Baader Solar Continuum filters

Dave Lillis · Post by **Dave Lillis** » Mon Mar 07, 2011 10:40 am

Tom, Roy,
Are both you guys getting one of these filters for your scope, how do you intend to use them ?
Are you looking at the 2" version for an eyepiece ?

Roy Stewart · Post by **Roy Stewart** » Mon Mar 07, 2011 11:06 am

Hey Dave.

Tom already ordered 1 of those, so I'm gonna wait til I get a look at he's before I order 1 myself, but from what I can gather from cloudy nights that they're well worth buying as it add's color and contrast to the Sun when used with a full front solar filter..

Cheers Roy

Frank Ryan · Post by **Frank Ryan** » Mon Mar 07, 2011 10:00 pm

Now with the cream bun hotting up
I'm tempted agaim to get a PST.
or some other poor mans solar scope.
I see Meade are giving them away free
if you buy a new scope off them.

Tom Walsh · Post by **Tom Walsh** » Mon Mar 07, 2011 11:14 pm

Hi Dave
I bought the 1.25 contrast filter, and will use it in conjunction with the 9.25 baader filter for the front of the scope. Do a bit of daytime observing

might even get a tan!

Dave Lillis · Post by **Dave Lillis** » Mon Mar 07, 2011 11:28 pm

Cool stuff lads, I wonder how this filter would work with a thousand oaks filter, time will tell.
Finally, finally the sun is starting its new cycle. about time.

Roy Stewart · Post by **Roy Stewart** » Tue Mar 08, 2011 12:18 pm

Frank Ryan wrote:Now with the cream bun hotting up
I'm tempted agaim to get a PST.
or some other poor mans solar scope.
I see Meade are giving them away free
if you buy a new scope off them.

Hey Frank I think Meade stopped that promo,

That started a new 1 with eyepiece's and other accessories.

Pity too as those Coronado's look the bussiness.

Cheers Roy

Dave Lillis · Post by **Dave Lillis** » Tue Mar 08, 2011 2:56 pm

To be honest, its no great loss lads.
i'd only take a PST if it was going for almost nothing AND I get to test it first, they are not all created equally, that I can gaurantee you!!
I've seen though many of the h-alpha scopes and the PST , as nice as it is, it not a patch on a solarmax 40 or 60,
and besides, other systems like daystar and lunt solarsystems, solarspectrum are superior.

I dont believe in the philosophy of starter scopes if you're sure you know what you want.

Frank Ryan · Post by **Frank Ryan** » Tue Mar 08, 2011 8:17 pm

every word truth Dave but my scope(s) budget
was slashed when the arse fell out of
the economy.
Ugh hate that word.
Like everything else,
recession times are great for people
with cash.
It's worse when youve used or seen thru
these choice instruments and realise that
at one time they were within grasp are now
becpming as unobtainable as back in the 90's.
(price wise eg affordability)
if I was to invest it'd be in a solarmax.

Roy Stewart · Post by **Roy Stewart** » Fri Mar 11, 2011 12:23 pm

Hey Dave..

Here's the web site with the Continuum filters.

http://www.opticstar.com/Run/Astronomy/ ... 0_5_1_4_55

The continuum filters are down at the bottom
of the page... It doesn't show pic's but it gives you
the prices..

Cheers Roy

Frank Ryan · Post by **Frank Ryan** » Fri Mar 11, 2011 6:27 pm

these filters just make the sunspots a bit more contrasty,
ya?

Roy Stewart · Post by **Roy Stewart** » Fri Mar 11, 2011 7:45 pm

Ya.

Thats my understanding of it anyway Frank..
It adds contrast and color to the Sun which in turn
gives you a better look of the Sun Spots.
Worth getting, instead of forking out for a Coronado
or some other specialized solor scope..

Cheers Roy

Dave Lillis · Post by **Dave Lillis** » Fri Mar 11, 2011 9:22 pm

well, i dont know if its worth something over a h-alpha scope, and its green colour will be unique so far as solar view goes.
Is your current filter giving you a white, blue or yellow Sun?
I remember asking you but cant remember the answer,

Roy Stewart · Post by **Roy Stewart** » Fri Mar 11, 2011 9:30 pm

It makes it look a yellowish white..
More white than yellow though.

Cheers Roy

Frank Ryan · Post by **Frank Ryan** » Sat Mar 12, 2011 7:21 am

Totally misread this.
I have one of these continium filters.
Not crazy about the green colour but it
does give a little bit extra contrast to spots.
Still no HA scope!
Spots are cool n all but the real action
is on the limb.
BTW.
Ye are better off making your own
solar filter.
The pre made ones are a rob.
For bug ap scopes you can make an off axis filter and ir works grand.

Dave Lillis · Post by **Dave Lillis** » Sat Mar 12, 2011 3:56 pm

well, for a nice yellow sun, a glass thousand oaks type2+ filter is the way to go, sure they are more expensive then mylar, but you get what you pay for.
have a look at
http://www.flickr.com/photos/61288385@N ... 161261180/
and even at that its a little brighter then the images, note the sunspot to the upper left. there was little activity back then during that eclipse.

I'm warry of mylar type filters, so many broken ones were around back in the 90's, it completely put me off solar observing for years, I only got my first view through a scope at the sun 7-8 years ago. It felt like it went against all my instincts, like sticking a needle in my eye, anyway i got over it.

Im not a fan of offaxis, Back a 6-7 years ago we did a shotout between an 8"LX90 and my 12"lx200 to see if bigger aperture works on the sun, both using TOT2+ full aperture filters, the 8" showed hints of granularity.
With the 12", it was plainly visible, aperture pays, so aff axising would have reduced the aperture to a 4", and the resolution with it. Seeing was average that day.