My Setup

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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DeepSolar64
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My Setup

Post by DeepSolar64 »

Here are the three scopes I use primarily for solar work Two in white light. One an old Traq f11.6 refractor I bought with the money from my first job back in 1982. It is equipped with Baader Astrosolar film filter. My second white light instrument is a dedicated Orion 70mm F7.1 solar telescope with a non removable glass filter. It has largely replaced the older Traq scope. It gives sharper images and is even more portable. The glass filter which has an almost white image does very well with good contrast. I plan to get a Baader Continuum filter to boost contrast even more.

My third scope is a Coronado Solarmax II 60mm Ha refractor. Ever since seeing prominences for the first time through the Traq during totality during the 2017 Solar eclipse did I started thinking seriously about investing into an Ha instrument that would allow me to see them anytime. I really enjoy the Coronado though I wish sometimes it would do high magnification work.

I have a Celestron Nextar 102 refractor that I probably in time will buy a DayStar Quark for. I also plan on getting into solar imaging but for now I am equipped only for visual work.

James
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Lunt 8x32 SUNoculars
Orion 70mm Solar Telescope
Celestron AstroMaster Alt/Az Mount
Meade Coronado SolarMax II 60 DS
Meade Coronado SolarMax II 90 DS
Meade Coronado AZS Alt/Az Mount
Astro-Tech AT72EDII with Altair solar wedge
Celestron NexStar 102GT with Altair solar wedge
Losmandy AZ8 Alt/Az Mount
Sky-Watcher AZGTI Alt-Az GoTo mount
Cameras: ZWO ASI178MM, PGR Grasshopper, PGR Flea
Lunt, Coronado, TeleVue, Orion and Meade eyepieces

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Re: My Setup

Post by marktownley »

Nice setup James, thanks for sharing!


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DeepSolar64
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Re: My Setup

Post by DeepSolar64 »

It's simple but a start. And a learning experience.


Lunt 8x32 SUNoculars
Orion 70mm Solar Telescope
Celestron AstroMaster Alt/Az Mount
Meade Coronado SolarMax II 60 DS
Meade Coronado SolarMax II 90 DS
Meade Coronado AZS Alt/Az Mount
Astro-Tech AT72EDII with Altair solar wedge
Celestron NexStar 102GT with Altair solar wedge
Losmandy AZ8 Alt/Az Mount
Sky-Watcher AZGTI Alt-Az GoTo mount
Cameras: ZWO ASI178MM, PGR Grasshopper, PGR Flea
Lunt, Coronado, TeleVue, Orion and Meade eyepieces

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Re: My Setup

Post by Merlin66 »

Looking good!
The SolarMax DS 60 is a great starting point.


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DeepSolar64
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Re: My Setup

Post by DeepSolar64 »

I initially bought the single stack scope and added the second etalon a couple months later.


Lunt 8x32 SUNoculars
Orion 70mm Solar Telescope
Celestron AstroMaster Alt/Az Mount
Meade Coronado SolarMax II 60 DS
Meade Coronado SolarMax II 90 DS
Meade Coronado AZS Alt/Az Mount
Astro-Tech AT72EDII with Altair solar wedge
Celestron NexStar 102GT with Altair solar wedge
Losmandy AZ8 Alt/Az Mount
Sky-Watcher AZGTI Alt-Az GoTo mount
Cameras: ZWO ASI178MM, PGR Grasshopper, PGR Flea
Lunt, Coronado, TeleVue, Orion and Meade eyepieces

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Re: My Setup

Post by Merlin66 »

Good call!
I had an original Solarmax 60 which came with an external etalon (no Rich view tuning etc.) and added a second external etalon for DS.
Moved the double stack to the ED80 for better performance.
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IMG_1543s.jpg
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I now use an original SM60 etalon mounted on a SME60 II (rich view tuning) DS on the ED80.....


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https://groups.io/g/astronomicalspectroscopy  
http://astronomicalspectroscopy.com
"Astronomical Spectroscopy for Amateurs" and
"Imaging Sunlight - using a digital spectroheliograph" - Springer
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DeepSolar64
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Re: My Setup

Post by DeepSolar64 »

So far the Coronado etalons do well. I was skeptical at first seeing that the Coronado etalons have a rather large 20 percent central obstruction. In my experience with nighttime reflectors a large central obstruction means reduced contrast. A central obstruction of any kind is odd in a refractor.

Very nice setup! It seems the Coronado etalons do well with other scopes too!


Lunt 8x32 SUNoculars
Orion 70mm Solar Telescope
Celestron AstroMaster Alt/Az Mount
Meade Coronado SolarMax II 60 DS
Meade Coronado SolarMax II 90 DS
Meade Coronado AZS Alt/Az Mount
Astro-Tech AT72EDII with Altair solar wedge
Celestron NexStar 102GT with Altair solar wedge
Losmandy AZ8 Alt/Az Mount
Sky-Watcher AZGTI Alt-Az GoTo mount
Cameras: ZWO ASI178MM, PGR Grasshopper, PGR Flea
Lunt, Coronado, TeleVue, Orion and Meade eyepieces

Image Visual Observer
" Way more fun to see it! "
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