Solarmax 60 + BF 15mm

Use this section to discuss "standard" Baader/Coronado/ Lunt SolarView/ Daystar, etc… filters, cameras and scopes. No mods, just questions/ answers and reviews.
Post Reply
Charon_X
The Sun?
The Sun?
Posts: 10
Joined: Wed Apr 04, 2018 3:33 pm
Been thanked: 8 times

Solarmax 60 + BF 15mm

Post by Charon_X »

I have the opportunity to buy Coronado Etalon 60mm + BF 15mm. Will such a set + refractor give the same image as a regular Solar Lunt / Coronado 60mm telescope? Or maybe we can somehow use a refractor with a larger diameter - maybe this etalon could be given somewhere at the beginning or in the middle of the tube + some ERF for the lens?


User avatar
Merlin66
Librarian
Librarian
Posts: 3970
Joined: Tue Dec 13, 2011 1:23 pm
Location: Junortoun, Australia
Has thanked: 173 times
Been thanked: 615 times
Contact:

Re: Solarmax 60 + BF 15mm

Post by Merlin66 »

Charon,
I have used an original SM60 mounted on an ED80 successfully for many years.
IMHO opinion it works better than the current SM60II scope.


"Astronomical Spectroscopy - The Final Frontier" - to boldly go where few amateurs have gone before
https://groups.io/g/astronomicalspectroscopy  
http://astronomicalspectroscopy.com
"Astronomical Spectroscopy for Amateurs" and
"Imaging Sunlight - using a digital spectroheliograph" - Springer
Highbury Mark
Im an EXPERT!
Im an EXPERT!
Posts: 281
Joined: Tue Apr 28, 2020 4:53 pm
Has thanked: 104 times
Been thanked: 212 times

Re: Solarmax 60 + BF 15mm

Post by Highbury Mark »

It really depends on the quality of the etalon to know precisely how it’ll perform. But paired with a small refractor (there’s no gain using a large refractor as you have to attach the SM60 to the front of the telescope, so it will have a 60mm aperture whatever your choice of scope) it should give you nice views of prominences, and fainter views of surface detail like filaments and active regions. To bring out more surface detail you’d need to add another external ‘double stack’ filter, which would narrow the bandwidth and improve contrast.


Solarscope SF70DS + TV85
TSA-120, Baader wedge
User avatar
DeepSolar64
Way More Fun to Share It!!
Way More Fun to Share It!!
Posts: 18728
Joined: Thu Sep 05, 2019 12:19 am
Location: Lowndesville S.C.
Has thanked: 17458 times
Been thanked: 16553 times

Re: Solarmax 60 + BF 15mm

Post by DeepSolar64 »

I have a Coronado SolarMax II 60 doublestacked scope. Overall I am satisfied with it. It's does well visually on low power full disc views. It's performance drops as the magnification increases. I almost never top 50x with it and run usually between 16x and 33x. It does well there. I also have the BF15 blocking filter. So far it has done well and gave no issues.


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! "
Charon_X
The Sun?
The Sun?
Posts: 10
Joined: Wed Apr 04, 2018 3:33 pm
Been thanked: 8 times

Re: Solarmax 60 + BF 15mm

Post by Charon_X »

Thanks for the answers. The seller withdrew. I will be taking the new 50mm Lunt.


User avatar
DeepSolar64
Way More Fun to Share It!!
Way More Fun to Share It!!
Posts: 18728
Joined: Thu Sep 05, 2019 12:19 am
Location: Lowndesville S.C.
Has thanked: 17458 times
Been thanked: 16553 times

Re: Solarmax 60 + BF 15mm

Post by DeepSolar64 »

I don’t think you will lose with the Lunt LS50Tha. Good observing!


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! "
RKBerta
Ohhhhhh My!
Ohhhhhh My!
Posts: 84
Joined: Wed Nov 07, 2018 7:08 pm
Location: Michigan USA
Has thanked: 54 times
Been thanked: 73 times

Re: Solarmax 60 + BF 15mm

Post by RKBerta »

Merlin66 wrote: Mon Aug 31, 2020 9:01 am Charon,
I have used an original SM60 mounted on an ED80 successfully for many years.
IMHO opinion it works better than the current SM60II scope.
I have an original (around 25 years old) Coronado US made etalon used on 80mm three element Officina Stellare APO refractor with both BF15 and BF30. I also have a 4 year old Lunt 60mm Ha with pressure tuner and BF15. Both are close but I think I get a bit better contrast on surface detail with the external etalon with tilt tuner than the newer Lunt.


80mm f6 Officina Stellare APO triplet, 152mm Officina Stellare f8 APO triplet, TV 85mm f7 ED APO, 8" SCT HD, 11" SCT.
Astro Physics 900 and 1100 mounts, Ioptron MINI Tower Pro ALT/AZ mount, ZWO AM5 mount,
Lunt 60mm Ha single stack, Coronado 60mm Ha single stack with BF 30
Day Star Quark Chromosphere
Player One Neptune mono with 178 chip, 256mm DDR, tilt plane for solar imaging
ASI 071 Pro cooled color for DS imaging
ATIK 490 EX OSC for DS imaging
SBIG STL 6303e mono with RGBL and Ha, SII, OIII filters for DS imaging
ASI AIR Plus

JPL/NASA Solar System Ambassador
Michigan Scout observatory manager
User avatar
DeepSolar64
Way More Fun to Share It!!
Way More Fun to Share It!!
Posts: 18728
Joined: Thu Sep 05, 2019 12:19 am
Location: Lowndesville S.C.
Has thanked: 17458 times
Been thanked: 16553 times

Re: Solarmax 60 + BF 15mm

Post by DeepSolar64 »

I would love to have one of the US made pre-Meade Coronado etalons to see how they compare with those of Meade Coronado. Many seem to prefer the pre-Meade ones.


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! "
Post Reply