Show us your Solar Observing Equipment

[paulastro]

I'm hoping this topic hasn't already been posted elsewhere or I'll feel pretty foolish!!  I enjoy looking at (and through of course!)  what other setups people are using for their solar observing so perhaps people would like to share images of their solar equipment here?  It would be particularly of interest to see PST Mods and other bespoke setups.  Mine is pictured below - a Lunt 60mm scope with a 1200 BF and standard tuning - not pressure tuned.  It is double-stacked with a Lunt 60mm etalon.

The camera attached is an Olympus E-M5 (macro 4/3 CSC) which I use for taking full disk pictures.

The mount in use is a Vixen Porta of course, and I sometimes use a SW AZ4. 

[Moonshane]

There was a solar imaging one but not quite the same!

Here's my pair. PSTAL Ha mod. Now has a monorail focuser. Also a 120ed withe lunt wedge. Now has a moonlite focuser. Both now also have cnc rings.

[John]

 I don't do H-Alpha and hardly ever use this white light setup but here it is anyway. The Vixen has since been fitted with a Moonlite focuser but otherwise no modding I'm afraid :

[paulastro]

That's a nice setup John, which Vixen refractor is it?

[Fozzie]

Here's my humble white light offering 72mm ed and lunt wedge..

[Highburymark]

Scope is hibernating at the moment, and don't have a single picture to hand. But if you take the eyepiece and LS50 from one pic (ignoring the Nexstar mount) and put it on the mini giro/manfrotto mount in the other one (ignoring the Equinox), that's my solar set up.

[John]

That's a nice setup John, which Vixen refractor is it?

Thanks.

It's the ED102SS. It's an ED doublet at F/6.5 and dates from around 2000. I've not seen many of them about.

[Floater]

Here's mine:

Solarmax 40, Quark chromosphere filter, Herschel wedge, one of three full aperture Astrozap filters, some EPs that live in this case, a focal reducer, various solar-related EP/diagonal filers, power pack and cables.

Now, can I have some chance to use the kit, please?

(Apologies for the poor quality of pic. It illustrates why I'm prolly best to stick with visual observing only! )

Edited January 7, 2016 by Floater

[paulastro]

Thanks John, I thought that might be what it was.  I had one some years ago and sold it to a friend - shame!  As you say, a great scope and you don't see many of them about at all.

[John]

Thanks John, I thought that might be what it was.  I had one some years ago and sold it to a friend - shame!  As you say, a great scope and you don't see many of them about at all.

Mine came from the USA but was owned by a couple of forum members before me. I've owned it for 9 years which makes it my longest serving scope

[LukeSkywatcher]

Here's my solar set-up:

70mm Refractor

Hershel Wedge

Hyperion 8-24mm zoom 

Horizon 8115 Tripod

Edited January 8, 2016 by LukeSkywatcher

[Pig]

Hers mine

[LukeSkywatcher]

Hers mine

Esprit Pentax - SCT Leica.jpg

EYEPIECE CASE OCT 2015.JPG

I hope both your finderscope and RDF are properly filtered also.

I should add that my solar set up also contains an ND3.0 filter for safety.

Edited January 8, 2016 by LukeSkywatcher

[Merlin66]

Here's my TS102 set-up....

The rear cell is interchangeable to allow the PST Stage 2 mod or the Baader Cool wedge to be fitted.

I also have the original SM60 external etalon mounted on an ED80.

The 100mm spectroheliograph is still in construction - maybe complete in the next month or so.......

[LukeSkywatcher]

The weather has been dry and clear the last couple of days. I know there aint much solar activity right now but i think this weekend if it remains dry and clear i will have to take the solar gear out and have a look.

[Pig]

I hope both your finderscope and RDF are properly filtered also.

I should add that my solar set up also contains an ND3.0 filter for safety.

The finder on the Esprit simply slides off and the finder  on the SCT and the indeed the SCT objective  itself has the caps fitted at all times whilst solar observing  No shortcuts here.

[moriniboy]

My contribution, stage 2 PST mod with BF10

[Hyperion76]

Heres another LS50 tha but lacking a posh front double stacked filter great bit of kit mounted on my nexstar

could just do with a bit more sun!

[spaceboy]

 Here's mine. All I need now is the sun

[michael.h.f.wilkinson]

Various configurations

Coronado SolarMax-II 60mm + Double-Stack unit on Velbon carbon fibre tripod and Mini-Giro mount

Lunt SUNoculars

APM 80mm F/6 with Herschel wedge on home-made hardwood tripod and Mini-Giro

APM 80mm F/6 with Solar Spectrum filter on GP mount

Dual mounting of APM 80mm F/6 with Herschel wedge, and SolarMax-II 60 single stack

[Floater]

A veritable arsenal there, Michael!

[paulastro]

A lovely collection of Solar goodies there Michael.  I'm extremely jealous of your lovely garden!

[michael.h.f.wilkinson]

Cheers guys! I actually forgot to add the C8 with solar filter, but then I do not use that that often anymore.

[cdd2455]

For H-Alpha at home in Serbia I have a TV101 with SM90 / BF10, Denk Standards with PxS and recently I've settled on Tak 32mm Orthos and 28mm Erfles, very comfortable viewing.

As a travel scope and for use at my bedsit in Guildford ( and for white light when I'm home ) it's a Borg 77 achro with SM40 and BF5 again with binoviewer and for whitelight either an APM 1.25 inch herschel wedge, or more recently a 50mm IDAS UHB-RS filter.

Best Regards

Carl

[LukeSkywatcher]

I had my solar gear outside today for the 1st time since maybe June 2015. Not a lot going on up there but it was great to be out again with a BIT of winter sun heat hitting my face.