First view through a PST

[pragmatist]

Was at Green Witch the other day looking at another scope and the owner had a PST which he kindly let me look through seeing as it was a nice sunny afternoon. My god i was blown away, this is the smallest solar scope yet the views were breathtaking, solar flares, sunspots, totally awesome. God knows what the view through a Lunt 80 or 100mm are like?

I can fully understand the obsession with Solar observing now.

Matt

[brantuk]

It sure does grab the attention - doesn't it. The only star we can get a close up to is fascinating - and it changes enough you can get a cuppa between observing intervals and come back to something totally different.

[Peter Drew]

Yes, amazing results from such a simple looking device and you are right, the views through a larger Ha telescope are even more impressive. 

[Stu]

Fabulous aren't they :-)

Stu

[trazor]

Yes, a great experience to view the Sun through a solar scope.........

[Langy]

I remember seeing one of these on a TV program earlier this year, can't remember what it was but they took one of these scopes onto the streets of a city centre and got the general public viewing through it.

The TV pictures of what you could see were amazing, just a shame they are so expensive and well out of my price range or I'd have one of these ordered straight away.

[keithatrochdale]

If you want ot keep track on what is happening aqlmost live on  the sun, this site shows a few cameras;

http://halpha.nso.edu/index.html#top

[Sp@ce_d]

Oh yes, for a small scope it certainly delivers and you can take it just about anywhere.. Fantastic.

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[Langy]

If you want ot keep track on what is happening aqlmost live on  the sun, this site shows a few cameras;

http://halpha.nso.edu/index.html#top

That's a great link, added to my bookmarks!!!       

[michael.h.f.wilkinson]

Warning: H-alpha observing can be hazardous to you bank account

Addictive, it is, as Yoda said

[AlexB67]

I imagine if I looked through one the reaction  would be  like   That's the problem, so I had better stay away from that kind of scope for now.

[michael.h.f.wilkinson]

I imagine if I looked through one the reaction  would be  like   That's the problem, so I had better stay away from that kind of scope for now.

You mean views like this:

?

You know you want to

[AlexB67]

Rub it in, yes like that   l've seen numerous of your pictures like that, very nice  . Eventually a PST will be bought, and when I do the reaction will probably be why did I not get one earlier, but as you said, there is that whole bank  account thing.

[Pete Presland]

they are a very nice addition to the scope collection  i bought my 2nd hand last winter, but you have to be careful because some of the older models have had "rusty" optics problem. not sure i could have justified the price of a new one though.

i found they do take a little getting use to regarding the position of your eye and the shorter focal lengths do seem to suit me better than the longer ones. but the views are excellent and they are very capable imaging scopes, as long as you can get your chip close enough.

[pragmatist]

I think i'm gonna have to raid the piggy bank again, gotta get me one of these PST's.

[AndyWB]

FWIW, there's also the Lunt 35 as a slight different form of the PST...

[sologuitarist61]

I guess I must be the only person that cannot see anything through a PST - well a very dim red disc and that was it. Kept it for about 6 months and it was out every sunny day as I also used to take white light images of the sun as well, and I never could see enough to even get it in focus. I guess it is the red image that gives me the problem and it would appear that a lifetime of diabetes has damaged the red cones more than the others as I see OK otherwise. Had to sell it in the end which was a bummer!

[AstroAdam]

They're lovely little scopes.  I have, however, had a look through a big Lunt too, which is quite frankly, incredible!
 

However, I still don't think I could pay out 6k for a high end solar scope when there is so much standard astro kit that I'd love.  I love using other people's solar scopes though

[keithatrochdale]

They're lovely little scopes.  I have, however, had a look through a big Lunt too, which is quite frankly, incredible!

However, I still don't think I could pay out 6k for a high end solar scope when there is so much standard astro kit that I'd love.  I love using other people's solar scopes though

That is why we graft a PST onto a doner scope;

This is a TAL/PST conversion.

This site is a very useful site for all sorts of information http://solarchat.natca.net/index.php?sid=27cbbe2fec8cdd4b96b35996bfa85dce

[Pig]

Addictive is an understatement  Imagine if we could see Capella or Betelgeuse as close up as we do our sun

[Fish]

My little Lunt has become my most used scope and travels everywhere , they should put a health warning on these things :-)

[Pete Presland]

That is why we graft a PST onto a doner scope;

This is a TAL/PST conversion.

This site is a very useful site for all sorts of information http://solarchat.natca.net/index.php?sid=27cbbe2fec8cdd4b96b35996bfa85dce

I have thought about putting mine on my ED80 not sure i dare dismantle two perfectly good scopes

Sent from my GT-I9100 using Tapatalk 2

[Luke]

I think I am doing over 200 solar sessions a year (it helps that I can view during lunch at work, and that the Sun just about stays in view during winter from our garden at home ). So I've gone from thinking that my SolarMax 60 was pretty expensive, to thinking it's one of my best value scopes! It's a real buzz when you have a look and there is a huge prom

[Pig]

Luke,

In the week I have owned mine my time at some form of scope has doubled, I think a solar scope is a must in the UK to keep away the frustrations

I bet most people spend more on coffee and booze over a 12 month period than the cost of a Solar scope

[allcart]

The frustrations are still there Shaun. I work a split shift and am home between 11am and 3pm every day. I've lost count of the days when it has started sunny and been cloudy by lunchtime. Of course, as summer approaches and the sun sets later, the viewing window is extended and the chance of using the scope increase dramatically.

Solar scopes are very quick to set up and it only needs 5mins of clear sky to get a fix. Wouldn't ever be without my solarscopes now.