Finally decided!! SolarMax II 60 (BF10) OR LS50THa B600

Use this section to discuss "standard" Baader/Coronado/ Lunt SolarView/ Daystar, etc… filters, cameras and scopes. No mods, just questions/ answers and reviews.
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Finally decided!! SolarMax II 60 (BF10) OR LS50THa B600

Post by 04Stefan07 »

Hey all!

Been a while since I have posted on here, been a while since I have taken my scopes out haha. Been flatout with work.

Anyhoo I have sold my beloved PST a few weeks back and now contemplating on buying a new solar scope. I have narrowed it down to two options.
- Coronado SolarMax II 60 (BF10): Second hand, 3 years old, RichView, comes with 25mm Cemax, case and condition is excellent (around $1,500)
- Lunt LS50THa/PT/B600: Brand new, Pressure tuned, not sure if comes with dovetail or case (around $1,650)

I contacted a user I know to get his opinion who was very helpful but wanted to get other peoples opinions as well and experiences with either scope.

Leaning towards the Coronado then the Lunt now back to the Coronado. Any help would be much appreciated!!

Stefan.
Last edited by 04Stefan07 on Mon Apr 06, 2015 3:57 am, edited 1 time in total.


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Re: HELP! Coronado SolarMax II 60 (BF10) OR LS50THa/PT/B600

Post by swisswalter »

Hi Stefan

welcome back to the forum. I would go with the bigger blocking filter, just in case you wish to image


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Re: HELP! Coronado SolarMax II 60 (BF10) OR LS50THa/PT/B600

Post by michael.h.f.wilkinson »

Difficult to say. I have the SM-II 60mm with BF15, and I am very pleased with it. It has the edge in aperture over an LS50, and it has the larger image area, reducing sweet-spot problems. On the other hand, the LS50 doesn't have the central obstruction of the SM-II. I haven't had a look through the LS50, let alone done a side-by-side comparison.


Solar kit: GP-C8 with Thousand Oaks Solar filter, APM 80mm F/6, Lunt Herschel Wedge, Solar Spectrum 0.3Å H-alpha filter, Beloptic Tri-Band ERF (80mm free aperture), Thousand Oaks 90mm ERF, Coronado SolarMax II 60mm with Double Stack Unit. Lunt straight B1800 Ca-K module.
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Re: HELP! Coronado SolarMax II 60 (BF10) OR LS50THa/PT/B600

Post by 04Stefan07 »

swisswalter wrote:Hi Stefan

welcome back to the forum. I would go with the bigger blocking filter, just in case you wish to image
Yep that's what I was thinking as well also what is making me lean more towards the Coronado.

I will defs be imaging.


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Re: HELP! Coronado SolarMax II 60 (BF10) OR LS50THa/PT/B600

Post by marktownley »

Go for whichever scope offers the most contrast visually...


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Re: HELP! Coronado SolarMax II 60 (BF10) OR LS50THa/PT/B600

Post by GuillermoBarrancos »

I thought the LS50 with B600 was $900.
http://luntsolarsystems.com/product/lun ... telescope/

Unless you buying it from someone who tries to sell it double price, abusing the situation of the 6 month waiting list on the LS50 currently.

The Solarmax 60 II with BF10 filter can also be bought for $1500 new.
http://www.optcorp.com/coronado-solarma ... -bf10.html


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Re: HELP! Coronado SolarMax II 60 (BF10) OR LS50THa/PT/B600

Post by 04Stefan07 »

Hey mate.

Sorry I forgot to mention I am from Australia and the prices of Solar scopes are much higher than the US.

The Lunt retails for around $1,600 whereas the Coronado is around the $2,200 mark (this is AUD).
GuillermoBarrancos wrote:I thought the LS50 with B600 was $900.
http://luntsolarsystems.com/product/lun ... telescope/

Unless you buying it from someone who tries to sell it double price, abusing the situation of the 6 month waiting list on the LS50 currently.

The Solarmax 60 II with BF10 filter can also be bought for $1500 new.
http://www.optcorp.com/coronado-solarma ... -bf10.html


SOLAR SCOPES: Lunt LS50THa Pressure Tuned with B600 filter & Moonlite Focuser, Daystar Quark Chromosphere
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Re: HELP! Coronado SolarMax II 60 (BF10) OR LS50THa/PT/B600

Post by michael.h.f.wilkinson »

I must say I am very pleased with the SM-II 60. It gave some cracking views this morning. I used to have a BF5 which was really too small for imaging (OK for visual). The BF15 I have now is slight overkill, but gives wonderful views and is a killer for imaging (the BF10 should be fine for imaging and visual, but I could get a BF15 for less than the price of a new BF10, so I jumped).

