Thomas Ashcraft
super member
Reged: 12/10/07
Posts: 150
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Greetings solar observers.
I would like to see some solar images and read reviews or first hand accounts of Daystar's Solaredi telescopes. Is anyone here using this scope?
Thanks in advance for your replies.
Thomas Ashcraft
http://www.heliotown.com/Radio_Sun_Introduction.html
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Ralph Marantino
Postmaster
Reged: 05/01/05
Posts: 6350
Loc: Old Bridge, New Jersey
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I looked thru one at NEAF and the Greenbank Starquest.I will just wait for my Lunt too much money for 35mm .The OTA tube is way oversized to give the impression that you are getting more than you actuallly are.When Dell died I got out of the Daystar users group.I am very glad that I only have 1,300.00 invested in Coronado/Meade Solar stuff.
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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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MZ AO DK
Vendor (Astro Optics)
Reged: 11/07/08
Posts: 5
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Hi Thomas,
This answer is a bit late, but I think you should have it anyway.
I only have had very limited chance to use the 35mm 0.5A Penta SolaREDi, and this was under less than good conditions, so I'm not going to comment on it's performance, and I don't have any solar images. It will have to wait. (It did show prominences and surface details, but it will work better under the right conditions).
However, one big difference one notice when using the SolaREDi is the full 35 mm aperture all through the telescope, that makes the telescope more like a typical refractor.
Other solar telescopes has narrow blocking filters right in front of the eyepiece, (some only marginal larger than the solar image), and you have to choose the right eyepiece in order to get a good clean image.
The SolaREDi is different. In this telescope, the complete ''h-alpha filter unit'' is placed in the upper end of the telescope. There is no narrow blocking filter in front of the eyepiece. It makes a big difference, in my opinion.
And now the big news:
The 35mm SolaREDi has been replaced by the new 60mm SolaREDi.
This is a completely new h-alpha scope with 60mm aperture, with 1375mm focal length and with a 2'' dual speed Moonlite focuser.
I'm very excited about this new telescope and look forward to use it when it arrives.
Check out the DayStar web page to se for your self, if you are interested.
Best regards
Mogens Zachariasen
Astro Optics - Denmark
DayStar Dealer.
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colinsk
Carpal Tunnel
Reged: 01/17/08
Posts: 2170
Loc: CA
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Thank you for that! I knew when I saw the mechanicals that there would be a larger version. I was not able to get Jen to tell me for sure though.
http://www.daystarfilters.com/SolaREDi/SolaREDiAlpha.shtml
http://www.daystarfilters.com/SolaREDi_Images/SolaREDiAlphaImage.shtml
Very nice. That is starting to be in the price range of the Lunt LS60s...
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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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Jim Rosenstock
Post Laureate
Reged: 07/14/05
Posts: 4139
Loc: MD, south of the DC Nebula
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That's an attractive-looking scope, I must say. Can I assume this is a 60mm objective with a 35mm internal etalon?
It will indeed be interesting to see how these compete with Lunts.
Jim
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colinsk
Carpal Tunnel
Reged: 01/17/08
Posts: 2170
Loc: CA
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From what I can sort out on the web site and from past communications with Jen, It is a 60mm aperture with 35mm blockers and 35mm unheated tiltable mica etalon. So any diagonal or even straight through would work. This makes photography very attractive. It is about $500 more than the Lunts but they are shipping in 0 to 2 weeks! And they also have a .3A option.
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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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michaeloconnell
scholastic sledgehammer
Reged: 08/18/03
Posts: 978
Loc: Ireland
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That 0.5A one looks very interesting!
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Michael
www.astroshot.com
...too many scopes, few clear skies....
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Jeff Young
Post Laureate
Reged: 08/04/05
Posts: 4324
Loc: Ireland
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Is that the tilt adjustment behind the focuser? If so, that'd be a really nice feature on an even bigger scope....
But you've got to love DayStar's direction: that whole fuss with f/30 light paths and heaters had to be denting their sales. It'll be interesting to see if this new line works out better for them.
And since the etalon isn't changing size, a 100mm version shouldn't be that much more money as a percentage (at least in the 0.5 and 0.3 bandwidth sizes).
Cheers,
-- Jeff.
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Nikon 18x70s / UA Millennium Colorado:
Solarscope SF70 / TV Pronto / AP400QMD Coronado SolarMax40 DS / Bogen 055+3130
APM MC1610 / Tak FC-125 / AP1200GTO Tak Mewlon 250 / AP600EGTO
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colinsk
Carpal Tunnel
Reged: 01/17/08
Posts: 2170
Loc: CA
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At least when Dell was still with DayStar they were at their production limit. I think Jen is doing a great job of expanding manufacturing. With expanded manufacturing, finding an expanded market is a requirement.
I agree there is not reason to keep the limit at 60mm. However when you start to exceed about 120mm then the etalon needs to be made larger in order to keep a full disk view. It would be silly to stop at 60mm. I was interested to notice that the 35mm is no longer on the website.
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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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Jim Rosenstock
Post Laureate
Reged: 07/14/05
Posts: 4139
Loc: MD, south of the DC Nebula
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Quote:
With expanded manufacturing, finding an expanded market is a requirement.
