I tried my version of your setup today and I am impressed with the results of adding the Lunt 40mm etalon to a Quark. I am still playing with settings but I think this double stack setup is now my default setup. The adapter works great. I am using a PlayerOne Apollo M Max on both a 103mm f6.8 and a 150mm f8 scope. I am impressed with how well the Lunt 40mm works. It is a great scope for outreach. Thank you for doing this video.
Thank you. I have been using a Quark with my 150mm f8 refractor and have been very happy with it. Now you have me thinking about getting a 40mm Lunt and double stacking my 150mm. Your videos are great and have really helped me to do solar imaging.
Nice project with amazing results. I started with the Quark a couple of years ago and have since purchased the Lunt 100 back in February. I'm just now finding the sweet spot with my Lunt to bring in great results. I have my Explore Scientific AR127 just lying around I matched up with the Quark. This would make an interesting project for me to work on. I would just need the ERF and the Lunt 40 and piece it all together. Your project images are next level! Congrats on your results. Eddie
@@AZASTROGUY I have a follow-up question. Couldn't you just add the Quark to the back of your Lunt 100 to get the same results? Minus the Lunt Blocking Filter to help achieve focus? Lunt 100 > Focuser > Etalon > DS Etalon > UV/IR Filter > Quark > Tilter > Camera
Triple stack would be too much attenuation, especially with just 100mm. There’s a reason you can’t get a triple stack from Lunt, solar spectrum, or Daystar
Phenomenal images Mark. Very impresive building that setup but as you said I am not sure many will attempt to build a double stack. I would be afraid to buy the new Lunt only to take it apart, however, your over all price is cheaper than if you purchased the already made system since you already had the Tec. The main reason I went with a quark was I already had a perfectly good scope. Cheers
Amazing images. I have only recently started on solar and have a little Coronado PST but still find it a very accessible hobby, once you understand the imaging limitations of the PST. Its another avenue to pursue when the night time weather is bad. Love the 3-D effects on some of those images :)
Have you gone down to Tucson and toured the Lunt factory? I think Coronado may have been there as well, but I'm not sure what will happen to them with the Orion/Meade bankruptcy. You'd be a great person to act as one of their product testers being that you're so close and have a really good understanding of how to get the most out of the h-alpha equipment.
Yes I've been there many times and know Andy, Fay, Jennifer, Brian, etc. Coronado was founded by Andy's father, though Andy wrote most of their patents. After his non-compete with Coronado/Meade expired he started Lunt. Great company!
Does the second etalon being behind the blocking filter of the quark cause any issues in your system I would think you could get even better quality if you put the 40mm etalon before the quark. Im assuming you did this because it might make it harder to tune?
Adding the Lunt etalon adds about 40 in gain requirement to get the same histogram as the Quark alone. Putting the Lunt in front of the Quark does not work at all. The Quark needs to be the first etalon.
Thanks so much for sharing your amazing images, process and expertise. From time to time you use the word "seeing" in a technical sense I think e.g - "the sun's seeing changes". In this context does "seeing" mean the same as "visibility" or does it have a different meaning?
Seeing is an astronomical term that describes how steady the air is above you. There can be zero clouds but wind, jet stream etc can cause light to be refracted randomly, blurring images. That’s one reason they put observatorys on mountains
Thank you for the detailed explanation. Fantastic images, your effort definitely paid off! I wonder if, instead of using a quark, another lunt40 etalon is attached, would the results be similar?
Amazing! I would have thought that the light loss from the double stack etalons would make it almost impossible to get an image from. Just using the Quark cuts so much light. I have never used a lunt etalon, does it not cut the light to the same extent as the Quark? Do you have to max out the exposure and gain to get a workable fps? Very interesting.. thanks
Random request but if you are looking for content to make could you explain the use of a Barlow in the solar image train. I am still trying to wrap my head around camera pixel density and focal ratios so how is that affected. Why you need to use a Telecentric Barlow over a standard Barlow. Where and why you would use it and the pros v cons. Just putting it out there. You explain things very well and it is something I am still trying to work out.
Amazing video. It’s be so cool to see someone try filling a solar telescope with high purity helium gas (positive pressure) to reduce tube currents. Not sure if with your rejection filter how much heating is taking place internally but the sides of the tube might still be warming up enough to cause issues. Helium’s lower refractive index and higher thermal conductivity vs air has been shown in academic literature to reduce tube currents in a telescope, but in practice I don’t know of anyone that’s ever done it. Just a thought for a video/project idea!
I imagine the technical challenges of leakage might be significant (any mixing of helium and air will give terrible performance) but if you could pull it off it’d be very cool
Day star cromo have two models one with 4x balow and 6mm filter And nother with 12mm fiter they market it as sct model without balow What if we use sct modal with 😊 zwo 2600mono 😊 with askar 120 😊 and lunt 40😊 with energy rejection filter 😊😊😊 Will it too much bandwidth With sct modal we can get sun full image and with more wide filter (12mm) I think cromo sct model is better with solar prominence
If by ‘standard’ sun filter you mean a broadband filter you would likely see dim sunspots. No commercial nebula filter is narrow enough to shown solar Ha structures. You MUST have an etalon
Note: Your Svbony 220 is a night filter and NOT made for Solar Imaging!!! Please do research as looking at the Sun will destroy our eye's and very possible damage telescope and cameras! There are many good Forums on CL and UA-cam..
