Beginner sold scope

[ronaldo999]

Looking at a new setup and would like some advice on budget equipment. Looking at switching to solar observing due to the poor British nights here in Yorkshire. Any advice on best equipment appreciated

Any help and advice welcome

[DarkerSky]

What was your previous set up? If you're looking to go cheap on solar observing then I'd look at some good binoculars mounted on a tripod with your solar image projected onto card or a fixed backplate. You could then photograph or sketch the sunspots you see. You'll pick up a good amount of detail with something as simple as 15x70s.

[Capricorn]

Best solar is a PST - coronado PST - around the £480-500 mark.

Then there are Lunt solar scopes, these come is around double the Coronado's.

Cheap is a small refractor, a sheet of solar film and a bit of DIY.

A cheap 60mm or 70mm scope will do.

REMOVE any finder scope before you try to line the scope up with the sun, otherwise you will never see the sun again.

Sounds obvious but a very easy error to make, and you get no chances when viewing the sun. You do it right or you pay a high penalty.

I know that projection is mentioned but I am not a fan of it.

There are other approaches, if you could get a Meade ETX-70 then make a solar filter or buy one from Scopes and Skies you could view and track the sun while viewing.

The images you see of the solar flares etc and in a red or blue colouring are obtained with a PST/Lunt, they use a narrow band filter that enables the detail to be seen. Youi do NOT see this with a white light solar filter as made from solar film.

[ronaldo999]

My current scope is a celestron C6 XLT, would it be feasible to use this with a filter???? Also does that mean you wold not see the solar flares with the naked eye through a standard coronado. dont fancy the DIY route would feel safer with a proper solar filter, are these available for the C6?

Thanks for the replies

[ronaldo999]

Also how do i go on with imaging, i have had some success with imaging the moon and some deep sky stuff and was pleased with the results, i have a canon 450d and also use a DSI 2 colour, would i be able to use these to image the sun?? It all feels very new again but i am sure many practices and methods are used for solar and astro work

[Capricorn]

You could buy a solar filter for the C6, look up Thousand Oaks, or ring FLO.

They use the solar film as you would with a DIY build (I think), I think the film is in an aluminium holder.

I do not know of a glass filter for a C6, the Scopes and Skies offering is for Meades and is produced by Astro Engineering, they screw in to the threaded front of the Meade.

To see flares you need a PST, Coronado or Lunt with the Ha filter for the red images you often see. A "white" solar filter (film) does not show the flares, it will show sun spots.

For imaging you will need a Coronado or Lunt to get the images that I suspect you want.

Why the change to solar observing?

I ask as we have one sun, and the one thought that comes across is how many times do you want to look at it?

I would seriously suggest that you look up making a solar filter for the front of the C6, buy a sheet of film and do it.

Then have a look, it will only be a white light filter and will only show the sun's disk and sunspots. However if you take a look then think "Uh so what?" then you have not paid out £500 on more equipment. It is an inexpensive toe in the water.

[JB80]

Why the change to solar observing?

I ask as we have one sun, and the one thought that comes across is how many times do you want to look at it?

The thing is, and this is why I enjoy Solar observing is each time you look at the Sun it has changed. It's the most dynamic object in our sky and with a Ha scope you can watch the changes over a matter of minutes. It certainly is exciting an addictive viewing and even in white light you can map the sunspot movements and produce stunning ss images.

I love solar viewing.

I would agree though that the easiest and cheapest method is to by some baader solar film and make a filter for your c6 first. It's simple enough to make a perfectly safe filter but if you would prefer I know FLO stock a range of premade white light filters.

[ronaldo999]

i have struggled over the past year or so to get any observing done due to poor weather and starting work very early mornings and dont feel i am justifying the equipment i have, some health issues have also made the lugging out of the cg5 mount and other stuff difficult. I do agree that the sun will seem a little different to my star gazing but it is a while new realm to discover. I will look into the solar filter and consider this as an option.

Thanks for the feedback

[ronaldo999]

Can you get a filter to show the Ha through my celestron C6??? just a thought.

[JB80]

You can get filters for SCTs I believe, I don't know much about them but I do know they are quite pricey. More so than a Coronado PST.

[ronaldo999]

so it would be more expensive for just the filter for my C6 than buying a coronado and a Ha filter???? mmmmm decisions are to be made.

[JB80]

It would seem that way.

Maybe somebody who uses them could clarify.

http://www.thousandoaksoptical.com/halpha.html

[ronaldo999]

WOW!!!!! they are not cheap. i think really there is a need fir a HA filter to appreciate the sun in all its beauty, what sort of images could i expect to see through the coronado??? any help appreciated

[JB80]

Here are a couple of vids that should give you a better idea of what you will see through the eyepiece. They give a fairly accurate generalisation of what you would see but once you get your eye tuned in and really start to examine the Sun it tends to pop the detail out more and is much sharper and crisp to the eye..

[ronaldo999]

thats pretty impressive, is this the sort of thing you would see with the naked eye through the scope?? those videos alone would sell the product, the sun is a fascinating thing to watch.

[JB80]

Yep, it's a fair representation I'd say except it does appear a bit smaller than that in the eyepiece and like I said you can see the detail even sharper than on those vids.

You can focus on a particular prominence or spot region and get much more detail out.

[ronaldo999]

i would be very happy at getting those sort of views, the coronado does not look much but it must pack a mean punch. would you suggest anything else to purchase with the scope?

[JB80]

As an entry level Ha scope it really doesn't let you down and it has the option to later go down the modifying road albeit at cost and a bit of DIY.

As to what accessories then I guess it's down to what you want out of it, you will need at the least a regular camera tripod if you haven't already got one to mount it on although you can decide on something more substantial. If you don't have one then there is the table top tripod that Coronado have as well.

And the one thing I have found really useful is a zoom eyepiece as it minimizes fumbling around and swapping different ones.

I use a Hyperion Zoom but there are other makes on the market that are a great deal cheaper and if you can find one with a dslr attachment then all the better.

It might be a good idea to get the storage case too as you really don't want a PST to take a heavy knock, in fact that might even be the best accessory there is as protecting the scope is important especially if traveling with it.

[ronaldo999]

ok thanks for the feedback, do i need special eyepieces or do i just use my astro ones?? sorry to sound a bit dim but the whole solar thing is very new. i see there is a package available with mount and case maybe the best option.

[JB80]

No, don't worry about asking too many questions, it's an important decision so if there is anything you need to know then just ask away.

I asked the same questions too.

The PST should come with a specially coated eyepiece as part of the package but you don't need to have anything special, you can use all of your existing EPs and barlows with it.