Solar telescope advice

[blackgerby]

Nighttime observing is proving to be a bit problematic at the moment, so am looking at maybe getting a solar telescope as daytime would be better. Maybe going halfsies with a friend but the budget would still have to be a max of £500.

Would like to be able to image and have a QHY5 and Canon 1000D.

Would you advise a PST or a LUNT LS35THa Basic?

thanks

[blackgerby]

nobody?

[Merlin66]

I'd go for a s/hand PST ( Blue objective) only because they are tried and proven. They can also be modded later! A PST + webcam will give you good results..

[ollypenrice]

How reliable is the PST, especially second hand? I have heard of numerous difficulties in QC but have no first hand experience. I found the view through a PST okay-ish.

Olly

[Merlin66]

PST's are pretty good value for what they are. Best if you can try "before you buy"

I've bought four over the last couple of years and the first two suffered from "rust" - old gold objective. (I really don't understand why owners of this original design haven't already had them repaired - free under the 5 year Coronado/ Meade warrantee)

The third had a mis-placed prism ( easily fixed) but gave "soft" images, as you would say Ok ish. ( It turned out that the blocking filter in the eyepiece had started to deteriorate " That NEVER happens" - Oh yeh! B.S. it does!

The last one was 100%, good sharp images ( yes, there's always that "sweet spot") good granulation, and Ha views. Should have kept that one!

Hope this helps.

[blackgerby]

Thanks for the info Merlin. I guess the main thing is for me to buy from a good dealer in case I get a lemon.

[NickH]

Strange as this may sound, PST vs a Lunt, I would try both and see how you get on. The Lunt is a narrower bandpass, and could potentially give a good view. Both companies have had issues (Lunt with astigmatic focus, and some B600 issues, and coating changes due to high refelctivity), Coronado...Merlin has covered them well..

Try both

The PST when modified, if you get a good etalon, will yield quite spetcaular results, as stated...so if you ever get aperture fever, the PST is probably the better way to go..

For portability and a good focus system though, the Lunt would win for me. (the pst focus and prism are it's weak points IMHO)

[ONSLOWE]

As stated focus and the tuning ring are a bit awkward to use on the PST and there is definately a sweet spot but the aligning method is simple and brilliant. The supplied eyepiece is poor so expect to get a zoom or maybe a 12mm plossl etc to go with the setup. I have only had mine for 5 months so still getting used to it, the Sun is so quite at present I have yet to view a Sunspot and as usual the views are not near the photo resolution. I wouldn't rush in as the Sun has a way to go before the main Sunspot activity begins and if the Pound gets better against the Dollar the price may come back down.

Regards,

Martin

[brianb]

The big issue with the Ha PST for imaging is the very limited focusing travel. The tuning ring is actually a bit easier to use than that on the (much better, but much, much more expensive) Solarscope SV50/60 - the action is coarse but at least it's at the end of the tube where it's easy to reach, and big enough to find easily!

Don't worry about eyepieces. The solar scopes work great with just about any EPs that you might have lying around ... probably the cheaper, simpler types with less glass in them are actually better as the contrast is higher and a wide field is definitely not needed. Useful focal lengths with the PST are 20mm - 12mm, 9mm might be usable occasionally. I have Baader Genuine Orthos in 18mm 12.5mm and 9mm and find they work just about perfectly with my Solarscope SV60 as well as with the Ha PST.

I can see nothing through the CaK PST, my eyes just aren't sensitive to the extreme violet / near ultra-violet light. Doesn't stop me using the scope for imaging, though. BTW the CaK solar scopes have no tuning mechanism at all & seem to manage very well without it!

[Merlin66]

Brian,

Very well explained!

Re the CaK... this just has a narrow band filter centred on the Ca lines, so there's nothing else to "tune".

I like you, can't see down that far... I think you have to be 20 year old and Superman to see in the UV, certainly a bit more difficult for the "maturer" observer.

[NickH]

Or have had cataract operations...

I had a good explanation of why that works by someone who has had one eye done (Wolas talk last week...)

[pauldaviesuk]

Regarding the Lunt LS35, there's a fairly extensive review here that seems to suggest its a better option that the PST.

I'm starting to get quite tempted, myself...pity most UK retailers list it as 'price on application'...

Paul

[NickH]

Erm

Check Stephen's rig out what he REALLY uses...

check out his LS100 images... not a good advert for Lunt at all, and Stephen's a good guy... knows his solar... but I think got caught up a bit in the Lunt story

The CaK Lunts are superb...no question.. the LS35 I have not tried yet...but if you can;t get something that small right...I would give up anyway

Best way is to try it out...

[pauldaviesuk]

Hi Nick,

I can't help feeling I've missed your point. I've just read Stephen's LS100 review, and TBH I think the Lunt images are distinctly better than the Coronado images he used for comparison - brighter, with more contrast and showing more fine detail. (I think the same can be said for the comparison images in his LS35 review too)

That said, you are exactly correct to say that best approach is to physically try out both instruments in person.

Paul

[NickH]

He uses the Coronado 90 more than the Lunt still...and frankly neither image set blow me away.. Stephen is far more in to visual though than imaging I seem to remember

Please try it though...!