"cheap" solar scope setup

[GKA]

Hi , yesterday i had the chance to view the sun through my Clubs Lunt solar Scope, and that was a great experience , but the Equipment is way out of my League.

But i have a Aquila 90500 Scope on its way from China , and thinking this might be used as a cheaper Version of a solar Scope.

I also found this one , and Wonder if any of you have any experience With it , i'm on a tight Budget so this will fit right in if it's usable ,this will be a way to get me started.

I see they have red and green Versions to , to diffrent prices, but what is the diffrence?

https://www.aliexpress.com/item/Hercules-white-SOLAR-SYSTEMS-1-25/32825535273.html?spm=2114.search0104.3.10.918857813VlT4D&ws_ab_test=searchweb0_0,searchweb201602_2_10065_10068_319_10059_10884_317_10887_10696_321_322_10084_453_10083_454_10103_10618_10307_537_536_10902,searchweb201603_56,ppcSwitch_0&algo_expid=e0ab7c04-ffda-4461-8cf9-aa44eedf49ac-1&algo_pvid=e0ab7c04-ffda-4461-8cf9-aa44eedf49ac&transAbTest=ae803_3

The Scope in this thread :

https://www.cloudynights.com/topic/547541-chinese-made-refractor-excellent/  

 

Thanks in advance, GKA

 

[vlaiv]

Scope and Herschel wedge that you listed will work as white light solar scope - quite different thing to Lunt H-alpha solar scope.

If you are interested in very cheap white light solar - just get your self this:

https://www.teleskop-express.de/shop/product_info.php/info/p547_Baader-2459281---Astro-Solar-Safety-Film---visual-ND-5-0---200-mm-x-290-mm.html

If you still want to get Herschel wedge - it is better option, it will give you crispier views, but again - it is white light solar observing.

[GKA]

Well i have to start somwhere i have searched on white light solar observing now as you mentioned above , and found a lot of stuff. 

I have also ordered the safety film for my st 120, but i ordered a complete seteup instead of just the film.

Thanks for the advice.

All the best.

[GKA]

Hi , received my solar wedge today (link above) but i'am wondering were the cpl filter goes ,the front of the wedge is threaded but i read that there should be no filters in front of it.

There were no user manual. 

[vlaiv]

Check if ND3 filter is properly installed in wedge before you use it.

Easiest way to do it is to look down the wedge without it being attached to scope - point it to bright daylight and it should be very very dark.

CPL or linear polarizer should be placed at eyepiece. Light from wedge is polarized and addition of another polarizing filter lets you adjust amount of light reaching your eye by rotating eyepiece. So if you screw CPL filter into eyepiece that you are going to use to observe the sun and put that eyepiece in wedge - by unclamping it and rotating it you can adjust brightness of your view for best contrast, then tighten EP clamp again and continue to observe.

[GKA]

Thank you vlaiv , it's great to have people like you on forums , always willing to help. Thanks.

Yes I did check the Nd3 filter , and it was there, checked it towards a lamp , but it is visual from the top also.

Since there were no user manual , I found the ones from other solar wedge brands, but I found it strange that the front end was threaded.

Unfortunately there has been a lot of rain here I Norway, but hopefully there will be a chance to test it out on Sunday.

By the way , I did buy a variable polarizing filter from FLO which I intend to use?

Again,thanks Vlaiv ?

Edited March 8, 2019 by GKA

[RT65CB-SWL]

On 08/03/2019 at 18:30, GKA said:

Hi , received my solar wedge today (link above) but i'am wondering were the cpl filter goes ,the front of the wedge is threaded but i read that there should be no filters in front of it.

There were no user manual. 

Link for the user manual for the 1.25" Lunt Hershel/Solar wedge that I use --->https://luntsolarsystems.com/manuals/

DISCLAIMER - Please ensure you understand how to use it before use, as mine is a different brand. I accept no liability for misuse, damage, accident, injury, blindness, etc., to you and/or other person or persons using it.

Edited March 10, 2019 by Philip R

[Louis D]

@GKADid you ever get a chance to try out your Hercules solar wedge?  If so, what are your thoughts on it?

[GKA]

5 hours ago, Louis D said:

@GKADid you ever get a chance to try out your Hercules solar wedge?  If so, what are your thoughts on it?

Yes i did, and I think it's great value, i also bought the Baader continum filter from Flo to go with it, great combination. 

Only visual for now. 

Edited April 14, 2021 by GKA

[Louis D]

15 minutes ago, GKA said:

Yes i did, and I think it's great value, i also bought the Baader continum filter from Flo to go with it, great combination. 

Only visual for now. 

Good to hear.

Did you buy through AliExpress or directly from Hercules?  Any issues with the transaction?

[GKA]

See the link in further up, not from Hercules, but through another store on aliexpress. And I had no issues with the Transaction. 

 

Edited April 16, 2021 by GKA

[GKA]

Finally got to try some imaging with it , bought a used QHY5L-II-C camera  , so i tried it.

Late afternoon , so there was a lot of turbulence , but for a first try , i'm pleased.

