Daniel Mounsey
Vendor - Woodland Hils
Reged: 06/12/02
Posts: 3200
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Just thought I'd share some constructive thoughts on a comparison I just conducted with my friend June. The first dedicated Lunt scope we tested about a month ago had been damaged during shipping and prevented us from doing a proper evaluation. I now have a new unit for testing. I called my buddy June and said Man, you gotta come see this. First off, both of these scopes are nicely made. The Lunt was a 50mm filter system including a B600 while attached to a Vixen 80mmED refractor. The Coronado is just 40mm using a BF10 in conjunction with Coronado's own optical system. The Lunt has a slight aperture advantage and it also has no central obstruction to contend with like the SM40. From a physical standpoint, the SM40 is quite small compared to the Lunt, making the SM40 more portable but remember that the size of LUNT will also depend on what kind of adapter plate you use. This means the Lunt could potentially be quite portable depending on the scope you use it with.
June and I used various magnifications on both scopes side by side but regardless, the LUNT consistently prevailed. One of the things that really surprised me about the Lunt was the contrast and the image was extremely sharp. The back ground was literally black with no red, light scatter around the limb. This surprised me because I usually see it this way when the systems are double stacked in comparison and this was just a single stack. With that said, I think that good refractive optics play an important part here as well but I think the Lunt system also made it that much better. June completely agreed and he has a very critical eye.
The SM40 performed pretty well in comparison but the image was slightly softer by about 15% in my visual estimation when compared to the LUNT and it was also obviously dimmer (40mm vs. 50mm/no obstruction). There were also two beautiful prominence features at about a 3 o'clock position that were more clear in the LUNT system and we could discern tiny spicules along the limb. The surface detail was more obvious in the LUNT and it looked like a furry tarantula. I have an SM60 and I'll compare that next for fun and we'll see what happens. I will also attempt to set up another SM40 with a Televue Pronto and see what happens but for this comparison, the Lunt won hands down.
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Daniel Mounsey
Vendor - Woodland Hils
Reged: 06/12/02
Posts: 3200
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another pic
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Daniel Mounsey
Vendor - Woodland Hils
Reged: 06/12/02
Posts: 3200
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I'll try and post the SM60 on Monday and compare the two.
Clear Skies!
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Mark Strollo
member
Reged: 03/20/06
Posts: 35
Loc: Waterford, CT
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Thank you Dan.
A lot of us were waiting for something like this.
Looking forward to Monday's post.
Mark
LS60T50DSFT1200 on order
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Mark
Lunt LS60THaDS BP1200/FT
100/800 refractor
10 in F5 Dob
88mm RA Binos
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Ralph Marantino
Postmaster
Reged: 05/01/05
Posts: 6330
Loc: Old Bridge, New Jersey
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Thanks a million
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Lunt H-alpha LS100THa/B3400
Rockland Astronomy Club
Member BAA Solar Section
Central Appalachian Astronomy Club
Astronomical League
DSPST,PST & 70mm Coronado Cal K telescope.2.2A
Zeiss 2 inch prism diagonal&Zeiss Zoom EP
2inch APM Herschel Wedge in a 94mm F7 Brandon
14.5 inch f4.2 Starmaster Dob(Zambuto mirror)
TeleView Genisis SDF with 1000 Oaks Glass filter
Zeiss 63mm f13.5 refractor 1000 Oaks Glass filter
Itty Bitty Solar Radio Telescope.
LHRIES Lite Solar Spectrometer
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colinsk
Carpal Tunnel
Reged: 01/17/08
Posts: 2150
Loc: CA
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Thank you for the report!
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Mahalo,
Colin Kaminski
Coulter 10.1" Dobsonian
TV-76/Baader Film White Light
LS60T/DS50/FT/BF1200
LDX-75
AT Voyager
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soreneck
scholastic sledgehammer
Reged: 04/01/06
Posts: 920
Loc: Toronto, Canada
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Thank you very much for your thorough and informative post! I have been lurking in the Solar forum for months now, and have been waiting for just such a lucid, straightforward review. (I have pre-ordered a pair of Lunt 50mm double-stacked front filters and BF600.)
I'm also interested to hear your comparison with the SM60.
Thanks again,
Adam
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Adam
WO 110 FLT / WO 66 Triplet
QHY9 / Modified Canon 450D
SkyWatcher EQ-6 Pro
Backyard (urban) roll-off observatory
One small but fearless dog (observing companion)
my astrophotos on flickr
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Jim Rosenstock
Post Laureate
Reged: 07/14/05
Posts: 3716
Loc: MD, south of the DC Nebula
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MANY thanks for the first light review and scope comparison!
I sure prefer actual observing reports to speculation. Hope there will be many more to come!
Sunny skies,
Jim
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Daniel Mounsey
Vendor - Woodland Hils
Reged: 06/12/02
Posts: 3200
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Hey thanks alot guys, I'm glad I could help. I think it will be important to keep as open a mind as possible and offer costructive feedback on both scopes. I have the SM60 setup with the Televue Pronto already. All I have to do is pull them both out again and they're ready to go. I'll take picture of both scopes side by side and see what happens. I don't have a 75 Lunt in my hands yet but it will certainly be interesting to compare them all. Hope this helps.
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Zhengyi
member
Reged: 12/28/04
Posts: 60
Loc: Ontario, Canada
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Thanks so much. I've been waiting for a review like this for a long time >.< I can't wait to hear the next report.
Thanks again and may the clear skies be with you =)
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TMB 115/805 LW / GP-DX
William Optics 80mm SD / Alt-Az 3
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Daniel
scholastic sledgehammer
Reged: 06/16/05
Posts: 908
Loc: Roscoe,IL
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I am curious... now that people are on board with Lunt... will the value of a pst go down due to the demand and all the talk about how much better they perform side by side, or will this just up the ante' on the makers of pst's to make a better model that is more affordable?
