Lunt 40mm and Skywatcher Solar Quest
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 28 ส.ค. 2024
- Lunt 40mm with B00 filter and Skywatcher Solar Quest review. I purchased these two items to work together for my astronomy outreach. In the video I’ll show you the start up sequence, a close look at the tracking function, and the mechanics. With the Lunt 40 we’ll look at the build, briefly discuss focusing, and have a look at some basic imaging. I hope the information in the video helps you make an informed purchase decision. Overall both products exceeded my expectations and the combination will be an invaluable educational tool for my astronomy club. It’s so easy I myself left the eq mount inside and opted for this mount for astrophotography. So far the only fault to that logic is field rotation for time lapse. I’m really impressed with both items performance. There is no such thing as a budget h-a solar scope. If there were, this would be it. Both items combined will set you back just over $1100 USD. If you invest that however you are immediately ready to hit the ground running. Our closest star is an amazing subject to study and photograph. Clear skies.
8:10 Mount overview
15:59 Slewing example
17:19 Lunt 40 overview
25:50 First light images
which expure time you have set up on sharpcap? what are your settings. my sun is very over brightness... i don't know how to setting up... so..s would nice, if you can give me some details about it. I'm stuck here.
my setup
SolarQuest - Skywatcher
Lunt 40mm / Block500
Zwo Asi 290mm
Sharpcap..
Thank you for a really detailed and helpful video. I am looking at this mount and have been searching for a good review and yours is the most comprehensive I have watched. Appreciate the time taken to make this video.
I appreciate you watching. If you have any questions I will answer the best I can.
@@GarnettLeary Thanks. I have larger mounts and a Coronado scope at home but I travel a lot and this would be perfect with a P900 camera and solar filter.
I was curious how accurately it tracks and it seems definitely good enough for my needs.
At 400mm it’s spot on. It always aligns with Sun in view. That’s with a small sensor like the ASI 120MC-S. Dead on. The only fault I have is that it must be level meaning you’ll get field rotation on time lapse. If you’re ok with that it’s 100% portability and accuracy. Definitely worth every penny.
@@GarnettLeary Thanks, the field rotation is ok for what I will use it for. I searched every store in Australia and they are out of stock locally. I managed to find one remaining in stock at First Light Optics in the UK and have ordered with express shipping. Hopefully it arrives soon. Appreciate the feedback on accuracy, it sounds great.
@@GarnettLeary Mine arrived from the UK and works great. Thanks again.
th-cam.com/video/_UKAim5V2Es/w-d-xo.html
Excellent video Garnett. Just a heads up (others have probably already said this in the comments) - the larger blocking filter means visual observing with an eyepiece will be more comfortable, especially if you wear glasses. Also, vignetting will be less of an issue with imaging. The larger blocking filter also gives you more room around the solar disc for proms...
Interesting video I didn't even realise there was a solar quest mount. Some great looking first images.
Thanks. Yeah it’s not real popular because it does one thing. It does it remarkably well tho. The kids will love it.
Great review Garnett, looks like a fantastic solar scope, awesome captures too.
Thank you. I’m going to switch to a mono camera and push it a little harder when I get back home. I can definitely improve on it. Right now I’m using a OSC at 8 bit mono. Not very ideal.
Nice solar setup buddy! I might also try the Lunt 40mm telescope in the future!
It’s worth the investment.
I picked up this mount on clearance from Orion (they sold it as the Solar Starseeker, but it's currently no longer available) for my Coronado II 60mm and I love it, especially considering what it cost me in the end after a double rebate from Rakuten - even with NYS 8% sales tax, the net price was almost 25% off the price that the Skywatcher version sells for now. I'm glad I watched your video, as I hadn't thought of making a protective cap for the camera on it. And no, the Orion model did not include the additional cover to use an adapter rather than the battery pack; easy enough to make something but honestly I don't see the need. I am using the ASI178MM. Speaking of aperture on my Coronado, the actual diameter of the objective lens is 70mm, but it's sold as a 60mm, so I would suspect that other Coronado scopes are similar, and the specified size is the actual amount of aperture used.
Thank you. That’s great information. It’s awesome you got such a great deal. I’d prefer the Orion version simply for Orion customer service. I know people swing one way or the other but Orion has never failed me personally. I imagine it’s capable of up to a light 80mm but haven’t tried. It’s a fantastic device. I’m surprised about the jack. As you say tho it’s relatively easy to make something. I hope you enjoy yours and wish you many clear skies.