Some dirt on the sensors though , but it's used , so i will clean it.

Best 40% of 5000 frames ,Orion 120/1000 achromat , herschel wedge,Baader continum filter  and the above mentioned camera.

Autostakkert,registax6 and Gimp

Edited April 26, 2021 by GKA

[GKA]

Here.s some pictures of the new sunspot AR2822 taken yesterday 08.05 .

Same setup ,exept that i used a Svbony sv305 pro camera , and best 40% of 1000 frames.

Better seeing this time , but a bit windy.

 

Edited May 9, 2021 by GKA

[Louis D]

I purchased a Hercules Herschel prism direct from their website.  It took just over 2 weeks to get to me from China, so not bad at all.  No customs or tax issues, either.

It ships with a variable polarizing ND filter which you need to set near maximum extinction visually since the wedge only comes with an ND3/ND1000 preinstalled, which might be fine for photography, but it is much too bright visually.  I went ahead and ordered a SVBONY ND3/ND1000 filter to see how that works instead of or in addition to the variable polarizer.

I also bought the SVBONY solar finder.  It works pretty well for $16 to get the sun pretty close to centered once I've minimized the scope's shadow on the ground.  I'm thinking of making a solar filter for my 50mm RACI from leftover Baader solar film I have on hand.

From a quick look at the sun between clouds through my 90mm APO, it does appear to put up sharp images.  I also tried a narrowband green Optica b/c interference filter, and didn't notice that much difference.  I'll have to try the other 5 in that series next.  The built-in variable iris aperture just makes my floaters more apparent while dimming the sun, so not too useful.

Optica b/c interference filters:

[Neil H]

Hi glad your enjoying solar viewing great images , there is a great app space weather live for Android tells you how many solar Sun spots and were they are plus loads of info , they do have one for Apple but I can't remember what it's called

[GKA]

On 13/05/2021 at 00:33, Louis D said:

I purchased a Hercules Herschel prism direct from their website.  It took just over 2 weeks to get to me from China, so not bad at all.  No customs or tax issues, either.

It ships with a variable polarizing ND filter which you need to set near maximum extinction visually since the wedge only comes with an ND3/ND1000 preinstalled, which might be fine for photography, but it is much too bright visually.  I went ahead and ordered a SVBONY ND3/ND1000 filter to see how that works instead of or in addition to the variable polarizer.

I also bought the SVBONY solar finder.  It works pretty well for $16 to get the sun pretty close to centered once I've minimized the scope's shadow on the ground.  I'm thinking of making a solar filter for my 50mm RACI from leftover Baader solar film I have on hand.

From a quick look at the sun between clouds through my 90mm APO, it does appear to put up sharp images.  I also tried a narrowband green Optica b/c interference filter, and didn't notice that much difference.  I'll have to try the other 5 in that series next.  The built-in variable iris aperture just makes my floaters more apparent while dimming the sun, so not too useful.

Optica b/c interference filters:

Hope you will be As pleased As me Louis D. 

When i use it, both visual and for imaging, i use the Baader continum filter in the eyepiece/camera and a svbony uv/ir cut in the nosepiece of the wedge, and it gives great results both ways. 

[tico]

Hello,
I am interested in observing the sun in white light, and I would like to know your opinion about the Hershel wedge of Hercules,
Does it have any built-in filter?
if so, is it an ND3 or a polarizing filter?
provides a sharp, contrasting image?
Does this wedge have a safe construction? Thank you so much.

[Louis D]

Yes, it has a built in ND3 which is only good for photography by itself.  It also comes with a variable polarizing filter to screw into the bottom of your eyepiece to drop the brightness down enough for visual observing.  I set it to near it darkest point and then fine tune the brightness by rotating the eyepiece in the holder since the wedge slightly polarizes the light itself, allowing for more extinction at the first of the two stacked polarizers.  I've ordered a SVBONY ND3 (ND1000 in their parlance) to see if I like it better than the variable polarizer.

The image is certainly sharper and contrastier than when using Baader Solar Film.

The construction is very similar to the Altair Astro Herschel wedge, just in a 1.25" format and without the built-in polarizing filter.  I checked the rear ceramic, and it never got even remotely hot with my 90mm refractor after 20 minutes of observing.

Uniquely, it comes with a built in variable iris with many blades.  I tried it out for fun, but couldn't really see any point to it.  Why mask off aperture?  That limits resolution.

Is it safe?  Seemingly so.  Worst case, the prism shatters and all the light goes out the back instead of just ~92%.

Size wise, it's about the same as the 1.25" Lunt wedge.  It's a surprisingly heavy chunk of equipment.

[lee g]

On 18/05/2021 at 21:57, Louis D said:

Yes, it has a built in ND3 which is only good for photography by itself.  It also comes with a variable polarizing filter to screw into the bottom of your eyepiece to drop the brightness down enough for visual observing.  I set it to near it darkest point and then fine tune the brightness by rotating the eyepiece in the holder since the wedge slightly polarizes the light itself, allowing for more extinction at the first of the two stacked polarizers.  I've ordered a SVBONY ND3 (ND1000 in their parlance) to see if I like it better than the variable polarizer.