Having said that, I have seen some great images with the LS50, and given its short focal length (350mm) a B600 should be fine for imaging.


Solar kit: GP-C8 with Thousand Oaks Solar filter, APM 80mm F/6, Lunt Herschel Wedge, Solar Spectrum 0.3Å H-alpha filter, Beloptic Tri-Band ERF (80mm free aperture), Thousand Oaks 90mm ERF, Coronado SolarMax II 60mm with Double Stack Unit. Lunt straight B1800 Ca-K module.
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Re: HELP! Coronado SolarMax II 60 (BF10) OR LS50THa/PT/B600

Post by GuillermoBarrancos »

04Stefan07 wrote:Hey mate.

Sorry I forgot to mention I am from Australia and the prices of Solar scopes are much higher than the US.

The Lunt retails for around $1,600 whereas the Coronado is around the $2,200 mark (this is AUD).
GuillermoBarrancos wrote:I thought the LS50 with B600 was $900.
http://luntsolarsystems.com/product/lun ... telescope/

Unless you buying it from someone who tries to sell it double price, abusing the situation of the 6 month waiting list on the LS50 currently.

The Solarmax 60 II with BF10 filter can also be bought for $1500 new.
http://www.optcorp.com/coronado-solarma ... -bf10.html
UGH! Sounds like Norway alright. Heh. That's why I import the big stuff, like scopes and Mounts. Even with 25% import tax I save a lot of Money, then buying it straight out here. :(
There is only one dealer in mid Norway, that actually sells TeleVue Products for same as US prices. Tho, the Scopes are out of my Budget range, I could at least buy the powermate, diagonal and EP's at a good price.

But anyhow, unless the LS50 is for some miracle in stock in Australia? Otherwise you have to consider the 6-month wait time on the LS50 to factor into your decision.


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Re: HELP! Coronado SolarMax II 60 (BF10) OR LS50THa/PT/B600

Post by 04Stefan07 »

Importing would be good but the Australian dollar is weak against the US. A $1,500 US scope would easily come to over $2,000 AUS + import tax + shipping so well not worth it!

A place down here has plenty of the LS50 in stock.

Still confused on which one I should settle for. Leaning more towards the Coronado because of the 60mm aperture and the B10 filter. I think that scope came out in 2010 and the Lunt last year which is making me lean towards the Lunt.
GuillermoBarrancos wrote:
04Stefan07 wrote:Hey mate.

Sorry I forgot to mention I am from Australia and the prices of Solar scopes are much higher than the US.

The Lunt retails for around $1,600 whereas the Coronado is around the $2,200 mark (this is AUD).
GuillermoBarrancos wrote:I thought the LS50 with B600 was $900.
http://luntsolarsystems.com/product/lun ... telescope/

Unless you buying it from someone who tries to sell it double price, abusing the situation of the 6 month waiting list on the LS50 currently.

The Solarmax 60 II with BF10 filter can also be bought for $1500 new.
http://www.optcorp.com/coronado-solarma ... -bf10.html
UGH! Sounds like Norway alright. Heh. That's why I import the big stuff, like scopes and Mounts. Even with 25% import tax I save a lot of Money, then buying it straight out here. :(
There is only one dealer in mid Norway, that actually sells TeleVue Products for same as US prices. Tho, the Scopes are out of my Budget range, I could at least buy the powermate, diagonal and EP's at a good price.

But anyhow, unless the LS50 is for some miracle in stock in Australia? Otherwise you have to consider the 6-month wait time on the LS50 to factor into your decision.


SOLAR SCOPES: Lunt LS50THa Pressure Tuned with B600 filter & Moonlite Focuser, Daystar Quark Chromosphere
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Re: HELP! Coronado SolarMax II 60 (BF10) OR LS50THa/PT/B600

Post by GuillermoBarrancos »

I think the 10mm aperture will not make that huge of a difference. Both are for full disk viewing and not High resolution imaging machines.

The LS50 makes up for it with the Presure tuner and so far what I have seen of pictures taken with the LS50. They look quite impressive.


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Re: HELP! Coronado SolarMax II 60 (BF10) OR LS50THa/PT/B600

Post by michael.h.f.wilkinson »

You can get some pretty good images out of "full-disk viewing only" scopes:

LS35 result
Image

SM-II 60mm result
Image


Solar kit: GP-C8 with Thousand Oaks Solar filter, APM 80mm F/6, Lunt Herschel Wedge, Solar Spectrum 0.3Å H-alpha filter, Beloptic Tri-Band ERF (80mm free aperture), Thousand Oaks 90mm ERF, Coronado SolarMax II 60mm with Double Stack Unit. Lunt straight B1800 Ca-K module.
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Re: HELP! Coronado SolarMax II 60 (BF10) OR LS50THa/PT/B600

Post by 04Stefan07 »

Those images look impressive. If that is a Lunt 35 then the 50 must be a little bit better!


