Solarscope SF70DS incoming

[Highbury Mark]

I ordered the Solarscope 70DS filter package a few weeks ago - and it should be with me in a week or two, so thought I’d start a thread as there’s not much information out there on this intriguing company and their products - though I was helped in my decision by searching the archives of Solarchat, and in particular by Alexandra’s amazing images using both 70mm and 100mm filters.

My solar ha experience so far is limited to two double stacked Lunts (50 and 60), and a Quark which I use with a 4” refractor. I was close to buying a Lunt LS80DS, and then a Solar Spectrum 0.3A, but when I found out that the price of the SF70DS was only a little more here in the U.K. than the Lunt LS80 (DS, FT, B1800), I didn’t hesitate - I’d always thought that a Solarscope set up was beyond my means. The 70mm filters also pair nicely with my TV85.

As many of you will know, the firm was bought a couple of years ago. It’s been a pleasure to deal with the new owner, Helmut Kessler, who has kept me informed about the etalons as they’ve been assembled. Today he emailed saying: “I’m waiting for a day to field test the instrument, to make sure the filters are all adjusted properly, especially the second blocking filter to use with the double stack unit. As all combinations are slightly different (we specify <0.7A but our etalons are more like <0.5-0.6A) this is done specifically for each instrument. So the second blocking filter is adjusted in the field.” Can’t ask for better pre-delivery service!

The hope is that this will be a real step up from the Lunt 60 - a telescope I have very much enjoyed, but feel I need more for visual. Though only 10mm more aperture, I’m hoping for better contrast and more even detail for when Cycle 25 revs up, while still retaining the grab and go ease of a small refractor. Will report back on how things go.

[DeepSolar64]

Highbury,
I have been following you on this and wish you the best. Normally I would say that only 10mm increase in aperture would'nt make that big a difference. That's why I wanted to got to at least 80mm in aperture. 20mm over my 60mm. BUT you did choose Solarscope which has a reputation for very high quality and that seems to be shaping out well judging by their customer service. And you haven't even gotten the etalons yet! I hope they just rock! May they revolutionize your solar observing experience!

James

[Carbon60]

Looking forward to seeing your images with this setup, Mark. Solarscope products are excellent, as Alexandra so remarkably demonstrates.

Stu.

[Montana]

You have to remember that it is only 10mm greater in aperture than the Lunt 60 you had before, but did the Lunt 60 have a central obstruction? in which case the aperture difference would be more.

When he says the single stack is more like 0.6A I would say that would be true for mine when I first bought it. However, when I sent it back to be matched with a double stack it has never been the same and I have never been quite happy with it. Ken took the tuning wheel so far to one end that in cold temperatures (usually in the spring) I cannot get it on band as I can't get the wheel to go any further. It also decontacted on the one trip across the Irish sea. I hope that one day I will go on holiday to the Isle of Man, leave it with Helmut for the week and get him to test my single stack unit because I am sure there is something not quite right with it still. The double stack unit has been robust and unchangable throughout and never really needs tuning. My single stack certainly isn't what it used to be. I still love it but when you used to have perfection you always want it

I hope yours is as good as Pete Lawrence's and the one I tested because it was a super etalon (70mm).

Alexandra

[Highbury Mark]

Highbury,
I have been following you on this and wish you the best. Normally I would say that only 10mm increase in aperture would'nt make that big a difference. That's why I wanted to got to at least 80mm in aperture. 20mm over my 60mm. BUT you did choose Solarscope which has a reputation for very high quality and that seems to be shaping out well judging by their customer service. And you haven't even gotten the etalons yet! I hope they just rock! May they revolutionize your solar observing experience!

James

Thanks James - there is always a compromise isn’t there? I was hesitant about an LS80DS because of the halo issues. Would love a larger scope but don’t have the space (or back strength) for it. My largest night refractor is 100mm - but it’s only 2.8kg so very easy to carry. I need something grab and go as so much of my solar observing is taking opportunity to grab a quick session. So I hope I’ve made the right decision.

[Highbury Mark]

Looking forward to seeing your images with this setup, Mark. Solarscope products are excellent, as Alexandra so remarkably demonstrates.