The image is certainly sharper and contrastier than when using Baader Solar Film.

The construction is very similar to the Altair Astro Herschel wedge, just in a 1.25" format and without the built-in polarizing filter.  I checked the rear ceramic, and it never got even remotely hot with my 90mm refractor after 20 minutes of observing.

Uniquely, it comes with a built in variable iris with many blades.  I tried it out for fun, but couldn't really see any point to it.  Why mask off aperture?  That limits resolution.

Is it safe?  Seemingly so.  Worst case, the prism shatters and all the light goes out the back instead of just ~92%.

Size wise, it's about the same as the 1.25" Lunt wedge.  It's a surprisingly heavy chunk of equipment.

Hi do you use a solar continuum filter with the Hercules wedge.

[Louis D]

6 hours ago, lee g said:

Hi do you use a solar continuum filter with the Hercules wedge.

No, I don't own one.  I did try my green Optica b/c line filter without any additional ND or polarizing filtration because the line filter cuts out so much light.  I didn't spend a whole lot of time with them, but I didn't notice any "Aha!" moments with any of them.

I did buy a SVBONY ND3 filter to put on the eyepiece.  It almost makes the image too dark.  I guess an ND2 filter would be about right if I could find such a thing.  I'll go back to using the included variable polarizing filter for now.  If I set it to about ND2 and then rotate the eyepiece, I can get additional polarization due to the polarization effect of the wedge itself on the incoming light.

I put a UV/IR cut filter on the front of the wedge and didn't notice any particular heating of it when I removed the wedge.  It reflects rejected wavelengths rather than absorbing them, so I think that helps prevent heating.

Optica b/c line filters from their 1978 catalog.  The band-passes are labelled violet, blue, green, yellow, orange, and red (from left to right in the diagram below) on the filters themselves.

[Stu]

On 15/05/2021 at 17:31, tico said:

Hello,
I am interested in observing the sun in white light, and I would like to know your opinion about the Hershel wedge of Hercules,
Does it have any built-in filter?
if so, is it an ND3 or a polarizing filter?
provides a sharp, contrasting image?
Does this wedge have a safe construction? Thank you so much.

Just to be absolutely clear for any solar novices reading this, it is essential to use an ND3.0 filter with a Wedge. Without it the image is still dangerously right. It is best if this filter is pre fitted into the wedge so that it cannot be forgotten or easily removed.

The wedge itself reduces the light/heat by 95% and the ND3.0 reduces it by a factor of 1000.

You then need one more filter to bring the light down to a comfortable level. Either a polarising filter or a Continuum filter are the most common, you can also use these two together if you want to dim the image further. With a polarising filter, you can rotate the eyepiece to adjust the brightness level which is handy, though it doesn’t work easily with binoviewers! 🤪.

Some people also like to add a UV/IR cut filter in front of the wedge to reduce these frequencies further; that’s not something I do myself although I may try it at some point.

[Starwatcher2001]

On 06/06/2021 at 07:30, Stu said:

Some people also like to add a UV/IR cut filter in front of the wedge to reduce these frequencies further; that’s not something I do myself although I may try it at some point.

Stu, please can you confirm what you mean by "in front of the wedge". You don't mean on the sun side of the wedge, do you? Wouldn't that fry the filter?

[Stu]

9 minutes ago, Starwatcher2001 said:

Stu, please can you confirm what you mean by "in front of the wedge". You don't mean on the sun side of the wedge, do you? Wouldn't that fry the filter?

First off, I’ve not done this myself so would appreciate input from those that have.

My understanding is that you CAN put a UV/IR filter in front of the wedge as it is still in the unfocused part of the light beam and won’t be damaged. This prevents the heat going in to the Wedge. 

I would recommend using a more expensive dielectric type filter as this reflects the heat back up the tube, rather than absorbing in as cheaper filters do.

As said, I welcome input from others on this though, don’t take my word for it on this particular subject.

@Merlin66 or @Peter Drew may be able to help here.

[Starwatcher2001]

Thanks Stu. A damaged filter isn't on the same scale as a fried eyeball of course, but it would be good to know if it's okay to put a filter there, if anyone knows definitively.

[Stu]

2 hours ago, Starwatcher2001 said:

Thanks Stu. A damaged filter isn't on the same scale as a fried eyeball of course, but it would be good to know if it's okay to put a filter there, if anyone knows definitively.

Actually I’ve just ordered a 2” Baader UV/IR cut filter to give it a go. If you read the info, it says:

Stays cool and will not shatter if subjected to great thermal stress, since even intensive radiation is not absorbed – as with ordinary 'heat protective Filters' such as KG-3 or KG-5. Energy is reflected due to an elaborate interference system of 39 dielectric coating layers.

https://www.firstlightoptics.com/uv-ir-filters/baader-uvir-cut-filter.html

So, it seems fine to me. Happy to report back once I’ve given it a go in my wedge.

There is plenty of commentary around in SGL and Cloudy Nights on this topic. Varying opinions as to what people do, but no one saying it shouldn’t be done as far as I can tell.