done. I am putting an 85mm ERF in front of my APM triplet, however. Not risking anything on that scope.

Sounds like a good idea on a cheaper scope but as you say I wouldn't point the Vixen at the sun without a full ERF in front of it

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[Luke]

I get full disc with my Tele Vue 60 (360mm focal length) and Tele Vue 32mm Plossl. You can also use a 0.5x reducer with eyepieces to widen the view, so I imagine you can go quite a bit longer in focal length and still get full disc (I keep forgetting to check with my other scopes!).

If you use the Quark in a larger scope, you might find you are not as bothered about viewing full disc as you thought you were!

I thought I liked full disc the most, and the Quark would be a "nice addition" for some close-ups too. Well the Quark has flipped that right on its head. The extra detail I can see in active regions, proms, filaments and spicules with my Skwatcher ED100 DS-Pro has blown my mind!

Not quite the same, but imagine viewing the moon with a 14 inch SCT. When the viewing is good, the close ups of craters will be amazing, and you probably won't be thinking "I wish I could view the whole lunar disc!"

The Quark also works fairly well as a grab and go with my Tele Vue 60mm scope. The warm up time is about 10mins+, so I tend to put it on 10 minutes early so it's already warmed up. I bought a rechargeable battery and 1.8m cable to replace the mains power supply for the Quark.

Tuning-wise, I use the same tuning as the last time. So not really any time lost there and if you want to tune from there you can carry on observing while it gradually changes. When I am setting up for imaging, that tends to take me about 10 minutes anyway unless I rush, so again I can switch on the Quark while I start to set up, then it is good to go when I am ready. That's what I did on holiday and I used the Quark every day on 17 days (can you believe I got 17 days with some sun in the UK?!!).

For imaging I use the 0.5x reducer. This tames the focal length a bit and with my setup avoids Newton's Rings (I can see the rings without the reducer). I can even image on a non-tracking mount using the Quark and TV60, which I hadn't been expecting because of the Quark's integrated 4.3x Barlow. But by using the reducer I can still capture a decent number of frames over a minute, so the Quark treads on the toes of my SolarMax 60 more than I was expecting.

For imaging the SolarMax 60 has two main advantages: the shorter focal length means fewer tiles if you want a full disc image of the Sun. With my Grasshopper 3 camera (ICX687 chip - 1/1.8 inch sensor), I can get the full disc in one tile even on a non-tracking mount. With my Quark and Tele Vue 60, I need four tiles if tracking or six if not tracking. And the other advantage of the SolarMax 60 is that it is ready to use more quickly. In three or so months, I have probably missed two times when I would have imaged if I had had the SolarMax 60 with me.

Where the Quark wins for grab and go is that I can take one scope to do both white light and h-alpha, and also, my Tele Vue 60 is smaller and lighter than my SolarMax 60 and has a better focuser. For me it's almost worth missing a few times to image because every single time I travel now with the Quark and TV60, I benefit from being able to travel lighter and more compact.

Ideally I would keep both the Quark and SolarMax 60, for best of both worlds. However, my other half is into solar as well and she wants a second Quark so that we have a his and hers. So we are selling our SolarMax 60 and plan to get a second Quark. As much as I love solar, two h-alpha setups is enough!

I should mention that my double stacked SolarMax 60 had more contrast than my Quark, but I find contrast is fine with the Quark.

[Pig]

Very well put Luke

Being a Pig I kind of like the idea of having 3 options at the same time so a close up view along side a full disc in Ha & variable white light sounds fantastic

I will have to make a 3 scope bracket to make it happen.

[michael.h.f.wilkinson]

If you use a longer focal length than about 450mm the etalon in the quark prevents seeing the whole disk, a reducer will not change that.