To Quark or not to quark that is the question ?

Use this section to discuss "standard" Baader/Coronado/ Lunt SolarView/ Daystar, etc… filters, cameras and scopes. No mods, just questions/ answers and reviews.
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To Quark or not to quark that is the question ?

Post by David Fox »

OMG I'm about to go down the Daystar Quark route?
Read some horror QC stories here and then some excellent and content users.

Are buying these really just expensive hit and miss?


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Re: To Quark or not to quark that is the question ?

Post by marktownley »

David Fox wrote: Mon May 17, 2021 7:35 pm Are buying these really just expensive hit and miss?
Yes


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Re: To Quark or not to quark that is the question ?

Post by EGRAY_OBSERVATORY »

Certainly seems so


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Re: To Quark or not to quark that is the question ?

Post by David Fox »

Suppose a Lunt Ca-K it is then.
Thanks


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Re: To Quark or not to quark that is the question ?

Post by minhlead »

David Fox wrote: Mon May 17, 2021 7:35 pm OMG I'm about to go down the Daystar Quark route?
Read some horror QC stories here and then some excellent and content users.

Are buying these really just expensive hit and miss?
Hi David,
I myself have experience with the hit and miss of Daystar's QC.
Hope my story will help you decide. The link to it below.
https://stargazerslounge.com/topic/3699 ... n-arrival/
Tl;dr version: I bought a Quark, despite the ensure from Daystar that mine is "handpicked" by Jen from DS (I am from VN and shipping thing back and forth to us is expensive since there are no DS retailer here), mine came with scratched/dimpled trimming filter.
After a few exchanging email, DS agreed to replace my unit, they send me a prepaid label, I send it back. After 2 weeks of waiting, they arubtedly tell me that they will not exchange mine for a new unit because I set the expectation too high for a entry level product like the Quark. Despite my pleading that I'd get into trouble with our Custom department since they expect a return shipment (I ship it out of the country as temporary export/re import later), DS go ahead and refund the order anyway.
Just to have something to send back, I hold my nose and buu a second time from highpoint scientific (DS wont accept my orrder again). This time the Quark came without a problem and it works great since (3 months).
So what I've learned is this:
1. There are hits and misses in DS's QC.
2. If you are to buy a Quark, 2nd is not a bad options, as long as you can find one with photos taken from it, you'd save a lot of money too.
3. If you want to buy new, buy it from a reputation retailer and one you can easily ship the filter back for exchange/check up. If you buy from oversea (like me) you'd have to take the risk of no servicing/warranty.
If you ask I'd say I consider myself lucky that I got a good one the second time. In solar Ha a Quark is really a bargain if you know how to use it. 1.2k$ in solar ha is like peanut money :(
Last edited by minhlead on Tue May 18, 2021 2:57 pm, edited 1 time in total.


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Re: To Quark or not to quark that is the question ?

Post by minhlead »

StarHugger wrote: Tue May 18, 2021 2:54 pm I love using my Quark and its the best ha view I have currently comparing well to alot of the images here visually in my scopes and much sharper than most. My first Quark Chromosphere is a paperweight I bought new and was left high and dry with. The second I purchaaed used and is a fantastic example. My advice is buy used and try first, Quarks are way cheaper and more reliable that way and your odds of getting a good unit are way better.
True, buy used and from someone with photos to backup their words


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Re: To Quark or not to quark that is the question ?

Post by EGRAY_OBSERVATORY »

David, you won't go wrong with a Lunt CaK scope, but for Lunt CaK filters on their own, I won't comment when used with other scopes.

I have been using both Lunt 60mm Ha and CaK scopes for 10-years - without any issues as they are housed in a purposes-built and de-humidified observatory...

I don't know of anyone who has had a problem with Lunt scopes and in any case Lunt service is just excellent..

Terry


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Re: To Quark or not to quark that is the question ?

Post by David Fox »

Thanks all,

Yeah Lunt appear to be broadly consistent in manufacture and QC, although all can have their moments, but you get the feeling Faye is always interested.
Have the Lunt 60 / 50 plus the wedge and all have worked well from the outset. No issues on Lunt, just wanting to 'look' at something different.

Terry - regarding the Oculus thread some weeks back I think we're nearly there - AllSkEye is great software. My issues were remotness from camera to the observatory and that dam 'SurfaceBook' usb hardware which appears to hate Microsoft software :roll: Shout out though to Mike Polz for great support.


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Re: To Quark or not to quark that is the question ?

Post by EGRAY_OBSERVATORY »

Hi David,
Yes I also have AllskEye on my sytem, which works well and regarding "My issues were remoteness from camera to the observatory and that dam 'SurfaceBook' USB hardware which appears to hate Microsoft software :roll: Shout out though to Mike Polz for great support." - I don't use or need any of that for my camera to computer/laptop in the observatory, so possibly suggest to me that you might have a separated screen type pc where that might be required. Have you also tried Oculus imaging using SharpCap, as works very well as the single-frame from an AVI file shows as attached here ?

I have Windows-7 Pro installed on a professional-computer (not laptop) and accepts every type of plug-system and is very fast too, so no issues...

Cheers
Terry
Attachments
METEORITE Snapshot.jpg
METEORITE Snapshot.jpg (106.68 KiB) Viewed 1545 times


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Re: To Quark or not to quark that is the question ?

