Solar B

I find it's the loosening after say all day mounted for solar that can be an issue !

I'm looking at trying different saddle options as i,m not entirely satisfied with 

my  ADMs ... I'm thinking about Geoptik or even that Farpoint one looks good.

Brian 

Just catching up with this post John 

on the Rowan saddle you could 

presumably just use an Allen key 

if space was tight ?

Nice for a first attempt, and yes this 

can only and will improve ☀️

Brian 

Great looking Mount there John 👍

and as the saying goes “everything 

comes to he who waits” .... well most

things 😀

Brian 

I think that is about the daftest thing I’ve 

ever seen with regard to solar astronomy 😂

Brian 

It’s a non-critical part not sure of its 

purpose either apart from perhaps being 

able to mount another finder ?

Rem to have the tuning white line mark

at an directly opposite centre position to 

the LED and then try 1 or 2 clicks 

anti or clockwise from there / in 

experimentation.

Brian 

Externally mounted ERFs normally have 

a 5 degree tilt , internal 🤷‍♂️ none at the 

the diagonal however 🌚

Brian 

On 06/12/2019 at 15:18, John said:

Although it's fit and finish are not in the same league as the AZ100, the Skytee II would fall into the category that you mention. I did compare the AZ100 with my Skytee II and the latter held up surprisingly well considering the price difference. Not quite as good at vibration damping but not far off.

But if you want something new, shiny and black, the Skytee II is not that of course !

 

I think I'll be spending some time tinkering with my skytee II this winter as it needs 

some attention , but would much prefer one of the AZ100s.

Brian 

The best option is to go for an externally mounted ERF though Mark as on the better 

days you will experience some turbulence within the OTA using an internal ERF.

The Quarks by themselves up to about 100mm are fine as the highly polished mirror

finish of their BF reflects most of the energy , a member on another forum managed 

to partially melt a plastic drainpipe via this process.

I think most importantly though they are best not used with triplets , cemented or 

oil spaced lenses without an external ERF imho.

Brian 

The 35nms are mini Baader D-ERFs

Exactly the same coatings so no probs

Brian 

It all comes down to experience & trying as many different set ups as possible.

I 've 14 years of HA experience and I'm still experimenting , so could write a book on it

The Scout like the quark but unlike all other configurations has its BF to the front and

the etalon to the rear giving a 16mm window at the diagonal , it is a very convenient 

package as is almost grab n go , however like the quark is quite seeing dependant ,  EP 

selection , tuning and focusing are critical also.

If going down the Quark route then a 2" Baader 35nm filter is all the ERF you'll ever need 

 well up to 150mm and is much more effective than a standard ur/ir cut.

But for your first foray into the HA world it's hard to beat the PST ! a common 

misconception is that it has a 5mm BF it's actually a 6mm  and from memory only the

very first were 5mm (2004) , i 've had numerous PSTs and discussed them at length 

but reckon that the best ever were from the beginning of the 2nd gen 2006/7.

In conclusion a modern second-hand one would be a great investment imho.

Brian 

So many variables , I guess it’s ultimately 

personal choice ... (which scope , bf size)

My vote on a budget would be for the 

Hype Zoom but if you can stretch 

to the Pentax or even a Leica Zoom then 

great.

My personal fav at the mo is a 15mm Pan 

which I find astonishingly good but have 

no idea why ?

Actually Johns advice is sound , I’d opt

for the Pentax at that price 👍

Brian 

At 11mm it would just fall into my favoured

FL range (11 to 15) for solar viewing ....

but then I’d be looking at the sun 

and not the moon .... mmmm 

Brian 

Hi Folks 

Can anyone please tell me if the 

addition of the zoom Barlow will require

refocusing or is it parfocal.

Thanks .... Brian 

Truth be told it actually does take your brain (seriously)

some time to get used to this single wavelength 

656.28nm ... from memory Coronado reckoned it could 

be up to 6months (California) so UK ... my estimate 

was always about 2yrs ... again no joke 🌞

Brian 

Lunt have released an LS130 

Clever move as it's a triplet (night time if you must)

and is much more manageable than the LS152 it replaces.

Brian 

I would highly recommend you look into the air spaced

etalon options as you've clearly gotten the solid ones

covered , the beauty of air spaced is they merely require

mounting and that's it ! ... no faffing around.

In my experience (like everything) it's quality over quantity

that counts so the ultimate imho was produced in 

the isle of man.

Brian 

Welly nice indeedy but would have expected no less ?

I've had a 5gt & berle for over a year unused (in anger) ?

But looks like the weathers not on the up unfortunately

Brian 

Why not put a wanted ad out for a used SM90 .... I reckon the best ones were gen 1 & USA made and used to cost a small

fortune !!! but they do exhibit real finesse , so you needn’t necessarily require an SMII one , but I’d also recommend collecting 

such as you really don’t want one de-contacting while in transit.

Brian 

Talking about LS152s I see that ones back up for grabs on Astro Buy & Sell ?

My apologies Garry , I’m sure you eluded somewhere some time ago about how bright your SM 60DS image was 

and I’m always striving toward the ideal set up , looking out for something new and affordable to try but I do have 

nearing the ideal mount situation as having a pier outside does save a lot on set up times.

Hows about SGL have a Solar event , that would be great for trying various weather permitting ?

Brian 

It’s all very subjective Garry and perhaps I’ve clarified the reason why your DS SMll 60 views were so bright , 

the Lunt 60s offer the same set up with one internal and one external etalon  , however the SMIIIs offer the superior configuration of 2 externally stacked etalons.

For the ultimate “Air Spaced” HA  views one can look no further than the Isle of Man Solarscope etalons !

I do respect Stephens reviews but I’ve actually been using HA scopes a little longer than he , and as always 

there is no substitute for trying the real thing.

Brian

Mark you can replicate a similar view for less than 2k (new) using a Quark , 2” 35nm and an ST152 , I know that I do ?

well the odd time that the seeings up to it ?

In my experience you can’t really get to the bottom of what your really after until you try a set up for yourself , you can read 

all you wish but they’re usually filled with reviews by Lunt newbs , I’ve owned and tried numerous Lunts since 

their inception in 2007 / 8 and I’m afraid that I still do not rate them , so in summary it’s best if you can try before you buy.

Brian 

I disagree to an extent as in my experience the lower the bandwidth and etalon / s with the greater finesse have offered

me the best and most interesting views (again quality over ....... ) I’ve been using a DS SM11 60 for a season now and it displays a surprisingly bright 

DS image the reason being is that the set up only utilises 1 ERF (on the external stack) , whilst my DS PST uses 2 ERFs 

and the image given the aperture is a lot darker but having said that the etalon finesse appears to be superior.

Anyway to answer your question I definately do think it’s worth trying a DS.

Brian 

I'd recommend starting with a secondhand PST for around 400 to £450 .... then if you wish to DS (later) you can add a secondhand 

SM40 filter for around £400 , I've owned a dozen PSTs and they really are great wee scopes , still the most portable to this 

day with the built in solar finder , and they generally will display more detail SS than a Lunt , having said that the LS50 is 

a great wee package and much better imho than the cumbersome LS60 , perhaps see if your able to try them  first.

PS ... don't be in a rush to DS , best to make sure your fully conversant with your SS scope first which will take at least 6 months 

of Sun ☀️ 

Brian 

Yes great news indeedy ... fingers crossed for some more views of that bright thing !

Brian