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Coronado PST, is it worth it?

Dan Leach

By Dan Leach
in Observing - Solar

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Stu

Stu

Posted
Posted

They are a very good entry to Ha solar observing. Starts to get a bit pricey if you move up to larger apertures but that's not something I've explored (yet!)

Ordinary eyepieces work very well, I use an 11mm Televue Plossl which is nice and sharp and gives an optimum magnification under most conditions. The sun fills a decent amount of the field and all the features are clearly visible. The PST's have sweet spot where the contrast is better but it's simple just to move the feature you want to observe into the sweet spot.

Stu

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Pete Presland

Pete Presland

Posted
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i have very recently bought a 2nd hand PST and i am delighted with it. visually it is breathtaking, despite the rather modest image scale.it is certainly better when i use my televue plossl rather than the standard supplied eyepiece.imaging wise i had to do a rather brutal hatchet job on my nose piece on my DMK webcam to achieve focus, but its fine now.i will be posting some images when processed.

the only negative i can think of about the PST is that it does not come with a standard size dovetail to fit it to a EQ mount, but now i have made one i am looking forward to doing some serious imaging with it, looking at my 1st attempts its certainly promissing.

if your not sure google PST images :laugh:

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mert

mert

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Posted

Spot on Mert, if I have the time on a sunny day I do both white and PST, come evening it may be cloudy so I will have had my fix for the day :)

Jim

Ideal :) I have never seen the sun through a scope, what colour does it appear through a PST?

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nytecam

nytecam

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I had my PST some years [and the PST Cak] and love it - view sun most clear days but not many of late :embarassed: Its fairly easy to take pictures afocal eg regular digital compact to eyepiece or via webcam if backfocus allows. I use a stack of clear or red filters to shift focus 'outwards' and it works ok at prime focus with EP removed. Check my PST Ha & CaK clips on my Youtube Nytecam Channel. Good luck :cool:

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mert

mert

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Posted

I had my PST some years [and the PST Cak] and love it - view sun most clear days but not many of late :embarassed: Its fairly easy to take pictures afocal eg regular digital compact to eyepiece or via webcam if backfocus allows. I use a stack of clear or red filters to shift focus 'outwards' and it works ok at prime focus with EP removed. Check my PST Ha & CaK clips on my Youtube Nytecam Channel. Good luck :cool:

Great videos :D

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michael.h.f.wilkinson

michael.h.f.wilkinson

Posted
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I have a similar scope from Lunt (secondhand!): the LS35THa. Brilliant little scope, use it a lot (weather permitting). I do not use it instead of white light (through my 8" SCT with Thousand Oaks filter), but in addition to. White light observing is not a problem or risk at all, I made a solar filter for my kids' 4.5" scope out of Baader Solar film, and it is not a problem at all. Sunspots show nicely without any risk. Having said that, the little 35mm Lunt gives stunning views of prominences etc. Wouldn't be without one.

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Stardust

Stardust

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Posted

I've had my PST a few years and even better with a double stack (SM40) on the front.

They are great little scopes. Mine is a very good example but have looked through ones that aren't so good.

I'm wondering if I should upgrade to a Solarmax II 60 but that would only be a single stack and not sure what I'd gain or possibly loose?

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Merlin66

Merlin66

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I went down exactly the same route...

First the PST and then the SM40 double stack....

Just had to get more resolution...

Upgraded to an SM60/BF10 fitted to an ED80 - fantastic!

But when I added a second SM60 etalon - majic!!

I'd love to move up to a 90mm front etalon but even my love for solar observering must be tempered with financial reality.

I mod PST's instead!

I now have a 102mm PST mod. Compliments the SM DS.

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Mark at Beaufort

Mark at Beaufort

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Yeah, about 6 hours after I ordered it went up by about £450 :)

Yes I thought about ordering one of these scopes to upgrade my PST. When I looked on Sunday night the price had gone up - I should have been more positive.

Dan when the Sun reappears it will be great if you can give us a review.

Mark

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Dan Leach

Dan Leach

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Yes I thought about ordering one of these scopes to upgrade my PST. When I looked on Sunday night the price had gone up - I should have been more positive.

Dan when the Sun reappears it will be great if you can give us a review.

Mark

Well, I have nothing to compare it to. Ive only viewed the sun by projection before. But I'll give it a go.

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DrRobin

DrRobin

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A EQ6 will pont at the sun, but the sun isn't in the database, so I usually find a bright star that is behind and align on this. Alternatively use Mercury, it is never far from the sun.

I tend not to use my EQ6 for solar, but when I have I don't bother adjusting the polar alignment, in fact I don't do any alignment at all, just point it roughly north and that is usually good enough for the sun.

It is the same with my Merlin (AZ) mount, I have never aligned that and usually just slew round until I find the sun. The only time it doesn't track very well is if the battery is going flat.

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michael.h.f.wilkinson

michael.h.f.wilkinson

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I find the TV Sol-Searcher that came with the LS35 to be ideal for pointing the scope sunwards. No messing with goto (but then, of course, my mount has no goto :rolleyes:). I also find that polar alignment can be quite rough. Just point the polar axis northwards, and level the mount gives me sufficiently good tracking to snap a bunch of frames. For solar scopes with longer focal lengths some finer adjustment might be needed.

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