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dlakar
journeyman
Reged: 01/05/08
Posts: 6
Loc: Washington
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is there a cheap way to get Coronado type views from a large telescope? I had an off axis solar filter for my 8" Schmidt (white light filter). it was cool but nothing like a Coronado. Can you get a small 2" or so lense that you could install into a dust cover, off-axis style? Or could you adapt a PST to a large scope, by removing the lenses and adapting them off-axis?
I know you are probably going to say just use the PST .... I guess it's a combination of limited funds, and aperture fever.
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Howlt
sage
Reged: 02/14/07
Posts: 345
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Thousandoaks makes an ERF and a BF for large scopes. I'm not familar with it. Lunt Solar Systems, a new company might have a filter. I believe it is hard to place a Coronado filter at the end of a Schmidt, but not impossible. Others in this forum will be able to give you better advice. We are not allowed to discus modifying PSTs.
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BYoesle
Pooh-Bah
Reged: 06/12/04
Posts: 1199
Loc: Goldendale, WA USA
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Any of the objective mounted filters (Coronado, Solar Scope, Lunt) could be used with a SCT very easily with an off axis adapter plate. Due to the long focal length, you will need a larger blocking filter (i.e. you need a Coronado BF30 for an 8" SCT).
The eyepiece-end H alpha filters -- Daystar and Solar Spectrum, are a little more difficult to optimize -- they require a "tilt plate" to normalize the light rays to the filter.
--------------------
Bob Yoesle 
You are a child of the universe,
no less than the trees and the stars...
And whether or not it is clear to you,
no doubt the universe is unfolding as it should.
Desiderata
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dlakar
journeyman
Reged: 01/05/08
Posts: 6
Loc: Washington
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Point of intrest I went to an observatory in Hawaii and the resident "astronomer" had a PST. He said that they broke two mirrors on thier 12" schmidt by looking at the sun with a filter at the eyepiece. The heat was too much for teh primary. I think they learned thier lesson. by the way, the PST was really cool! I think I'll buy one, someone told me that there is a sale this month - $100 off. the eyepiece was a bit small
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BYoesle
Pooh-Bah
Reged: 06/12/04
Posts: 1199
Loc: Goldendale, WA USA
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I doubt they were using a H alpha system designed for use with their scope. Sounds like they actually may have cooked and cracked the secondary mirror by attempting to use the telescope full aperture for white light observation. I don't think the primary would be that affected by pointing the scope at the sun, but the secondary and other optics down stream definitely would be at risk for thermal stress.
They were lucky that the mirrors cracked first, and not the "eyepiece filter" while some unsuspecting person was attempting to view through the instrument. That it happened in the first place indicates lack of knowledge of the observatory personnel when it comes to solar observing. That it may have happened a second time would clearly indicate gross negligence.
--------------------
Bob Yoesle
You are a child of the universe,
no less than the trees and the stars...
And whether or not it is clear to you,
no doubt the universe is unfolding as it should.
Desiderata
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