H-Alpha Solar Instrument Reccommendations

[garryblueboy]

Hi John I'd look for a nice filter to hang of the Tak I did and I must say it is awesome the Lunt 50 is a nice well made scope but the 60 is far better in my experience double stack is a different world I had my Lunt 75 filter out last week on the Tak and the views were stunning .

[Helen]

+1 for the Solarscope options if you can get one secondhand - either the scopes or a filter set for use on one of your rfracs.  My SF70 filter set gives fantastic views (Stephen Green has also just bought one and was raving about it at SGL this weekend) that I think would fit with your usual approach of high quality viewing.  Otherwise I'd say go for the biggest aperture to get best resolution.  (For me the Quark doesn't meet your ease of use criteria - I find having to wait if you adjust the tuning a bit of a pain as you can't easily adjust to suit conditions.)

Helen

[garryblueboy]

I agree with Helen I've owned a couple quarks while great at times bit more faffing about using them and quality is hit and miss 

[GavStar]

1 hour ago, John said:

It is complicated - I'm pretty inexperienced in H-Alpha so I'm starting at or close to the bottom of the learning curve. In some ways that is the attraction as well though. I feel I need a new direction in the hobby currently.

 

John, I've got a Lunt 60mm tilt tuned single stacked) and have found it simple and been really impressed by the full disc views it gives. I had a particularly memorable view last month - using my Pentax 20mm gave some very detailed views and also showed a prom detaching over the space of an hour. So I'd definitely recommend one. I'm aiming to go double stack when these filters become available again. Everyone tells me double stacking is a game changer.

Also wondering why you need a change of direction in the hobby at the moment since your commentaries on your viewing are always interesting and enthusiastic?

[John]

11 minutes ago, GavStar said:

...Also wondering why you need a change of direction in the hobby at the moment since your commentaries on your viewing are always interesting and enthusiastic?

Thanks for that Gavin

I'm looking ahead really. I'm not going to stop night-time observing but I can see that I'm starting to hit "glass ceilings" of sorts with how far I can take things because my scopes have to remain portable and also the LP levels where I live are creeping up (as they are in many places I'm sure). Travelling to observe is not really an option for a number of reasons that I won't bore you with so I thought that HA solar observing, being pretty much unexplored country as far as I'm concerned, is looking very interesting. Warmer and not affected by LP either !

Reading the posts on here on solar observing remind me that it's an ever changing target and capable of surprises at almost any time. Jupiter is one of my favourite night-time targets for these reasons 

 

[John]

On the instrumentation, with a scope like the Coronado SM40, am I right in thinking that the front etalon and the diagonal can be used as a pair on other scopes using a suitable front end adapter plate to fit the etalon across the apeture of the new host scope ?

I'm wondering what advantages a different host scope, eg: my Vixen ED102 F/6.5 would have over the Coronado SM40 OTA given that the aperture is presumably stopped down by the diameter of the Etalon ?

Sorry if these are dumb questions

 

[GavStar]

Makes a lot of sense to me! ?

I got my first solar scope just for the last mercury transit expecting not to use it much. But I've found it's added an extra dimension to my enjoyment of the hobby.

I look forward to reading your solar observing reports in due course. Stu recommended to me a Herschel wedge for white light viewing with my tak. I've just received it and not used it yet but that could be another option as well?

[John]

I've had a 1.25" Lunt Herschel Wedge for a while but I've not used it very often. I was impressed when I used it with my Tak FC-100DL though

 

[garryblueboy]

John Looking at your quality Astro gear I think a solar scope filter is the way to go I def recommend something like my Lunt LS 75 but they are rare as Gavin says the 60mm is a great performer but I feel for the money I'd get a Isle of Man solarscope seconhand if you can . Shame your not nearer or you could take a look through mine 

[Owmuchonomy]

7 hours ago, Solar B said:

Chris you can use it in 1.25 mode with the 80mm (without issue) by far the much more effective ERF is the Baader 35NM as its 

actually a mini D-ERF ... and it's coatings will reflect a lot of the energy ... quarks are very good at reflecting this 

energy anyway as they operate the other way round !! I.E. ... the light path hits the BF firstly and as this is mirrored  it's 

reflected back up the OTA ... what you actually view through is the etalon window.

 

Brian 

Sure, but I'm going to swap things around and put my best focuser/2" set up on the ED80 to hold the Quark steady.  Yes I read about the 35NM option and may go that route if I try the 120. I think that will be too much FL though.  Cheers for that.

[IanL]

Single stack pressure tuned LS60 with a B1200 for me (as I do imaging as well). It doesn't get any easier in terms of set up and use. Barely have to adjust the tuner most times. The image is bright and contrasty across the entire field and much better than an older tilt tuned B600 LS60 that I have done side by side comparison with.

I have not had a chance to look through any double stacked kit so can't judge the benefit of more contrast. I would say that brightness quickly becomes a limiting factor as you crank up the magnification, much sooner in the B600 and I would also assume with double stack setups.

[John]

Thanks for more ideas. I'm going to have to go and research what all these terms mean !.

[Solar B]

Yes John as the SM40 Etalon is front mounted you can mount it on any OTA with the BF / Diagonal to the rear

Front mounted etalons generally outpreform rear mounted ones and I note that Coronado have reverted to such with the SMlll.

But yes the Ap would still only be 40mm but the mag would increase dependant upon the OTA.

 

Brian 

 

[Merlin66]

Here's my SM60 external etalons double stacked on the ED80......

[John]

Amazing ! - what do the orange knobs on the long threaded rod do ?

[Merlin66]

The Vegemite lids act as a semi-remote tuning of the double stack from the eyepiece.

works very well!!

[John]

21 minutes ago, Merlin66 said:

The Vegemite lids act as a semi-remote tuning of the double stack from the eyepiece.

works very well!!

Presumably by tilting ?

I'm gradually learning the jargon - tilting vs pressure tuning

[Merlin66]

Yes, all front double stack etalons, both Coronado and Lunt are tilt tuned.