Sunshine

Have a look through an H-Alpha scope and you'll be hooked for darn sure! happens to everyone, i've spent countless hours peering through white light setups then one day a person let me look their H-alpha scope and i was floored!! needless to say my bank account took a huge hit and so did my left cheek when my wife saw the bill but well worth sleeping on the couch for a week!

Well i can honestly say that the difference between my tilt tuner (and i really mean it did practically nothing to affect details) and pressure tuning was the difference between driving a family sedan and a sports car, when i brought the scope in focus what i saw was what i got with my tilt tuner. The pressure tuner allowed me to tune through several different features with finer detail and it was possible to finely tune a sweet spot where a bit of everything was visible, Pressure tuners require more attention and some grease and "O" rings every so often but the difference felt like i was finally utilizing the Lunt's potential.

Davenn, i understand what you say, too bad Daystar can't seem to put a product out that performs consistently, i love my Lunt which i recently had shipped to Lunt for pressure tuning retrofit, i bought my Lunt used and it was tilt tuned at the time with starlight focuser and B1200 filter which was great. Unfortunately the tuning wheel did not seem to do much at all regardless of how much i tuned it while keeping an eagle eye on the details, nothing seemed to happen so i decided to spring for the pressure tune retrofit and it has made a world of difference in the scopes performance, the pressure tuner is great and allows for such fine tuning, im assuming your tilt wheel works well because both lunt and my local dealer convinced me that mine was working but i begged to differ.

So the Quark roulette wheel keeps spinning, every time i think id like to give them a shot, i am beginning to wonder if it is worth the risk selling my Lunt which works beautifully with great and even disc detail. Yes it may not get as close as a Quark but it is reliable as heck and instantly performs once brought out every time, i have seen some great prominence detail on good seeing days, i think the only way in hell i would sell it is if i looked through a used Quark someone is selling, their testimony would be the only way id hand over cash for a product who's manufacturer just doesn't seem to take themselves seriously. Would you seriously buy a television from a company who's TV's sometimes turn on, sometimes not, some say colour on box but are black and white, if lucky you'll get a colour version with working remote!!, i think not!.

Hmm, i feel like a kid who's afraid to jump into the water but at the same time excited about the prospect of new found fun with the quark, i will need to consider what ill need in addition, this is where Sub Giant will be of great help i believe. Sub Giant!! your assistance is required!! lets say i were to take the plunge and sell my Lunt LS60 pressure tuned with starlight feather touch focuser and B1200 filter (a mouthful yes) and a great scope, lets say i were to sell. I buy the Quark Chromosphere, i have to take into account budget when repurchasing because i will beed a small refractor but what size would be smaller but still pack wow factor, would 80mm be enough?? and would i need an ERF cut filter for an 80mm? obviously i won't need an APO for solar but how inexpensive can i get away with and still enjoy good results? keep in mind that i would love your advice but will not hold against you any troubles or issues i may encounter, im a big boy and take responsibility for my own decisions. i'd love to ask you this question, knowing what you know, and having owned a Lunt 60, would you say id be in for a wilder ride with the quark? will it ever leave me wondering about my Lunt or would you say id never look back lol thanks!

That's a pretty little scope you have there, love the colour! i myself have been so darn curious about Quarks but have been turned off by so many complaints about quality control consistency, how has yours performed and how long have you had it?

Thats Awesome! i thought the horse head was next to impossible to find without an 18" Dob or better, that you found it with your 12 inspires me actually!

I trust you know exactly what you're talking about, looks like you have a mountains worth of experience, also, i have read up on a great many reviews on this and other forms by those who have the 150 and every one of them can't say enough good about em. like any scope they do have their flaws of course but what scope doesn't! some have even put them head to head with fine fracs costing many times more and in every case the 150 Mak held its own very well. been waiting two weeks now for my Mak, should be here soon, i can't wait to stick an eyepiece in it (given a couple hours cool down) of course!

Yes true haha you got me there, but i meant for night, i really daydream about a 120 Tak or something along those lines lol, a single tear rolls down my eye lol.

I don't have a nice Frac, i want a nice frac, jealous of you all!!

About 1 minutes worth of decent seeing through break in clouds as i tuned the scope a large prominence snapped into view, and surface detail was better resolved than i thought, my gamble paid off even if for a minute. half an hour later all hell broke loose, freezing rain fell horizontally in high winds and now i have a layer of sleet engulfing my car lol.

I did the unthinkable and pointed my scope through a double pane window in my living room in a desperate attempt to have a look at the sun! its November here in southern Ontario Canada and typically the sun does not show itself at all, if its not overcast its fog, if it isn't fog its snow, if not snow then endless steady rain!!!!!. I WAS DESPERATE PEOPLE!!!

Saturn looked spectacular this night!

Whats that long white scope that looks like a piece of PVC pipe? lol

Mine too!

Thx!

Hello everyone! thx for the tip Nebula, my scope is tilt tuned though, aside from that, this may be the hugest newbie question ever but are there any add on filters such as the types use for observing objects at night that would in any way enhance solar observing? by that i mean like O3 filters and the like. Maybe not to increase detail but to enhance contrast and existing detail? thx

Hello Everyone! i have a question regarding my LuntLS60THa, i purchased it used, it is in perfect condition and views are great, but I'm wondering if there may be something wrong with the tuning wheel. The tuning wheel turns extremely easily as though there is barely anything resisting and as i turn the wheel, although surface detail and prominences are in view there is no perceivable change as i go from end to end on the wheel. Actually as i write i am recalling i do feel the wheel spin then a slight grab where resistance increases ever so slightly but again no perceivable change across the disk as i stare carefully, and i have tried and tried, my mount is rock solid, and my eyes are as good as a falcons so i would notice a change. If i read correct details such as prominence and filaments should alternate into view as the wheel is turned. Anyone have any advice? thank you!

Hello Everyone! I'm so happy to be here and hope i am welcomed! my name is Eddie and i am from small town Ontario Canada, i am 43 years old and have been an avid night sky observer since i can remember. Recently i have been consumed by solar astronomy after looking through a Lunt, i couldn't believe my eyes, really, i never thought in my life i would see a solar prominence with my own eyes, it was humbling to say the least. The bug was in place and soon i found myself fitting one into my budget (not easy, they're not cheap!!) anyway the damage is done! i joined this community in hopes that you all can guide a solar baby like myself and help me grow into solar astronomy as you all clearly are solar daddy's lol. I will be relying on you to give advice on everything from eyepieces to techniques, and soon no doubt i will be looking for the best ways to photograph the sun, thanks!! i am including a photo of my little solar scope that could, which i hold as though its a newborn baby, and the mount i chose for this little guy which i found used after looking at many options, this Vixen GP seems like a great little rock sturdy mount. Thank you to all!