Tilt or pressure tuned Lunt

[janesdsg]

So close to pressing the button and buying a new pressure tuned Lunt60/DS60 and the offer of a second-hand tilt-tuned 60/60 comes my way ... and I don't know what to do  

I sense a sleepless night dithering about this ...

   

 

[jabeoo1]

Pressure tuning is really well thought through.  I am sure people will correct me if I am wrong but with the PT you can tune either side of 'on band' or into both 'wings'.  It may sound silly tuning off band but it has application in achieving variation in the view when scrutinising different features and textures.  I think tilt tuning only allows the tuning into one of the 'wings' but which side I can't remember.  When using the DS on my 50mm I often tune slightly into the wings and it brightens the image very effectively in one direction and dims it very quickly the other way.   

 

 

[janesdsg]

Tks, jabeoo1.  Being a bear of little brain and even less experience, it took me a couple of reads through your message to understand the references to "bands" and "wings" but it makes clear what the difference is between the two types of tuning.

Might get some sleep tonight after all  

[jabeoo1]

Whatever you get will knock you for ten when you get the knack of the scope and the seeing conditions.  The sun can be jaw dropping and show off beyond belief, and yet other times can look as bland as dishwater.

Ha viewing is a lovely past time, enjoy yourself but don't loose sleep on it.  

[Pig]

Jane,
I used to have the tilt tune Lunt 60 and the views were as good as any other I have tried, apart from the Quark Chromosphere  

[Peter Drew]

I have used tilt and pressure tuned varieties, properly tuned I've seen no difference in the good view. Despite the pressure tuning claimed to be the better system I recall owners having more issues with pressure tuning.

[Floater]

Jane, I'm on holiday and not best placed to dig out links for you but if you do some Google trawling there are a few reports/reviews that cover the tilt-or-pressure question. From my reading it seems to be a bit like a lot of other astro things - some like this; some like that.

I haven't had the opportunity to compare the two but as Shaun (Pig) and Peter write above the views through a tilt-tuned scope will not disappoint you.

As ever, it's your call ... ??

[janesdsg]

Thanks Pig, Peter and Gordon (not the duo from the 60s ... or maybe you're too young to remember them?) and Gordon especially for the tip to trawl Google.  Been doing that this morning, threads on Cloudy Nights and other forums. It's a bit six of one and half dozen of the other but if the secondhand tilt-tuned is still on offer that's the way I'm going to go.

[Pig]

Jane,
I think that is a good choice as the tilt tune is very simple in its design, IE you simply turn a little wheel either left or right to use it. In addition there isn't a great deal that can go wrong with it.

[Pig]

Jane,
I don't know what eyepieces you have but I found the Vixen 9mm SLV an excellent eyepiece to use with my Lunt 60. They are quite expensive to buy new but maybe you could get one second hand for about £60. I aslo bought a Lunt solar zoom eyepiece that worked very well. However, after a short time experimenting with the zoom I found I only used it around the 8mm setting and eventually sold it.

[spaceboy]

I have heard a few reports of seals failing on the pressure tune models and that they have to be charged before using. No big deal as it is just a case of unscrewing and screwing up again but some consider the threads to be at risk of cross threading being so fine.

I have only looked through a LS50 pressure tune not the 60PT but have a 60 tilt tune myself. While I couldn't say there is all that much difference the pressure tune model is supposed to be free of banding. While not totally obvious I have noticed banding in my LS60 tilt tune on occasion. When the PT was released there were all sorts of claims that it would be free from a sweet spot which turned out not to be the case so whether the PT version is totally free from banding I'm unsure. Either way I find the LS60 to offer up superb views, I don't have to worry about seals failing or a huge tuner hanging off one side and while the TT version doesn't have perfect centre balance it surely has to be better than the PT version.

I am sure though which ever one you go for you will be more than happy even if your bank balance isn't

[janesdsg]

1 hour ago, spaceboy said:

I am sure though which ever one you go for you will be more than happy even if your bank balance isn't

Bank balance? Definitely resembles PT more than TT but, hey, it's only money 

[janesdsg]

4 hours ago, Pig said:

Jane,
I don't know what eyepieces you have but I found the Vixen 9mm SLV an excellent eyepiece to use with my Lunt 60. They are quite expensive to buy new but maybe you could get one second hand for about £60. I aslo bought a Lunt solar zoom eyepiece that worked very well. However, after a short time experimenting with the zoom I found I only used it around the 8mm setting and eventually sold it.

Tks for this, Pig, haven't thought about eps yet so it's good to have some suggestions.

[Pete Presland]

I don't think you will regret your choice. I owned a tilt tuned PST and now a pressure tuned Lunt50mm.  Both required practice to get the best out of them.

[janesdsg]

Collecting the tilt-tuned on Wednesday

[Tyson M]

You will love it. I quickly realized that the reality of my astronomy will be done during the day. Clear skies are few and far between at night.

 

Sun always changes too. Ha is addicting. I just sold my lunt 50 for the larger 60 with a larger blocking filter to have ready for next summer.