solar scope.....

[garethmob]

i no theres plenty of threads on the forum about solar scopes iv had a dig through but still have a few questions

iv had a look at PST's and the lunts (smallest ones they make) and sadly their way out of my price range and it dosent seem second hand ones come up that often either

so i thought about making my own but theres a few things im confused about

1, the various filters that you can buy, can they get to the same quailty as the solar dedicated HA scopes?

2, i have read the vixen scope can be made into a solar scope (but a doner PST for the etalon filter has to be used) is there any other way to get one

3. on the baader filter paper what exactly do you see, im guessing the solar images are made by different filter

4. would it be better to by a cheap scope just to make a perminant filter (be it baader or any other) or use my own an take it on and off

5, the coronado eyepeices do you need to use a special eyepeice or can u use your own

thanks for any help guys

gaz

[beamer3.6m]

With the Baader film you can see sunspots very clearly but not promenences etc.

The Baader film gives the sun a bluish/white colour when I have viewed it but it is very cheap at £18.00 and you can use almost any scope. I have made filters for my 200p and C80ED and both work very well.

[Merlin66]

To answer your questions:

1, the various filters that you can buy, can they get to the same quailty as the solar dedicated HA scopes? No. You either have a white light filter or a very expensive Ha etalon (the white light view will show surface detail - sunspots, granulations; the Ha shows the filaments and prominences)

2, i have read the vixen scope can be made into a solar scope (but a doner PST for the etalon filter has to be used) is there any other way to get one. No You need a PST etalon and blocking filter as well as an energy rejection filter (ERF) to make it work.

3. on the baader filter paper what exactly do you see, im guessing the solar images are made by different filter. See Q1 above

4. would it be better to by a cheap scope just to make a perminant filter (be it baader or any other) or use my own an take it on and off

Yes. That's the way many amateurs use their scopes. A Baader solar filter fitted during the day for solar and remove the filter for "normal" observing at night.

5, the coronado eyepeices do you need to use a special eyepeice or can u use your own. You can use any eyepiece with the solar filter.

HTH

[garethmob]

just got my PST but a courious thing its got a 98xxxxx serial number but has the

blue lens's

one question how did you muster up the courage to look at the sun through one?

[Merlin66]

Could be a warranty change over objective or just one of the new blue in the changeover ( The only way to tell is by pulling it apart and looking at the "mini erf" in front of the blocking filter)

Go for it! It's 110% safe and you'll see things you've never seen before!!

[garethmob]

Is there any way to test before just incase? I know of the close eye for ir heat but the pst filter prob cuts tha. Little nervous as I'm quite fond of my eyes:P I got it for imaging mainly but the ooooo ahhhhh an wow factors is really gettin to me

[Merlin66]

It's like when you learned to swim - sometimes you've just got to jump in.

The PST has been designed to block all the light and heat from the Sun - if when you look into the eyepiece holder you can see a red reflective filter ( the blocking filter) then I can assure you it's OK - That little filter blocks more than 1/60000 the light gettting into the scope. Just do it!

[garethmob]

awww just got up looked out side and its blumming raining i bought my telescope for dark clear nights my solar scope for day clear days all i need now is a cloud scope to see through the clouds