Baader Solar Coolwedge

[Moonshane]

I saw a Baader Coolwedge on the ENS site at £350 and made an offer of a straight swap for my 26mm Nagler which is lovely but I can't really remember the last time I used it.

The wedge comes with various nd filters for visual and imaging (3.0, 1.8, 0.9, 0.6 plus the bsc all in 2") and the 2" click lock. They say it looks new and it does in the pics.

I feel this is a decent deal which is what matters I suppose and if I miss the big guy I can buy an ES 28mm/68 or even a 27mm Panoptic after selling the Lunt wedge - will see how my bvs work first!

I am hoping the t2 connection will allow enough in focus for the bvs with my two fracs , we'll see !

Wanted one of these for about five years so looking forward to using it. I see it as the ultimate white light accessory. 

I'll report back success or otherwise in connecting via t2 with my maxbrights.

[nightfisher]

so did they accept the offer of exchange

[Moonshane]

Sorry. Yes indeed. My Nagler is on the way via UPS

[John]

These Baader wedges sound excellent. I'll look forward to hearing what you think of it Shane

I believe they perform that bit better than the Lunt ones, which themselves are nice.

[Moonshane]

Cheers John i hope so! Just done some checking and as long as I can connect to t2 (might need an adapter) at wedge side when the 2" eyepiece holder is removed I can cut about 40mm off the light path I think making it about the same as my 1.25" Lunt wedge so in theory I should get focus. We'll see :0)

[Stu]

1 hour ago, Moonshane said:

Cheers John i hope so! Just done some checking and as long as I can connect to t2 (might need an adapter) at wedge side when the 2" eyepiece holder is removed I can cut about 40mm off the light path I think making it about the same as my 1.25" Lunt wedge so in theory I should get focus. We'll see :0)

Have fun with it Shane. I think you will need an adaptor as I'm sure the connection from Wedge to Clicklock is not T2, it's the full 2", whatever thread that is.

Anyway, I'm sure you will be able to get it sorted. The only word of warning I have is that on my Wedge, the Clicklock is held to the Wedge by a threaded sleeve which is not held in position in any way. This is not a problem when removing the Clicklock, but In theory, when putting it back on, the thread could choose to wind itself down until it contacts the prism itself. Unlikely, but one to watch for.

[Roy Challen]

Sounds like a good deal, I do like that ENS accepts swaps every now and then - I've had some nice items from them without having to pay with cash.

[bingevader]

10 hours ago, John said:

These Baader wedges sound excellent. I'll look forward to hearing what you think of it Shane

ditto.

[Moonshane]

cheers for the warning Stu. I suspect that I will be leaving the T2 connection on permanently as I'll use either a 1.25" clicklock or the BVs. I am pretty sure FLO do a suitable adapter with 10mm optical length and I think this along with the 7.5mm T2 extension will provide adequate clearance for the GPC. I have a space nylon insert for t2 apertures which works perfectly as I tried it last night in my 15mm t2 extension.

I am more hopeful now of getting focus with my 120ED and my 102mm ED without the need to resort to chopping off some of the tube.

[YKSE]

11 hours ago, Moonshane said:

as long as I can connect to t2 (might need an adapter) at wedge side when the 2" eyepiece holder is removed I can cut about 40mm off the light path I think making it about the same as my 1.25" Lunt wedge so in theory I should get focus. We'll see :0)

With this SC to T2 adapter,

http://www.teleskop-express.de/shop/product_info.php/language/en/info/p551_Baader-Adapter--SC-aussen---T2-aussen---sehr-kurzbauend---27.html

you can get 46mm shorter light path.

[Moonshane]

cheers for that. Would the nylon ring fit the inside diameter of this adapter? I am using Maxbrights so need to put the GPC on the adapter not the BVs. I know that it works with a standard Baader t2 extension so might be a safer bet?

[spaceboy]

Steve at ENS is a top bloke and glad to hear your swap offer was accepted, although quite shocked to hear you gave up your 26mm Nagler if I'm honest. What will you use in the 16" now? I know your parcorr amplifies the image so surely the 26mm was ideal ??? You sure do seem to have the bug for solar mate. I agree it is a lot more fun sitting in the sun than it is out in a damp, dark, freezing garden in the middle of the night.

I'll be interested to hear your views on the cool wedge. I have come close a couple of times in the past but I feel the Lunt wedge is hard to beat on price given the significant improvement it offers over film. I wonder if that same significant improvement in the cool wedge can be seen over the lunt? Obviously you have more to gain in regards of BV set up but I would be interested in your opinion on the cool wedge now your have plenty of solar experience under your belt.

[Moonshane]

I agree Nick, he seems decent.