Stu.

Thanks Stu - ‘fraid you might have to wait for those images. Never taken an astronomical photo in my life, though I probably will start in a few months with the new set up.

[Highbury Mark]

You have to remember that it is only 10mm greater in aperture than the Lunt 60 you had before, but did the Lunt 60 have a central obstruction? in which case the aperture difference would be more.

When he says the single stack is more like 0.6A I would say that would be true for mine when I first bought it. However, when I sent it back to be matched with a double stack it has never been the same and I have never been quite happy with it. Ken took the tuning wheel so far to one end that in cold temperatures (usually in the spring) I cannot get it on band as I can't get the wheel to go any further. It also decontacted on the one trip across the Irish sea. I hope that one day I will go on holiday to the Isle of Man, leave it with Helmut for the week and get him to test my single stack unit because I am sure there is something not quite right with it still. The double stack unit has been robust and unchangable throughout and never really needs tuning. My single stack certainly isn't what it used to be. I still love it but when you used to have perfection you always want it

I hope yours is as good as Pete Lawrence's and the one I tested because it was a super etalon (70mm).

Alexandra

Interesting Alexander. Sorry your filters aren’t everything you’d hoped for - they are clearly at the limit of what’s possible with an unobstructed unit.
It’s the unique properties of every etalon, every stacked system, and everyone’s individual vision that make this such a frustrating but also addictive pastime! Obviously the aperture jump of only 10mm for me is an issue, I’m just hoping the quality of the Solarscope filters will make it worthwhile. The Lunt 60 has a 60mm unobstructed double stack filter so is no slouch. Another issue is seeing - my Quark paired with 100mm refractor is normally too much for my seeing here in London, so in that respect a 70mm set up could prove more usable. We shall see...

[Highbury Mark]

That should have been Alexandra - apols.

[DeepSolar64]

Highbury,
I have been following you on this and wish you the best. Normally I would say that only 10mm increase in aperture would'nt make that big a difference. That's why I wanted to got to at least 80mm in aperture. 20mm over my 60mm. BUT you did choose Solarscope which has a reputation for very high quality and that seems to be shaping out well judging by their customer service. And you haven't even gotten the etalons yet! I hope they just rock! May they revolutionize your solar observing experience!

James

Thanks James - there is always a compromise isn’t there? I was hesitant about an LS80DS because of the halo issues. Would love a larger scope but don’t have the space (or back strength) for it. My largest night refractor is 100mm - but it’s only 2.8kg so very easy to carry. I need something grab and go as so much of my solar observing is taking opportunity to grab a quick session. So I hope I’ve made the right decision.

Usually there is a compromise.

I hope you are as satisfied with your new etalons as I am my Coronado SolarMax II 90 DS. It is vastly superior to my Coronado 60 in resolution and detail. It performs superbly on proms and fine limb detail and given some disc activity should do well there too. I haven't had a chance to do a lot of disc observing due to lack of anything there and now when there is an AR it's cloudy or I have lack of time. Let us all know how they do when you get them. Do you plan to use them more visually or more for imaging?

Lunt scopes have no central obstruction.

James

[Highbury Mark]

Usually there is a compromise.

I hope you are as satisfied with your new etalons as I am my Coronado SolarMax II 90 DS. It is vastly superior to my Coronado 60 in resolution and detail. It performs superbly on proms and fine limb detail and given some disc activity should do well there too. I haven't had a chance to do a lot of disc observing due to lack of anything there and now when there is an AR it's cloudy or I have lack of time. Let us all know how they do when you get them. Do you plan to use them more visually or more for imaging?

No imaging - at least not yet. Want to get to know them visually first. But you’re right, it’s almost impossible to assess the visual performance of a double stack system - particularly a small one like mine, at the moment without greater activity. You really seem to have hit the jackpot with your new 90 though. Sounds like you’ve got a lifetime scope there.

[DeepSolar64]

I like the TV85 too. Nice scope. I have a close friend that had one a while back. It does very well and is grab and go portable. He also has a Takahashi FS 102 which gives even better views but is a much beefier instrument.

