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Solar HA and tv plossls?

Solar_observer

By Solar_observer
in Discussions - Eyepieces

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Solar_observer

Solar_observer

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Had a nice surprise today, my girlfriend has got me 2 tv plossls for my ls60tha scope :) for an early Xmas present ( 11mm and 15mm)

This gives me 45x and 33x magnifiction. Now I'm wondering if I should add a third to the collection? Not sure which way too go though. 8mm to give just over 60x , 20mm too give 25x (I think this is too near the 15mm though?) or the 25mm too give me 20x?

Any ideas on this guys? Thanks

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Luke

Luke

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Lovely pressies! I like using 50x the most with my SolarMax60 followed by 80x. So as you have something already close to the 50x, I'd suggest consider a second hand Radian (I think there is a 6mm, I have the 5mm) if budget will stretch to it (about £100-£110 hopefully). Works nicely with H-a (better than Delos in my view), very sharp, 20mm eye relief, bigger than a Plossl but still relatively light so not a bit on the big side like the Delos. And it might be a nice comfy eyepiece for friends to have a look through.  Sweet on white light and lunar too. Would hold its value too I would hope, you never know where you may end up!

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Solar_observer

Solar_observer

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Thanks Luke for the input. So your basically suggesting a higher magnifiction would be better rather than lower? So if seeing wouldn't allow me to go higher than my 11mm, do you think I have it covered with the 2 eyepieces I already have?

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Solar_observer

Solar_observer

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There is a 6mm radian in astro buy for £140, this would give me 83x magnifiction. Would I use this much with the average uk seeing?

Telescope house suggested two possibilities.......8mm, 11mm and 15mm........and also 8mm, 15mm and 25mm.

I just wanted you guys too have your say too:)

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Peter Drew

Peter Drew

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I would also go with a higher power. I regularly use 100x - 150x on my albiet larger solar telescope. A 60mm Ha telescope should be capable of 70 - 80x. I used to use TV Plossls but nowadays use a zoom eyepiece exclusively, it's so convenient to vary the power whilst examining a given feature, wide angle views are not particularly necessary for Solar. :smiley:

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Fozzie

Fozzie

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The 8mm is a nice ep but it does have tight eye relief.. you've got to really get up close and personal with it.. The 25 mm is a fantastic sharp ep.. I've not used any on ha so can't comment on that side...

Still think the radian at £140 is a bit on the high side..

Just throwing out there... The vixen slv, same fov, 20mm eye relief... I've just bought the 6mm and my first impressions of it are very very good. ..

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Luke

Luke

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Hmmm, not sure what I'd do as you have the zoom, I've not used one for solar. Try it for h-a I guess, I'd probably want the barlow that I think they do for it.

I've had a ton of use from my 5mm at 80x, shouldn't be a problem most of the time :laugh: I find it sneaks me in just close enough to satisfy my curiosity on features - esp. proms in h-a or spots in white light - that are a bit tougher to see in detail at 50x. I also use the 5mm in my ED100 in white light, giving about 180x. That gets used fairly often, though the Mrs finds that pushing things a bit for her taste and prefers the 8mm Radian instead at about 110x.

I also think £140 for the Radian is high. When I last checked several months back, going rate seemed to be about £100 to £110. Best offer we had when ours was up for sale was £100 inc. delivery. I couldn't bear to sell it for a penny less than £100 after delivery costs, as it's such a good EP, so it stayed. Glad it did :laugh:

I can see why a seller might put £140 up. Maybe they think £120 to £130 is a fair price and £140 allows for some room to move. But the Radians were selling for less than you would expect, making them a good buy in my view. Regardless of market value, I think £140 is still a bit high, you are getting a large chunk of the way to a Delos, which overall is a superior eyepiece by some margin, if you are into very small margins :grin:  The Radian does edge it for h-a in my view, but there are some much cheaper eyepieces that will give you most of the performance for a fraction of the price, so I'd look there rather than fork out £140 for a Radian. I am not sure what your best option is, the Vixen's seem to get mentioned, doesn't Shaun (Pig) love them?

I am very happy with my 9mm TS HR Planetary for H-alpha (about £50 or so new). Light, compact, decent eye relief, comfy viewing (not quite as comfy as the Radian to me, but still nice), decent build quality. The Radian is better in my view - less stray h-alpha light kicking around inside the EP, a touch sharper at the edge, and a better what I think is called "snap to focus' - that is, the view feels immediate and effortless with the Radian, whereas it takes a very brief moment for the TS HR to reveal the detail. But it is impressively very sharp over most of the view and reminds me of my Radian!

