Advice for buying Solar Telescope Please

[+TasKiNG]

I am considering getting into Solar astronomy and i'm after a bit of guidance from the experts please.

 

For the amount I can afford I have narrowed it down to 2 choices:-

 

Lunt LS50THa/B600PT

 

or

 

Quark Daystar Chromosphere filter for my Vixen ED80SF Refractor.

 

Or should I look for a better second hand deal?

 

 

[+Ibbo]

Lunt

I would say save and get the 60mmm or go 2nd hand

[philjay]

+1 for Lunt 60mm although I have seen good images with the 50 but it takes more effort I understand. The Lunt is so easy for visual and imaging.

[Brantuk]

+1 for the Lunt 60 - double stacked if you have the budget (or can raise it somehow). There's a very nice one for sale here at a great price - you might even be able to negotiate it down a bit:

https://stargazerslounge.com/topic/274960-lunt-60mha-solar-scope-b1200-60mm-double-stack-moonlight-focus-accessories/#comment-3012164

 

(You're welcome to pop over sometime for a session with me if you want to try it out - mines identical)

[+Graham]

Another vote for the 60.

One thing if you are thinking along the lines of imaging go for the B1200 BF not the B600 BF

[+Bino-viewer]

The OP said the Lunt 50 NOT the 60.....

Big jump up in price.....

 

 

Our society has a Lunt 50 Dave.

If you'd like a look at it let me know, and i'll get hold of it.

 

From a visual point of view, i personally have always been a bit disappointed by HA solar scopes.

I've looked through a few as well. My best view was with a Meade Coronado 40 Double stack.

But i'm always left with a feeling i'm looking at something 'artificial'

Its difficult to binoview with HA and the stock eyepieces they come with are pretty poor too imo.

I much prefer white light solar with my Baader HW.

 

If you are imaging though, thats a completely different matter.

 

 

[+TasKiNG]

6 hours ago, Ibbo said:

Lunt

I would say save and get the 60mmm or go 2nd hand

 

Thanks for the advice guy's

Only go £1000 to spend and if I don't spend it soon then my wife will find another use for it. I'll have a look at the 2nd hand prices for the 60.

 

6 hours ago, philjay said:

+1 for Lunt 60mm although I have seen good images with the 50 but it takes more effort I understand. The Lunt is so easy for visual and imaging.

 

Yea, the 60 looks great ( seen your pics ) but may be out of my price range

 

4 hours ago, Brantuk said:

+1 for the Lunt 60 - double stacked if you have the budget (or can raise it somehow). There's a very nice one for sale here at a great price - you might even be able to negotiate it down a bit:

https://stargazerslounge.com/topic/274960-lunt-60mha-solar-scope-b1200-60mm-double-stack-moonlight-focus-accessories/#comment-3012164

 

(You're welcome to pop over sometime for a session with me if you want to try it out - mines identical)

 

Thanks looks a good buy but that is way out of my price range.

 

3 hours ago, Graham said:

Another vote for the 60.

One thing if you are thinking along the lines of imaging go for the B1200 BF not the B600 BF

 

Thanks Graham

 

3 hours ago, Bino-viewer said:

The OP said the Lunt 50 NOT the 60.....

Big jump up in price.....

 

 

Our society has a Lunt 50 Dave.

If you'd like a look at it let me know, and i'll get hold of it.

 

From a visual point of view, i personally have always been a bit disappointed by HA solar scopes.

I've looked through a few as well. My best view was with a Meade Coronado 40 Double stack.

But i'm always left with a feeling i'm looking at something 'artificial'

Its difficult to binoview with HA and the stock eyepieces they come with are pretty poor too imo.

I much prefer white light solar with my Baader HW.

 

If you are imaging though, thats a completely different matter.

 

 

 

Thanks,  had a good look at a Lunt 50 at the London astrofest and for the price I was quite impressed.

 

So the conclusion I have come to from the advice is that I should either save up more money for a 60 (which probably wont happen) or look out for a reasonable 2nd hand 60 ( i'll check the prices)

 

My thoughts with the Quark Daystar option was that when fitted to my ED80 I would have a sub £1000 80 solar scope and no extra scope to store. Has anyone looked through one?

I suppose I could buy a cheap herschel wedge to get me started while I save up more dosh.

 

 

 

 

Edited August 29, 2016 by TasKiNG

[BAZ]

One here Dave.

 

 

[+TasKiNG]

7 minutes ago, BAZ said:

One here Dave.

 

Thanks Martyn. 

