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Corroded ITF PST Mod


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I totally disagree with Spaceboys comments on the Coronado PST. 

When it was launched in 2003 there was nothing like it on the market. It was designed (by Lunt) as a visual instrument. The early failures of the front end ERF was a design fault and most were repaired/ replaced under the initial five year warranty.

Other than that I don't know of any serious quality issues. It's certainly NOT a pile of "sub standard Poop"!!!!

A good PST doesn't need the DS to compete fairly with a Lunt 50 - just some practise in tuning and using.

I can assure you that ALL manufacturers of dedicated solar filters/ scopes have issues with their ITF filters. I have seen many Lunt failures which were replaced by Lunt...

The etalon assembly is unaffected by any issues which could/ would affect its long term performance. IMHO the life of an etalon is well in excess of the 8 years you mention - "fake news?"

 

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I have to accept your opinions on this @Merlin66 as you far more experienced in this field than I am. It is worth noting I am for the large part only quoting what I have read (as you do). For example there are a fair share of complaints about misaligned prisms. I cannot comment on this directly because as far as I am aware mine isn't misaligned?? I can't know for sure just as Shane didn't know until recently that he wasn't getting 100% the performance from his kit until he was able to do a side by side comparison.

When it comes to "fake news". We all know the internet is very much like the Daily Sport with regards it's facts but I will try to find the original post regards the etalon expiry date (I admit my memory isn't brilliant so now you mention it, it may well have been ITF or BF). It would though be worth mentioning that the reason why I came across the etalon? expiry thread in the first place was because I'd purchased a Lunt60 new in 2016 (2012 serial No.) and the etalon had to be replaced in that. Having already the knowledge of PST's having rust problems I wondered if parts failing was a common thing with all Ha scopes. I admit I was never given a definitive reason other than the etalon (not sure if the ITF is part of the etalon assembly?) had to be replaced but the views were significantly better once I received it back.

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I think the lesson in all of this is that solar observing has only recently come into the 'financially possible' arena for the non-millionaire amateur in the last ten years or so and it's inevitable that when working to a price point, the manufacturer will work within safe limits (that's a given) but occasionally make mistakes in terms of longevity of their product's working life. The fact that they can make such finely tuned instruments even for the price they do is to me at least amazing. If you compare the car to the scope, you pay £10,000 for a car and would be lucky if it performs optimally for five years before fuel efficiency drops off. Furthermore, you lose around £150 per month in depreciation and have to fuel it, tax it, insure it and pay someone to service it regularly. The fact that you have to occasionally replace the parts on a solar scope that bear the brunt of the energy is perfectly reasonable to me.

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My comments are generally based on my practical experience. I have tested and modded many PST's over the years and assisted many users to resolve the issues they find.

Lunt would not have replaced the etalon, it would be, based on similar repairs, just a replacement of the failed ITF.

 

 

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Ken, I think when Nick say 'as you do' he was using an expression which refers to him and people in general - i.e. no emphasis on the you. :happy7:

Nick, based on the help they have given me, I can certainly confirm that Peter Drew and Ken (who with solar lives up to his wizardesque monica) are incredibly knowledgeable on this subject.

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1 minute ago, Moonshane said:

Ken, I think when Nick say 'as you do' he was using an expression which refers to him and people in general - i.e. no emphasis on the you. :happy7:

Nick, based on the help they have given me, I can certainly confirm that Peter Drew and Ken (who with solar lives up to his wizardesque monica) are incredibly knowledgeable on this subject.

As said above,

I have no doubt Ken has more experience on this subject than myself. Sorry if it was read in any other way.

 

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I bought my PST in early 2005 and only found out about the 'rust' problem many years later. Mine has never been modified and I still enjoy the views which I don't think have deteriorated in the last 12 years.

I don't know the interior workings of the PST and I am not sure what the ITF is and where it is situated and what its function is on the PST.

Sorry Shane if I  have gone off track but I wonder whether a 12 year old PST is worth a Modification in the future.

 

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Perhaps, contrary to expectations, solar telescopes are not "plug and play". They need experience and a knowledge of their respective components to get the best out of them. I have been using Ha dedicated telescopes way before the PST appeared on the scene but I am still learning and finding ways of improving their cost/performance potential.  :icon_biggrin:

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2 minutes ago, Mark at Beaufort said:

I bought my PST in early 2005 and only found out about the 'rust' problem many years later. Mine has never been modified and I still enjoy the views which I don't think have deteriorated in the last 12 years.

I don't know the interior workings of the PST and I am not sure what the ITF is and where it is situated and what its function is on the PST.

Sorry Shane if I  have gone off track but I wonder whether a 12 year old PST is worth a Modification in the future.

 

If it's still working well it's a viable candidate.   :icon_biggrin:

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It might be but I had the Ha and as far as I know, it cuts IR/UV. It also dims the view a bit visually which I presume the UV/IR doesn't? I think I'll be eventually getting a replacement ITF in all honesty once funds allow. My anniversary is in May so maybe then.

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Just carried out a comparison of the three ITF's which I have in my possession (1 x PST and 2 x Coronado diagonals) compared to a borrowed Baader H-alpha 35nm filter, quite shocking results I knew one was very suspect and have not used that BF5 diagonal for a while.

As I'm off the the US in August I think some new ITF's are in order.

 

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If you don't have a lens spanner you can make a suitable tool by inserting two woodscrews through a piece of 1" thick wood at the correct spacings and use the points of the screws to locate the item to be removed.   :icon_biggrin:

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I've replaced a BF5 and a BF10 with the Maier option and have to say that I consider them excellent quality !

Infact the images viewed through both were brighter than before oxidation !

 

Im a huge PST fan and I'm currently on my 12th HA model.

 

Brian 

 

 

 

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