Mini Luntanado

[MjrTom]

Hello all

I have been doing some tinkering with my solar kit and testing out a new configuration today.
I was thinking about double stack systems and thought that why not try mounting the front mounted filter off my Lunt LS35T to the parts I had disassembled from the PST mod I had done a few months back.

Using the gold tube off the PST and the stage 2 PST mod parts I reassembled it as a PST minus the black box with the BF10.
The thread size of the Lunt filter is a good 5mm wider than the external diameter of the PST objective lens housing but using some self adhesive foam spacers I was able to get a good tight fit.




The views through this configuration were excellent and a wealth of surface detail was visible.
Quite a few of the filaments which are just bearly visible with either the PST with single etalon or the LS35T were very well defined when configured as a double stack.

The views using a 16mm eyepiece were a little dark but the contrast was excellent!

Mark

[marktownley]

That's way cool Mark!

[MjrTom]

Thanks Mark!

I did investigate the PST front objective in hope that there might be a way to remove the ERF however when I removed the objective it was a cemented doublet with the ERF coating applied directly to the lenses.
My reasoning was that two ERF were not required and the RG630 filter of the Lunt front filter would suffice.

The PST stil has a sweet spotting characteristic but the band pass at a guess was comparable to the Liverpool astro socs Solarmax 60 double stack. Obviously not as bright an image but still pretty good!

Mark

[swisswalter]

Hi Mark

great mod, looks very straight forward. I'm looking forward to the pics that mod produces

[MjrTom]

Thanks Walter.

Yeah if the sun comes out today I shall capture a full disk image for you all to see. By the time I finished testing it yesterday thick clouds rolled in and stopped play.

What's nice is that there are none of the back focus issues of the PST with the black box.

Mark

[Allcart]

I Like your style Mark. Portability with increased sensitivity and more efficient focussing. good job.

[mr40mm]

Pictures of equipment is like pictures of our children. So nice to see! Randy

[MjrTom]

Thanks Allan and Randy!

It's nice tinkering to try and improve the performance of the kit you have on a limited budget.
Until the wife sanctions me buying a double stacked Lunt LS100PT I shall have to make do
Well maybe an LS60T is a bit more attainable!

Mark