I first saw a Ha Sun through a Coronado SolarMax 60. I liked it so much I got my own but could only afford the Coronado SolarMax 40 (pre-Meade). This is a step above the PST since the bandwidth is narrower and the focuser is better. However it is still 40mm.
The larger aperture of a 60 mm Ha ‘scope would give, a 2.25x brighter image than the a 40mm and would be the logical step up but at added cost. Image brightness is perhaps more important if you want to observe the surface and especially if you are double stacking. Narrower bandwidth too helps with contrast on the surface.
If I were to upgrade from 40mm I would go to straight to 80mm but this is at considerable more cost and at present I am satisfied with what I can see with the Coronado SolarMax 40mm. I have never looked through a Lunt Ha Telescope.
Cliff,
Bang per buck, the best/easiest/cost effective upgrade is adding a QUARK to a suitable scope.
For over 15 years I have been advocating PST mods as a way to larger aperture Ha imaging/observing. I now have to acknowledge that the costs of the PST mod has significantly increased, to the stage were the QUARK solution is much, much, more cost effective.
You won’t be disappointed.
Ken
Visually the finest I have owned is the Lunt 100DS which was absolutely brilliant, but it was a big investment. The Quark is cheap and cheerful in a way that Ha usually isn't, but prepare for some compromises. That built in barlow makes for a big magnification on all but the smallest scopes and the tuning can be a little frustrating. I'm still happy that I have one though!
I have a Quark, Prom model. I use it with an ED80. It suits my needs just fine. It shows an extraordinary amount of faint detail in proms. It does also show filaments, but of course not as easily as a dedicated H-alpha instrument. But more detail in the proms than a dedicated H-alpha? Dunno. It depends on how deep your pockets are too, not just expectations. In my own situation I cannot justify a dedicated H-alpha instrument in my collection. The Quark gives me the prom display that I want and allows me to use the ED80 for other purposes.
I have used single and double stacked H-alpha scopes. These are also less tricky to use than a refractor with a Quark. There are several "tricks" I use to pull as much detail from the Quark, but this also means that the Quark is flexible in how it can be used, not just stick an EP in it and that's it. A Quark and an H-alpha scope are different beasts. I can also use the Quark with a 4" scope, and a 4" H-alpha scope is a wee bit more expensive... It all depends.
My sketches below were all done with the Quark and ED80. I've also put down the sunspots and whatever other chromosphere details that were visible, such as plages and filaments.
This Quark/ED80 combo has also shown me filaments that transition to across to proms. Took me by surprise the apparition, but there it was. It is a good tool the Quark.
Such a great forum,
Thanks for the information Jonathan,Ken and Astro744?
Seems the Quark is the most cost effective , certainly a 60mm Lunt is double, the one being sold now is a modular so can be used non-solar.
Really only have one scope suitable well two a 80mm ES Triplet and a Tak FC76DS doublet which is a Flourite. Both would show a partial disc I think.
Probably need a 60mm ?
I like the unpowered Lunt but with small battery packs available I guess the Quark is not bad, have read with the built in Barlow that seeing conditions have to very good to get the most out of it.
I think I've been down this path before with you and I ended up with a PST was best bang for the buck at the time. Worked pretty well the 'hotspot' was a pain in photos.
I tend to agree a dedicated Ha scope is a bit of a luxury, I like that the new Lunts 60mm and greater are now Modular so can be used at night etc but still pricey.
You've thrown another curve a Prom or Chromosphere ? Guess it depends on what you want to view I know they both can see the other but not as well.
I looked at the Solarscout 60 but has a fixed Quark the 80mm one is removable but at $$$.
I also had a PST for a short period at the same time as I had the Quark. I got the PST after the Quark. While the PST was better in showing chromosphere details, the Quark still showed the same details but it took a bit more effort. The larger aperture that the ED80 afforded also stomped on the 40mm's of the PST...
As an outreach instrument a dedicated H-alpha scope I certainly say is better as a Quark does need a more experienced eye. Still useable for outreach the Quark is, but really best for when the Sun is at its Maxima with big proms.
Chris,
if you do go for a Quark, get the Chromosphere version.
A bit tighter in bandwidth, giving better contrast on surface features but still capable of showing the prominences.
My choice of Prom model over Chromosphere was an easy one for me. And as you said, which you or any other individual goes with is entirely a personal choice. With my sketching, it is the proms that present the better visuals.
I have also tested the Quark in many different scopes, achromatic and apo. Not all scopes are created equal, and while H-alpha is a monochromatic situation, I noticed a difference between scopes.
I used scopes from 60mm up to 100mm in aperture. I tried 7 different fracs all up. The apo's had the edge over the achros, even the 100mm achro was not on par with an 80mm apo. I also noticed differences between different Apos. Made me wonder if some scopes that are described as being Apochromatic really are... One performed more like an achro than apo.
The only thing to take from my comparison of refractors is the better the refractor you use, the better the image will be with the Quark. It is that simple. But an 80mm f/5 achro is still a blooming good scope with a Quark. Splitting hairs here again.
Alex,
I assume you mean a solar film filter (Baader)?
If so, then you're restricted to White Light Observing. This shows the sunspots and surrounding faculae, and with larger apertures >100mm will also show the surface granulation.
Adding an Ha filter doesn't change the view, it may help improve contrast but that's it.
Definitely no solar Ha detail - that requires special narrow band filters ($$$$$$)
If I purchased a myall cover for a refractor can I expect to get anything using a mono cosmos camera with a HA filter in place?
Alex
No. Typical narrow Ha filter will be 12 or 6nm. Typical Ha solar telescope will be 0.7 Angstrom. 1 Angstrom=0.1 nanometer. Energy rejection filter also to be in place in Solar telescope. This very narrow bandwidth is why they cost so much.
Cliff,
Not sure about your” limited service” comment.
With normal etalons used in the Coronado and Lunt I’m not aware of any issues. They have been in use for more than ten years with no failures.
However, the associated blocking filters do have a front element, commonly called the ITF, which can and does fail sometimes within months. These are easy to replace.
With the Quark and other solid etalons there’s very little to go wrong.
So, generally solar etalon filters are very robust and should last you as long as you’re an active observer.
No. Typical narrow Ha filter will be 12 or 6nm. Typical Ha solar telescope will be 0.7 Angstrom. 1 Angstrom=0.1 nanometer. Energy rejection filter also to be in place in Solar telescope. This very narrow bandwidth is why they cost so much.
Thank you for that...I did google but did not find what you told me in my initial search and I had thought the band was different but could not recall its details nevertheless I did wonder if a ordinary Ha filter would be a step above white imaging so with the experts gathered here I thought it was a good opportunity to ask. Thanks again.
Alex
