Baader 2" Heschel wedge

[YKSE]

I bought this wedge for half a year ago, time to write down something before I forget.

It comes in a nice box

with an aluminium case:

I choose the 2" version because I'd like to use my zooms in cyclop mode. It costs about 100€ more than the other (e.g. Lunt 2"), but it has both the Solar Continuum Filter (costs some 135€) and ND filter included, also, it has the Clicklock clamp with SC thread included, which I can use on my C8. Another advantage is that when binoviewing, I can remove the Clicklock, using a SC to T2 adapter (Baader part 2958500B) for connecting the binoviewer to shorten the light path, quite important to get binoviewer in focus.

As to its performance, I have nothing to compare with, all I can say is that I'm very satisfied with my choice.

[spaceboy]

[John]

I'd like to try one of those - nice report Yong

Apart from anything else they just look very cool - like a piece of gear from Star Wars

[bob1957]

Please correct me if I'm wrong, but from what you've written you appear to want to use the wedge with your C8 SCT. This would be extremely dangerous, because of the amount of heat energy that would build up in the C8 tube. It is for this reason that a solar wedge must only be used with refracting telescopes and NOT reflecting telescopes.

Bob

[YKSE]

Thanks for the Clarification, Bob,

The Clicklock is very useful in my SCT, while the Heschel wegde is intend to be and has been used in my refractors only. Not having enough back focus is also an issue related to refractors.

[bob1957]

Your welcome YKSE, I thought that I may have misread your original post. I can relate to your comment about back focus on refractors. I have been having this problem with my 2" Lunt wedge which I've now solved for visual but still to finally to solve for imaging,

Bob

[PeterW]

Huh, 95% the energy goes out the back onto the ceramic block, unless you have a dirty set of optics very little internal heating should occur. Refractors and S&T are both closed tubes. Be useful to hear from someone who has had first hand experience of problems.mi always take care to not "Cook" my solar filters more than I need to. You are hardly ever going to get the full benefit or 8" as the seeing will virtually always limit you... Most people consider 4-5" the max for normal solar observing, though people have used C14!!

Good towhead you are having great views...wedges rule!

PEterW

[101nut]

Huh, 95% the energy goes out the back onto the ceramic block, unless you have a dirty set of optics very little internal heating should occur. 

PEterW

Nothing to do with the thermal properties of the wedge. The problem with an SCT or potentially any reflector, closed or not (but open has better secondary cooling), is that the IR/UV absorbency of the mirrors is very small but still finite which will cause heat buildup. 99% reflectivity is still 1% absorbance ... In particular the thermal concentration on the secondary can be high enough to locally heat the secondary beyond the design limits of the mirror mounting adhesive ... 

To put it in context, according to Baader, the wedge itself can generate surface temperatures in excess of 600C ... 

Safest way to use a reflector at full aperture is to use a full aperture uv/ir cut filter or use a primary filter such as Baader film instead of the wedge. Using it stopped down with a wedge is safer but I'd still put a cut ir filter on it.

I have a 2" Baader wedge on an ED80 refreactor and love it. It is a bit tight on in-focus, possibly more so for me as I use a Leica ASPH zoom which has a very short field stop but I've put a 1.25" click lock on to ease things a bit. I'm considering whether to shorten the tube by 10mm ... or go for a ed100 and see what that's like   

[jetstream]

I have the SW120ED, Baader wedge and the Leica Aspheric. Unbarlowed the LZ needed more infocus.

This is a solution for me, http://www.scopestuff.com/ss_fas2.htm

[1parsec]

Huh, 95% the energy goes out the back onto the ceramic block, unless you have a dirty set of optics very little internal heating should occur

PEterW

The secondary will have a heating problem because the ratio of primary to secondary areas in a SCT is about 10:1 

A SCT ( or Newtonian ) secondary will be subject to roughly 10x the energy density compared to the primary. 

Whether that is still enough to cause damage, I don't know, though a factor of 10 on anything sounds too much to me.

Dave

[bob1957]

I have the SW120ED, Baader wedge and the Leica Aspheric. Unbarlowed the LZ needed more infocus.