I did think hard about the Nagler but to be brutally honest, I have not used it for a good while and the 16" even less - it's not as though I can't buy another Nagler in due course. I have a 24mm Panoptic and may start building some money for a 27mm Panoptic which I think will be a good fit with the dobs and losing out only 10% of field to the Nagler with less weight. I'll see how I feel after using the 24mm Panoptic for a bit. If I can get focus with the BVs easily then selling the Lunt will raise a chunk towards either more bits or an eyepiece. In the meantime I'll keep saving!

I am not too worried about massive jumps in quality but feel the wedge will provide some optical and some logistical benefits, especially with binoviewers. I do tend to do more solar than night time although my night inrterest has been re-invigorated to some extent by recently bringing my lists (Messier, Herschel etc) up to date and in a more organised manner.

 

[YKSE]

Yes, the nylon ring fits in there, the ring helps to prevent the GPC tilting too much to fall inside.

I use my GPCs (mostly 1.7x) in front the wedge (about 1.75x) to get 88x with 18BCO, 2.6x GPC in front (4.2x) when seeing is very good to get 152x with 25mm tak. changing GPC in front of teh wedge is much easier done than putting it between the bino and wedge.

[Moonshane]

Excellent, thank you. Is it not dangerous (for the GPC) to place this before the wedge (i.e. scope side?). I'll be ordering the adapter from FLO today. To be honest when using BVs I generally stick with one GPC and change eyepieces. Seems less of a faff somehow.

[YKSE]

No danger as I understand it, and no damage to GPCs so far after last year. It's unfocused sunlight on the GPC, more or less like hand-hold the GPC to the Sun. Only caution might be putting on the scope's front cap when changing GPC, so that we don't accidentally holding or have something just in the focus plan (should be quite far back behind the scope).

[Moonshane]

BTW I found this image in my googling which explains the system well. I see now that the filters screw into the #27 adapter which screws into the housing. Using the #27, you don't need the little ring normally screwed into the eyepiece holder.

[YKSE]

Yes, #27 is the part I linked above.

The original adapter between Baader wedge is male SC thread with inne M48  htread for 2" filters, while #27 has male SC thread to male T2 thread, with innn M48.

Most of Baader adapters has following connecting scheme between 2" to 1.25"

                                             2"             <---------------------------------------------------->     1.25"

 smooth barrel:                       2" barrel     <----->   can have T2 thread (42x0.75)   <----->  1.25"

threads:                               SC (2" 24TPI)  <----->    T2 thread (42x0.75)       <---------> 1.25"

Between 2", the thread connection is usual SC.

Many of Baader parts are just some combination with different adapters, theerfore lower inventory cost. also their requirement for thread tolerence is usuallt higher than many others, so that adapters can be used everythere where it should be able to.

[Moonshane]

Wedge on the way. Should have it by crimbo with any luck. Also ordered the #27 adapter.

[Stu]

No wonder he swapped if he reckons he can get this for it....

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/291979842674 

Bargain, that's nearly a tenner off the new cost.... 

[Moonshane]

Well it's his so good luck to him LOL

I have received my wedge and delighted with it. Great service and condition. Two of the three filters I don't need have not even been opened! It looks like it has never been used in truth.

Have already modded it to T2 connection for the BVs and so will have a clicklock and three filters (plus a Lunt 1.25" wedge) to put some money back in the astro pot.

[Moonshane]

By way of update, I am absolutely delighted with the Baader wedge. It comes to focus with my two fracs and the BVs and the detail seen has been wonderful (even though there's not much if anything to see currently). I can highly recommend this as although the cost is somewhat high compared with the 1.25" Lunt I had previously, there is a perceptible step up in quality. The main thing for me though is the fact it allows use of the BVs with the 120ED and 102 ED (although this was also OK with the Lunt). If you get a chance to get your hands on one then I'd not hesitate.

[Stu]

6 minutes ago, Moonshane said:

By way of update, I am absolutely delighted with the Baader wedge. It comes to focus with my two fracs and the BVs and the detail seen has been wonderful (even though there's not much if anything to see currently). I can highly recommend this as although the cost is somewhat high compared with the 1.25" Lunt I had previously, there is a perceptible step up in quality. The main thing for me though is the fact it allows use of the BVs with the 120ED and 102 ED (although this was also OK with the Lunt). If you get a chance to get your hands on one then I'd not hesitate.

Great stuff Shane. I knew you would like it. It's nice when something lives up to the hype isn't it?  

[Moonshane]

Certainly is Stu

I have already used it more times in 2017 than I used the 26mm Nagler in 2016.

I did go for the quick release rings/wedges but decided on the cheaper ones for now as I have other things to get (mainly a pair of 15mm TV plossls and in due course a pair of 32mm plossls  - maybe the BCOs). Just waiting for the QR bits to arrive.

[John]

Thats good to hear Shane

Is it 3x as good as the Lunt though ?

Only kidding !