I got a Lunt 50!

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davidem27
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I got a Lunt 50!

Post by davidem27 »

Hello everyone!
I recently purchased a used Lunt 50 with PT and a modified helical focuser and I am really happy!
I want to try to figure out the quality of its parts and I would be glad to submit its fresh results to your attention.

Here it is the latest image I took this morning, processed via ImPPG (RL 1.08, 50 - UM 1.65) and a little touch of curve.
Then I merged disc and proms in Photoshop.

Inspite of images obtained with a Lunt 60 (of a friend of mine), this Lunt 50 gives me more "flatty" images.
Considering this is not a brand new telescope, what could be the reasons?

Thanks for your attention
Attachments
2021-06-22-1003_Sun_Ha_Lunt50_pistr.jpg
2021-06-22-1003_Sun_Ha_Lunt50_pistr.jpg (656.09 KiB) Viewed 473 times


White light: Skywatcher 120 ED and Borg 76 ED with Baader Herschel Wedge and filters
H-alpha: Lunt LS50T Ha BF600, 120 ED modified by Lunt etalon. Thousand Oaks 0.9 Å Prominance filter
Calcium II K: Lunt B1200

www.volpetta.com

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Re: I got a Lunt 50!

Post by dhkaiser »

I think your image looks good. No idea what a "flatty" image is.


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Re: I got a Lunt 50!

Post by Stardust5858 »

Lovely first light with your new scope. I take it you mean even illumination when you speak of flat image? Thanks for sharing.


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davidem27
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Re: I got a Lunt 50!

Post by davidem27 »

Exactly, Stardust.
Thanks for explaining better than me :)

These are past images of 26th of March, took with Lunt 60 and ASI174 and ASI178, processed only with ImPPG.

They seem a little bit less even illumination (and would like to understand why)
Attachments
178
178
2021-03-26-1139_178_pistr.jpg (619.02 KiB) Viewed 454 times
174
174
2021-03-26-1058_174_pistr.jpg (264.2 KiB) Viewed 454 times


White light: Skywatcher 120 ED and Borg 76 ED with Baader Herschel Wedge and filters
H-alpha: Lunt LS50T Ha BF600, 120 ED modified by Lunt etalon. Thousand Oaks 0.9 Å Prominance filter
Calcium II K: Lunt B1200

www.volpetta.com

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Re: I got a Lunt 50!

Post by Ivan »

Great photo.
I see you managed to catch the focus.

I look from a smartphone, but it seems to me that I see weak Newtonian rings. Flats can help remove them and make the background more uniform.

I really like your HDR, by the way, (maybe it will be useful) in ImPPG you can make proms visible by process7ing the file with the surface and not removing the proms separately.

Ivan


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Re: I got a Lunt 50!

Post by Ivan »

You may not have screwed on the pressure tuner.
Set the shutter speed a little longer than usual (it will be easier to see) and try turning the tuner knob. You can see how the surface darkens or becomes light, for me it usually happens at the edge of the frame.

Ivan


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Re: I got a Lunt 50!

Post by davidem27 »

Yes Ivan, weak Newtonian rings are present and they are going to upset me...
I'll try to put a tilter after the BF but I'm afraid to not reach the focus anymore.

In this image (the first in the first post) I used the camera with its 1,25 nose and inside of it, the VIP barlow module just to increase a few the sampling.
Ivan wrote:in ImPPG you can make proms visible by process7ing the file with the surface and not removing the proms separately.
Oh! I have to check it out! Thanks!
Ivan wrote: Set the shutter speed a little longer than usual (it will be easier to see) and try turning the tuner knob. You can see how the surface darkens or becomes light, for me it usually happens at the edge of the frame.
:bow


White light: Skywatcher 120 ED and Borg 76 ED with Baader Herschel Wedge and filters
H-alpha: Lunt LS50T Ha BF600, 120 ED modified by Lunt etalon. Thousand Oaks 0.9 Å Prominance filter
Calcium II K: Lunt B1200

www.volpetta.com

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Re: I got a Lunt 50!

Post by Montana »

These are great, especially the very last image :bow :hamster:

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Re: I got a Lunt 50!

Post by Ivan »

Tilter is optional. Try to take calibration flats footage. Here is the instruction: https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=h6GjwHtRK80&t=3s

Ivan


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Re: I got a Lunt 50!

Post by davidem27 »

Superb! Another processing step. My visual observing nature is gonna kill me :lol:


White light: Skywatcher 120 ED and Borg 76 ED with Baader Herschel Wedge and filters
H-alpha: Lunt LS50T Ha BF600, 120 ED modified by Lunt etalon. Thousand Oaks 0.9 Å Prominance filter
Calcium II K: Lunt B1200

www.volpetta.com

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Re: I got a Lunt 50!

Post by DeepSolar64 »

Congratulations on the new Lunt 50!


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Re: I got a Lunt 50!

Post by marktownley »

davidem27 wrote: Tue Jun 22, 2021 12:44 pm Exactly, Stardust.
Thanks for explaining better than me :)

These are past images of 26th of March, took with Lunt 60 and ASI174 and ASI178, processed only with ImPPG.

They seem a little bit less even illumination (and would like to understand why)
Your just seeing the scopes sweet spot with the 178.


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Re: I got a Lunt 50!

Post by davidem27 »

Hello Mark,
and this is a little movie from yesterday, made to try to better understand just its sweetspot: https://youtu.be/3bKR2ba24BE


White light: Skywatcher 120 ED and Borg 76 ED with Baader Herschel Wedge and filters
H-alpha: Lunt LS50T Ha BF600, 120 ED modified by Lunt etalon. Thousand Oaks 0.9 Å Prominance filter
Calcium II K: Lunt B1200

www.volpetta.com

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Re: I got a Lunt 50!

Post by Ivan »

Try placing the Sun in the left corner of the frame (as in your video) so that part of the disc loses detail and turns white. And spin the tuner a little at a time. This method helped me get rid of the "overexposed" zones or greatly reduce their area.

Ivan


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