Quark eyepiece or scope ?

[SAW]

Hi,

I'm after a new solar scope for solar imaging and observing but I can't decide if I should go for the Quark SS-60, Solar Scout 80mm or the Quark eyepiece and use either a 72, 100 or 120mm refractor ? I'll be using a ZWO178MM with them. Does anybody have any experience with any of the above ? If I use a 100mm refractor I can then also use my Lunt white light wedge and also use the scope for lunar observing/imaging ? Would I be disappointed using a 72ED ? Quark recommend f4 to f/8 and the 100ed is f9 so is the 72 or 120 going to be better suited ?

I could always use a different make 100mm that's f4-f8 I was just using the SW ED's as an example as I've had the 72 before and it's a good scope but not sure if it's suitable for solar because of the small aperture.

Edited June 5, 2019 by SAW
Wrong camera.

[vlaiv]

I would recommend that you also include Quark Combo into your decision list.

I'll briefly explain the reasoning behind it. I think it is the most versatile tool as you can use it on variety of scopes. It does not have internal barlow element so you will either need to provide your own, or shape light beam to required F/ratio.

Since we are talking about both visual and imaging - suppose that you want a scope that is both capable of high power views and full disk viewing. Maximum magnification is going to be limited by aperture of the scope. Full disk viewing is going to be limited by focal length of the scope. With Quark Combo you can actually adjust both of these. Extend focal length by use of telecentric lens, or keep focal length the same and use aperture mask to shape F/ratio of the beam.

Let's examine 100ed case. Want a full disk view? With regular Quark you can't do it on such scope as it will provide full disk viewing only up to 450mm of focal length. This is because of internal barlow element that will push 450mm to about 1800mm (x4.2).

How are we going to achieve full disk view with 100ed? Use x2 telecentric lens like one from Explore scientific - that will give you 1800mm FL, and you want F/30 or so beam, so how to do that? Make 60mm aperture mask (simple cardboard one).

Now you have 60mm solar scope capable of full disk image.

Want to have a high power scope? Use 100ed with x3 telecentric lens. This will give you F/27 (same as F/6.5 scope used with quark eyepiece) and capability to go to x200 magnifications as you have full 100mm aperture.

You get a lot of flexibility for a bit more money (you need to provide telecentric lens yourself) - but those are good thing to have for Lunar and White light imaging as well.

[SAW]

So not this one https://www.firstlightoptics.com/daystar-quark-solar-eyepieces/daystar-quark-h-alpha-eyepiece-chromosphere-prominence.html

[Davey-T]

I don't think FLO stock the combo Quark but worth enquiring.

Dave

[Davey-T]

Bit of reading material.

Dave

http://www.astrotest.it/test-reports/filters-including-h-alpha/daystar-quark-vs-quark-combo/

[kirkster501]

I am going through this paralysis by analysis too and can never make my mind up what to do..... 

[FLO]

On 30/05/2019 at 13:06, Davey-T said:

I don't think FLO stock the combo Quark but worth enquiring.

A number of people have enquired about the new Quark Combo so will add it to our website soon and to our next order from DayStar 🙂 

Steve 

[xtreemchaos]

i can only vouch for the chromosphere but i use my quark with  a f5 , f7.5, f11.5 and it performs well with them all for vis and imaging. charl.

[David Smith]

1 hour ago, kirkster501 said:

I am going through this paralysis by analysis too and can never make my mind up what to do..... 

Me too

[Helen]

3 hours ago, FLO said:

A number of people have enquired about the new Quark Combo so will add it to our website soon and to our next order from DayStar 🙂 

Steve 

There are two different things here - the Combo which is a standard quark adapted for SCT/Mak; and the newly announced Gemini which has two etalons...  

Helen

[David Smith]

On 30/05/2019 at 12:48, vlaiv said:

I would recommend that you also include Quark Combo into your decision list.

I'll briefly explain the reasoning behind it. I think it is the most versatile tool as you can use it on variety of scopes. It does not have internal barlow element so you will either need to provide your own, or shape light beam to required F/ratio.

Since we are talking about both visual and imaging - suppose that you want a scope that is both capable of high power views and full disk viewing. Maximum magnification is going to be limited by aperture of the scope. Full disk viewing is going to be limited by focal length of the scope. With Quark Combo you can actually adjust both of these. Extend focal length by use of telecentric lens, or keep focal length the same and use aperture mask to shape F/ratio of the beam.

Let's examine 100ed case. Want a full disk view? With regular Quark you can't do it on such scope as it will provide full disk viewing only up to 450mm of focal length. This is because of internal barlow element that will push 450mm to about 1800mm (x4.2).

How are we going to achieve full disk view with 100ed? Use x2 telecentric lens like one from Explore scientific - that will give you 1800mm FL, and you want F/30 or so beam, so how to do that? Make 60mm aperture mask (simple cardboard one).

Now you have 60mm solar scope capable of full disk image.

Want to have a high power scope? Use 100ed with x3 telecentric lens. This will give you F/27 (same as F/6.5 scope used with quark eyepiece) and capability to go to x200 magnifications as you have full 100mm aperture.

You get a lot of flexibility for a bit more money (you need to provide telecentric lens yourself) - but those are good thing to have for Lunar and White light imaging as well.

I like this idea, much more flexible than the original Quark. I could utilise my Evostar scope with a 2x telecentric barlow to get to F/16ish or stop it down to around 60mm to get the same effect but much wider field of view 🤔

[vlaiv]

40 minutes ago, David Smith said:

I like this idea, much more flexible than the original Quark. I could utilise my Evostar scope with a 2x telecentric barlow to get to F/16ish or stop it down to around 60mm to get the same effect but much wider field of view 🤔

Indeed - it gives a lot of options. Combo is said to be made for F/15 or similar beam, but I think all etalons work the best with collimated light, so there is probability that it will give better image (more contrast) if you push it further - like to F/25 - F/30. Even DayStar page on combo says it is designed to work between F/15 and F/30. Original quark has x4.2 barlow and recommended F/ratio for it is F/7 (or F/4 to F/8 range) giving true beam ratio of F/29.4.

2 hours ago, Helen said:

There are two different things here - the Combo which is a standard quark adapted for SCT/Mak; and the newly announced Gemini which has two etalons...  

Helen

I would not put it like that - combo being adapted for SCT/Mak - I would rather say that original quark was adapted to work with fast refractors , after all - that is the one that has been "augmented" from plain etalon to one with integrated telecentric lens.

[Helen]

3 hours ago, vlaiv said:

Indeed - it gives a lot of options. Combo is said to be made for F/15 or similar beam, but I think all etalons work the best with collimated light, so there is probability that it will give better image (more contrast) if you push it further - like to F/25 - F/30. Even DayStar page on combo says it is designed to work between F/15 and F/30. Original quark has x4.2 barlow and recommended F/ratio for it is F/7 (or F/4 to F/8 range) giving true beam ratio of F/29.4.

I would not put it like that - combo being adapted for SCT/Mak - I would rather say that original quark was adapted to work with fast refractors , after all - that is the one that has been "augmented" from plain etalon to one with integrated telecentric lens.

Yes indeed, my point was that it would be easy to mistakenly think that the combo quark referred to the  newly announced double etalon version 😉 

[vlaiv]

3 hours ago, Helen said:

Yes indeed, my point was that it would be easy to mistakenly think that the combo quark referred to the  newly announced double etalon version 😉 

Oh it took a while for me to get it - combo as in combination Good point.