Post by MalVeauX »

Hi,

It really depends on your goals and how you will configure it.

Yes, there's a gamble on the quality of the etalon and overall performance. This is true of nearly ALL of these items, including the expensive ones, from nearly all manufacturers. There's no standard. Few even give measurements or quantifiers/qualifiers of their filters to justify their price tags. There's no universally safe buy frankly for the most part. There are some that lately have been doing better than others, like Lunt, but others have taken such a sharp dive (Meade/Coronado).

The key when buying blind is to only buy from a place that will allow a no-question-asked return. So if you get a Quark or similar filter and try it out and notice it has issues that you can return it without having to go through hoops and nasty confrontation or get stuck with a poor filter. This is especially true with entry level products like Quarks.

A good Quark can be fantastic.
A bad one can be a total disappointment with uniformity issues and any electronic issues with its heater to keep it onband.

And then again it matters depending on what you're doing. If your seeing is average or poor like most places, this matters. It also matters if you are visual or plan to image. It also matters if you want to ever double stack conveniently without a hack job with zero guarantee of results. And it hugely matters if you want good support for a long time, or if you want to just risk it and hope nothing goes wrong and how after warranty support is.

Very best,


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Re: To Quark or not to quark that is the question ?

Post by EGRAY_OBSERVATORY »

From I know from the experiences of some other Quark users, that does sound like sound advice from Marty/MalVeauX.

Terry


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Re: To Quark or not to quark that is the question ?

Post by DeepSolar64 »

Marty,
I guess I have gotten lucky on my Meade Coronados, or I haven't looks through a good Ha scope to know the difference!! The 90 seems to tune more evenly than the 60 does even though I have been doing better with the 60 lately.

James


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Re: To Quark or not to quark that is the question ?

Post by MalVeauX »

DeepSolar64 wrote: Fri May 21, 2021 5:14 am Marty,
I guess I have gotten lucky on my Meade Coronados, or I haven't looks through a good Ha scope to know the difference!! The 90 seems to tune more evenly than the 60 does even though I have been doing better with the 60 lately.

James
Very good James! The key word though is "luck" there. My reference wasn't a stab at anyone, it was that before Meade acquisition, the original Solarmax etalon were much, much better etalons. The quality and variability of these etalons are severely different post Meade. They're like a literally whole different etalon and scope series, not at all related other than name and outside appearance. So a Solarmax II & III have become just as much of a gamble as a Daystar at this point. No guarantee at all on what you'll get. Also, no guarantee on support from Meade at this point (though I've been reading reports of people getting responses from Meade now, last year they were not even responding to service questions or calls).

If yours is uniform across the whole disc with high contrast and finesse, cling to it for life!

Very best,


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Re: To Quark or not to quark that is the question ?

Post by David Fox »

Thanks again,
From reading responses even folk with great current quarks seem to be on their second or so before they got there.
Rarly see second hand Q's, particularly this side of pond.
No I'll stay away and get the Lunt Ca. but thanks for comments.


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Re: To Quark or not to quark that is the question ?

Post by DeepSolar64 »

MalVeauX wrote: Fri May 21, 2021 11:40 am
DeepSolar64 wrote: Fri May 21, 2021 5:14 am Marty,
I guess I have gotten lucky on my Meade Coronados, or I haven't looks through a good Ha scope to know the difference!! The 90 seems to tune more evenly than the 60 does even though I have been doing better with the 60 lately.

James
Very good James! The key word though is "luck" there. My reference wasn't a stab at anyone, it was that before Meade acquisition, the original Solarmax etalon were much, much better etalons. The quality and variability of these etalons are severely different post Meade. They're like a literally whole different etalon and scope series, not at all related other than name and outside appearance. So a Solarmax II & III have become just as much of a gamble as a Daystar at this point. No guarantee at all on what you'll get. Also, no guarantee on support from Meade at this point (though I've been reading reports of people getting responses from Meade now, last year they were not even responding to service questions or calls).

If yours is uniform across the whole disc with high contrast and finesse, cling to it for life!

Very best,

Marty,
The SMII90 does really well giving excellent contrast and detail. The 60 is not quite as even and came out of tune a bit from the factory and required some fidding with the T-Max tuner peg on the internal etalon to get it to work optimally. It does well but even discounting aperture still doesn't quite keep up with the 90. Still it does what it is advertised to do.

I wish I would have had the money to have gotten into Ha solar two decades ago to see-buy-use one of the Tuscon Coronado etalons. They must be really nice.

I didn't take it as a stab. I guess I have gotten luckier than many or haven't yet really looked through a top-notch etalon. :)

James


Lunt 8x32 SUNoculars
Orion 70mm Solar Telescope
Celestron AstroMaster Alt/Az Mount
Meade Coronado SolarMax II 60 DS
Meade Coronado SolarMax II 90 DS
Meade Coronado AZS Alt/Az Mount
Astro-Tech AT72EDII with Altair solar wedge
Celestron NexStar 102GT with Altair solar wedge
Losmandy AZ8 Alt/Az Mount
Sky-Watcher AZGTI Alt-Az GoTo mount
Cameras: ZWO ASI178MM, PGR Grasshopper, PGR Flea
Lunt, Coronado, TeleVue, Orion and Meade eyepieces

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