Lunt 60 Tilt

[Bill E.]

Today I received my Lunt 60 tilt tuned. I also have a Lunt 80 and a 35. The first scope I purchased was the 80. I love the 80 so much that I bought 35 keep at work. But after owning the 80, performance on the 35 just wasn't the enough.
Today I received my 60 and gave it a test run, it performed beyond my expectations. Very close to the performance my 80. I didn't notice any Banding due to tilt tuning. I do have one concern with this scope. If you have any input please let me know. When I begin tuning, with the tuning wheel all the way to the right, I have to move wheel to left 6-8 times, before I feel the tuner coming contact etalon. I find I get my best view to be with wheel in full right.Also for the first 6 to 8 turns I see no change. Until tuner makes contact with filter. Once tuner wheel starts moving filter, It it de-tunes.
This does not seem normal to me.
I get my best view with no tuning?(Full right)
Wheel Moves6-8 turns before filter starts to move?

[Montana]

You are going to have lots of fun Bill!!

My double stack unit on my PST is on band right in the closed position, moving it takes it out so I am also on the edge. I guessed if it works then there is no bother. However the tuner does sounds a little odd, I know they all vary but it still sounds strange, hopefully the experts will answer soon.

Regards
Alexandra

[Bill E.]

Joe, 6-8 full turns :moving wheel 6-8 times (UP to 15 times sometimes)as far as can be moved
in one touch.

Best view: of proms and surface features together. Movement of one notch after contact.

Didn't notice much banding.

"The tuning wheel is dented for full CW, but not for full CCW" ??

No click.

sea level, 55 Fahererhight

[solarchat]

I think I can help you with this. I also own all three of the scopes you mention. By the way, they are all awesome in their own way and have a particular advantage over one another. The little LS35 is always the most popular scope at public events because it has such a bright image and there is no "get used to the wavelength" time needed by mature adults to see the proms. The LS80 with the external LS60F etalon is almost an identical image as my American made $14K pre-Meade Coronado doublestacked 90. It is really an incredible scope. The 60 is so lightweight and easy to use, I just love whipping it out with the external LS60F and thrilling people in the parking lot at work. You have a great outreach setup! I used to really enjoy just appearing out of nowhere on a city corner with a couiple scopes to see peoples reactions. Now that I am booked 5 months in advance I have no time to do a driveby outreach event in the park anymore and I miss them.

These etalons are all handmade and hand tuned by a group of folks at Lunt in Tucson. They are setup at 2500ft MSL. When you order from Lunt you can tell them your home altitude and they can put the etalons a little closer together if you are near sea level like me or you. If you buy from a vendor or used you are going to get a scope that works great at mid tuning range at around 2500ft MSL.

The tilt tuner can be adjusted to compensate for up to around 3000ft MSL differences. This is why your etalon has to be near the extreme of adjustment to get on band. The free turning range of the etalon is completely normal as it is actually a little screw that applies pressure to one side of the etalon housing to cause it to tilt very slightly. There are several turns where it is not even engaged. I would not worry a bit about it as long as you can get it on band.

The pressure tuning etalon has a much wider range of adjustment from around -500MSL up to around 12,000ft MSL. But even those etalons are set at 2500 ft MSL unless otherwise requested. My pressure tuners have to be almost all the way in to get on band in my 800ft MSL environment but they are almost all the way out when I have used them in North GA in the mountains.

Air pressure has a very strong influence on the performance of the system whether they are pressure tuned or tilt tuned. During the day you can even see the tuning waver as air pressure increases or decreases with temperature or when a high or low pressure system moves in. Hope this helps.

[Bill E.]

Stephen, That straitens me out .Thanks for explaining.I guess as long as the scope preformed as well as it does,I have on wearies.