 

Good price but may wait until I can get a decent HA scope. Maybe I should wait for the Kelling Astro sale, I might pick up a bargain

[Perkil8r]

I would say Lunt 100% all the way. The quarks do seem good but I've never had a go with one. Whilst they do some great imaging with them I don't know how good they are visually. The Lunt 60 is a good scope, very good. The Coronado equivalent is not a patch on the Lunt having used both. The Coronado is also a hefty chunk of cash more!

 

I would think the 50 will be good. The Lunt Herschel is good but to be perfectly honest there is not much noticeable difference between the wedge and a decent quality glass solar filter. The only thing I would say is that Sunspot activity is starting to slow down now. There are more and more Sunspot free days appearing so the amount you will see in white light will start dropping off. That's not to say it's not worth doing, just I personally wouldn't get a wedge now, I'd wait for the next cycle to come around because the good quality glass filters will give you a decent enough start. I'd look out for a second hand Lunt 60 or see if you can have a go with the 50. There's almost always something worth seeing in Ha

 

I would avoid Coronado though, the focusers are rubbish and the sweet spot on the 60 is ridiculous. The PST though does show a decent image visually but nowhere near the same quality as the Lunt which has a much narrower bandpass.

[philjay]

Ive looked through the quark and was more or oess in the same quandry as you are at the mo Dave. Do I go for tge quark or lunt. I eventually decided on a lunt 50 due to it being more affordable but there wasnt any to be had due to supply difficulties. I then went for the 60 due to it being more available.

The tilt tuned 60 is cheaper than the pressure tuned, thats what I went for and I must admit to liking it as it doesnt drift over time,temp or pressure like the pt ones. I can tune it, observe, store it for a few days or weeks depending on the weather and its still on tune next time I take it out. Just one less thing to fiddkle with.

Sent from my GT-P3110 using Tapatalk

[+Ibbo]

the thing with the daystar is the x5 barlow thats fitted in it .

Yes I know he said 50 but the 60 is far better if big if you can run to it

[Guest]

I've never tried the Quark or a Lunt. I've looked through the Coranado 60 and 70 and they're great. I've been hoping to improve on my PST for ages but been too poor.

[+TasKiNG]

Thanks for all the help & advice.

I think I'm going to wait until I can afford the Lunt 60 with the tilt tuner. 

 

 

[+Ibbo]

good decision

 

or this

 

http://www.astrobuysell.com/uk/propview.php?view=116728

[Brantuk]

Just FYI in case you weren't aware - the LS50 has a helical focuser. I've never tried it so can't comment on whether it's good, bad or just ok - but thought it worth drawing to your attention - could be a deal breaker.

[+TasKiNG]

1 hour ago, Ibbo said:

good decision

 

or this

 

http://www.astrobuysell.com/uk/propview.php?view=116728

 

Thanks Steve. I'll hang on until I can afford a shiny new 60

 

1 hour ago, Brantuk said:

Just FYI in case you weren't aware - the LS50 has a helical focuser. I've never tried it so can't comment on whether it's good, bad or just ok - but thought it worth drawing to your attention - could be a deal breaker.

 

Thanks I wasn't aware of that. The pic I looked at seemed to show a Crayford but the specification does say helical >> CLICK <<

Edited August 30, 2016 by TasKiNG

[+Ibbo]

good call

 

 

[philjay]

Ah yes, I forgot about the 50s focuser, not the most useable focuser but it works. The 60 focuser isnt the nest quality but If you dont hang a ton of camera or ep on it, its ok.

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[+Ibbo]

how about

http://www.astrobuysell.com/uk/propview.php?view=116742

[+Bino-viewer]

You can really push the boat out with the Lunt 60 and go for a Feathertouch focuser and /or double stack option

if you fancy parting with £3K or so......

Crazy money if you ask me. 

[Brantuk]

I replaced the standard focuser for a Moonlite on my LS60 - solves all problems observational and photographical - and for a very respectable price from RVO. The Feathertouch was a bit of overkill I felt - though I do have FT on two other scopes. Certainly a Moonlite is a good future upgrade to consider.

[+TasKiNG]

1 hour ago, Ibbo said:

how about

http://www.astrobuysell.com/uk/propview.php?view=116742

 

Thanks Steve. I was so close to buying that but its a lot of money for something I don't know the history of so I'm going to save the extra for new one.  

[Guest]

I saw a Coronado 60 on Amazon for $500.

 

Much as I've enjoyed my PST, I think it's underwhelming compared to many of the recent images I've seen. New PSTs cost £600+. To be fair, I haven't tried a newer one, as I think they have a narrower bandpass. I would say a 2nd hand Coronado 60 or 70 would be a good buy if budget is a problem.