Indeed.
There's certainly an expanded interest in H-alpha viewing, but I sometimes wonder what the effect of our contracting economy will have on this still-niche market.
It's exciting to see such healthy competition in this market--here's hoping there's plenty of market for all to share!
Jim
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MZ AO DK
Vendor (Astro Optics)
Reged: 11/07/08
Posts: 5
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Hi Jeff,
You asked: Is that the tilt adjustment behind the focuser?
Answer:
On the 35mm SolaREDi, the front end has a slight angle compared to the tube, and the tilt adjustment is done by turning the front end.
I expect that it will be the same on the 60mm SolREDi.
Mogens Zachariasen
Astro Optics - Denmark
DayStar Dealer
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Jeff Young
Post Laureate
Reged: 08/04/05
Posts: 4324
Loc: Ireland
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Thanks Mogens.
The etalon must be tilted as well so the front end tilt can either cancel that out, double it, or anything in between. Cool.
-- Jeff.
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Nikon 18x70s / UA Millennium Colorado:
Solarscope SF70 / TV Pronto / AP400QMD Coronado SolarMax40 DS / Bogen 055+3130
APM MC1610 / Tak FC-125 / AP1200GTO Tak Mewlon 250 / AP600EGTO
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colinsk
Carpal Tunnel
Reged: 01/17/08
Posts: 2170
Loc: CA
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Because mica etalons are very temperature sensitive you would need to be able to tilt the etalon or have it in an oven. Mica etalons are never doublestacked. The surface quality can be made so high that a single etalon can be made to .2A. That is better than lamda/200!
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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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Jim Rosenstock
Post Laureate
Reged: 07/14/05
Posts: 4139
Loc: MD, south of the DC Nebula
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Quote:
Because mica etalons are very temperature sensitive you would need to be able to tilt the etalon or have it in an oven. Mica etalons are never doublestacked. The surface quality can be made so high that a single etalon can be made to .2A. That is better than lamda/200!
So where's the difference between a .2A piece of mica and a .7A piece?? Somebody's skill (luck?) with a cleaver? The quality of the piece of mica they're working with? The coating process? Other arcane procedures? 
Inquiring minds want to know...
Jim
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colinsk
Carpal Tunnel
Reged: 01/17/08
Posts: 2170
Loc: CA
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As far as I know, and I am an outsider, you get the perfect piece of mica that happens to cleave perfectly and has low scatter, then your experience gets you two perfect cleaves, one on each side and at the right thickness to hit your FSR, then you recognize this before the coating process and choose the highest reflectivity coatings you can apply. Well above 90% reflectivity.
Then you test it on the optical bench for uniformity and bandpass. If all looks good you then build it into a filter and sun test it.
If it is not flat enough the bandpass is degraded in local areas and you se it as a sweet spot that is shaped like the terraces of the mica and rotates with the filter. Also, differences in the .01 nm range influence the temperature that the etalon is on band. For a TEC controled oven this is not as important but for a non-heated etalon this sets the teperature vs tilt of the etalon. The fact that DayStar can quote a temperature operating range means they have this thickness figured out pretty well.
Mind you, this is just guessing here as I have never cleaved a piece of mica. Well, when I was a kid we used to take it from oven windows and cleave it for fun.
We talk about the Art and Luck of making etalons. It is wise to remember that luck favors the well prepared. While these guys make it look easy they have learned their crafts from much trial and error. Starting from scratch would be a multi-year learning curve.
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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
Edited by colinsk (11/10/08 12:33 PM)
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Jim Rosenstock
Post Laureate
Reged: 07/14/05
Posts: 4139
Loc: MD, south of the DC Nebula
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Quote:
We talk about the Art and Luck of making etalons. It is wise to remember that luck favors the well prepared.
Oh, without a doubt. It just strikes me, the wonderful combination of high-tech and Black Art that's involved...
Thanks BTW for your layman-level explanations... 
Jim
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stephenramsden
Carpal Tunnel
Reged: 08/17/07
Posts: 1622
Loc: Atlanta, GA--USA
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OK, so I just ordered a .5A daystar solaredi 60mm to see how it works. It looked awesome. Pete at Daystar says he is looking at it now and will test and ship by the end of the week.
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Stephen W. Ramsden
Atlanta, GA--USA
NASA SOLAR SYSTEM AMBASSADOR
www.solarastrophotography.com
www.SolarScopeReviews.com
www.stephenramsden.com
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astroshot
newbie
Reged: 08/27/08
Posts: 2
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Cool.
Look forward to hearing about it.
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Jim Rosenstock
Post Laureate
Reged: 07/14/05
Posts: 4139
Loc: MD, south of the DC Nebula
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Quote:
OK, so I just ordered a .5A daystar solaredi 60mm to see how it works. It looked awesome. Pete at Daystar says he is looking at it now and will test and ship by the end of the week.
I figured somebody on this forum would jump for one of these. Whooo-hooo! (_8(|)
Looking forward to your reports and photos. 
Jim
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colinsk
Carpal Tunnel
Reged: 01/17/08
Posts: 2170
Loc: CA
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That is fast service!
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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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