Looking at future solar telescope

[Lady Fraktor]

Just looking for some thoughts and recommendations, all of my solar experience has been with Coronado and older Daystar Quantum refractors.

This is strictly for visual use, is there any standout features that make one brand stand out more than another between Coronado, Lunt and Daystar?

Looking at the 80-90mm sized telescopes.

[smp]

My experience is with first owning a PST, then double stacking it, and then finally purchasing the Quark. Really, the only thing I can say is, “What took me so long?”

As you already know, I am only a visual observer. I absolutely love the bright image and all the details provided by the Quark. The ability to jump up to 85mm aperture from the 40mm PST brought a whole new experience in Solar viewing for much less cost than an all-in-one dedicated scope.

That’s been my experience. I’m sure you’ll hear from the dedicated scope fans, too.

smp

[Altocumulus]

Perhaps investigate the loan of something - try before you buy?

I've just been onto SGL where someone said they'd had a loan of a skymax to try out on the moon - before sending it back!!!!

[Altocumulus]

Have you seen this thread?

viewtopic.php?f=73&t=654&p=6889#p6889

[Lady Fraktor]

Trying a solar telescope on the Moon?....
Please tell me you are joking.

Duty calls, back later

[smp]

Perhaps investigate the loan of something - try before you buy?

I've just been onto SGL where someone said they'd had a loan of a skymax to try out on the moon - before sending it back!!!!

There's an unfortunate blank line in between your first sentence and the second. At first, I only read the second sentence, and I thought this was posted in the wrong Forum!

smp

[smeyer8015]

Coming soon. Daystar Quark Genini




http://www.icstars.com/Store/daystar-qu ... lhBX4iGpAE

[Lady Fraktor]

With the Quark having the fixed 4.2x barlow in it I am not really that interested, so am looking at the refractors more.
I was looking at the Quantum refractors but seeing that they are a carbon fibre tube now I will be avoiding those

[Altocumulus]

Trying a solar telescope on the Moon?....
Please tell me you are joking.

Duty calls, back later

Call me crazy, but I'm sure in my travels around the websites I've seen someone mention they done it......

[Lady Fraktor]

Sadly I also seem to recall someone at CN doing the same thing when I thought about it.
Perhaps the same person.

So nobody has experience between the Coronado and Lunt refractors?

[smp]

So nobody has experience between the Coronado and Lunt refractors?

I've invited a couple of folks who are active over on CN to join here, but so far nothing has come of it.
Too bad, as I'm certain they would be very helpful in this conversation...

smp

[Solsearcher]

Hello , I quickly joined a couple of weeks ago and have not formally introduced myself . My name is Mike and I have been mostly into solar for the past 9 years . My current equipment is mostly Coronado but I have owned a Quark Chromosphere and viewed through Lunt pressure tuned 50's and 60's . My focus has been in imaging but I have used all of my equipment for viewing as well as imaging . These are my personal opinions on the products that I have used as far as viewing and not imaging .
Quark , For viewing mine was excellent as far as having a bright and very even field of view , the only thing I didn't like was the narrow view , I made 2" eyepiece adaptor (now available) for mine and found the view to be much better when I used wide angle eyepieces .
Coronado , I have the most experience with these etalons , internal and external . These are air spaced , tilt tuned etalons . On the plus side they can be tuned to proms or surface instantly . On the negative side it can sometimes be tricky to tune these etalons to produce an even view across the full field of view , this can be dependent on the etalon itself , some are better than others . If double stacking it is much easier to even the field by rotating 1 etalon .
Lunt The earlier tilt tuned lunt products react pretty much the same as Coronado etalons What puts Lunt ahead of Coronado in my opinion is their pressure tuned etalons , these produce a nice even field with less tweaking . If you are not considering imaging in the future a Lunt 50 is a decent scope for the price , now that they have improved the focuser . For a bit more money a Quark Chromo is an excellent filter but the view will depend on what scope you are using it in , short tube fracs are best suited Quarks . Dedicated solar scopes all offer amazing views but become very expensive when you go beyond 60mm .
Hope this has been helpful .

[Lady Fraktor]

Thank you for your thoughts Mike
Imaging is not a consideration so no issues there. 2” eyepieces are very rare in my eyepiece collection unless they start making Abbe and monocentrics in 2”

I will have to look more into the two different setups between the Lunt and SM III
My largest problem with the Quark (besides the built in 4.2x barlow) almost all discussion of them include the caveat of “if you get a good one”. With the amount of time these have been on the market and their price point, this to me should not be a consideration anymore.
I have used a 102mm Daystar Quantum PE (0.3A) and that can truly spoil you for viewing with anything else!

[Solsearcher]

If the SM III is in your budget it would be a great scope . I have not used one but the biggest advantage that I see is they use 2 external full ap etalons , this is better because it eliminates any corrective lenses that internal etalons or Quark filters use . They have also finally improved the focuser . I have 2 external Coronado etalons , both have the richview tuning and both produce a nice even field across the full view .

[Lady Fraktor]

The 60 SMII I have used has the helical focuser which once I figured out its quirks was not terrible but could be improved.
I do like the fact that with the III both etelons are external, not that I would use the telescope for regular viewing as I have other refractors for that.
I think I need to find a new Lunt that I can borrow for a while to see how it works.

[smp]

... My largest problem with the Quark (besides the built in 4.2x barlow) almost all discussion of them include the caveat of “if you get a good one”. ...

I also have seen so many of those cautions, and also the horror stories about going through two or three Quarks before getting one that works right. Good thing for me is that before I purchased mine, those stories seemed to be several years in the past.

When I made my decision to buy, I went to the B&H Photo web site and made my order.

It seems that then, once I had made my commitment, I started to come across a number of stories that echoed those problems of the past, but they were happening here in the present. Yes, those issues are still being reported today.

My experience: From first light with my Quark, the only “trouble” that I’ve had is learning how to use it properly, and gaining the experience to learn to see the Ha Solar image. My image is nice and bright, and even all across. While I’ve only experimented a little with the adjustment knob, I find that I don’t have to move it away from the 12:00 position. To coin a phrase, my Quark “just works.”

I don’t deny that others have had, and seem to still have problems “getting a good one.” Mine has been excellent right from the get-go.

smp

[Lady Fraktor]

The Quark restricts me to only one or two telescopes due to the 4.2x barlow built into it, with the Coronado or Lunt I can pick my barlow and eyepiece for the views.
My shortest focal length refractor is a f/6.9 which would be f/29 with the Quark. Eyepiece selection becomes fairly limited at that focal length.

[Solsearcher]

This is a good point and is why I sold mine , it is a very rare day when or if I can shoot at 4.2X with any of my scopes . This was more critical for imaging and not as much for viewing so I did not bring it up . Another thing to remember about the Quark is that it was designed as an entry level filter and marketed as an eyepiece holder . this could be why there has been so many returns . Daystar's Quantum is their higher end series and these ones operate at closer tolerances but they ain't cheap , but not much Ha solar is .

[Lady Fraktor]

The Quantum PE refractor I was viewing with at Lomnicky Stit Observatory (Slovakia) was around 20 000 € though I am not considering spending that amount for a solar telescope

[Lady Fraktor]

Since it does not seem as many have done comparisons between the Coronado and Lunt how about people listing quirks of the system they are using?