Javier
sage
Reged: 05/03/09
Posts: 434
Loc: New Jersey
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I'm not sure if I should be post here or in the reflector forum so my apologize if I posted in the wrong forum. In any event I'd like to start Lunar Observing. I'm using a 12" Meade Lightbridge and either Televue Plossol's or TV Radians. The few times I pointed my LB at the moon I was almost blinded even though I used a moon filter. Are there darker neutral density filters available than the stock Moon filters?
Thanks,
Javier
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bkruschwitz
member
Reged: 04/15/09
Posts: 40
Loc: Waco, TX
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Javier,
Try a variable polarizing filter--basically two linear polarizing filters that rotate independently. (You can adjust it from 1 to 40% according to the Orion Web site.) I use mine when I'm at lower magnifications.
Bob
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Orion XT8
Hyperion 8x24 zoom
Bushnell Legend 8x42
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desertstars
Please stand by...
Reged: 11/05/03
Posts: 34598
Loc: Tucson, AZ
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I agree completely with Bob's suggestion. The VPF will make moonwatching at low to medium magnifications comfortable enough that you can take your time making observations. This is important, because the longer you look the more details you will see. And with a 12" Lightbridge, you are going to see a lot of detail! 
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Tom W.
Collinder's Catalog
Jewels in Dark Settings
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starrancher
professor emeritus
Reged: 06/09/09
Posts: 620
Loc: Northern Arizona
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I personally don't like the variable filters , but this is just personal pref . I have three Meade ND96 filters that are said to deliver 13 percent light transmission . Depending on the phase of the Moon that I am viewing , I go anywhere from not using a filter at all , to stacking all three of them together .
High power magnification will dim the view also & leaving a white light on nearby is another trick as your eyes will tend not to dark adapt as much .
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LXD75 AR5
LXD75 SN8
Series 4000 Plossls
Misc. other stuff
Fort Rock , Az .
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Javier
sage
Reged: 05/03/09
Posts: 434
Loc: New Jersey
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Here's a stupid question. One section of the variable polarizing filter is crewed onto the EP while the other section rotates. How the heck do I rotate the filter if it's inside the focuser?
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desertstars
Please stand by...
Reged: 11/05/03
Posts: 34598
Loc: Tucson, AZ
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Hardly a stupid question at all. I put the filter on the eyepiece, then look through the eyepiece at the Moon, dialing the filter around until the light dims noticeably. Then I put the eyepiece into the telescope. When I first started working with a VPF I needed to repeat the process a few times. Now I usually get the right setting the first try. It takes a bit of practice.
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Tom W.
Collinder's Catalog
Jewels in Dark Settings
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Carl Kolchak
professor emeritus
Reged: 08/02/06
Posts: 549
Loc: Northeast, Florida
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Hi Javier,
When I use my 8" SVP to view the Moon I feel blinded too. I purchased two GSO 1.25" polarizing filters from Agena Astro for $20. I place one on the eyepiece and one on the diagonal. Then I just turn the eyepiece in the diagonal without disturbing my view. Works fine for me.
peace & clear skies,
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Richard H.
Antares 105mm f/9.5 Elite Series Refractor
AstroTelescopes 102mm f/7 Refractor
Orion ShortTube 90mm f/5.6 Refractor
Meade Model 300 80mm f/15 Refractor
Tasco Cosmic 6TE-5 50mm f/12 Refractor
Orion SkyView Pro 8" Intelliscope
Orion Scenix 10x50 Binoculars
Zhumell SuperGiant 20x80 binoculars
NightSky Journal
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Javier
sage
Reged: 05/03/09
Posts: 434
Loc: New Jersey
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Hey Carl,
It's a good idea but I have a DOB so there's no diagonal. 
Jav
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Carl Kolchak
professor emeritus
Reged: 08/02/06
Posts: 549
Loc: Northeast, Florida
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Oopps! Sorry about that, Javier.
peace & clear skies,
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Richard H.
Antares 105mm f/9.5 Elite Series Refractor
AstroTelescopes 102mm f/7 Refractor
Orion ShortTube 90mm f/5.6 Refractor
Meade Model 300 80mm f/15 Refractor
Tasco Cosmic 6TE-5 50mm f/12 Refractor
Orion SkyView Pro 8" Intelliscope
Orion Scenix 10x50 Binoculars
Zhumell SuperGiant 20x80 binoculars
NightSky Journal
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Tim L
professor emeritus
Reged: 12/17/08
Posts: 565
Loc: Austin, TX
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Javier,
I put a few dots of white-out on the side of my var. polarizer so I can see at a glance what my current setting is. Makes it easy to dial it up or back a notch.
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Tim
Zhumell Z10 dob
Meade 60mm refractor
Zhumell 1.25" eyepiece and filter kit
Zhumell sky-glow, UHC, and OIII filters
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joelimite
sage
Reged: 09/01/08
Posts: 235
Loc: Fayetteville, AR
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That's a great idea, Tim. I always have trouble dialing in the right setting on my variable polarizer and have to rely on trial and error.
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Orion XT8 Dob w/ Moonlite 2-speed Crayford focuser, Vixen A80MF w/ GSO 2-speed Crayford and Porta Mount
32mm Televue Plossl, 31mm Hyperion Aspheric, 24mm Meade SWA, 17,13,8mm Hyperions, 6,5,4mm TMB Planetary, 5mm Baader Genuine Ortho
Garrett Optical 20x80 UL Binoculars, Nikon Action Extreme 10x50 Binoculars
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Uwe Pilz
super member
Reged: 05/16/08
Posts: 173
Loc: Leipzig, Germany
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I use a stron green filter for lunar observing. The monochromatic light reduces some kind of optical abberations. Green filters are better than red ones because of the better resolution at shorter wave length.
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Uwe Pilz from Leipzig, Germany. Astronomical pages (in german, but easy to navigate)
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revans
Carpal Tunnel
Reged: 09/26/05
Posts: 1517
Loc: Fitchburg, MA
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Yes... but if you observe always near the terminator where the detail is best.. maybe a filter is not as necessary. Where it may be helpful is near or at full moon when you look at the mid interior portion. But at the terminator area where the "action" usually is... here you likely will not need a filter with a 12 inch scope... at least I don't...
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Rick Evans
http://www.freewebs.com/revans_01420/
"The universe is there for us to see, but it cannot be understood without learning its language -- mathematics." Galileo Galilei
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Javier
sage
Reged: 05/03/09
Posts: 434
Loc: New Jersey
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I'll give a green filter a shot. My eyes are very sensitive to light so a even viewing the terminator with my 12" is blinding. However, as of Monday night I learned that I don't need a heck of a lot of aperture for lunar observations. I used my daughters 80mm f/6.25 refractor with a moon filter it worked great. I'll just need to get my hands on a 8 & 6 MM Radians as the focal length is 500mm so the magnification was too low for me.
Javier
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EdTheEdge
super member
Reged: 04/10/09
Posts: 140
Loc: Lomita, CA
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My Lumicon 25 Neutral Density filter works like a charm during all phases.
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Scopes:
Celestron SP-C6 F/5
Orion ST80 F/5
Orion 90mm F/10.1
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Mount:
Vixen Super Polaris
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Eyepieces:
Orion 25mm Sirius Plössl
Orion 15mm Expanse
Orion 10mm Ultrascopic
Orion 7.5mm HightLight Plössl
GSO 2X Barlow
Lumicon ND25
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Torrance,CA
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