Inspecting a Used Scope

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pbyrne65
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Inspecting a Used Scope

Post by pbyrne65 »

Hi all

First time on the forum, it's great to be here.

I have agreed to buy a second hand Coronado Solarmax III 70mm scope and I am arranging a time for an inspection. I have not looked through a solar scope since I had a PST more than ten years ago. As a complete newbie, what should I be looking out for when I inspect the scope?

I look forward to hearing from you.

Paul


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Re: Inspecting a Used Scope

Post by MAURITS »

Welcome to this forum Paul.
Look very careful to inspect the etalon so you don't have scratches or any damages ... and if the scope is original without any modifications.
Last edited by MAURITS on Tue Mar 28, 2023 4:27 am, edited 2 times in total.


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Re: Inspecting a Used Scope

Post by rsfoto »

Also check if there is rust on the blocking filter.


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Re: Inspecting a Used Scope

Post by Montana »

A very warm and sunny welcome Paul. The fact you are GOING for an inspection in person is the best thing you can do. Can you time your visit for a sunny day? It would be very advantageous to actually have a view through the scope, in fact this is the best test of all. Do you see features on the surface, is the contrast of these features even across the disc. Can you see prominences. This is key, if the owner can only show you a dim view of a white light looking Sun then there is a serious problem, don't buy!

Let us know how you get on.
Alexandra


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Re: Inspecting a Used Scope

Post by pbyrne65 »

Thanks for the advice and the warm welcomes.

I will certainly take all your advice on board when I get to inspect the scope.

Alexandra, living in Ireland, as in the UK, sunny days can be as rare as hen's teeth, fingers crossed for a convenient one soon.

Paul


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Re: Inspecting a Used Scope

Post by marktownley »

Has the original owner got any images they can share taken through it?


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Re: Inspecting a Used Scope

Post by DeepSolar64 »

Definitely look through the instrument first if you can.


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
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Re: Inspecting a Used Scope

Post by DeepSolar64 »

Good luck on your " new " scope. I hope all goes well with it. I have two SolarMax II scopes and I hear the SolarMax IIIs are better but strangely I see almost none used here on SolarChat.

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
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Re: Inspecting a Used Scope

Post by pbyrne65 »

Hi James

I have browsed the Web quite a bit and there appears to be a difference of opinion on the quality of the Solarmax III. Maybe the lack of second hand units on the site is a good sign that they are quality. The seller already has a Lunt 50mm and a 60mm and is trimming the herd. I will get an idea when I finnaly get to look through it.

Paul


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Re: Inspecting a Used Scope

Post by pbyrne65 »

Hi James

Can I ask you about the Skywatcher AZ-GTI mount you have on your profile? If I purchase the Coronado, I was considering this mount or the dedicated Solarquest mount, would you recommended the AZ-GTI?

Paul


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Re: Inspecting a Used Scope

Post by DeepSolar64 »

Overall I do like the AZ-GTI. It's small, portable and sturdy. It's drawbacks are the tripod needs a wider stance since the Coronado is heavy for it's size and with it mounted to the side off center it could be disastrously overturned if not careful. I typically use the AZ-GTI with the lighter Orion70 or AstroTech AT72EDII Vs the SMII60. Also, at least on mine, the tracking is not that great. I need to buy a hand controller for mine. I prefer that to using the phone via an app.

I called Sky-Watcher concerning the tracking. They recommended the SolarQuest for the Sun. They said it had an additional encoder to aid in better tracking of the Sun.

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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Re: Inspecting a Used Scope

Post by pbyrne65 »

Since I agreed to buy the scope, five days ago, it has not stopped raining. Are the gods trying to tell me something?


Paul
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Omegon Kollosus Parallelogram Mount
15X70 Oberwerk Binoculars
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8x32 Hawke ED Binoculars
Various Eyepiece Sets
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Re: Inspecting a Used Scope

Post by DeepSolar64 »

pbyrne65 wrote: Sat Apr 01, 2023 8:18 pm Since I agreed to buy the scope, five days ago, it has not stopped raining. Are the gods trying to tell me something?
The clouds somehow know when an observer buys new equipment. It draws them like a shark to blood!


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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Re: Inspecting a Used Scope

Post by DeepSolar64 »

Paul,
Are you an imager or a visual observer, or both? While I do dabble in basic imaging I am first and foremost a visual observer.

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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Re: Inspecting a Used Scope

Post by pbyrne65 »

Hi James

Purely visual, I dabbled in astrophotography in the past, but all that post processing was more than I could handle. I perform some sketching and I am hopeful of pursuing some solar sketching.


Paul
82mm Binocular Telescope
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8x32 Hawke ED Binoculars
Various Eyepiece Sets
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Re: Inspecting a Used Scope

Post by DeepSolar64 »

Paul,
Though I do sometimes image stack from short AVI files, most of my imaging work is single frame imaging due to the simple mounts I use which are better suited to the visual work I am used to. In the past I have used mostly GIMP and Paint.net to edit/process my images but am now trying to learn how to use imPPG and PhotoShop for sharpening and editing. Like you I just do not have the time many spend doing all that processing work. Maybe when I retire in a few years! I'll admit, I tend to keep things simple but with imaging that's a disadvantage. Look at the images here that people spend the extra time and effort on to get it right. They are astounding!

There is something nearly magical for me about seeing these details visually with my own eyes. I don't ever see imaging ever replacing visual for me though imaging will certainly support my visual work. And in my opinion, accurate sketches are the best way to document the visual view. I can't draw worth a flip so I use descriptions. It works but people usually understand better when images are involved so I use professional images as guides at the scope and as something for others to see and compare my descriptions against. They also help me remember things as well but I must also remain vigilant to describe only what I see in the scope and not what the image shows. The images only support my work, what I see in the scope is my actual observations.

I hope I have not confused or bored you. Welcome to SolarChat and good luck with that Coronado!

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

Image Visual Observer
" Way more fun to see it! "
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