What's your thoughts on best eyepieces for Ha solar observing.

[andre2]

Thanks chris. I guess i most lern how to “deal” with the seeings or special moments of The Sun. Try to add other eyepiece makes NO sense if you are right. (Even not to my cheep but good zoom..!)

[S.A.M]

I would have thought viewing the Sun all most any eye piece would be okay as it is such a bright and big object to view?  I use an Orion zoom while viewing and found it to be okay as I keep it with the Solarscope  in the box.  Never really tried other eye pieces with it even though I do own a few.

Peter

[Stu]

I found that somewhere around 11mm was more often than not an ideal eyepiece in the PST. Also simple eyepieces tend to work well, with fewer internal surfaces for reflections etc given that the scopes are f10, you do not need top end eyepieces to get good results, just ones which are well blackened internally toncur down on reflections. An 11mm TV Plossl works very well.

[Ceramus]

Quite happy with my PST and a Seben 24-8 zoom or a 12mm BSO. Also a hood over the head to keep out reflections...

[Moonshane]

I really like plossls. I use 25mm and 20mm in my PST mod with binoviewesrs with a 1.7x GPC. They give 68x and 85x respectively and full disk.

[Owmuchonomy]

18 hours ago, andre2 said:

Thanks chris. I guess i most lern how to “deal” with the seeings or special moments of The Sun. Try to add other eyepiece makes NO sense if you are right. (Even not to my cheep but good zoom..!)

I did own a Baader Hyperion 10mm but that was just a bit too much unless the seeing was spectacular. I sold that EP because I found the limited eye relief very hard to live with. @Stu and his suggestion of 11mm is probably the limit I would stretch too.

[andre2]

You are all right that a 11 mm will be enough decent power for surfce detail in fairly good seeing . In medium seeing 15=18mm (?). however, for prommences when they have a relatieve big and interesting shape ( and show enough contrast) in this situation i discover thats its verry rewarding to ZOOM IN  arroud  8.5 mm and sometimes even brutally up to 7.2mm. And this is why i was thinking  that i can close my eyepiece collection with 12 and 17 mm for surfice detail ( and proms) and a lets say a 8.5 mm pentax XF 60 degree for the “closer up” proms. Then i have a decent cheep zoom  and the lighter weight eyepieces to my colection.  Thats why  i ASK if the pentax xF 8.5 mm is worth to close my eyepiece colection = especially if the fews ( prommences) through the XF 8.5 pentax would be noticeble better then the 60 dollar lunt clone zoom at the same setting!? Thanks again !

[andre2]

Update. Today at 8.00 u in the morning i tested the zoom again. This time i saw  2 Middle size proms at 21.5 mm so i take a try to zoom al the way in to 7.2mm. Now i found the fews “ good enough” !   For brightness 6.5 pointes  for the prommences 6.8 pointes.withoud have to use the focus! Not bad and decent enough for me. ( at 7.2mm!) sometimes the “seeing” is playing a bit with me i guess. This is i think i my concution now. A cheep but decent zoom works verry well for the PST. Zoom in en out to the proms if the seeing allow. For surfice detail the zoom will do iT from 21.5 up to 11 i think. ( maby exception for verry good seeing and activity of the sun) i think the 11 mm TV is nice, but iT cant zoom at the proms -witch is a strong point of the PST =and the fews of surface detail would be mutch better either i think. The only thing thats on my mind now is if the pentax XF 6.5 = 19.5mm ZOOM EYEPIECE  would be noticable better then the lunt zoom clones and cheeper seben zooms? Thanks! ( if not still happy with the zoom= now my ideas of a double stack upgrade comes together in the right direction: 1.0 A for proms and 0.5A for surface detail..and up to 12 mm should maby also here be enough mag for the double stack pst...) what do you think of all this?

[andre2]

Hi, this what i belive ( a self anwser) : a upgrade to a pentax FX zoom is not really nessessery this zoom is also heavyer then my previous zoom and mutch expensive (€319 vs €54) The double stack would works just fine up to 12mm, the fews would be dimmer, but still decent brightness enough with higher contrast, so that you can see more and sharper details. The 3D effect should be cool. The downside is that iT need more work to adjust/tune, then single stack. “ that is what i think”.

[LukeSkywatcher]

I will be using an 8-24mm Hyperion zoom with my Quark. When I bought the Quark I put this setup together on the 70mm refract that I use for solar observing. There was a problem though. The weight of the Quark and zoom caused the bundle to rotate/slip by upto a good 120 degrees. After a bit of playing about, I realised that the star diagonal I was using Was not locking down very well in the scope tube. Quickly swapped the diagonal for a newer, better one and the problem was solved. 

[niallk]

15mm TV plossl for me - and I screw in a 1.5x cheapo barlow lens to give ~10mm too 

On 04/05/2018 at 16:07, LukeSkywatcher said:

I will be using an 8-24mm Hyperion zoom with my Quark. When I bought the Quark I put this setup together on the 70mm refract that I use for solar observing. There was a problem though. The weight of the Quark and zoom caused the bundle to rotate/slip by upto a good 120 degrees. After a bit of playing about, I realised that the star diagonal I was using Was not locking down very well in the scope tube. Quickly swapped the diagonal for a newer, better one and the problem was solved. 

How is the Quark working out for visual Paul?

[Paul73]

Another zoom vote here! My favourite is the Mk3 Baader with the matching Barlow (Mk4 wasn’t as comfortable for Ha). 