Another great video Mark. I've been using a used AT102 doublet (frankly I've been too afraid to use one of my premium scopes) with an ERF on front and a Daystar Quark chromosphere but I've always but I've always wanted to try a second ethalon. Would purchasing just Lunt's Double Stack 40mm ethalon with the RAF adapter have the same results? Also how difficult was it to remove the ERF on the stock Lunt ethalon?
That would work but it’s $695 vs $750 which is why I opted for the whole scope. Not hard to remove the ERF, but you will definitely void your warranty.
There is a note on the RAP adapter page that says the double stack etalon will not fit the adapter. It reads: NOTE: Lunt LS40FHa Front Mount 40mm Double Stack Solar Filter will NOT fit.
@@larrymatney52 Hi Larry. I used the basic single Lunt 40mm F10 telescope's etalon. A double stack combined with the Quark would make it far too dim anyway and unusable.
When we use telescope in night large aperture meaning high resolution But 100mm telescope and 160mm telescope borth are (if dubble stat) same bandwidth, same energy come to telescope (becouse 160 use energy rejection filter ) So why 160mm is better than 100
I thought that kind of image can only take by nasa 😮
Haha thanks!
Awesome video. I love the way you took random items and made it work. Thank you for sharing.
Wow, the images are sublime! So crisp & clear! Well done Mark! 👍👏👏👏
Many thanks!
Peak solar photography project! And amazing results with those images. Very well done!
I tried my version of your setup today and I am impressed with the results of adding the Lunt 40mm etalon to a Quark. I am still playing with settings but I think this double stack setup is now my default setup.
The adapter works great. I am using a PlayerOne Apollo M Max on both a 103mm f6.8 and a 150mm f8 scope.
I am impressed with how well the Lunt 40mm works. It is a great scope for outreach.
Thank you for doing this video.
Glad you got a great result! Have fun imaging!
Great D.I.Y solution and amazing photo results, good work!
Many thanks!
Thank you. I have been using a Quark with my 150mm f8 refractor and have been very happy with it. Now you have me thinking about getting a 40mm Lunt and double stacking my 150mm. Your videos are great and have really helped me to do solar imaging.
Adding the Lunt dramatically increases contrast compared to Quark alone
Thanks. You sold me and the pieces are on order.
Nice project with amazing results. I started with the Quark a couple of years ago and have since purchased the Lunt 100 back in February. I'm just now finding the sweet spot with my Lunt to bring in great results. I have my Explore Scientific AR127 just lying around I matched up with the Quark. This would make an interesting project for me to work on. I would just need the ERF and the Lunt 40 and piece it all together. Your project images are next level! Congrats on your results. Eddie
Thanks Eddie. It's been a fun journey, and I'm still learning.
@@AZASTROGUY I have a follow-up question. Couldn't you just add the Quark to the back of your Lunt 100 to get the same results? Minus the Lunt Blocking Filter to help achieve focus? Lunt 100 > Focuser > Etalon > DS Etalon > UV/IR Filter > Quark > Tilter > Camera
Triple stack would be too much attenuation, especially with just 100mm. There’s a reason you can’t get a triple stack from Lunt, solar spectrum, or Daystar
Phenomenal images Mark. Very impresive building that setup but as you said I am not sure many will attempt to build a double stack. I would be afraid to buy the new Lunt only to take it apart, however, your over all price is cheaper than if you purchased the already made system since you already had the Tec. The main reason I went with a quark was I already had a perfectly good scope. Cheers
My absolute goodness, bro. Fantastic work.
Thanks!
This is exactly what I was looking for. Thanks for sharing the details. Now on the hard part: to find a good Quark
Bravo! Wow! Magnificent images Mark. Thank you for sharing. I have a 160fl and it is tempting.
Amazing!
Will do. Thanks for your channel.
Amazing images. I have only recently started on solar and have a little Coronado PST but still find it a very accessible hobby, once you understand the imaging limitations of the PST. Its another avenue to pursue when the night time weather is bad. Love the 3-D effects on some of those images :)
Thanks!
Absolutely engrossing ☉ images.
Many thanks!
Wow grate tinkering ❤❤❤
Have you gone down to Tucson and toured the Lunt factory? I think Coronado may have been there as well, but I'm not sure what will happen to them with the Orion/Meade bankruptcy. You'd be a great person to act as one of their product testers being that you're so close and have a really good understanding of how to get the most out of the h-alpha equipment.
Yes I've been there many times and know Andy, Fay, Jennifer, Brian, etc. Coronado was founded by Andy's father, though Andy wrote most of their patents. After his non-compete with Coronado/Meade expired he started Lunt. Great company!
Does the second etalon being behind the blocking filter of the quark cause any issues in your system I would think you could get even better quality if you put the 40mm etalon before the quark. Im assuming you did this because it might make it harder to tune?
