Best white light system for Mak?

[A McEwan]

Hi all.

I have an Intes M603 Maksutov; rather a fine little (ish) telescope with great quality optics and built to outlive humankind.

My question may also apply to other Maks - maybe not.

I find the best white light views through my refractors come through a Herschel Wedge with Baader Solar Continuum filter added to the standard ND3.0 filter and a single polarising filter in the eyepiece to attenuate the brightness. I find this far superior to the views offered through my 'fracs when fitted with the otherwise excellent Baader Solar Film filters.

I would like to use the M603 on the Sun too but am unsure about which filter to use. I can buy ready-made filters in cells, employing the Baader Safety Film, which I suspect is the best option for a full aperture filter (I have read that this is generally superior to the Thousand Oaks and other glass-type filters), and I have it in my head that a Herschel Wedge would NOT be suitable for a Maksutov.

Can someone confirm that the wedge would NOT be a safe option? I'm assuming that it would be due to the risk of internal glues and/or components inside the OTA melting - is this correct? Even for such a strongly built Mak as the Intes?

I suspect I know the answer but I'm not sure I know the exact reasons for it.

With thanks,

Ant

[Steve Ward]

Refractors only for a wedge , the heat build-up would destroy the Mak .

Baader film works brilliantly.

[A McEwan]

I thought it would be a heat issue. I'll sort out a Baader full aperture filter then. Thanks for confirming.

Ant

[JamesF]

Yup. I use a Baader film white light filter on my 127 Mak and it works nicely. A wedge would be nice, but I'd probably end up wanting something like an Evostar 120 to put it on.

James