Please advise which telescope with a Solarscope DSF70?

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Please advise which telescope with a Solarscope DSF70?

Post by nicspenceryork »

Hello all,
In future I’ve decided to get the Solarscope DSF70.
I’d be really grateful if you could please advise me which telescope to consider using with it? The lighter and smaller, the better. I’m happy to spend enough to do the filters justice and am expecting a hefty price tag! I currently use a ZWO174MM and a ZWO178MM with a 2x Barlow on a Skywatcher 80mm Ed DS Pro and am happy with the magnification they give me. I am open to changing the camera with the new set up. In the UK the seeing is limited as we are an island, often with the jetstream directly above. I also live in the Vale of York which brings its own unique, interesting weather system! I don’t want to get something huge for it to sit in a box waiting for great seeing that rarely happens. I’ve kind of been considering a TV85 and an Astrophsics Stowaway 92mm but am open to suggestions. I see many of you yearning for a Takahashi so which of the Takahashi range would be good with this SS DSF70?
All information gratefully received,
Nic


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Re: Please advise which telescope with a Solarscope DSF70?

Post by marktownley »

Hi Nic

Your ED80 will be just fine for the DS70. It has a rigid dew shield which really is an important factor.

You are just going to miss out on a full disk with the 178, but a 183 will give a full disk with plenty of room to spare and great sampling.

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Re: Please advise which telescope with a Solarscope DSF70?

Post by DeepSolar64 »

Nic,
I agree with Mark, your ED80 should do great. It's a Sky-Watcher EvoStar, right? I would certainly recommend the TV85, a friend of mine has one and it is a superb instrument. The modern ones do have collapsible dew shields though. But still your ED80 should be fine.

It might take you a decade to get an AP refractor. Their waiting list is always stupidly long.

James


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Re: Please advise which telescope with a Solarscope DSF70?

Post by nicspenceryork »

marktownley wrote: Sun Sep 18, 2022 9:02 am Hi Nic

Your ED80 will be just fine for the DS70. It has a rigid dew shield which really is an important factor.

You are just going to miss out on a full disk with the 178, but a 183 will give a full disk with plenty of room to spare and great sampling.

Mark
Thanks Mark that’s great news, somehow I didn’t think my scope was ‘posh’ enough! Would that be a ZWO183MM? Ordinary or cooled? Is the cooled much heavier? Maybe the cooled having it’s own power source wouldn’t drain my Mac laptop power as much. Maybe cooled not really needed in UK! What’s your view on this?
My old scratched Celestron 2x Barlow could do with an upgrade. With the 178 and 183 is a 2x Barlow best in all 3 lights? Could any of the lights cope with more magnification? Which 2x or 2.5x Barlow would be a good investment?
Really appreciate all advice,
Nic


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Re: Please advise which telescope with a Solarscope DSF70?

Post by nicspenceryork »

DeepSolar64 wrote: Sun Sep 18, 2022 11:34 pm Nic,
I agree with Mark, your ED80 should do great. It's a Sky-Watcher EvoStar, right? I would certainly recommend the TV85, a friend of mine has one and it is a superb instrument. The modern ones do have collapsible dew shields though. But still your ED80 should be fine.

It might take you a decade to get an AP refractor. Their waiting list is always stupidly long.

James
Thanks James, yes it’s an Evostar, I should have specified that! It makes sense to stick with what I know (and what will fit through the hatch in my obsy!) then I don’t have too many new variables to contend with!
Your interest, as always, is appreciated,
Nic


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Re: Please advise which telescope with a Solarscope DSF70?

Post by JochenM »

Hi Nic

If you're strictly going to be doing solar work, I would also just keep your Evostar (as already mentioned by Mark and James). If you have other interests outside of that (nighttime visual/imaging,...), then it's a different story. I personally use the Evostar 100 (slightly bigger brother of your 80) for all my solar needs, despite owning several "posher" ;) Takahashi telescopes. It does a marvelous job.

Regarding the 183MM cooled vs uncooled. The cooling function is there to reduce thermal noise in longer exposures. With solar, we're doing such short exposures that this is really not an issue at all. I would save a bit of money and get the uncooled version.

When it comes to picking a barlow, a 2x should work pretty well (sampling wise) with your Evostar in combination with the 174/183.


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Re: Please advise which telescope with a Solarscope DSF70?

