As some of you know I bought a Lunt LS80Pt around 4 months ago. There was a decontacting of the etalon issue in two units which were sent back, however in the end I got a scope that showed good surface detail both in imaging mode and visual mode.
Since that time I have used it extensively for imaging and viewing.
For viewing the scope produces bright and very sharp detail (stunning is the best words to describe the view). Most noticable is the crisp and bright views of the prominences. More detail can be seen than through any solar telescope I have ever seen before. Often prominences show detail right off the disk.
Added to this is that now I can see spicules on the limb in sharp clarity. My 60mm lacked the angular resolution to do this before. The limb has a jagged look to it which adds extra interest.
Surface detail is likewise quite sharp and detailed. In single stack mode the detail is a little hard to see at first but in a short while it just pops out at you when your eye becomes adjusted.
From a visual point of view alone this scope is a winner and worth the extra cash you have to expend.
When imaging the scope really shines. With pressure tuning there is a complete lack of sweet spots which tilt tuning is a victim. The image also really lacks the presence of Newtons Rings too.
However, on larger sensors there seems to be a panel illumination issue, albeit it quite minor. The image below shows how each panel has a slight uneven illumination and this makes blending of panels quite difficult. From right to left of each panel there is a noticable brightening and darkening. Each panel in the mosaic below has full manual settings and each has the same settings. Nothing changed during imaging. This seems to be less of a problem with higher magnification, which is changing the size of the light cone striking the sensor. I suspect it might be something to do with the 1800 blocking filter which is designed for imaging but probably not a 2.8mp frame size. Most likely it would be better to use a 3400 blocking filter for large sized sensors. I would welcome any thoughts regarding this issue.
Overall this telescope is a lovely piece of workmanship. The telescope is solid and has lots of great features. The new scope finder is superb for finding the Sun. The use of a compression ring in the blocking filter is excellent and Coronado could well learn from this, as their older models did not have a compression ring. The pressure tuner is so easy to use and produces great results everytime. Additionally the use of a dew (?) shield helps to reduce dust and dirt making its way onto the objective.
Overall a great scope and well worth buying for either viewing or imaging. Years of joy are going to be had from this scope.
