Binoviewing with Baader Herschel Wedge

[+Bino-viewer]

Hi guys.

 

This is not so much a DIY self mod, but rather a conversion.

I've just taken delivery of a Baader Herschel solar-wedge. This enables safe white light solar viewing for refractor telescopes only, without the need

for an external filter on the front of the scope.

 

From the outset, i've intended to use my bino-viewer on the wedge. Indeed, i'm now doing 100% of my astronomy with both eyes. 

 

The wedge is built like a tank, but has a rather large 2" clickstop eyepiece holder. A nice feature, but to use a bino-viewer it must be removed to have any hope of reaching focus. This alone gives me back 47mm of precious back-focus.

Fortunately, Baader supply a suitable adapter to easily convert the wedge. The adapter is simply a threaded (internally and externally) 2" filter holder on one side, with a T2 thread on the other. Like all things Baader, its beautifully made and engineered. (and costs €29)

 

Heres a few words and photos of the conversion process :

 

1. Unscrew the 2" Clickstop eyepiece holder. Then remove the 2 (ND3 , Continuum) filters from the internal  thread.

2. Screw the filters on to the adapter.

3. Insert adapter (with filters) back into wedge.

4. Attach Baader quick changer to T2 thread, ready to take bino-viewer. Done. Easy, even for me.

 

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The last images show the new shortened wedge loaded up with my Mk V binoviewer, and 24Pans, ready to go.

 

But will i reach focus....? I hope so....lol 

The combined length of wedge and Mk V is a not too inconsiderable 210mm. It also weighs a hefty 1.85kg on the focuser (with eyepieces)

To reach focus with binoviewers, a GPC (barlow type lens) is used and with the Mk V both my 1.25 & 1.7x GPCs screw into the binoviewer itself, rather than a diagonal (not an option with the wedge) if i was to use my Maxbright bino.

 

I'll report my findings in a first light solar report in due course.

Also ought to mention here some important bits :

 

A SOLAR HERSCHEL WEDGE IS FOR REFRACTORS ONLY (NOT SCTs, MAKs etc)

The Baader solar wedge design, takes away 95% of the suns energy away. But the 5% remaining is still 1000 TIMES TOO BRIGHT FOR VISUAL OBSERVATION !!!!

 

A ND3 filter is then used to make the sun safe to view.

NEVER USE A WEDGE WITHOUT THE ND3 FILTER IN PLACE, OR ELSE....

(The solar continuum filter which gives extra contrast can be removed, but NEVER the ND3)

 

Hope i've made that all clear, if anyones thinking of going down the Herschel wedge route. Safety first, and of course, a thorough read of the instruction manual  !!

 

Finally, i must admit to buying this wedge with the March 20th eclipse in mind.

 

You can guarantee it will now be cloudy on 20.03.15 and you'll know who to blame.....

 

Clear skys, Rob.

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Tweedledee]

Looks superb Rob. A fitting match to all the rest of your top class equipment

Looking forward to your first light report.

[Perkil8r]

Nice job. I have the same issues with imaging with the Lunt version. I need to look at a way to do something similar to this.