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Re: HELP! Coronado SolarMax II 60 (BF10) OR LS50THa/PT/B600

Post by 04Stefan07 »

Still not any closer on making a decision!

Any more opinions on the better choice???

Basically Coronado better aperture and blocking filter, comes with more accessories and is slightly cheaper but second hand

Or

Lunt which has less aperture and smaller blocking filter, pressure tuned, no accessories and is a little more but brand new.


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Re: HELP! Coronado SolarMax II 60 (BF10) OR LS50THa/PT/B600

Post by marktownley »

Pushed one way or the other I think I would go with the Lunt, better etalon technology.


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Re: HELP! Coronado SolarMax II 60 (BF10) OR LS50THa/PT/B600

Post by 04Stefan07 »

Difficult choice.

Anything else for anyone to add that might make the choice easier?


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Re: HELP! Coronado SolarMax II 60 (BF10) OR LS50THa/PT/B600

Post by Montana »

I think you would be happy with both :)

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Re: HELP! Coronado SolarMax II 60 (BF10) OR LS50THa/PT/B600

Post by GuillermoBarrancos »

04Stefan07 wrote:Difficult choice.

Anything else for anyone to add that might make the choice easier?
Lunt > Pressure Tuner.


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Re: HELP! Coronado SolarMax II 60 (BF10) OR LS50THa/PT/B600

Post by robert »

Pressure tuner is definitely a better option and unobstructed etalon is another in my opinion. Both scopes will be good!
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Re: HELP! Coronado SolarMax II 60 (BF10) OR LS50THa/PT/B600

Post by Bill Edelen »

You should give yourself more options.
I have a tilt tuned 60mm Lunt with b1200 .I also have a larger 80 and smaller 35 Lunt, but think the 60 is the biggest bang for the buck. New a few years ago it was under $1200 us.


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Re: HELP! Coronado SolarMax II 60 (BF10) OR LS50THa/PT/B600

Post by 04Stefan07 »

Thank you for the responses everyone.

@Bill, the 60mm Lunt would have been the one to definitely get but it is out of my budget. The LS50 retails for $1,599 AUD whereas the LS60 with the B1200 is around the $2,500 so another grand on top of the LS50. If my budget could stretch that much more I would have chosen the 60 hands down.


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Re: HELP! Coronado SolarMax II 60 (BF10) OR LS50THa/PT/B600

Post by 04Stefan07 »

Thank you for the advice everyone.

The Coronado price has come down a little bit so I am leaning more towards that one now. Will let you know what I decide. Looking forward to continuing to do some Solar work (hate not owning a Solar scope!).


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Re: Finally decided!! SolarMax II 60 (BF10) OR LS50THa B600

Post by 04Stefan07 »

Hello all!

After literally five days of researching, asking peoples opinions and trying to decide on which one to go for I have decided that I will settle for the Lunt LS50THa with the B600. Here are the reasons why:

- Used to have a Coronado PST and have always wanted to try Lunt
- The build of the Lunt looks better
- Easier to use (focus)
- Customer service I hear is fantastic (have experienced Coronado customer service. Once sent them an email about a spare part and never heard from them).
- Pressure tuned is what convinced me as well

Might as well pay extra, get something newer and later on I can always upgrade the BF or get a DS upgrade.

It's a public holiday here today (Easter Monday) so the telescope shop who stock Lunt aren't opened. I will be putting it on layby and should be fully paid off within a few weeks.

I am more than happy to post an unboxing thread and of course will be posting photos I will take with it of the Sun in future!

Thank you everyone for your help, it is much appreciated.


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Re: Finally decided!! SolarMax II 60 (BF10) OR LS50THa B600

Post by GuillermoBarrancos »

Congrats on decision! Looking forward to your unboxing pictures! :)


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Re: Finally decided!! SolarMax II 60 (BF10) OR LS50THa B600

Post by Bill Edelen »

Only 5 days of researcher......Congrats


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Re: Finally decided!! SolarMax II 60 (BF10) OR LS50THa B600

Post by 04Stefan07 »

Looking forward to it too! I decided to pay it off in one go so it should be here in a few days.

Yep 5 days of pure deciding but been looking since late Janurary.


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Re: Finally decided!! SolarMax II 60 (BF10) OR LS50THa B600

Post by GUS »

The Lunts are great scopes, you've made the right choice Stefan, hope to see your images here soon.


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Re: Finally decided!! SolarMax II 60 (BF10) OR LS50THa B600

Post by 04Stefan07 »

You definitely will!

I think some bad weather is starting to set in, perfect timing :(


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