Highburymark

Fascinating - thanks for posting. Must say I have always found those incredible photos from the Russian Venera probes in the ‘70s and ‘80s among the most enigmatic of all planetary images. Didn’t realise they had the odd sunny day on Venus.

Nice job Neil. That paint tin looks suspiciously like the treacle tins of my youth. I’d end up poisoning myself if that was anywhere near my kitchen.

Stunning collection!

Go for it. We’re seeing lots of chromosphere activity and will do for a few years yet in this cycle - solar Ha is the most compelling form of astronomy in my view. Yes it’s expensive, but the technology is complex - and what a privilege to be able to study our own star in such detail.

Agree with pretty much everything above. I am now 100% binoviewing for solar WL and Ha, and lunar. About 50% planets. Good Plossls and orthos are perfect, unless you want width. And then - if you can stretch to the Baader Maxbright II over the WO - it’s a big step up. NOT - I hasten to add - in sharpness or quality of views on axis, but in pretty much every other respect. It bears repeating, the optical difference between a £180 and a £1300 binoviewer on axis is very slim. But it’s vital to pick the right solution for your scope and needs. Binoviewers and associated eyepieces become as personal to the user as a pair of spectacles.

Beautiful image Ian. How are you finding the RST-135?

A modern take on an old pirate’s telescope - image intensified.

Have followed your posts on this scope with great interest Paul. Given half the chance (darker skies, more space), I wouldn’t hesitate to buy one too.

Ha ha - brilliant idea Gerry. 4x DS100s on a TOA binoscope. Fact that you don’t really need apo colour correction for hydrogen alpha is a mere irrelevance. In export markets, where Solarscope prices are around double those of the UK, that would be some outlay.

A TeleVue 4” refractor with double stacked Solarscope 100mm Ha filters. The ultimate solar scope. Can’t complain too much though - it was a dream to acquire the smaller 70mm pair for a TV85 when I discovered, to my surprise, that they were actually cheaper than the Lunt 80 here in the UK.

I know what you mean Gerry. It’s amazing how often we see the phrase “experienced observer” used in product advertising - though never explaining how or when to qualify for such a lofty position. I think if a novice with good eyesight is educated about the targets he or she is seeing, with a decent enough scope and conditions, and has the patience to allow detail to gather, then there’s no reason to presume a more experienced observer always sees more.

And speaking of mounts….. Skytee 2 with ADM clamp is a superb, affordable, rock solid option for slo-mo alt-az. I have one on a heavy duty camera tripod and it’s all I need, even with 120mm triplet and binoviewer.

I’ve been amazed at the capabilities of this little mount over the years in Stu’s posts. I had a similar one for a while, a mini giro, but the WR seems exceptional for its size

Thanks Neil. It has extraordinary eye relief of less than 4mm, AND the eye lens is quite recessed, but it’s possible to see 60-70% of the fov by careful hovering. Rather that than clean it after every session. Need to sell some other gear now to pay for it…..

A nice addition to my planetary line up. Tight eye relief but worth the effort, by all accounts.

Very nice - like the design too. Amazing how difficult it is to find a solar finder that meets all the basic requirements. My TeleVue one is too inaccurate. My Altair is too heavy. My Baader Skysurfer combined day/night one is too faint so is difficult to use. And have you see the price of the Coronado - £120!!

Thanks - images look lovely - though I’m on my phone at the moment so can’t see close detail. Certainly interesting if there’s a benefit using the new filter through such a fine apo.

I don’t think you’d see much of a difference Neil. I’ve had the Lacerta (1.25”) and Baader (2”) wedges, and both provide sharp images. But I didn’t take the Lacerta up to the magnifications I use today with my 120mm refractor - between 150x and 250x with the Baader. As Stu has reported several times on SGL, it’s these high powers that deliver the really jaw dropping views in WL. Two nice features of the Baader are a clicklock eyepiece holder (useful for my Powermate 4x), and the nifty ‘finder’ on the back screen. The Baader Continuum filter also comes as standard. So it’s a nice package with lots of features - better value than the Lunt. But Herschel wedges have been around in almost the same guise since the Victorian era. They are pretty basic technology - and yet today the Lunt (and Baader - let’s see how much the new model will be) 2” wedges are the same price as a nice secondhand PST or Lunt 35 scope, with an immensely complex hydrogen alpha etalon incorporated. How these two different technologies are in the same price ballpark is amazing really. Let’s not forget there are some other more affordable options if you want a 2” wedge. APM, Meade, Lacerta and Altair - among others.

Which scope are you using, out of interest? I’d be first in the queue if I thought there was a visual benefit to the 7.5nm filter through an apo. Or even ‘double stacked’ with the 10nm.

Do you prefer binoviewing the planets Mike, or using your lovely Vixen HRs? Although I’m a complete convert to binoviewing the Moon and Sun, I’m still on the fence when it comes to planets, often preferring a single eyepiece for best detail. I accept that a binoviewer may be best solution with Gary’s 72mm ED, however.

Apart from the shorter length, I’m not convinced this new Baader wedge is offering anything new. The general feeling among the solar intelligentsia is that the 7.5nm continuum filter’s only benefit might be to reduce CA with achromatic refractors. A couple of imagers have reported slightly more contrast, but as a visual tool it’s not supposed to have any advantages over the previous 10nm, unless your scope shows a lot of false colour. Prices of solar wedges have shot up in the past couple of years - the Lunt is now £565!! Yet they are not offering anything more than a few years ago, when wedges were considered something of a bargain.

And if you really want to see every possible detail that your telescope can show, then any of the Tak TOEs - the 3.3mm and 2.5mm are wonderful. Quite pricey though.

I’d recommend Lunt over Coronado too - Meade has been through a challenging few years. On average their etalons are not as consistent as Lunt’s, although there’s always variability with solar Ha, and Lunts are very expensive these days in Europe. Lunt 50 is an excellent little scope, though the focuser is poor. Finally, the Lunt zoom is a good eyepiece, though massively overpriced new - it’s a clone of a Chinese eyepiece that can be found elsewhere at a third of the price. For £250 or so, the Pentax XF zoom is far superior for solar Ha.

Beautiful Dave! And well done on finding the BGOs! Both pairs will be superb in the Maxbright.

Great story Mike. I can’t compare views between a 4-5” refractor and a larger Newtonian, but I can compare them with those of 6” and 8” SCTs. In my experience I would choose the refractor every time - whether FPL-51 or 53/equivalent. But then I’m city based, and most interested in the planets, Sun and Moon. If I had access to dark skies, I would certainly have a bigger reflector to complement my refractors.