Quark questions!

[Rhushikesh-Canisminor]

Hello! 

So I know this has been asked many times but it's still kind of confusing. Any comments on this 'next hopeful addition in my gear' will be helpful.

120mm f/5 achromat + Quark chromo + full aperture ERF.

It will be used mostly for visual (around 90% of time) and for outreach programme. I might have to be looking for funding/loan for this upgrade in upcoming season. I already have lunt50mm SS and I might double stack it also.

Thanks in advance!

[xtreemchaos]

that will work good, you don't need a full aperture ERF, I have a 2inch one screwed into my wedge but if you have one sorted all well and good, charl.

[Freddie]

As said, no need for a full ERF, I just use a 1.25" UV/IR cut filter with my 120mm scope

[Floater]

The elephant in the room is that Daystar let down and disappointed an awful lot of customers, including suppliers. I don't know if that issue has been fixed. I do know that I and others had difficulty with Quarks.

I strongly suggest you try before you buy - but I also know that can be very difficult to arrange ...

Caveat emptor.

[Rhushikesh-Canisminor]

9 hours ago, Floater said:

 

I strongly suggest you try before you buy - but I also know that can be very difficult to arrange ...

That's almost impossible over here in my case. And well even I am not totally comfortable with the quark because of many bad reviews from customers. 

But it is pretty cost effective than a lunt 80 double stack. -_-*

[xtreemchaos]

to be fair there is a lot of bad reviews about Daystar, but theres also a lot of good reviews , the bad allway sticks in the mind most, I was lucky I got a trial, but if I didn't get chance to try it out  I think I would of bit the bullet, sometimes you have to take a chance to get the results you need. goodluck , charl.  

[Stu]

One issue with Quarks is that often people new to Ha observing buy them and do not know what is good and what is bad.

Fortinately I had had a good PST beforehand and my Quark, whilst not perfect, knocked the socks off it in terms of both high powered detailed views in larger francs and also full disk views in a little 60mm Tak. It did show banding across the image which was mildly frustrating, but by positioning targets with a little thought you could always get them on band.

I tried it in a larger 150mm f5 Skywatcher and to be honest was disappointed. I think it must be something to do with the spherical abberation present in these scopes which softens the views. I was always most satisfied with it in good apo scopes between 60 and 120mm, around f6 to f7.5.

[spaceboy]

3 hours ago, Rhushikesh-Canisminor said:

That's almost impossible over here in my case. And well even I am not totally comfortable with the quark because of many bad reviews from customers. 

But it is pretty cost effective than a lunt 80 double stack. -_-*

Not being funny but I am dubious a 120mm achromatic / quark combo would offer views anything near that of an 80mm DS despite the aperture advantage. My limited knowledge and experience with quarks found visually the views lacking contrast and more than one person suggested that they benefitted from use of ED glass over that found in achromatic refractors. The quark idea is still a good and affordable way to get in to Ha with out breaking the bank on a larger dedication ss Ha scope but they are I feel let down by their rushed release and subsequent poor reputation.

As far as imaging goes though quarks do seem to offer up some simply superb images.

[Paul73]

How about the operating temperatures? I think that I read about them having a surprisingly low Max operating temp? India is a lot hotter than the UK and most of the US.

Another quick question. How is the heat dispersed if people can get away with 1 1/4" blocking filters on 150mm scopes?

I know very little about the workings these marvelous bits of kit. But, can vouch that the views take your breath away!

Paul

[Rhushikesh-Canisminor]

5 minutes ago, Paul73 said:

How about the operating temperatures? I think that I read about them having a surprisingly low Max operating temp? India is a lot hotter than the UK and most of the US.

Another quick question. How is the heat dispersed if people can get away with 1 1/4" blocking filters on 150mm scopes?

 

One of the many reasons why I thought about full aperture ERF. In my town, Winter daytime temperature doesn't drop below 20 degree Celsius. In summer, it goes all the way up to 40+ (it's 43 degree Celsius right now). 

And I don't  have much clue how the UV/IR filter would work in this heat.

[Rhushikesh-Canisminor]

Also, the reason why I am just digging deep in these doubts is that I am trying to have a tie up with Government to have observations for rural areas. So while I will pitch the idea to authorities, I have to be pretty clear with the instrument.

If it were just me then I would have bought the quark by now.

[xtreemchaos]

heat with a uv/ir cut filter in wedge, my wedge don't get hot at all with the 2inch filter screwed into it, the quark stays cool too even after two hours viewing, its just about as warm a room temp maybe a touch warmer, I do image from indoors due to sol trying to kill me with having lupus but don't think it would make any different with kit temp.. charl. ps I have the baader one think there around £70 in the uk.

[Merlin66]

When I looked at the Quark, I asked Daystar about operating at an ambient of >40 deg C (unfortunately not uncommon here in Oz).

As you know the Quark only has heating to bring the etalon on band, no cooling.

Eventually they said they could probably build a "special" which could/ should work at these temperatures.

I cancelled my order and didn't pursue the issue.

 

[Solar B]

A good quark will offer what I call a 10K view !  well when the seeing allows ... last summer with an 150 ST i observed the Wilson effect

 

with a spot near the limb ... proms appeared tenuous , transparent ,3D and wispy , not at all how they normally appear , even spicules on 

 

the surface to !

 

Im not really a quark fan but the views can be off the scale.

 

Brian 

[Rhushikesh-Canisminor]

12 hours ago, Merlin66 said:

 

Eventually they said they could probably build a "special" which could/ should work at these temperatures.

 

I was quite positive to take the quark risk (?) Till you pointed this out. Now back to square 1.   xD

I will kind of start looking for price of the whole unit over here. Let's see how everything goes. -_-*

[Merlin66]

I don't know if anything has changed in the last few years, but you could always contact Daystar for confirmation......