Otherwise quality simple designs work well. But, whilst definition is top notch, the sun may appear a little oval in plossls (TV Plossls in PST and ED80/Lunt wedge)

I’m surprised to see the Delos recommended. I struggle with eye position with the long ER eyepieces (although you can’t get better for night time use). 

Paul

[LukeSkywatcher]

8 hours ago, niallk said:

15mm TV plossl for me - and I screw in a 1.5x cheapo barlow lens to give ~10mm too 

How is the Quark working out for visual Paul?

Who knows. I haven't used it yet. 

[Stu]

On 04/05/2018 at 16:07, LukeSkywatcher said:

I will be using an 8-24mm Hyperion zoom with my Quark. When I bought the Quark I put this setup together on the 70mm refract that I use for solar observing. There was a problem though. The weight of the Quark and zoom caused the bundle to rotate/slip by upto a good 120 degrees. After a bit of playing about, I realised that the star diagonal I was using Was not locking down very well in the scope tube. Quickly swapped the diagonal for a newer, better one and the problem was solved. 

You might find that a bit too much Paul. Don’t forget the Quark has a x4.2 Barlow in it, so 8mm would give you x210. I used to find lowers powers were more useful unless the seeing was top notch. For instance a 32mm plossl will give you x52 which would be very useable.

[andre2]

I think i go for the 11mm TV plossl and ( i skip the 15mm i dond love the size of the sun)  and an 20mm skywatcher plossl for to beginning with “ relax viewing”. My zoom get broken = mayby i buy one NExt year ( €79)  togheter with a double stack sm 40. I go eyepiece now = there is no hurry -and they got not  broken fast. They are also light weight and i think they maby also slightly more fun to look through.

[LukeSkywatcher]

On 6/5/2018 at 07:31, Stu said:

You might find that a bit too much Paul. Don’t forget the Quark has a x4.2 Barlow in it, so 8mm would give you x210. I used to find lowers powers were more useful unless the seeing was top notch. For instance a 32mm plossl will give you x52 which would be very useable.

I wouldn't be using the 8mm end of the zoom. More like the 24mm. The only reason for the zoom would be to get a bit closer to proms. It's also quicker than swapping out EP. I keep forgetting the Quark has a 4.2 barlow in it. Haven't used Quark yet. 

I'll discover its in and out when I actually switch it on and use it. Whenever that may be. 

[Stu]

14 minutes ago, LukeSkywatcher said:

I wouldn't be using the 8mm end of the zoom. More like the 24mm. The only reason for the zoom would be to get a bit closer to proms. It's also quicker than swapping out EP. I keep forgetting the Quark has a 4.2 barlow in it. Haven't used Quark yet. 

I'll discover its in and out when I actually switch it on and use it. Whenever that may be. 

Just trying to save you some cost and messing around Paul. This path has been tried before so it is worth benefitting from others’ pain!

[LukeSkywatcher]

2 hours ago, Stu said:

Just trying to save you some cost and messing around Paul. This path has been tried before so it is worth benefitting from others’ pain!

I have a 30mm Vixen NPL Plossl. Also a 25mm Vixen NLV. Sorry Stu, i might have been unclear. I already own the Hyperion 8-24mm zoom.

[Pig]

15 minutes ago, LukeSkywatcher said:

I have a 30mm Vixen NPL Plossl. Also a 25mm Vixen NLV. Sorry Stu, i might have been unclear. I already own the Hyperion 8-24mm zoom.

Paul I used the 30mm NPL with the Quark and visually it was fine.However, you will not want to use higher power than this. I have tried  standard 40mm plossl eyepieces and these also give great views. The three I use now are in my signature and my favourite of them all is the 35mm ?

[LukeSkywatcher]

I know from WL observing that the Sun really doesnt need high magnification. As said above, the Quark has a built in barlow anyway.

[Stu]

3 minutes ago, LukeSkywatcher said:

I know from WL observing that the Sun really doesnt need high magnification. As said above, the Quark has a built in barlow anyway.

That’s actually not necessarily the case Paul. I often use x200 when the seeing allows and get fabulous view of the granulation and detail in the ARs. I do think it may be worth considering and upgrade to your scope at some point so the high powers deliver everything they can.

[LukeSkywatcher]

Ive had no issues with the 70mm scope and Hershel wedge. I get what i consider great views of sunspots and when conditions play ball, the surface granulation and Faculae around spots. Ill have to see how it performs with the Quark. 

I do know that the weakest link in my optical chain when observing the Sun is the 70mm travelscope. I had it to hand when i started WL, so didnt see the point in upgrading. It wasnt being used for anything else.

 I do agree that an instrument such as the Quark deserves a good quality scope to get the best out of it. Its something i will visit when the time comes. 

[garryblueboy]

Yep Pentax XF Zoom or the Lunt I use both or the Pentax Xf range 

[Rusted]

I've almost exclusively used the 12mm Cemax supplied with the secondhand PST I bought for donor parts.

1200/12 = 100x in my modified 150/8 refractor for 120/10.

I've tried all my Meade 4000 Plossls but don't like them on the Sun due to excessive eye relief.

I'm still waiting to be able to try pairs in my binoviewer when/if I can reach focus with the 2.6x GPC.

I see the Seben zoom is still available from Amazon. This was recommended earlier in the thread back in '15.

Is it still worth investing in a pair for binoviewing the Sun?

[Peter Drew]

I think zooms in conjunction with a binoviewer plus its 2x Barlow to reach focus would provide too high a magnification range to be useful.