Post by Montana »

What's wrong with the 2x Barlow? I use my trusty Celestron 2x Barlow Ultima all the time with my Solarscope, I just love it to bits (both) :)

Alexandra


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Re: Please advise which telescope with a Solarscope DSF70?

Post by nicspenceryork »

Jochen: thank you. Yes just for solar. I have an occasional look at the moon, Jupiter and Saturn but if my mount fails for any reason in future, I’d ‘retire’ from night time viewing and replace it with a SW Solarquest or something similar if my scope with the new etalons, camera and Barlow is light enough for it to handle.
Alexandra: ha ha there’s absolutely nothing at all wrong with a Celestron 2x barlow (although mine is a standard one, £30 from Amazon 5 years ago!) but after meticulous dust hunting in my imaging train I found it was scratched after taking several tumbles in the middle of the night before I came to my senses and ‘saw the light’ ☀️😆 I do therefore need to replace it… but, if it’s good enough for you, it’s good enough for me!

I’m not embarrassed to say that part of the reason I’m asking about the strength of Barlows is due to being enlightened that I need an aperture mask for CaK and not for WL or ha and I maybe could have been more specific in saying would a different light tolerate a different strength of Barlow?
Nic


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Re: Please advise which telescope with a Solarscope DSF70?

Post by marktownley »

Hi Nic.

Like Jochen says, for solar the uncooled is fine, yes a zw0183mm. Regards barlows I regularly use the 2x cemax and when the seeing allows a cheapo 3x skywatcher barlow.

Mark


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Re: Please advise which telescope with a Solarscope DSF70?

Post by Radon86 »

Hi Mark,
Why not a Powermate x3 for solar?
I heard they are the best!

Magnus


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Re: Please advise which telescope with a Solarscope DSF70?

Post by Radon86 »

Hi Nic,

Did you plan to just get the single stack version
of the Solarscope 70?
I would contact the Solarscope firm as I believe
they can ( will) advise on adaptors to your scope to allow good fitting of the front mounted
filter.

I am not sure of your Skywatcher 80ED.

Magnus


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Re: Please advise which telescope with a Solarscope DSF70?

Post by Radon86 »

Nic, do solarscope provide the front mounted D-ERF as well?

That should influence what scope to use.

Magnus


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Re: Please advise which telescope with a Solarscope DSF70?

Post by AndiesHandyHandies »

Hi

My 2" and 1.25" 2x ES Tele-extenders work fine. The 2" looks just as good as the Baader TZ2.

And a Vision King 4 element 3x barlow, tele-extender, is not too bad.

The 1.25" 3x long Revelation barlow is good visually on axis.

Also the 1.25" TEs work fine after the TZ2 for 4x and 6x, and do not add to the backfocus, in a tele-excentric beam?

Cheers. Andrew.


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Re: Please advise which telescope with a Solarscope DSF70?

Post by AndiesHandyHandies »

Hi

Valery says normal achromats are better than ED scopes when it comes to spherical abberation at H-alpha.

Cheers. Andrew.


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Re: Please advise which telescope with a Solarscope DSF70?

Post by DeepSolar64 »

AndiesHandyHandies wrote: Mon Sep 26, 2022 7:58 pm Hi

Valery says normal achromats are better than ED scopes when it comes to spherical abberation at H-alpha.

Cheers. Andrew.
It is unless it’s a Takahashi triplet like the TOA130 or TOA150. They are well corrected for spherical aberration. I so want one of these scopes!

Christian uses a TOA150 for his outstanding CaK images.


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Re: Please advise which telescope with a Solarscope DSF70?

Post by AndiesHandyHandies »

Hi

Yes my 90mm TS Triplet gives me nice sharp views. Someone said as good as a LOMO.

Cheers. Andrew.


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Re: Please advise which telescope with a Solarscope DSF70?

Post by cybermayberry »

marktownley wrote: Sun Sep 25, 2022 5:29 am Hi Nic.

Like Jochen says, for solar the uncooled is fine, yes a zw0183mm. Regards barlows I regularly use the 2x cemax and when the seeing allows a cheapo 3x skywatcher barlow.

Mark
I live in the Mohave summer temps are often 40c+ uncooled cameras work for me for short session even.
Unless you plan on using the camera for deep space with extended exposures a cooled version is unnecessary.


Rich

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Antlia wedge,Lunt wedge
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