You have £15000 to spend

[Sqyff]

Just as a matter of interest/bit of fun, if you were given or won say about £15000 that had to be used for a solar telescope what would your ideal configuration be?

Would you buy a factory made scope, uber-mod an existing one or start from scratch and build from available parts?

Also within this budget would be mounts and cameras etc.

Not that I have this kind of money but those little numbers just might come up one day.

As I said, just a bit of fun but interesting to see what you guys and gals would come up with.

[Welrod50]

I would buy a new car and spend the remaining £50 on ten pairs of sunglasses which I would stack together to view the sun with.

That was a joke. DON'T try that at home children!

On a more serious note, I think I would get a Coronado Solar Max II BF5 Ha and a couple of EP's to mount onto the EQ3 Pro. Or a new car and some Baader Solar film for my existing 130 PDS.

Mmmm, decisions, decisions...

[estwing]

get a pst and spend the rest on taking it to florida!

[earth titan]

get a pst and spend the rest on taking it to florida!

Sounds like a plan.

Typed by me on my fone, using fumms... Excuse eny speling errurs.

[DrRobin]

Hi,

No question at all, one of these

Lunt LS152THa B3400 and an EQ8 (EQ/AZ), plus a DMK41.

Or if budget stretches a Lunt LS230THa (230mm Ha scope).

Anyone can go to Florida, very few will get the chance to look through or own such an instrument, now where is that spare fifteen grand I saw down the back of the sofa last night? I'll bet Mrs DrRobin has a new handbag and hair do when I get home if she spotted it. alternatively, if she spots a large Lunt perhaps the handbag will get some use clobbering me with it?

Robin

http://www.green-witch.com/cgi-bin/sh000002.pl?REFPAGE=http%3a%2f%2fwww.green-witch.com%2fcgi-bin%2fss000002.pl%3fpage%3dsearch%26SS%3dlunt%26search.x%3d0%26search.y%3d0%26PR%3d-1%26TB%3dA&WD=lunt&PN=Lunt_LS152THa_Solar_Telescopes.html%23aLU_2d0551503#aLU_2d0551503

[Steve Ward]

I'm with Robin ,

Unless I could get hold of the 9" . . . http://luntsolarsyst...he-new-ls230tha . . . !!!!!!

Only $ 17,999 . . . around £ 11,975 . . . you get change . . .

[Sqyff]

Wow! I didn't know Lunt were making such big scopes. The biggest I'd seen was the 152mm but a 230mm!!

Time to wipe the drool off my chin and check my lottery tickets!

[DrRobin]

It would be interesting to know how much the 230 is? I suspect it is a case of if you have to ask, the answer is

'Sorry sir, this is not for you'

Sadly, I don't think £15k will be enough for the LS230THa, but if anyone knows?

If you wanted to go the DIY route you could buy this 100mm front DS Etalon, a snip at £9k and then get a 100mm scope, mount and camera with the rest.

http://www.widescreen-centre.co.uk/Products/Solarscope_SF-100_Solar_.html

Hmm, Xmas and birthday present dear?, probably for the next 20 years.

Robin

[DrRobin]

Oh Steve has already answered the question $1,799, trouble is that is close to £1,700 in the UK. Even if you bought it in the states, paid shipping and import tax it will still be over budget.

Back to plan A, find that £15k down the back of the sofa.

Robin

[Sqyff]

Lets dig a tunnel under the Atlantic and smuggle solar scopes in.

No-one will know........unless they read this post.............er.......

[NickK]

4K - two people for two weeks in Hawaii. Spend the rest on ASA DDM60 then take a travel scope with a white light filter

[Sqyff]

ASA DDM60. Now that looks gorgeous.

Maybe this should be £15000 on a solar scope and a free holiday for 2 anywhere in the world for 2 weeks.

[Sqyff]

Just found these, although the £15000 would need an additional zero attached.

http://www.daystarfilters.com/Quantum.shtml

http://www.daystarfilters.com/SolarSystem.shtml

You can dream though.

[Peter Drew]

My 150mm PST mod using new parts including Istar objective, Baader D-ERF and Coronado BF15 came in under £2,500, plenty of change from £15,000.

[DrRobin]

Yeah, they are something aren't they.

[Sqyff]

Peter, could you detail this mod? Sounds awesome.

[Peter Drew]

Sqyff.

I built the solar scope by fitting a 150mm F10 Istar objective into a 7" OD aluminium tube, a 110mm Baader D-ERF is fitted internally, the rear end currently has a dual speed Crayford type focuser to which is fitted a standard PST with the original prism assembly removed and the rear end of the black box machined to accept a Coronado BF15 diagonal. The images are stunning on a day with good enough seeing to use 150mm aperture and is comparable to the performance of a 152mm Lunt.

If you go to www.astronomycentre.org.uk and scroll down to find the link to my site, there is a picture of it entitled "prototype solar telescope".

[Sqyff]

Thanks Peter.

[michael.h.f.wilkinson]

For that kind of dosh I would still first look at building something like Peters PST-Mod-on-steroids. You can then do a CaK as well

[Sqyff]

That does sound the most tempting solution Michael.