Adding the Lunt etalon adds about 40 in gain requirement to get the same histogram as the Quark alone. Putting the Lunt in front of the Quark does not work at all. The Quark needs to be the first etalon.
Really, really cool!
Thanks so much for sharing your amazing images, process and expertise. From time to time you use the word "seeing" in a technical sense I think e.g - "the sun's seeing changes". In this context does "seeing" mean the same as "visibility" or does it have a different meaning?
Seeing is an astronomical term that describes how steady the air is above you. There can be zero clouds but wind, jet stream etc can cause light to be refracted randomly, blurring images. That’s one reason they put observatorys on mountains
@@AZASTROGUY Got it - thanks!
Thank you for the detailed explanation. Fantastic images, your effort definitely paid off! I wonder if, instead of using a quark, another lunt40 etalon is attached, would the results be similar?
Amazing! I would have thought that the light loss from the double stack etalons would make it almost impossible to get an image from. Just using the Quark cuts so much light. I have never used a lunt etalon, does it not cut the light to the same extent as the Quark? Do you have to max out the exposure and gain to get a workable fps? Very interesting.. thanks
In normal circumstances in double stack mode I have an exposure of 8 mSec and a gain of 160 to get a 75% histogram in Sharpcap
@@AZASTROGUY thanks.. keep us updated on your progress
Random request but if you are looking for content to make could you explain the use of a Barlow in the solar image train. I am still trying to wrap my head around camera pixel density and focal ratios so how is that affected. Why you need to use a Telecentric Barlow over a standard Barlow. Where and why you would use it and the pros v cons. Just putting it out there. You explain things very well and it is something I am still trying to work out.
@@ImmersionImagery Excellent suggestion. Will add that to the list!
Amazing video. It’s be so cool to see someone try filling a solar telescope with high purity helium gas (positive pressure) to reduce tube currents. Not sure if with your rejection filter how much heating is taking place internally but the sides of the tube might still be warming up enough to cause issues. Helium’s lower refractive index and higher thermal conductivity vs air has been shown in academic literature to reduce tube currents in a telescope, but in practice I don’t know of anyone that’s ever done it. Just a thought for a video/project idea!
I imagine the technical challenges of leakage might be significant (any mixing of helium and air will give terrible performance) but if you could pull it off it’d be very cool
The optical tube assembly is cool during use. The ERF passed about 610 to 680nm so I just see red light.
@@AZASTROGUY fair enough. If it’s not a problem then it’s not a problem.
Can we use nd10 film as energy rejection fillter ❤
Wow!!! ❤🎉🎉🎉
Do we need energy rejection filter and ir uv cut filter borth or energy rejection filter just enough
Day star cromo have two models one with 4x balow and 6mm filter
And nother with 12mm fiter they market it as sct model without balow
What if we use sct modal with 😊 zwo 2600mono 😊 with askar 120 😊 and lunt 40😊 with energy rejection filter 😊😊😊
Will it too much bandwidth
With sct modal we can get sun full image and with more wide filter (12mm) I think cromo sct model is better with solar prominence
Not familiar with that configuration, sorry!
If I used a standard Sun filter over the objective lens and a SvBony 220 dual band filter in front of the camera, what would I see?
If by ‘standard’ sun filter you mean a broadband filter you would likely see dim sunspots. No commercial nebula filter is narrow enough to shown solar Ha structures. You MUST have an etalon
Note: Your Svbony 220 is a night filter and NOT made for Solar Imaging!!! Please do research as looking at the Sun will destroy our eye's and very possible damage telescope and cameras! There are many good Forums on CL and UA-cam..
Another great video Mark. I've been using a used AT102 doublet (frankly I've been too afraid to use one of my premium scopes) with an ERF on front and a Daystar Quark chromosphere but I've always but I've always wanted to try a second ethalon. Would purchasing just Lunt's Double Stack 40mm ethalon with the RAF adapter have the same results? Also how difficult was it to remove the ERF on the stock Lunt ethalon?
That would work but it’s $695 vs $750 which is why I opted for the whole scope. Not hard to remove the ERF, but you will definitely void your warranty.
There is a note on the RAP adapter page that says the double stack etalon will not fit the adapter.
It reads:
NOTE: Lunt LS40FHa Front Mount 40mm Double Stack Solar Filter will NOT fit.
@@larrymatney52 Hi Larry. I used the basic single Lunt 40mm F10 telescope's etalon. A double stack combined with the Quark would make it far too dim anyway and unusable.
Can we use lunt 40 dubble sacks dual setup with adapters for 120 - 160 telescope
Without using daystar
and
Will it more consistent 😮😮😮
Lunt 40 dubbel stat with adapter (650+150)×2 = 1600
Daystar 1300
Not without knowing exactly where to place it which will be specific to each scope
You mean light rays will not parallel or other @@AZASTROGUY
If got chance please cheque dubbel stak configuration ❤
When we use telescope in night large aperture meaning high resolution
But 100mm telescope and 160mm telescope borth are (if dubble stat) same bandwidth, same energy come to telescope (becouse 160 use energy rejection filter )
So why 160mm is better than 100
This is a very fascinating project - truly next level! Thanks for sharing your experience and congratulation to these terrific results.
Well done!!