I was watching a video about these scopes and they made the point you don't need big aperture due to the amount of light they gather, due to it being the sun. When we are doing our night time viewing the more aperture the better, but not necessary with this scope. I'm going to get one of these in the next few months.
Awesome. I hope you enjoy it. Aperture does come into play but it’s far less significant. The biggest upgrade is in double stacking and now Lunt offers one for the 40. I find that anything above 80mm is diminishing returns for my locations seeing conditions.
@@GarnettLeary the DS is very expensive and drops the wavelength from 0.7Å to 0.5Å and a slight increase in contrast. Are you using a good quality IR cut filter mounted into the diagonal?
I may go light this Lunt route. My thinking the tilt tuner also functions as Energy Rejection Filter. I’m looking at the pressure tuner dedicated telescope instead of eye piece and get the orion with the sky watchers external adapter
I’m really glad you’re taking an interest in solar. You’re gonna be hooked. Likely you’ll end up being the only guy I know with a K-line filter.
Great video! I may have to pick one of these up.
Thank you
Nice Overview of The Scope Garnett!! Beautiful Solar Images. I have Been Considering to get a Ha Tuned Solar Scope, This is on my Possible List!! Im thinking to get 60mm (preferably 70 or 80mm) Version To get More Details With large Aperture, But its Way More Expensive, though daystar Quark is Probably in my advance List though!! Thanks For This Overview!👍
Aperture is king for sure. I don’t think my images are at the scopes maximum output. More elaborate editing and optimal seeing conditions would definitely improve on it. From professional opinions I can offer what they told me. It’s generally well accepted that 80mm and down are considered very “useful” because the larger aperture succumb to seeing conditions more frequently. From my personal experience of viewing thru the larger aperture scopes it’s very sharp and high contrast as opposed to what seems more “muddy” as you go down in aperture. I’ll likely purchase a larger system myself. Mainly this setup is for portability and outreach. It’s such a tough investment for anyone. Even if you have loads of cash to throw into the hobby there’s always other upgrades to consider, often resulting in h-a solar abandonment. I really wish the price were lower but they are precision equipment. I’m excited for you when you get one. I can’t wait to see what you do with it. Hard to say what I’ll choose as a main imaging rig. Likely I’ll cap at 80mm or just outfit a larger achromat with a quark. I’m following the advice of 80 or less in dedicated because humidity is always an issue here. I’d be buying into something I can rarely use beyond 80. That’s one of the key reasons to do solar.. staying active when nights don’t cooperate. I hope this helps. That’s basically my experience in short.
@@GarnettLeary Thanks Garnett!! I guess I will Probably have To go With Daystar Quark Route then, Since I want To get the Maximum Performance out of solar as Well, I love Solar Imaging. You mentioned you that The Orion ST-80 achromat is a Great solar scope!! There is a Short tube 120 version, I think it would make a Great Solar Scope as well!! Should Work well With Daystar Quark?...Maybe, I can deal With Chromatic Abberation post Processing in Photoshop!!
Anyway, Thanks!
That’s just it. CA doesn’t matter. You’re imaging in monochrome at a very narrow bandpass. All color is implied. Check this out:
th-cam.com/video/gZPKkd5O9pw/w-d-xo.html
Fantastic review, thank you very much.
Thanks for watching. Clear skies
Friend of mine bought that 40mm scope and was rather unhappy with it because he said you can't get a sharp focus much past 50x magnification regardless of the brightness of the target, atmosphere still causes distortion. He tried to sell it to me after telling me this. Well he is an honest man which makes me confident to call him friend, but I bought the $2300 60mm Lunt that can be used at night too. If I want to look at the Sun live in a decent closeup now I can, I could not with that 40mm, I tried to use 70x and it wasn't sharp.
There’s a possibility it had lenses misaligned. Lunts QC is pretty good. Might have been jarred during shipping. Something was inherently wrong and that’s the most probable
Nice set up boss man
So easy it should be illegal
Hi, I have see your images on Instagram and find it stunning! I am saving for the Lunt 40 600 BF now and the father touch focuser. Will sell my pst, which also have that red glow around, hopefully the Lunt 40 dond have that.
Thank you. I’ve owned both. I love the Lunt over the PST. It’s just much easier to use and the transmission is slightly better. The only concern I have is if Lunt develops the double stack for it or not. If not it gives the Meade a distinct advantage. I speak to the folks at Lunt regularly and have yet to get a straight answer regarding that topic. Their feather touch is buttery smooth. I regret not opting for that initially.
Great video, nice detailed walk through of the mount, I'll have to see if it can handle a lunt 60 with no issues. So the mount just needs to be switched on and it finds the sun by itself with
no user inputs? this is great for outreach too.
