Hi Pedro, I'm a visual observer too, I leave the photography to the awesomely talented people on this forum but I thought I would mention a memorable viewing experience. I recently purchased a Quark and when double stacked in my Coronado SM60 it produces a full disk view in binoviewers that rivals s...

Spectacular!!!!

I would vote for the ED80 too. I've been using the Orion f7.5 version for years for astronomy and wildlife photography. It's a heck of a good scope for relatively little money. The scope that I also use with my Herschel wedge is a Celestron 102 f9.8. Oceanside Photo was selling the OTA for $59 so I ...

Hi Franco, I use binoviewers for all of my solar viewing but there are a few things that you should know that will make BVs much more enjoyable. The first is that you will probably, like others have said, need some type of optical corrector to achieve focus. Another thing that I have found to be ess...

Hi,

It had a chip in the back of the objective lens and it was dirty inside and out. It was a brand new scope that looked recycled and uninspected.

CS and Happy New Year!

Steve

Hi Dave,

All three of my Coronado blocking filters show deep red when you shine a flashlight through them.

Steve

Not to go too off-topic but I received on the 13th of December an SM II 90mm scope from Meade that not only had a chipped objective but was so dirty both inside and out that it appeared as though it was assembled outdoors in a windy desert. Meade is not putting quality first, IMHO.

After seeing Dave's, Mark's, and my own PST and BF ITFs I think that they are all essentially the same and Coronado uses or (used) whatever ITF filters that they had on hand at the time of production. I tried my PST with just a piece of KG3 and no ERF of any kind and I still got very nice Ha views a...

Hi Dave, My PST is USA made circa 2006. The only difference that I can see between the three Coronado ITFs that I own are the two from the BF diagonals are edge blackened and the PST is not. I'm going to install the Maier in my PST and test it and I'm keeping an open mind. I to evenly illuminate the...

Hi Dave,

I'm concerned that when double stacked this is going to be too dim. It was extremely dim with the SM40. The rusted PST ITF in the BF5 was performing similarly to a brand new BF15.

Steve

Hello Folks, I was able to try one of the new Maier Photonics ITF filters yesterday. The good news is that it is the correct size and does allow for Ha views but its throughput makes it very dim when compared to a Coronado ITF. I placed it in a BF5 and paired it with an SM40 on an 80mm f5 refractor....

That's AMAZING! Beautiful work.

Thanks for Sharing

Hello Folks, I took the plunge for the SM60 etalons, they should arrive the first week of January. I received a defective SMII 90 on the 13th of December and I had to return it for a refund. I was VERY reluctant to give Meade any more money but I already have two blocking filters so I gave them anot...

Hello,

Would an Astrodon 3nm Ha filter have potential for use as a blocking filter?

Thanks and Clear Skies,

Steve

Thanks Mark! That's what I was hoping for.

Hello,

Does anyone know if the new SM60 Richview etalons can be stacked without Meade's assistance? I want to have an adapter made by Precise Parts for my ED80 to double stack two of these new type of etalons.

Thanks and Clear Skies,

Steve

Hi Folks, I got some sun with mediocre seeing today but I was able to test out my PST mod. The image on the left is double stacked without the ERF that I put together and the image on the right is the modified version. I took each image through the right eyepiece holder of a BW Optik binoviewer in a...

Beautiful images! The white light images are truly spectacular.

Thanks for sharing these.

Thanks guys! Without the information that has been shared on this forum I would have just sent this back to Meade and paid to have it fixed. I feel much better when I can do something for myself. I can't wait to try this set up again under better skies.

Clear and Sunny Skies,

Steve

Hello Folks, I tested my first solar scope mod today and I got very encouraging results. The ITF in my PST was on its last legs so I removed it and in its place I put a 25mm piece of Thorlabs Schott KG3 with a few drops of silicone to hold it secure. I did this for the IR blocking properties that KG...

Hi Sean,

Welcome and Good Luck with the new product line, it looks very promising!

Are the binoviewers a mirror system and do you plan to make them available separately?

Clear and Sunny Skies,

Steve

WOW! Incredible shots, the one in blue and the Calcium K are my favorites.

Thank You for Sharing,

Steve

They are all beautiful shots but I especially like the one with the fisherman. I spend a great deal of time on the water in pursuit of fish.

Thanks for Sharing These,

Steve

Very nice! The detail is fantastic.

Hi and thanks!,

It's the newer PST with the mini ERF. It's still useable but it looks like it's not going to be for long.

Steve

Hi Folks, Thanks for the warm welcome! I am humbled by the knowledge and abilities demonstrated on this forum, it's very nice of you to share. Neither my wife nor I sketch, I have tried sketching and I have no talent for it. I will occasionally take a snapshot with my DSLR but I don't process the p...

Hello, I have been reading some of the posts on this forum and I have already learned quite a bit! I have had a Solarmax 40 and a PST since 2005 and I have recently placed an order for the Coronado 90mm scope. My interest lies strictly in visual observing during the day and at night. My wife is also...