This is a solution for me, http://www.scopestuff.com/ss_fas2.htm

Hi Jetstream,

I like the focuser adaptor from ScopeStuff. It looks like it gives an extra 10mm approx in focus compared with the usual R&P focuser. Does that seem about right?

Bob

[jetstream]

Hi Bob, I'm off to dark skies right now, I'll look at my notes when I get back. We machined down the stock adapter, which also worked. The drawtube itself is the limiting factor inward, once a shorter adapter is used. It bottoms out leaving a little gap there with the SS adapter or the cut one. I'll post the gain tomorrow, the adapter is good quality and get the brass/stainless screws IMHO.

[jetstream]

The total length from the focuser face to the adapter face is .94", the picture shows the drawtube bottomed out, leaving a gap. What is your measurement now?

[bob1957]

Hi Gerry, thanks for posting the info. Distance from focuser face to face of my current 2" adaptor with tube racked in is 31mm (1.22"). This gives a reduction of 7.1mm using the ScopeStuff adapter. Did you machine much off the stock adaptor?

Bob

[jetstream]

Bob, I machined the adapter to .93" OAL, but its the inner "flange" that held it out too, I machined inside past the threads to move the inner shoulder back. The distance from the machined end to the machined shoulder is .33", leaving about 5 threads intact.

[bob1957]

Thanks for the explanation Gerry. I will order the adaptor from ScopeStuff and give it a try to see what improvement I get. Once I've got it setup I'll put a post on the forum with the outcome.

Bob

[JED-E3]

I see FLO do a similar low profile adapter for the Skywatcher refractors, It might be worth checking out if you want to avoid ordering from the U.S

James.

[bob1957]

Thanks for the heads up James, unfortunately I didn't spot this on the FLO website. As you say it looks very similar to the ScopeStuff adaptor. I've already ordered the one from U.S. but I believe I can still cancel as they wont despatch until I confirm acceptance of carriage costs, which I'm still waiting to here from them about.

Bob

[JED-E3]

FLO don't market it as low profile but it's clearly smaller than the stock one, It might be worth asking for dimensions as a few millimeters can make all the difference.

I own the photographic version of the baader wedge by the way, I got it for a decent price, so I went for it, not used it much yet but the few views I've had through my 5" refractor so far have been excellent.

James.

[YKSE]

You learn always something new.

Just happen to read more text on wedge when putting it onto 120ED, "W. cool ceramic viewfinder" , looking at the rear ceramic screen, sure enough, it's finder very similar to PST's, much easier to find the Sun than looking at the shadow

[Tonynexevo925]

I'm just about to order the flo low profile adaptor as I struggle with focus. The 36mm baader aspheric will focus but when I use most other EPs I can't get enough in focus and often it feels as though it's almost there and another few mms will do it! The radian 10mm is focussed but with only about 1mm left - use of the TV Barlow gives a little more.

Overall it's been frustrating trying to learn and deal with these issues during the brief (very brief) windows of sun ☀️

Also going with the 1.25" clicklock and t2 adaptor for the output side of the wedge - hopefully all these options will allow me to use a range of EPs

Overall really pleased with the wedge though since purchase I now have clouds day and night

[YKSE]

Are you using the wedge with 80ED? You can gain a couple of mm by removing the locking ring in 80ED, i.e. unscrew the diagonal holder, then unscrew the locking ring, back with the diagonal holder. I have this setup to get Baader zoom in focus with about 1mm to spare

I have 1.25" clicklock and t2 adaptor on my to-buy list too, hoping to get my binoviewer work in solar

[YKSE]

I've just tested on 80ED, Baader zoom (2" mode) comes in focus just like in 120ED.

[Tonynexevo925]

Thanks I didn't realise that! I used on my TV 85 and then tried briefly on the ED80 when I had issues. I will take another look at what you suggested and maybe with a combination of the solutions above I'll get it sorted.

Btw I can get the baader zoom in focus at 24 iirc but struggle at lower levels. Trouble is I was t sure how much that was conditions or equipment.

Will update when / if I ever see the sun at the weekend ☀️