Why is the PST etalon not sold on its own?

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BillyBoyBoy
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Why is the PST etalon not sold on its own?

Post by BillyBoyBoy »

Hello!

I am a new SolarChat member, but not a new reader. I am on CN as well and I am going on about two years of painfully patient research about imaging and visual for solar. I've been on my 16" dob for a few years and I've been on a VERY patient campaign to get some proper gear for imaging and solar.

In my adventures reading and learning about what direction I should go with my solar rig, I am baffled by the popularity of the PST etalon, yet the absence of the etalon itself on the market as a stand-alone product.

I understand there are a couple stages of modifications that can be done to take the etalon out of the PST and use it on a user's-choice scope. CN doesn't even allow discussion about it and apparently, it can be goofed up, and there's fear of liability.

Why on earth can there be so much demand for what is a high quality and much sought-after etalon, and it not be produced properly, consistently and safely by the manufacturer for non-PST use?

I figure the etalon itself constitutes the majority of the price of the PST, but as a manufacturer, I'd think it not just opportunistic, but perhaps even responsible, to supply a properly manufactured product to a demand that currently requires a home hack to satisfy, and with eye safety as the looming concern. I am sure the mods are not that big of a deal, and I know there are many of you that have done these mods entirely safely. It just seems to be a missing product. I'd buy it. Or two.

I would wager a guess that the practice of mixing and matching air-spaced etalons, blockers, and solid-spaced etalons with user-owned scopes of varying manufacture may be something a single manufacturer wouldn't want to touch from a liability standpoint, by selling an etalon intended to mix-and-match with other parts. But in a sense, the solid etalon manufacturers are doing it. They sell their etalons as parts of a larger system that are usually others' products.

I can't seem to find this sentiment anywhere else on the internets. Surely there are others that have thought about this?

Sunny days!


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Re: Why is the PST etalon not sold on its own?

Post by BillyBoyBoy »

But what about all the other manufacturers producing etalons?

Can you provide some more detail to flesh out your previous answer? If not done right, all solar is dangerous.


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Re: Why is the PST etalon not sold on its own?

Post by BillyBoyBoy »

Yes, detailed enough. Thank you for your insight, and it probably needed to be said.


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Re: Why is the PST etalon not sold on its own?

Post by marktownley »

Well said Apollo.


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Re: Why is the PST etalon not sold on its own?

Post by george9 »

I agree completely. I see a lot of swapping of blocking filters that gets me nervous. Fine for imaging but not visual. The only safe way for me to brighten a blocking filter is to ask the original manufacturer to do it (sometimes they can). And even then, I checked it with a spectrometer. In all my visual experiments, I always make sure that there is an entire intact single-manufacturer system in the path (usually a Quark). No harm in adding more to that. So I would add a PST etalon to a Quark but not use it alone.

I even wonder about swapping ERFs. I think SolarSpectrum is verified for the Baader D-ERF. I assume the other DayStar models can be used with the Baader D-ERF in place of the DayStar ERF, but I have never asked them (I know Quark is fine, but what about the larger models).

George


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Re: Why is the PST etalon not sold on its own?

Post by Dave S »

A friend saw my solar photos and asked me if he could use his iPhone with settings to do the same thing.
Yeah, he asked that.
So I created this instructional video for him:
https://youtu.be/sDDUepzr9pU


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Re: Why is the PST etalon not sold on its own?

Post by Carbon60 »

I only ever use my modified scopes for imaging.... safest way!!

Stu.


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Re: Why is the PST etalon not sold on its own?

Post by MalVeauX »

The PST Etalon is sold on its own.

You just get some crumby other bits with it for free.

;)

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Re: Why is the PST etalon not sold on its own?

Post by pedro »

Dave S wrote: Tue Sep 18, 2018 8:00 pm A friend saw my solar photos and asked me if he could use his iPhone with settings to do the same thing.
Yeah, he asked that.
So I created this instructional video for him:
https://youtu.be/sDDUepzr9pU

I loved your video, LOL


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Re: Why is the PST etalon not sold on its own?

Post by BillyBoyBoy »

Ok, that's hilarious.

For the record, I'm looking at a Quantum solid on the back of maybe an AiryLab HaT. I know the benefits of double stacking, and was checking out my options. I've been considering the Lunt DSII module made for the LS80... thank you George :D

The answers in the thread, especially yours Apollo, do raise my awareness about making sure the blocker is designed to handle a certain aperture of scope, and though I'm sure a Quantum will be fine for the HaT, it's good to know for sure.

Bill


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