Starting Planetary filter collection

[N3ptune]

Hello everyone I am thinking about Planetary filter this morning, to start a little collection of them. I really think they can be fun to use.

--> My telescope is a 203mm x 1000 reflector of course.

I started with this website has a guide line to help me choose my 3 first filters. Now I know there are 2 schools of thoughts, those who like color filters and those who don't. I feel it can bring another layer of joy to an observation so I want to give them a shot.

Website reference:
http://agenaastro.com/choosing-a-color-planetary-filter.html

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GOAL #1 : Jupiter (Want to enhance following these priority: the blue parts, the poles regions, the festoons, the rest / Mars (no experience but I want to enhance) / Saturn (no experience yet but I want to enhance)
GOAL #2 : Get the most effective 2 or 3 filters for my 203mm scope.

So far this is my analyse and a resume of the various colors available:

Good for small telescope.

83% Transmission #8 Light Yellow (Enhance red and orange on Jupiters belt + Maria on Mars)
73% Transmission #82a Light Blue (Popular) MA

Good for telescope 152 mm and more

-74% Transmission #12 Yellow (A favorite for Mars, contrast on blue Jupiter and Saturn) JUMA
66% Transmission #15 Dark Yellow / Amber JU
53% Transmission #56 Light Green* MA
-46% Transmission #21 Orange JU (Supposed to be really good on Jupiter)
40% Transmission #11 Yellow-Green (Contrast with red and blue on Jupiter)
-29% Transmission #80a Blue (Popular) JUSAT
-25% Transmission #23a Light Red JUMA

Good for telescope 203 mm and more

24% Transmission #58 Green MA
17% Transmission #38a Dark Blue JU
14% Transmission #25 Red MA
6% Transmission #29 Dark red
3% Transmission #47 Violet

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Considering the theory, those 3 are my choices:

#1
-29% Transmission #80a Blue (Popular) JUSAT (+mars at lower level)

#2
-25% Transmission #23a Light Red JUMA(+Saturn at lower level)

#3
-74% Transmission #12 Yellow (A favorite for Mars, contrast on blue for Jupiter and Saturn, poles on Jupiter) JUMA(+Saturn at lower level)

Do I make a good choice to start with these 3 ?

Thanks

 

 

[At dusk]

In my opinion it is a good selection, althoug I´d purchase  #21 orange instead of #23. Orange is really useful on Mars and jupiter.

Anyway if I had to choose just one planetary filter it would be baader neomidiym. On Júpiter it enhances belts and the GRS. Amazing on the moon as well

I don`t remember the last time I threaded a color filter on my eyepieces but  I use the baader very often.

 

 

[N3ptune]

You are the second person suggesting me the Orange #21. I guess it must be good but the #23 is supposed to reveal the blue clouds which is one of my goals on Jupiter. I want to enhance to see the blue parts.

The Baader Neomidium looks awesome too, it's not the first time it,s recommended to me also:

The unique spectral characteristics of Neodymium also boost color contrasts by isolating the Red, Green, and Blue regions (so-called RGB enhancement). The result is a filter that leaves natural colors mostly intact, but significantly enhanced.

Planetary and Lunar views are improved in all scopes, reflectors, refractors (APO or Achro). Jupiter's Great Red Spot and ruddy hues of the bands are noticeably enhanced, and contrast of Martian surface features significantly boosted. The Background sky is darkened, and subtle details improved. The filter's high efficiency preserves image brightness, and many Galaxies, Nebulae and Globular Star Clusters are improved due to the reduction of skyglow from artificial lighting.

This description is really great. Wow it reduces light pollution too.. it looks like an amazing filter.

 

[YKSE]

I have some colour filters, tried on Jupiter a couple of times when I had 130P, didn't find it of much help. Nowadays, binoviewer(without filer) is my preferred way for Moon, Jupiter, Saturn and Mars.

Viewing in cyclops, if you don't wear glasses, some inexpensive Orthos (Baader Classic Orhtos, or Fujiyama orthos) should be among the very best alternatives, with less scatter light on/around these bright Object than most of wide angle eyepieces.

