Solar Wedge Lunt 1.25" for refractor ED80?

[pluton]

                Hello,
I would like to ask about the solar prism Lunt 1.25 "and whether performance in a refractor ED80 (the one I currently own) .In relation, contrast and sharpness ..., and eye safety.
Also, what "top pol" mean?
If it refers to a polarizing filter in that place is?
And if it's better this polarizing filter, or Continumm filter?
I have read that some people, the green color of Continuum dislike ..
Very friendly for their information.
greetings To You
Paul

[Pig]

Paul,

The Herschel wedge will perform great in your ED80 and it is possible to see some great detail, However, a fine or dual focuser makes this detail tuning easier and the views more satisfying.

Top Pol is a name giving to the polarising filter, it is not significant in any way. It may even mean "top polarising" who knows .....

I have the same filter and just took delivery of the continuum filter today, which one is best ? I like both....The spots seem to be enhanced by the green colour, but the jury is out on this for now until I give it more use and have some better targets.

Eye safety is paramount and make sure you set the equipment up as per the retailers instructions, if your not sure ask them for advice and if your still not sure ask on here. Someone will be happy to help  You will also need an ND3 filter, some wedges have it built in as standard and some do not.... This is very important and you must speak to the retailer and check that it is included, failure not to use one will result in serious and permanent damage to your eyes

[Solar_observer]

I can also add that the detail with a wedge is a LOT sharper than say.......baader film. Received my wedge today and im over the sun with it.

Im currently using a baader continuum filter but ive got a polarizing filter coming tomorrow too see the difference. ...with both and or on there own. You will NOT be disappointed with a wedge.

[pluton]

Thanks!!

Is OK a  UV / IF filter with the solar wedge ?

Thank you

Paul

[LukeSkywatcher]

Regarding Top Pol...............

All the ones i see online seem to be for imaging the Sun rather then observing. For observing you want either a 1.25" or 2" variable polarising filter. You WILL also need an ND3.0 filter and a solar continuum filter. The solar continuum is not essential as it doesnt have anything to do with safety. The polarising filter you really do need, as the Sun is so bright without it. The variable ones allow you to control the glare of the sun. 

As said above, be absolutely sure if the wedge you buy has the ND3.0 filter included or not. Mine didnt so i had to buy one. FLO sell wedges which i'm 99.999% sure have the ND3.0 built-in.

[michael.h.f.wilkinson]

Don't quite agree with the last post. I do not use the polarising filter much, but the ND filter (built into my version of the Lunt wedge) is essential plus SOME form offurther attenuation. The polariser can be used, and has the advantage of allowing variable attenuation (because the light reflected from the wedge is polarised itself. I often replace the polariser with the Solar Continuum, which shows more detail. I also have an 80mm scope (APM triplet) and it is perfectly safe. This is the kind of image I can catch on camera (WITH IR/UV block added: the near IR passing through the system is harmless to us, but is picked up by the CCD or CMOS chips)

[LukeSkywatcher]

Don't quite agree with the last post. I do not use the polarising filter much, but the ND filter (built into my version of the Lunt wedge) is essential plus SOME form offurther attenuation. The polariser can be used, and has the advantage of allowing variable attenuation (because the light reflected from the wedge is polarised itself. I often replace the polariser with the Solar Continuum, which shows more detail. I also have an 80mm scope (APM triplet) and it is perfectly safe. This is the kind of image I can catch on camera (WITH IR/UV block added: the near IR passing through the system is harmless to us, but is picked up by the CCD or CMOS chips)

I find that the wedge alone doesnt polarize the view enough (for me), so i choose to use the variable filter also. When i say the SC filter is not essential, i purely mean from a safety point. Yes, it does increase detail and is very useful. Least we all agree that the ND3.0 filter is absolutely essential.

Would i be right in thinking that the more you observe the Sun, the brightness doesnt seem to be so much after a while?. In the same way when observing the Moon. In that respect, i can see a polarising filter becoming a bit like a Moon filter............pretty needless.

???

[Luke]

I don't use a polarising filter myself, I use Lunt 1.25 with the safety ND3 built in, plus the Solar Continuum. Brightness is fine to me and I get the feeling my eyes are sensitive, I often have to filter planets some way as they are generally too bright for me and detail burns out, whereas my other half is fine with unfiltered planets.

But our eyes are all different, that's what works for me, brightness is comfy.

For imaging I normally add a UV/ IR cut otherwise the image tends to be blurry.

[LukeSkywatcher]

I don't use a polarising filter myself, I use Lunt 1.25 with the safety ND3 built in, plus the Solar Continuum. Brightness is fine to me and I get the feeling my eyes are sensitive, I often have to filter planets some way as they are generally too bright for me and detail burns out, whereas my other half is fine with unfiltered planets.

But our eyes are all different, that's what works for me, brightness is comfy.

For imaging I normally add a UV/ IR cut otherwise the image tends to be blurry.

That's the thing. Everyone's eyes are different. What's good for the goose may not be good for the gander. I bought my wedge 2-3 weeks before i bought the filters so i couldnt use it til the filters arrived. When i looked into the wedge pointing it out a window at a house across the street i could see it was polarised but didnt think it was polarised enough, so i ordered the variable filter as well as the SC and ND3.0.

TBH, i didnt think i'd use the SC filter much as it makes the view all green, but its the one filter that allows me to see more detail and it was the most expensive of all 3 filters.

[Luke]

The SC is a funny one, Paul, I thought a green sun seemed a bit of an odd thing but I really don't notice the colour now, I just see the detail. You'd think the green would be in your face! And maybe that puts into perspective the "warm tone" of the Tele Vue Radian eyepiece that some folks comment on  - I would agree myself that it has a warm tone if I look for it, but have no issue with it. I mean, green sun escapes my notice!!

[LukeSkywatcher]

I forgive the funky green that the SC offers over detail. I'm still new to solar observing.

[Roy Challen]

I used my wedge and continuum filter for the first time yesterday and I felt comfortable with the brightness. The green colour is startling at first but, to my eyes at least, the longer I stare into the ep the more yellow the Sun begins to appear. Perhaps its just a combination of my mind playing tricks and the chemistry going on in my eyes. Whatever the colour though, the detail is stunning, well worth the money!

[Dave In Vermont]

I have exchanged some emails with Alan Rifkin, proprietor of FAR Laboratories, which makes the Helio-Pod Sun-Finders. I mentioned the Solar Continuum Filter. Told him it does a great job used with the Thousand Oaks solar-film. The TO turns the Sun orange-yellow, not white & bright like the Baader film, and this with the SC brings out much more detail than with the 'white & bright' film. Alan related that he, too, uses the T film. But doesn't have the SC filter - he just uses a standard green-filter. Says this works well for him.

So now the race is on to find my greenie and do a side-by-side comparison. Of course it's supposed to be rainy for the foreseeable future.

Sunny Skies & Clear-Light,

Dave

[Pig]

I quite like the green colour and like Luke I don't really notice it  It kind of reminds me of them "Choc Mint" Ice lolly's

[LukeSkywatcher]

Today (just for fun) i observed the Sun without using the polarising filter. I was just using the ND3.0 and the SC filter. 

It was fine. 

[SkyGibbon]

I usually put another ND .6 filter in my Lunt wedge as the image is still a little too bright for me when viewing. I also sometimes add a Baader 495nm longpass filter. It does pretty good. For imaging .....I don't add anything but a IR/UV blocker. Also, sometimes I do image with the double stacked continuum filter, just to see if it makes much difference. With processing, I don't think it does though.

Nice image up there Michael.