Hi all, I came across this when I checked out the SAXON site, which paul, beren,and others had mentioned, re; the 80mm ED t'scope.
This, I found at the bottom of the page.
AN *EYEPIECE SOLAR FILTER*, next to a Moon filter.
I have sent SAXON an email regarding this item still being advertised and available.
What do you think? An oversight? Any sight?? I was horrified to see that they are still selling them! I tell ALL, to HIT THEM, (the E/P), WITH A HAMMER to make sure that no one is able to use them.
Very concerned about this situation.
Well done for picking that up , be interesting to see if/how promptly they reply to the email , it is illegal to sell those filters in AU......its frightening that these things still get produced and may be sold in countries were safety laws are softer/non-existant then here.
I would never, never use an eyepiece solar filter.
For any newcomers, never, ever use an eyepiece solar filter. The concentration of sunlight can lead to the glass in the filter cracking, and hence streaming magnified sunlight directly into your eyeball. You will be blinded.
I've read stories (can't comment on their accuracy though, it's probably 3rd or 4th hand information) of people using eyepiece solar filters, and looking away for a minute or two, and while they were away, the filter shattered and sent shards of glass up into the ceiling.
Adendum to Mike's post, The outcome is PERMANENT BLINDNESS in the central part of the retina. It is PAINLESS, as there are no nerves in the eye to respond. You will NOT EVEN KNOW it is happening!
Mike, Can you make this thread a *STICKY*?
wow that reminds me of the time I looked at the sun thru a small filter of the same type when I was about 19 yrs old. I looked at the sun thru a 60mm refractor for about a minute and I just stopped. luckily the glass didnt break from the heat or i wouldnt have ANY vision in my right eye. I know there might have been harmful rays that I prob had entering my eye , but my vision is still excellent in my right eye and I am 42 now. I wish they never sold these to people because someone might not be as lucky as I and look for an extended period until it shatters from the heat.
The other problem is when the sun is off to one side of the field of view . My poor 60mm tasco scope that i had as a kid got its plastic lens mountings melted this way and ruined.
I have 3 Huygenian Ep's that melted and bubbled, so I show them to people (especially kids) so they can see up close what will happen to thier eyes looking at the sun.
I did a similar thing but to a piece of paper. In an effort to show some friends the importance of NOT looking at the sun with a telescope (without proper filtration) I folded an A4 piece of paper in half twice. Then held the paper upo the eyepiece with a 12.5mm eyepiece. The paper burnt all the way through in less than a second, if amazed me too. I wasn't expecting it to happen that quick.
It showed tham and they all remember. I plan to buy some Baader Solar film and make a front mounted filter for my scope.
There was a guy in the UK who inadvertently took his glass Ha filter off the front of his scope whilst it was still pointed at the sun. It melted the surface of his secondary mirror and burnt a hole through the ccd chip in his cam.
I use a baader film mask and even at 99.7% block, I had to make the aperture only 3" to get the camera to work with it as with a full 8" aperture mask, the exposure time needed was too fast.
These eyepiece solar filters should be banned outright - they're just damned dangerous.
just wondering... while semi on topic, you know the solar viewer "glasses" that get sold when ever there is an eclipse? can you use those and look thru binoculars?
feel kinda silly asking actually
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