Solar Telescope Assistance

[starquest]

Well I have been bitten by the solar viewing bug and I am thinking about buying a solar scope. I am looking at either the Lunt LS 60T/PT/B600, LS 60T/PT/B1200 or the Solarmax II 60 with BF15. Any recommendations? I was also looking at the PST and Lunt 35 but was worried that I would buy them and regret not going up to the next level. I am interested in viewing right now but may want to do imaging down the road. I am looking for any input and value the forum members comments and assistance.

[trwinship]

I saw where you've posted on the CN site (that was you, wasn't it?) and have gotten a lot of responses in favor of the Lunt scopes. I have the Solarmax II 60mm BF15 so I'll chime in here: visually, you will enjoy either Lunt or Coronado scopes and can safely buy based on your local price and availability--neither is in good supply right now but things should be improving. Although both brands of scope can be used for fine imaging, the Lunt seems to have the advantage due to pressure tuning of the etalon (no "sweet spot") and a focusing system that is more camera-friendly than the Coronado sliding tube-helical focuser. Customer service is better for the Lunt scopes--I hope things are improving but Meade/Coronado has acquired a reputation for poor customer service.

Is a 60 mm scope better than the 40mm PST or 35 mm Lunt? I don't have the Lunt but I do have a 40mm Coronado MaxScope. Side by side with my 60mm SolarMaxII, the 60mm scope is not an order of magnitude better than the 40mm scope. These comparisons can be a bit invidious because optical qualities of these scopes, being all essentially hand-made, can apparently vary some. PSTs, for example, have the reputation for the odd really superior performer. So, in the end it really comes down to personal preference, pricing, and availability. How badly do you want a scope?

[Samo]

Thaank you

[Larryp]

If you want to do photography, you should not buy The Lunt B600. The 1200 is fine

[Christo]

Larryp What is the difference between the B600 to the B1200 in terms of photos?

[Larryp]

Christo-Lunt say their B600 is visual only, and the B1200 is visual AND photographic. Difference is in the diagonal

[Christo]

Thanks, I was looking at the 2 but i didn't read that part I guess.