I doubt that will happen but wishful thinking.
I never really did compare the two's cost differences in about the same type... size,ap. ect. I figure right now the lunt's are typically a little more costly right now.
Off to check the prices!
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Looking for a big ol Dobsonian..12-16"
ETX 70mm,F5
Bushnell 7-21x40 bino's
Barska 20x80mm Binos
Meade Video Eyepiece
Canon A-E1 SLR,Canon EOS ElanII
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NickH
Post Laureate
Reged: 05/09/06
Posts: 3717
Loc: Wiltshire, UK (near StoneHenge...
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At last...
Thank you, very good comparison and review
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Sol
Carpal Tunnel
Reged: 08/20/07
Posts: 1958
Loc: Powys, Wales, UK
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Yes, great reading a detailed review at last and good to hear that contrast and sharpness quality is high with the Lunt. Looking forward to your other comparison reviews. Thanks, Mark
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Visit the Sunnymeade Astro Solar Blog
http://sunnymeadeastro.blogspot.com/
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Bill Cowles
Pooh-Bah
Reged: 04/16/06
Posts: 1045
Loc: Utah
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Alright! 
Bill
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Lunt LS60TS50DS/B1200/FT (on order)
TV Gensis/Solarmax 60 filter
PST DS/Herschel Wedge/C4-R
C6-R /Atlas Goto/Moonlite CF2
12" LightBridge/Round Table
MCHP/8" Orion OTA/Ultima 2000
10" Discovery /Celestron SE-4
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Jim Rosenstock
Post Laureate
Reged: 07/14/05
Posts: 3716
Loc: MD, south of the DC Nebula
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Quote:
I am curious... now that people are on board with Lunt... will the value of a pst go down due to the demand and all the talk about how much better they perform side by side, or will this just up the ante' on the makers of pst's to make a better model that is more affordable?
Well, the basic Lunt 50mm filter alone is $700, and their basic 60mm dedicated Solar scope is $900, while the basic PST's regular price is $600, on sale now for $500.
So the Lunt "entry-level" is definitely at a higher price point than the PST; we have certainly assumed (hoped, prayed) that the Lunt's performance would be noticeably better.
Some think the current Coronado sale is in direct anticipation of Lunt's emergence on the market. But I don't expect to see PST performance or pricing changing significantly. Many people are very, very happy with their PSTs, and, at the $500 price point, it's the ONLY choice.
Sunny skies,
Jim
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Daniel
scholastic sledgehammer
Reged: 06/16/05
Posts: 908
Loc: Roscoe,IL
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""Many people are very, very happy with their PSTs, and, at the $500 price point, it's the ONLY choice.""
YES THATS TRUE!!!!!!
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Looking for a big ol Dobsonian..12-16"
ETX 70mm,F5
Bushnell 7-21x40 bino's
Barska 20x80mm Binos
Meade Video Eyepiece
Canon A-E1 SLR,Canon EOS ElanII
Edited by Daniel (07/14/08 08:06 AM)
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Ralph Marantino
Postmaster
Reged: 05/01/05
Posts: 6330
Loc: Old Bridge, New Jersey
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I would certainly be happy for life with my 1300 dollar DSPST if I could not afford anything bigger I get a lot out of it.
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Lunt H-alpha LS100THa/B3400
Rockland Astronomy Club
Member BAA Solar Section
Central Appalachian Astronomy Club
Astronomical League
DSPST,PST & 70mm Coronado Cal K telescope.2.2A
Zeiss 2 inch prism diagonal&Zeiss Zoom EP
2inch APM Herschel Wedge in a 94mm F7 Brandon
14.5 inch f4.2 Starmaster Dob(Zambuto mirror)
TeleView Genisis SDF with 1000 Oaks Glass filter
Zeiss 63mm f13.5 refractor 1000 Oaks Glass filter
Itty Bitty Solar Radio Telescope.
LHRIES Lite Solar Spectrometer
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Daniel Mounsey
Vendor - Woodland Hils
Reged: 06/12/02
Posts: 3200
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OK, I just got finished comparing the Coronado SM60/10 single stack attached to a Televue 70mm Pronto against the Lunt50 and I'll try and provide a photo later. I'm a bit pressed on time at this moment and wanted to at least follow through.
Regardless of magnification settings, the SM60 prevailed this time. The surface structure and prominence detail was noticeably more obvious in the SM60. The sharpness looked equal in both scopes. With that said, it sounds to me like both companies are doing a good job and the differences in aperture could be the difference with these filters and the Lunts are certainly a great deal from a cost standpoint. The Lunt still did very well and I think it's good that both companies have a good product. Sorry this is so short.
Clear skies! 
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astrosurf
Vendor
Reged: 02/13/08
Posts: 112
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Hi Daniel
Great first light review and will im sure put a lot of folks minds at rest as to product quality.
Your results are bang in line with dawes theory and the aperture of the instruments tested. Interesting that the 80mm EDSF seems a good match also for the 50mm filter system. That has to be one of the most popular scope types on the planet.
Thanks again for a simple concise review 
Richard Best
www.bestastroimages.co.uk
UK
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http://www.startelescopes.co.uk/
STAR TELESCOPES
01273 812926
Edited by astrosurf (07/15/08 01:40 AM)
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NickH
Post Laureate
Reged: 05/09/06
Posts: 3717
Loc: Wiltshire, UK (near StoneHenge...
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Indeed. Very good and concise insight Daniel, thanks for posting.
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