What can you see in White Light?

[Peter Drew]

There's nothing combustible in the light path of the Startravel 102mm, so no problem there. 

[Solar_observer]

What magnification range is best generally to observe in white light?

[Solar_observer]

There's nothing combustible in the light path of the Startravel 102mm, so no problem there.

that's good to know :-)

[Joseki]

"Budget refractors and Herschel Wedges are not necessarily mutually incompatible, but you do need to be sure that you get something that's got a reasonably-built focuser and internal baffling."

I'm not sure I understand about the need for internal baffling for safety reasons but it seems like any scope would be completely useless if there was so much movement in the focuser tube that the focal point from the sun was likely to hit the focuser tube  - perhaps something to worry about if you get something from a toy shop but surely not a proper budget scope like an SW evostar or startravel (I'm planning to get an evostar 120 for white light btw so I'm definitely interested in finding out if I've missed something important - I'd have gone for a TAL100RS though but I want the f-ratio of the evostar).

[Solar_observer]

Just modded my heritage for use with white light. Fully covered the open area and secured the film up front. Made a hole 50mm wide and popped in my lunt zoom.

WOW I'm impressed.....around 50x got me the best view of the current activity....nice black umbra and clear grey penumbra :-) nice sharp detail even though I wasn't up close.

Now I'm thinking of a lunt wedge and I've mentioned a sw st 102mm......this wouldn't get me much mag,so what about a sw evostar 90mm with a lunt wedge? Which would be better and do you think it would be a lot better,than what I've just seen through my heritage?

[Solar_observer]

What would be the best choice.....startravel 102 with lunt wedge or evostar 90 ?

Would it be ok to Barlow the 102 with a lunt wedge fitted too? Thanks

[Solar_observer]

Opticstar AR80S Guide scope.....could I use one of these with a lunt wedge....the lens is a fully multi coated double, will this be suitable? Thanks

[Solar_observer]

Just this minute completed a purchase from a forum member....a opticstar 80mm ota.

This is starting my journey into better quality white light solar observing. Next up a lunt herschel wedge and then a continuum filter. :-)

[Pig]

WTG Skem .

I will be joining in the Continuum route, I always think I spell that wrong , to give that extra angle on proceedings  

You will love the wedge and its crisp views

[Solar_observer]

WTG Skem .

I will be joining in the Continuum route, I always think I spell that wrong , to give that extra angle on proceedings

You will love the wedge and its crisp views

thanks pig...lol I always forget to put in 2 letter u :-)

I've order a diagonal too, hopefully I will have them both by Wednesday. I won't be getting the wedge for a while so I will fit some baader film and that well keep me quite for awhile. Gives me something to do whilst waiting for the lunt50tha to land

I'm hoping even with just baader film, that it's a better view than my heritage, with the same film. Can't wait to get it all :-)

[Solar_observer]

Ok just received my ar80s frac (thanks pat :-))

Got a diagonal from opticstar and popped my lunt zoom ep in.

Just about to make some baader film for white light observing,until I can purchase a herschel.

Post back later with results :-)

[Solar_observer]

Almost done.....I'm well chuffed with this.....going to attach the sol finder just via bluetack at the moment. Hope the views are better than my heritage,with a 50mm cut out :-)

[Solar_observer]

Here goes............

[Solar_observer]

Bit disappointed.....when I get the focus just correct it's not sharp at all......dosent even come close to the heritage actually. Mind you there is a lot of very thin cirus up there so transparency is not good. I hope that's all it is

[Solar_observer]

There is also a lot of purple and yellow fringing but it's a fast frac?

If the image stays like this,it's going to put me off buying a wedge.

[Solar_observer]

It's strange cos I can actually see more granularity than my heritage and the faculae shows up better but regarding the spots, I can get sharp focus to see the umbra and penumbra properly.

[Solar_observer]

I've just discussed this problem with someone at opticstar and there best advice is to get a semi apo filter, he said not only will it kill the fringing but this will help with sharpness of the image. What do you lot suggest? Thanks

[Joseki]

For white light a baader continuum filter would cut down the spectrum better as I understand it and is more suited for solar obs.

Sent from my GT-I9300 using Tapatalk

[Solar_observer]

I'm no expert but it maybe cos it's a fast scope and my lunt zoom eyepiece ain't up too it. I feel proper deflated about it. The images in the heritage were better and the reason for me getting this was a grab and go to fit a herschel wedge to it. I'm not going to outlay any more money on white light now unless there is a filter or something that can make the image sharper. The guy at opticstar said the apollo filter would do this but I think it's the fast scope and eyepiece. Oh well it my first purchase where I'm fairly disappointed at.....hey ho

Bring on my lunt50tha :-)

[moriniboy]

The AR 80s is pretty fast for a frac at f5, if you fancy driving up to Preston you can try my 2" Lunt wedge and continuum filter before you go any further with this, might save you some cash in the long run.

I usually use it in a 102mm ED f7, spectacular.

[Solar_observer]

Just tried it close range on the roof (just enough focus travel) at the Ariel and the image was spot on. Then tried it on an ariel further down the road,the image began to downgrade and wasn't as sharp at prime focus. It seems the further away the object is,the less sharp the image. Thanks moriniboy for that kind offer. It would be good too try the gear I WAS after for this setup and just see what the quality is like,before I buy or IF I buy :-)

[Solar_observer]

What I don't understand is the fact that I can see more granularity and better faculae but CANT sharp focus on spots, how does that figure?

[Joseki]

Well the CF reduces the spectrum of light towards a single wavelength, so you can't get the CA you're seeing. Perhaps you should also check that the focuser is square with the primary objective.

Sent from my GT-I9300 using Tapatalk

[Solar_observer]

How do I check it's square

[Joseki]

Hi, if you search for "refractor collimation" you'll find some information on it, probably better written than I can do (probably lots of info on SGL),

a video that I liked on youtube is: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ylb7xnc_03U in which he talks about and demonstrates checking that (as well as other things).  I recently tweaked my short tube frac with a laser collimator, I put it in the focuser and made a paper circle to fit in front of the primary lens (i.e. just taped over the front), with the centre marked on.  I was aiming for the red dot from the laser to hit the centre mark and not move when I moved focus in and out.  It was slightly off so I loosened the screws holding the focuser on and re-tightened it once it was on target.  There's probably ways to check it without buying anything else though (if you haven't got a laser collimator).