Thanks. Absolutely. You place it, turn it on, wait, and you’re ready to go. It’s absolutely perfect for outreach
nice review of both, the perfect combo that I've now settled on and will purhase soon 🙂
the only diff is I will get 6mm or 12mm blocker diagonal due to use with a Z6ii mirrorless cam and I'm getting the double stack etalon for more detail (from 1.0A down to 0.5A H-a)
I do want to try a ZWO cam though and you mentioned the ASI 120MC-S
would you recoemmnd that overall to start as a beginner color cam? the price is quite good
and the images you showed from it were nice
In that price range definitely. It’s the frame rate on the USB 3 version of the 120 that’s so good. They pair well. On the upper end my favorite is the ZWO 174.
@@GarnettLeary thanks - by the way should I order the 6mm or 12mm blocker diagonal since I'm going to use a NIkon mirrorless cam and the double stack etalon on the Lunt 40? I keep getting mixed information
The higher number the larger the field of view. Get the largest you can within your budget.
@@GarnettLeary makes sense, thanks
Is there a budget astrophotography camera you would reccomend for this set up? I have the solarquest mount and a lunt 40 b600 also.
I used a ZWO 120MM with great success. It’s under $200. Make sure to get the mono version. Frame rate is phenomenal.
Hi mate. Great review. I have the AZGTI mount and have been using it with homemade solar sight to get sunspots. Really want to now move to solar scopes. Can I ask- did you use the standard blocking filter or upgrade to next size up?
The B500 is the lowest recommended for the Lunt 40. It is the baseline model. That’s what I’m using. You often see it sold with a B600 for more $$$.
Hello again, do you know if this scope can accept the straight through blocking filters?
Lunt only offers the 5mm, 6mm, and 12mm diagonal blocking filters on their site so I would assume not. If you go there you’ll find a drop down menu for customizing. That makes me think 99% no but don’t let that discourage you. I would ask them directly. They’re very responsive.
@@GarnettLeary Thanks Garnett. I will be in Tucson in a few weeks and Lunt is located close to where I am staying so I'll be in touch with them before this.
I hope whatever you’re aiming to do works out for you.
Great video Garret! What ZWO camera do you have paired with your set up?
Thanks. I was shooting the color ASI 120MC-S. All the first lights in this video are with it. I knew I needed a mono so I went with the 120MM-S. The framing with the B500 clips the Sun top and bottom. A full disk is impossible. I toyed with an ASI 1600 Cool also. With it I barely reach focus and have no wiggle room on the opposite end. It will produce a full disk tho. I immediately considered upgrading to a B600 filter but after a day with the ASI 1600 I changed my mind. I wasn’t getting the high frame rate I was with the 120. Shooting exposures under 10 seconds I found it difficult to get 500+ frames. Unfortunately the 120 lacks in high resolution. What I’m saying is I don’t feel I have the optimized camera for the scope. I think, but am uncertain, that upgrading to the B1200 filter would be the best option. I say that for two reasons. FOV as well as potential future upgrade in scopes. Lunt has a really cool trade-up program and the B1200 accommodates even the 80mm. Overall definitely mono for sensitivity and something between a 120 and a 1600 would be ideal. The 120 mono and B500 I currently use are less than ideal. Sorry I rambled. I’m not happy just yet and feeling it out still. Once I start wowing myself I’ll give you a definite answer. I’m definitely going to recap my experience after a few months.
@@GarnettLeary Thank you so much! I really appreciate your insight and experience.
Hi Garnett, do you feel that the Lunt 40 is better than the Coronado PST.
Yes. The first thing and probably most important is use. The Lunt 40 tilt tune is a dream compared to the Coronado. It’s much easier to dial in focus. The Lunt 40 has the full advertised 40mm aperture whereas the Coronado does not. This is due to its design and is a topic widely argued over. In terms of image quality I couldn’t notice much difference across the two other than a better focus success rate on the Lunt. The Lunt being designed more like a refractor telescope is also more practical to mount. Lastly the customer support at Lunt is absolutely dream-like. They are phenomenal. I can’t say that about Meade however they have recently teamed up with Orion so it may be much better. My overall experience across these two instruments is a sincere love for both but the Lunt casts a pretty hefty shadow over the Coronado. I’m in no way monetarily affiliated with Lunt just so you know. I sincerely love them and their products.
i have a daystar 60mm on its way, just need to get a mono camera now or is one shot color ok to use ?
