RE: Dangerous eyepiece filter.

[inferno]

When i bought my telescope off ebay it cam with the same eyepieces. I just looked at the thread and wow just as you called it I was looking at the sun and pow!!!! Blinded like a welding flash.
It cracked for no reason.
I was in pain for two days and it felt like someone grinded my eyeball with sand paper.
Just wanted to state the warning again to anyone who has one ...HIT IT WITH A HAMMER!!!
Is the price of a sun filter dear that goes over the end of my 114 mm? Or does anyone have one they might like to sell?

[acropolite]

There have been numerous threads on the subject of these dangerous filters, sounds like you were lucky not to sustain permanent damage. The cheapest way to get a useable filter for solar viewing is to buy some solar film and make a filter for the front of the Telescope. There are 2 types of film available, one from Baader, which gives a whitish image and one from Thousand Oaks which gives (IMO) a more natural orange colour. Steve at myastroshop (http://www.myastroshop.com.au/products/solar-filters.asp?ProdID=MAS-277d)has some ready made ones with baader film for $40 to $50 which will be cheaper than buying a piece of film.

[erick]

Chris! That's terrible. Eyepiece solar filers are dangerous, as you have sadly learnt. I hope you aren't saying that you knew of the danger before you tried it?

Glad to hear that you eye is recovering.

You can get an economical filter to go over the end of your scope.

Try this one here:-

http://www.myastroshop.com.au/products/solar-filters.asp?ProdID=MAS-277d

SkyWatcher Solar Filter for 114mm Newtonian

Economical Full Aperture Baader Solar film filter

Our Price: $49.00

[iceman]

Wow, very lucky indeed! A cautionary tale!

[Merlin66]

Goodness..........
I thought by now all these "solar eyepiece filters" would have been banned!!!!
Everytime I get the chance, at star parties, meetings etc and I see one of these things I literally grab it and throw it as far as I can. Over the years, to the surprise and amazement of the owner, I have thrown away dozens!!!!!!!!
THEY ARE TOO DANGEROUS TO KEEP - THROW THEM AWAY NOW!!!!
A full aperture solar screen or at least a Herschell wedge are the only safe visual fileters!!

[Starkler]

Indeed!

If we knew where to find an online reference to the fact that these filters are illegal then the people at Ebay can be educated to the fact and hopefully put measures in place to prevent scopes being advertised with them.

Really they shouldn't even be allowed to be imported and should be stopped by customs...... What to do?

[norm]

Hi Inferno,

If you really wanna be proactive, considering reporting it to Office of Fair Trading:

http://www.fairtrading.nsw.gov.au/shopping/safeproducts.html

These things should be banned outright. It won't be long before someone is seriously injured.

Norm

[[1ponders]]

Won't work with Fair Trading. I've already been through that process up here in QLD with no joy. I've just emailed them this thread so that I can get the process underway again.

[inferno]

Thanx for the reply guys. I was lucky and no i didn't know the dangers before i used it.
I am even luckier as i was just about to put my lens into the 2x barlow:eyepop: for some close ups.

[[1ponders]]

Actually if it was one of those plastic barlows that come with most of these scopes it probably would have melted gumming up the insides of your focuser. That would have been after your eye had started to boil in your head though. :scared:

Lucky you weren't using a binoviewer.

[wasyoungonce]

Inferno,

If I was you I'd be off to the ophthalmologist for an eye exam and maybe treatment advice.

The energy dissipated in your eye, by the telescope focused sun, would have been enormous!

I'm not trying to scare you but I wouldn't be surprised that you have permanent damage to the retina or at least the photoreceptors on the retina and maybe the lens.

[IanL]

That sent shivers down me when i read this thread. I am with a lot of you these should be banned before someone is blinded.

You can always by an top the range filter to look at the sun. But you can't by your eyesight looking through cheap one.

Ian

[Merlin66]

I think all of us should petition our local Societies and any Dealers in our area to caution would be buyers against the risks and actively push for their "banning" in the amateur astronomy world.
Not very often you get a second chance.

[[1ponders]]

It's not the legit astrodealers Merlin, its the camera houses and chain electronic stores and music warehouse and nature stores that are the problem. The staff in the majority of stores have no idea what they are selling.