[John]

I've tried all those mentioned above plus a rather expensive Tele Vue Planetary Filter. My conclusion, over the years, has been that they just don't enhance my planetary viewing. So I don't have or use them now.

 

[N3ptune]

Baader Neomidium looks like a rare filter in Canada it's a special order I could have it in 6 weeks or I can order it from the US which is complicated most of the time. They don't sell it on Amazon either. ):

YKSE

Ok that's another way to do it.

 

 

 

 

 

[N3ptune]

Not much color filter lovers today

[John]

34 minutes ago, N3ptune said:

Not much color filter lovers today

Some folks like them and find them useful. I have tried them in scopes up to 12" in aperture but didn't feel that they added anything positive to my viewing.

At least they are not expensive so easy to try out !

 

[N3ptune]

Well think they are expensive.. if I buy 3 filters it's going to cost 90$ CAD, half the price of an eyepiece for something most people say it's doing literally nothing for them... my motivation is not really high right now.

===============

I looked again at the Baader Neomidiym, is looks like this one: (I am not sure I can order from Flo from Canada)

http://www.firstlightoptics.com/light-pollution-reduction/baader-neodymium-filter.html

They have another one similar on Amazon called: Baader multiband moon and skyglow, could be the same thing.

http://www.amazon.com/Baader-Planetarium-1-25-Skyglow-Filter/dp/B002SYFHNG/ref=sr_1_fkmr0_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1460218206&sr=8-2-fkmr0&keywords=baader+neomidiym+filter

[John]

I meant that the colour ones are not generally expensive. The Baader Neodymiums are quite expensive but they are much more complex to make and the Tele Vue Planetary is over £100 GBP but I managed to get a refund on mine after trying it a few times.

 

[g30rg313]

1 hour ago, N3ptune said:

Not much color filter lovers today

I am curious.  This is a question to some of the more experienced amongst us.  Are coloured filters helpful to enhance the experience?

[Dave In Vermont]

I'd place an order for the Baader Neodymium and get a 80A-Blue and call it a day. And I have 36 filters!

Colour filters tend to collect dust, while UHC-filters, OIII-filters, and Ha-filters are another matter entirely.

I even have a SWAN-filter.....

Dave

[N3ptune]

Baader + 80a seems like a good choice too. (Unfortunately it busts my budget, I can't get both of them right away)

The more I talk with people, the more I see they all have a favourite planetary colored filter.

80a, a lots of people appreciate that filter, the #21 orange seems to be popular also. A person tried to sell me a Violet to watch Venus  telling me it was a great filter to own. But some people say they don't see the benefits at all.  The opinions are polarized... 

 

[John]

16 minutes ago, N3ptune said:

..... The opinions are polarized... 

 

So are some filters

[N3ptune]

Quote

So are some filters

lol yeah, I have a Variable Polarizing filter, it's great for the moon, really useful for my eyes.

Has for my choice of filters --> I will not buy anything after all, I just don't feel anything is a good deal for me regarding of the filters and especially the prices, they are nauseate me totally, it's outrageous. 

Thanks for your help here with the filter, an outcome was reached after all, I keep my money.

(:

[Dave In Vermont]

I think some folks think of a purple colour-filter as there is an ultraviolet-filter that has been used on Venus to allow some cloud details to be discerned in astrophotography. I have a UV-Venus filter myself, and it does look purple if you hold it up to a very bright light-source. But you see anything visually through these really. Whereas a purple-filter like the #47 - Violet-Filter will serve to make Venus purple. This can be alright for dimming Venus, but expecting to see any detail in the clouds will be a miss. But the power-of-suggestion.....

A true UV-Venus filter will cost you around £150 a pop.

A Filter-Nut Am I,

Dave

[ronl]

I use the Baader Neodymium filter every time I observe Jupiter, it's worth every penny, it really enhances the

color and also brings out detail too, you don't loose any natural views while observing, I was using it last night,

even though the seeing wasn't great I had very good views of the GRS and a fair amount of detail, but when the

seeing is better, it's amazing.