There may be better/cheaper options than the TS HR, that's just what I have used and am happy with and thus would look at that range again.

PS Happy Christmas already! :grin:

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Moonshane

Moonshane

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on Peter's recommendation, I bought a Seben zoom for Christmas from my wife (she knows) for my f10 PST mod using a 100mm Tal as the donor. This covers 24-8mm (41-125x) and I was a little impressed when I took it to 8mm and it still provided sharp detail. After this shipping test (only to see it was not damaged you understand) I then gave it to her for wrapping.

I do like my TV plossls though and they are my eyepiece of choice for my white light observing.

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Peter Drew

Peter Drew

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To add to my previous post, I was watching some impressive flaring activity around the main active area at 12.15pm today under a pretty much clear blue sky. Two hours later it is completely overcast and snowing! I was using a £50 8 - 24  Seben zoom which gives a top magnification of 150x on my 120mm PST mod and was useable at that power today.

I have a range of TV Plossls but prefer the zoom for Ha, it works very well at F10.   :smiley:  

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Solar_observer

Solar_observer

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Thanks guys for the input, I've had a look through both 11mm and 15mm and compared it too my baader zoom. To be really honest with my ageing eyes, there isn't much difference and the zoom is easier on the eye. So I've decided to keep the zoom and pass on the tv plossls. I've told my girlfriend and she is fine with it. It just confirms that I do prefer to pop one eyepice in to do a whole days solar observing. Thanks again guys :)

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Solar_observer

Solar_observer

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I'm going to take delivery of a 6mm bco today to use for high power with my ls60tha. This will give me 83x on days of good seeing.

Considering I may not get a lot of use out of this magnifiction I didn't want to spend a lot of money, so I thought this was the best choice.

I had this eyepiece when I had my lunt 35mm and it gave good results on average days, so I'm looking forward too giving it a try with the 60mm.

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rwilkey

rwilkey

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Had a nice surprise today, my girlfriend has got me 2 tv plossls for my ls60tha scope :) for an early Xmas present ( 11mm and 15mm)

This gives me 45x and 33x magnifiction. Now I'm wondering if I should add a third to the collection? Not sure which way too go though. 8mm to give just over 60x , 20mm too give 25x (I think this is too near the 15mm though?) or the 25mm too give me 20x?

Any ideas on this guys? Thanks

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If you do not already have low power, the TV 32mm plossl is a great bit of kit.

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michael.h.f.wilkinson

michael.h.f.wilkinson

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Going to 80x with a 60mm scope should be OK. I have pushed my LS35 to 47x with the XF8.5 very often to good results. In terms of exit pupil that is equivalent to 80.7x on a 60mm. I am not sure I would use a 32 mm Plossl very much. The lowest I use in the LS35 is a TV Plossl 25mm at 16x, and the MV 24mm at 16.7x. This has shown me some faint clouds of plasma at large distances from the sun. In terms of exit pupil, this would be similar to 28.6x on the 60mm (or a 17.5mm EP at 500mm focal length for the scope)

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Solar_observer

Solar_observer

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It's coming from flo, they posted same day as order (last Monday) . Thing is all my other post has arrived and I ordered them days after the FLO order. I think it's lost :(

I have to mail FLO tomorrow after the post has been and see what the score is.

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FLO

FLO

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It's coming from flo, they posted same day as order (last Monday) . Thing is all my other post has arrived and I ordered them days after the FLO order. I think it's lost :(

I have to mail FLO tomorrow after the post has been and see what the score is.

It will probably arrive tomorrow because whilst we have had a few delayed Royal Mail deliveries (not unusual during the week or two before Christmas) I don't think any have actually gone missing.

But don't worry, if it is lost in the post we'll send another  :angel:

HTH, 

Steve

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ghostdance

ghostdance

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Late to the party, but hey....nuthin' technical or supremely helpful to advise but I can only add my love of the TV Plossls - I have the 8,11,15, 32 and 40 ( I know, but I wouldnae give one up cap'n) and hope to get the full set when funds allow.

Even with the tight eye relief in the 8, they are superb performers. The 32 tends to be my go-to at the start of any evening, just love those wide, pinsharp starfields. I could (& frequently do) spend hours in there...

No slouch on solar either (whitelight, not Ha).  

I do have one Radian (6, great when seeing etc is good) - otherwise no experience of the higher-end TV's and no £££ to try, but with these green n black Plossl babies, I'm as happy as a starfish on fresh pink coral....

Wonder if my wife would stump up for a TVP 25? You're a lucky man, Solar.......enjoy the views :)

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