Coronado SolarMax II H-Alpha Solar Telescope

The SolarMax II with RichView Etalon tuning brings a new level of performance to h-alpha telescopes. Designed to bring out the best in solar viewing, the revolutionary tuning system allows you to see greater surface detail and enhanced views of flares and prominences.

As solar activity builds up there has never been a better time to invest in a solar h-alpha telesope. It is only in the last decade that h-alpha telescopes have come out of research laboratories to become affordable for amateur astronomers. You can now see sights every sunny day that only professionals could enjoy until recently.

The SolarMax II has a passband of 0.7 angstrom and can be enhanced with a double stack filter to reduce the passband to an amazing 0.5 angstroms. Two models are available with 60mm and 90mm apertures respectively.

Which Blocking Filter?

The blocking filter is an essential part of an H-alpha telescope such as the SolarMax II and is positioned just in front of the focal plane. So why is its size important and why are there different options?

If we take the 60mm SolarMax II as an example, it is available with a 5mm, a 10mm, or a 15mm blocking filter, and the models are designated BF5, BF10 or BF15.

The focal length of the 60mm SolarMax II is 400mm which means the image of the Sun that it produces is about 3.5mm in diameter. The light from the 60mm aperture is shaped like a truncated cone with a 60mm base and a truncated top at the focal plane of 3.5mm in diameter. If the blocking filter has a diameter of 5mm and is placed close to the focal plane then all of the light can pass through it. This is the case when using a simple eyepiece so a 5mm blocking filter is adequate for normal visual use.

If, however we have to move the blocking filter away from the focal plane to make room for a camera body or for an accessory such as a bino-viewer, then the filter has to accommodate a larger part of the light cone and 5mm may not be enough. In this case, some of the light will be lost and we will notice vignetting. The solution is to use a larger blocking filter.

If your main interest is visual observaton with a single eyepiece then a 5mm blocking filter may be sufficient. If you want unvignetted photos then choose a 10mm or 15mm. If you want to use a bino-viewer then a 15mm is advisable. Simples.

Single-Stack 60mm SolarMax II Telescopes

SolarMax II 60mm BF5 H-Alpha Solar Telescope Ref: CO-SMT60BF5

CORONADO

Our 60mm package offers incredible value for money and includes the 0.7 angstrom SolarMax II Telescope, Cemax eyepiece, solranger finder and carry case.

This version has a 5mm blocking filter which is suitable for normal visual use.

Price: £1,150.00 (Including VAT at 20%)

SolarMax II 60mm BF10 H-Alpha Solar Telescope Ref: CO-SMT60BF10

CORONADO

Our 60mm package offers incredible value for money and includes the 0.7 angstrom SolarMax II Telescope, Cemax eyepiece, solranger finder and carry case.

This version has a 10mm blocking filter and which allows unvignetted photography with a range of cameras.

Price: £1,330.00 (Including VAT at 20%)

SolarMax II 60mm BF15 H-Alpha Solar Telescope Ref: CO-SMT60BF15

CORONADO

Our 60mm package offers incredible value for money and includes the 0.7 angstrom SolarMax II Telescope, Cemax eyepiece, solranger finder and carry case.

This version has a 15mm blocking filter for maximum flexibility. Suitable for normal visual use, solar photography and use with a bino-viewer.

Price: £1,469.99 (Including VAT at 20%)

Double-Stack 60mm SolarMax II Telescopes

SolarMax II 60mm Double-stack BF5 H-Alpha Solar Telescope Ref: CO-SMT60DSBF5

CORONADO

This double-stack version of the 60mm SolarMax II reduces the pasband from 0.7 angstrom down to 0.5 to give even better views of solar features. Supplied with the same accessories as the single-stack version.

This version has the 5mm blocking filter which is suitable for normal visual use.

Price: £1,859.99 (Including VAT at 20%)

SolarMax II 60mm Double-stack BF10 H-Alpha Solar Telescope Ref: CO-SMT60DSBF10

CORONADO

This version has a 10mm blocking filter and which allows unvignetted photography with a range of cameras.

Price: £2,050.00 (Including VAT at 20%)

SolarMax II 60mm Double-stack BF15 H-Alpha Solar Telescope Ref: CO-SMT60DSBF15

CORONADO

This version has a 15mm blocking filter for maximum flexibility. Suitable for normal visual use, solar photography and use with a bino-viewer.

Price: £2,219.00 (Including VAT at 20%)

Single-Stack 90mm SolarMax II Telescopes

SolarMax II 90mm BF15 H-Alpha Solar Telescope Ref: CO-SMT90BF15

CORONADO

For the ultimate performance our 90mm package includes the 0.7 angstrom SolarMax II 90mm Telescope, Cemax eyepiece set, solranger finder and carry case.

15mm blocking filter makes this model most suitable for visual use.

Price: £3,199.99 (Including VAT at 20%)

SolarMax II 90mm BF30 H-Alpha Solar Telescope Ref: CO-SMT90BF30

CORONADO

For the ultimate performance our 90mm package includes the 0.7 angstrom SolarMax II 90mm Telescope, Cemax eyepiece set, solranger finder and carry case.

30mm blocking filter makes this model suitable for visual use and fo solar photography.

Price: £3,899.99 (Including VAT at 20%)

Double-Stack 90mm SolarMax II Telescopes

SolarMax II 90mm Double-Stack BF15 H-Alpha Solar Telescope Ref: CO-SMT90DSBF15

CORONADO

This double-stack version of the 90mm SolarMax II reduces the pasband from 0.7 angstrom down to 0.5 to give even better views of solar features. Supplied with the same accessories as the single-stack version.

15mm blocking filter makes this model most suitable for visual use.

Price: £4,999.99 (Including VAT at 20%)

SolarMax II 90mm BF30 H-Alpha Solar Telescope Ref: CO-SMT90DSBF30