[bish]

3 hours ago, ronl said:

I use the Baader Neodymium filter every time I observe Jupiter, it's worth every penny, it really enhances the

color and also brings out detail too, you don't loose any natural views while observing, I was using it last night,

even though the seeing wasn't great I had very good views of the GRS and a fair amount of detail, but when the

seeing is better, it's amazing.

I tried one of those at SGLXI and it did improve the view. Never considered one before.

[N3ptune]

The Neodymium filter looks like most interesting option, I might get it some day for sure.

Dave, yes I was told the Violet was useful for the venus clouds.

[Dave In Vermont]

bish: I had an older Baader Moon & Skyglow Filter from back before they added the neodymium substrate into the mix. Not being sure if it did, or didn't, have it - I put off getting a new one. When I finally broke down and got one, I was amazed at the difference! The neodymium really performs magic.

N3ptune: Baader have a Venus-UV-Filter, and there is the original by Schuler. These were extensively compared and tested and the Schuler was better in many respects. So if anyone is thinking of making a try for Venusian cloud-features, I'd suggest the Schuler over Baader. Oh yes - I nearly forgot - Astrodon has bought the Schuler-name. So these are now a Astrodon Venus UV Filter.

Have fun -

Dave

Oops! <edit> I stand corrected. Seems Astrodon's offering are not the same as the older Schuler. And they have been discontinued as a 'Venus' filter. There is a thread on this & these over at CN:

http://www.cloudynights.com/topic/503146-looking-for-a-125-uv-pass-filter-for-imaging-venus/

All the best -

D.

 

[N3ptune]

On 2016-04-09 at 12:04, YKSE said:

I have some colour filters, tried on Jupiter a couple of times when I had 130P, didn't find it of much help. Nowadays, binoviewer(without filer) is my preferred way for Moon, Jupiter, Saturn and Mars.

Viewing in cyclops, if you don't wear glasses, some inexpensive Orthos (Baader Classic Orhtos, or Fujiyama orthos) should be among the very best alternatives, with less scatter light on/around these bright Object than most of wide angle eyepieces.

 

What about if i don't have a binoviewer?. Instead of filters, could the Ortho eyepiece be a good choice? Because i have to say, i don't have any eyepiece that will give me 150x of power yet, and it's a perfect power for the planets.

 

Dave In Vermont

Thanks for the info on the venus filter, I keep that info for the right moment, when venus comes back.

 

N3ptune

[John]

If you are OK with a 40 degree field of view, small eye lenses and quite tight eye relief as the focal length gets below 12mm then orthoscopics provide the best "bang for the buck" planetary performance around in my view.

 

 

[Mak the Night]

I often use orthoscopic EP's combined with a Baader Neodymium filter. There again, I'm a bit crazy lol.

I did experiment with these Celestron Wratten 80A (Blue) & 56 (Light Green) filters a while back on Jupiter. I don't think I was getting the necessary exit pupil size on a 4" scope for them to be effective though.

[N3ptune]

I don't feel like buying an eyepiece right now to get 140, 150x.. They sell the Baader classic at the local store, I thought it was something like 45$ + taxe but it's more like 125 CAD.  For that price, I would get the Baader Neodymium filter instead to enhance the 3 eyepieces I already have. 

Right now, with my experience, I think I like 40 degrees less then 60 but I don't have much experience in planet watching. Maybe it's not required to have 82 degrees to watch Mars really and 40 AFOV could very well do the trick at 150x.

--> If I could get a great deal on an orthoscopic 7 mm for something like 40$, then I would probably buy it. (:

But what about the Plossl ? I read the Orthos were replaced by Plossl, are they doing good job too ?
 

[Dave In Vermont]

I want eyepieces that have a narrow FOV when I'm looking at planets. I want to be close-in to view fine details. And I don't need to wear my glasses when I'm observing. So orthoscopics are my first choice for this. An 'oldie but a goldie.'

Enjoy the view -

Dave