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I'll take the blame :)

The Head Gardener

By The Head Gardener
in Observing - Solar

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The Head Gardener

The Head Gardener

Posted
Posted

I will take the blame for the blanket of cloud that most of us are currently sitting under.  Why?  Because, after months of deliberating, talking myself out of it, and then back into it, this morning I took delivery of the most lovely bit of kit :)

I had originally decided on a 50mm with a B600 filter (the 'sensible' option) and now there's a Lunt LSTHa60PT with a B1200 filter sitting in my dining room.  I convinced myself I would probably only ever buy one solar scope so I'd "go for it" (and it was in stock, whereas the waiting times for a 50mm are stretching into the back end of October).  No idea when I will get first light, but it is certainly not going to be today.

Lunt upboxing - 01.JPG

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DRT

DRT

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Congratulations on the new scope - I am sure you will love it!

For what it is worth, I think you made the right decision. These big purchases are for the long term and there is nothing worse than looking back and regretting that you didn't just stretch to the one you really wanted.

I hope the Sun returns to Cumbria soon :wink:

 

Oh, and once you've bought that double stack etalon you should get an Ethos 8mm so that you can enjoy high mag full disk views like I do in my Lunt 50 :grin:

 

 

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Ibbo!

Ibbo!

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2 minutes ago, DRT said:

Congratulations on the new scope - I am sure you will love it!

For what it is worth, I think you made the right decision. These big purchases are for the long term and there is nothing worse than looking back and regretting that you didn't just stretch to the one you really wanted.

I hope the Sun returns to Cumbria soon :wink:

 

Oh, and once you've bought that double stack etalon you should get an Ethos 8mm so that you can enjoy high mag full disk views like I do in my Lunt 50 :grin:

 

 

 And a nice mono camera ?

Congrats on the new scope I am sure you will enjoy it

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The Head Gardener

The Head Gardener

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DRT - many thanks, that was exactly the logic I eventually applied to the purchase :)

jabe001 - yes all those things, and the Lunt zoom EP to get me started

Ibbo - no imaging for a while.  I struggle to find the time to process regular pictures taken with a couple of DSLRs.  Unless I learn how to exist on no sleep I am not sure where the necessary hours would come from :)

Zakalwe - no of course not, but I was planning on letting the credit card cool down a bit first.

Cheers Gordon, I am blessed indeed.  :grommit:

Now, in the absence of any sunshine I shall just have to keep walking past the (open) box, stroking the scope and quietly muttering "my precious" . . .

Thanks everyone, as always, lovely support from SGL :happy7:

 

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SilverAstro

SilverAstro

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38 minutes ago, The Head Gardener said:

but found it in Account Settings.  D'uh :)

and no doubt observed that 4 more lines are permitted, plenty of room for more both "Incoming"s and "Arrived"s :angel9:

I hope it will not become too polished on one side ! fingers xxed for some clear skies soon. Nice scope :)

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The Head Gardener

The Head Gardener

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15 hours ago, SilverAstro said:

 fingers xxed for some clear skies soon.

The finger crossing obviously worked because (unbelievably) less than 24 hours after delivery, have just had a brief 'first light'.  Big learning experience - I had the mount height completely wrong, I need a much bigger hat (or large black towel as someone else suggested), I need a lot of practise fine tuning the etalon and the focussing, basically - doing everything.  But both lovely hubby and I have had a good view of AR 2580 and 2581. 

This morning, 'wow' is distinctly inadequate noun :)   Thanks to all for your support and enthusiasm.

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The Head Gardener

The Head Gardener

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6 hours ago, michael.h.f.wilkinson said:

Congrats on getting yourself a lovely scope, and your first light. Don't let anybody talk you out of getting a double stack unit. Mine hardly ever leaves the front of my SolarMax-II 60mm

Steady on, I need a chance to learn how to get the best out of what I've jut acquired before I put another ding in the Visa bill!   But thanks - I think :)

5 hours ago, Paz said:

I am trying not to think about getting a solar scope and this post isn't helping!

Sorry Paz.  If it's any help/consolation I have been dithering about this for YEARS.  Last October at Kielder one of the very kind & helpful folk (hello Simon) let me look through his Lunt.  I knew I was a gonner from that moment.  Since then I have talked myself in and out of having one.  I had decided that I would go for Pressure Tuned rather than Tilt, and settled on a 50mm as a 'reasonable' cost compromise.  I had one on order.  And that is when I knew I really did not want to wait and that getting a Lunt was the right decision.  From there it was a (relatively) small step to deciding to spend a whole chunk more money and have a 60mm.  Partly because it was in stock and I could have it now, partly because in truth it is what I wanted all along.  From the moment I opened the box I knew I had made the right decision. 

Deep down inside, you know what you really want, even if admitting it isn't too comfortable right now!  Ooo err missus, I sound like a right agony-aunt  :blob6:

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DrRobin

DrRobin

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On 25/08/2016 at 17:23, The Head Gardener said:

Oh, do behave yourself!!  

Ah go on, go on!

Seriously I love my Lunt 60 and the double stack (once it was tuned and rotated correctly) is such a good performer and would never sell it.  Unless of course it was for a Lunt 80.  I had toyed with the idea of a Lunt 50 as a portable set up but after 3 Quarks I got a good one and coupled with a Zenithstar 80mm that ticks the portable/travel set up. 

Enjoy. Robin.

 

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janesdsg

janesdsg

Posted
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Ok, after reading this thread and "Solar Connundrum" I'm giving up the unequal struggle and going to buy myself a solar scope.  Finances were the main stumbling block, swiftly followed by lack of time and a very small patch of sky to observe but ... a small windfall, early retirement and views out to sea mean I've got no more excuses!  I'm pretty sure I'm going to opt for the Lunt 60 but which one?   I've not done any imaging of anything so far but I'd like to keep this option open.  Does this mean going for B1200 and double stacked?  And does this put the LS60THaDS50/B1200FTPT at the top of the list?

Hoping to use my binoviewers for visual ... with luck the windfall will stretch to a couple of matching eyepieces.  Might need a glass path corrector, too? There's a couple of threads from 2014 that I've been reading but if anyone's got any thoughts on this, I'd be glad to hear them.

 

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DrRobin

DrRobin

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Hi,

Lunt60 PT with the B1200 would be my choice.  For this size of scope you really need the B1200.

The double stack can be tricky to get right and if you are going to double stack then you really need the 60mm DS not the 50.

I started with single stack and then added the DS after about 9 months.  It was a testing month or two until I eventually managed to get both working together.  When they did work and tuned/orientated correctly the views were great, but the DS reduces the FoV over which the scope is perfectly tuned and takes a lot more fiddling.

Now that I have found the right settings my DS is fixed permanently to the scope.

Robin

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