OSC wastes photons. During the video I was using one. I recently purchased the mono version of the 120 just for this scope. Definitely go mono.
@@GarnettLeary thanks mono is what i thought aswell , clear skies 🔭👍
Did it have to adjust to recover cantering on the sun? Looking at options to photograph (time lapse) an eclipse and not sure if this'll do the job. Might just go with the AZ-GTI and use it for astro as well
Great question and yes it will recenter. The biggest problem you’ll have is field rotation because it’s alt/az. For time lapse you’re much better off with the AZ-GTI because it can be used on a wedge. This mount requires level for GPS so you’re stuck with field rotation. There’s guys using software to try to counteract it with some success but in my opinion It’s the one major flaw of the system. I’ve been hoping for a firmware upgrade allowing for the use of a wedge for equatorial functions but so far nothing.
@@GarnettLeary cheers for replying and that’s a big help. The other option I’m looking at is a Benro Polaris. Apart from cost, there’s not a great deal between that and the GTI
That’s a pretty cool device. I wasn’t aware it existed. It looks like a versatile tool for photography. I would caution one thing. The AZ-GTI is compatible with astrophotography software whereas I doubt the Benro is. So the main question is if you wish to pursue astrophotography through scopes or stick with lenses. The Benro seems to accomplish its guiding on board whereas long exposure astrophotography requiring guide scopes will require software such as ASCOM, etc. Cuiv the lazy geek has made a lot of videos on tracking with the AZ-GTI. You would benefit from checking out some of the rigs he’s managed to put on them. Quite a lot can be accomplished in astrophotography with scopes or lenses at or under 500mm. I’m certain the AZ-GTI can adapt to guiding software because he’s done it. It’s a huge consideration between these two devices. I would lean towards the Skywatcher. On the other hand that Benro looks pretty awesome as something you can toss in a camera bag. I also appreciate the simplicity of a single camera pack and a good hike. If I had no intention on doing astrophotography with the addition of a guide scope I’d likely try the Benro. Regardless, I hope you make the decision that ultimately brings you the most happiness. In short I guess it comes down to remaining strictly camera based in platform or traveling this downward expense we call telescope astrophotography. Trust me, it never ends lol.
@@GarnettLeary Cheers for taking the time to give so much info! I probably lean more towards the landscape astro photographer than dedicated deep sky stuff so the chances of going down the guide scope route are pretty slim.
Travel and portability on foot rank pretty high for me and currently use a Move Shoot Move for some wide field stuff. But with next years eclipse upcoming I'm trying to weigh up an upgrade on the MSM, something that can allow sun tracking without Polaris alignment (won't be able to have an early enough start) and hopefully retain some sort of portability of the mount.
Really appreciate the info you've given which has helped loads in narrowing things down 😀
Anytime. Glad I could help. An additional topic that can help you is “polar alignment off the Sun.” Also “Drift alignment off the Sun.” It’s an exercise you can perform to increase your tracking accuracy. I’ve personally polar aligned under 1 arc accuracy on average. 500mm fl and below that’s dead on
I have Lunt 50 but I’m not able to get it focused .. I’m using ASI462mc without Barlow.
With my ASI 1600 I needed an 11mm spacer threaded on to the diagonal. It was a back focus issue. My ASI 120 found focus directly inserted. Try backing the camera up about 11mm.
@@GarnettLeary thank you so much! I was able to get the focus !! Appreciate it a lot
Glad I could help. Clear skies.
Nice
How stable is it for photography / webcamming? How do you think it would fare with the Lunt 60mm Pressure Tune?
Great questions. I was able to capture very smooth avi files with no vibration etc. The problem with this mount arises when you try time lapse. You get field rotation due to alt-az. Eventually you’ll want to do time lapse and outgrow this mount. I’ve seen club members using 60’s on it with no problems. Beyond that I doubt it would operate. With the 60 it’s a balance point issue. You’d need aftermarket rail to make it work. It’s above the weight limit of the mount so it’s not something I’d personally do especially with any camera above the size of a planetary one. The mount is very plasticity.
@@GarnettLeary The Lunt 60mm should be under 8 lbs. I'm hoping there is software to account for field rotation when imaging. I don't mind an after market rail. Right now, my only mount is a CGEM. And it is overkill for a 7 lb telescope.
I don’t think so. I currently have a small Lunt on an Atlas II. I’d rather have an oversized mount to the scope. I may rethink that at age 60+ lol
Sheesh. I got dizzy trying to watch. I gave up at 4:39.
Sorry. I’m definitely not a skilled film maker. Thank you for the time you did spend.