Which solar scope to buy?

[Poita]

Well, I was warned when I purchased my 2nd hand PST that it was just a gateway drug to a serious solar scope...

Can anyone recommend me a step up from the PST? I find I am enjoying solar viewing and imaging far more often than I get out at night. With kids and Uni and endlessly cloudy nights, I'm considering selling up most of my gear and going solar in a far more serious way.

Not sure of budget yet, would like some recommendations though, and just as importantly, what to steer clear of.

[Merlin66]

Target a 80mm aperture Ha scope, either a SM80, a SV80 or a Lunt80..then consider a double stack option!
IMHO steer clear of the Daystar filters - too complex.

[louisthe2nd]

I went for a Lunt 60mm. This means I get great viewing and I'm still able to afford to eat. Even the 60mm needs a good solid mount.... etc etc
Cheers

[Poita]

I should add, I'm coming from a spectrum 60mm upgraded PST, and a home modded 80mm PST, but both still only had the BF5.
http://www.denkmeier.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=product.displa y&Product_ID=99

I found both to be a considerable step up from the PST, but as I am going to make solar (and spectroscopy now that the bug has bitten me..damn you Merlin!) my main astronomical passion, I want something that is a really good step up from the modded PSTs. I don't want to get upgradeitis in too short a time... (yeah, I know :P)

The scope would be going on an EQ6Pro or a HEQ5Pro.

[Matt Wastell]

Hello

I began with a SM40, then to a Lunt60Ha and recently went to the Lunt80Ha.
The greater aperture of the 80 is good over the 60 but the biggest jump was from the 40 to the 60! Get what you can afford? - both the 60 and 80 are fantastic scopes.

[barx1963]

I have just ordered a Coronado Solarmax 60 with 10mm blocking filter.
Reasons were price at under $2k and although my main interest is visual I was told that the 10mm filter is the minimum required for imaging if I want to in the future.
I felt the PST was too limiting and although the price is great there have to be compromises made to reach a price point that it has.
I also wanted portability which ruled out an 8mm or 90mm.
I hope to post a report on using the scope once it turns up in a couple of weeks.

Malcolm

[Poita]

Thanks for the info, it is so hard to find a chance to look through these scopes to see the difference to work out where the best bang for buck is.

I will be mostly imaging with the scope.

[Poita]

Where did you purchase from?

[Poita]

Another question, as they are around the same money, 80mm single, or 60mm double stack?

[Matt Wastell]

I very rarely imaged with the 60 double stacked - although the contrast improved the exp had to increase and frame rates reduced so I just stuck to the single (this is why I went for the single 80 - I can add the double later without factory matching if need be).

Please note that I have had one imaging session with the 80 under awful conditions but I feel the 80 will be awesome - I would go for the 80!

Here is my site with images - it may help?

2008/09 all with SM40
2010 from March are Lunt60
2011 are all Lunt60

http://www.pbase.com/mattwastell

[Merlin66]

I have and use the 88mm Modded PST with a BF15 - a great performer!
I also use the SM60 double stack on an ED80 with a BF10.
The improved surface resolution with the DS sells it for me...imaging with the DMK41 at <0.4A bandwidth is exciting....
For visual and pure fun and enjoyment the modded PST gives great views with a 21mm plossl. (BTW adding a CPL filter element significantly reduces the secondary images and ghosting)
- You can also fit one of the SM60 onto the modded PST to get a great performing double stack!!

[barx1963]

Bintel.

Malcolm

[Poita]

Perhaps I should just grab a BF15 for now and pick up a serious solar scope cheap if people dump them after the venus transit and the eclipse :)

[alocky]

Hi, I've got a lunt80 single stack, and it's a very satisfying thing to use. Add a decent monochrome video camera and a good barlow, and the system produces some pretty spectacular images. I did plenty of research at the time and the 80mm Lunt was my choice, but I'm sure things have moved on in a year. One thing that surprised me was that a dedicated H-alpha scope is comparable in price to H-alpha filters for existing scopes, and there's a lot less mucking about.
You can always upgrade to double stack, but after 6 months with the thing I'm still not desperate to do it. Beware of very long delivery times....
cheers,
Andrew.

[Poita]

Yeah, it seems a bit odd that an 80mm etalon is the same money as the entire scope. Have you any images taken with yours?

[DaveM]

The similarity in price between the dedicated scopes and front mounted filters is due to the fact that the dedicated scopes use a smaller (and therefore cheaper) internal etalon. The trade off with the internal etalon setup is that you may have a 'sweet spot' that is on-band while the outer margin of the view may not be, and thus not showing the same detail in this area. The degree to which a sweet spot affects the view varies between scopes and owners of the Lunt80 suggest that this is not much of an issue with that particular scope.

I own a large aperture h-a scope, but the 60-80mm aperture range seems to be a good spot to be in terms of resolution, price and portability.

[alocky]

Sure - here's an active region from November last year.
Lunt80 single stack, DMK41, TV powermate2.5 and 1 minute worth of video shoved through avistack with no particular effort applied to processing.

[Poita]

Its a shame the 60mm external etalon couldn't be used as an internal one and then fitted to a 130mm acro or similar :)

I'm leaning strongly towards the Lunt now I must say.

[Merlin66]

It can be done.
Roger Marcon in Brazil uses a SM60 external etalon in his BIG 150mm Ha scope.
A second achromatic lens produces a collimated beam to the SM then another "telecope" re-focuses though a BF.
Very nice results...I'll try and find his web page...
http://www.astroimagem.com/Mybestimages/Solaractivity.htm

[Poita]

Interesting, I was really only thinking out loud.

Mind you, I should just buy this one
http://www.strehlbuster.com/sonne/highlights/sms_fl_20110407/sms_fl_20110407.htm

Lose a bit of portability though!

[Miaplacidus]

Are there particular entry level solar scopes listed here that are better for use with binoviewers?

Cheers,

Brian.

[frolinmod]

I have the Lunt LS80Tha/BF1800/PT/DS/FT. That's a Lunt 80 with 18mm blocking filter, pressure tuned, internal double stacked with a Feathertouch focuser. Even in single stack mode without the internal double stack unit installed it is outstanding. The double stack unit adds some additional contrast to the surface details, but is not very cost effective.

My own suggestion is to stay away from the PST and get at least a Lunt 60mm with a 12mm blocking filter if you can afford it.

[DaveM]

My LS152 is essentially exactly what you suggested Peter. It has an internal 60 mm etalon mounted in a modified achromat.

[Poita]

Interesting.

I think I am going to just play with modifying my PST until I can get a look through the various scopes to compare, there will probably be a few second hand ones on the market too once the solar events are over.
The scope I have is more than good enough to enjoy those events, and for my longer term solar viewing, it looks like I will be better off saving up to get something that is a *big* step up from what I have, rather than an incremental one.