[Bob Yoesle]

Hi H Mark,

Thought you might be interested in this thread if you haven't seen it already:

https://www.cloudynights.com/topic/6844 ... pe-sf70ds/

[DeepSolar64]

Excellent thread, Bob!!

[Highbury Mark]

Thanks Bob!
Have to say that before I pressed the button on the filters, I squeezed Solarchat (and the rest of the internet) dry of all Solarscope content. And it didn’t take long. A few discussions and reports on CN. Very little on Stargazers’ Lounge in the UK. So that thread you posted had been very well absorbed.....

[Solar B]

It's Tuesday

Brian

[Highbury Mark]

They’re here!

[Highbury Mark]

New SF70DS arrived . Only had 10 minutes observing time today - with high cloud making conditions less than perfect - but already clear these filters are a step up from my LuntLS60 DS. Need a lot more time to fully assess - so will post reactions over the next few days, as long as U.K. weather plays ball

[DeepSolar64]

Awesome! They look good on that TV85! Keep us posted on how they do.

[marktownley]

Great news! No wonder the weather has turned from summer to autumn here

[Montana]

I was going to say, you just got them in the nick of time on the very last day of sunshine. I'm sorry to say that we will no longer see the Sun again this year

Alexandra

[Highbury Mark]

I was going to say, you just got them in the nick of time on the very last day of sunshine. I'm sorry to say that we will no longer see the Sun again this year

Alexandra

Incredible isn’t it! Five weeks of beautiful sunshine. Now my weather app shows nothing but cloud.
Couldn’t reach focus with my binoviewer yesterday so at least this gives me time to work out a solution - a stronger Barlow is called for.

[Highbury Mark]

Brief update. I’ve had to grab quick views over the past few days when the blanket of cloud over London has momentarily lifted, so by no means found the perfect tuning combination yet. But very clear this is a beautiful double stack system.
The single stack view is pretty washed out, to be honest. Proms good, and surface detail certainly perceptible across the disc, but had read some reports that Solarscope single stack could be equivalent to other brands’ double stack - not the case from my first few sessions. But add the second filter and everything changes - stunning detail today around the active regions, and particularly the lovely filament. Bags of contrast. Using Pentax XF zoom, I was able to move up from 30x to 90x and maintain sharpness - just beautiful.
The detail is not consistent across the whole fov - still have to move the disc around to squeeze out the best contrast on different features, but it’s much more even than both the Lunts I’ve owned. It’s also marginally dimmer than my Lunt 60DS. Haven’t been able to focus my binoviewer yet - am sure that will help deliver even better views when I find the right barlow combination.
So very impressed so far - and can’t wait for some better weather.

[Highbury Mark]

Crossed my mind that maybe the single stack etalon on its own is unimpressive because it’s been specifically built to work with the second etalon? If I’d only ordered a single stack package, it might have been tuned differently? A question for the more technically knowledgeable forum members.

[DeepSolar64]

My SMII90, actually a 102 in SS works wonderfully on proms and limb detail but so far is only so-so on disc detail. It's really bright. But the resolution it gives on the limb is outstanding. In DS it gives decent views but seems to be harder to tune than the 60. I can't look through the eyepiece at the same time I am twiddling the tuner. Arm is not long enough!

I am surprised that the Solarscope would give a more even tuned field than the Lunt scopes unless you are talking about one of their tilt-tuned models. Their pressure tuners by what I have read tune more evenly giving less of a sweet spot. Coronado scopes are tilt-tuned and have pronounced sweet-spots. At least mine does. The SMII 60 seems more so than the SMII 90.

The fact you can use high magnification says a lot too. On my Coronado SMII60, especially in DS I have to stick with lower powers. Detail just disappears with high magnification. I use the 25mm Cemax and 19mm Lunt eyepieces the most giving 16 and 21.5 power. I rarely ever use anything over 50x. The SMII 90 is a different animal. 100x and over is possible with good seeing.

[marktownley]

Crossed my mind that maybe the single stack etalon on its own is unimpressive because it’s been specifically built to work with the second etalon? If I’d only ordered a single stack package, it might have been tuned differently? A question for the more technically knowledgeable forum members.

I think that's a question you need to ask Solarscope rather than rely on solarchat speculation.