LUNT 80mm H-alpha MT Telescopes

Modular designed multipurpose telescope, both for observing the sun in the H-alpha wavelength, as well as for night sky observations. Easy conversion between the different applications with a few simple steps. 2-lens ED Apo telescope with FPL-53 glass, 80mm aperture and 560mm focal length - very good image quality for H-Alpha solar observation and also for observing the starry sky at night.

All versions come with a robust aluminum-case as part of the standard package.

Pressure Tuner

The popular LS80THa H-alpha telescopes are now available with the new air-pressure tuning system “Pressure Tuner”, as well. This Pressure Tuner system allows a better Etalon adjustment than other systems and so the telescope achieves <0.7 Angstrom bandwidth. Apart from that the equipment is the same like the normal LS80THa telescopes. Certainly the Pressure Tuner telescopes are available in the different versions, with B1200 blocking filter for visual observing the sun, with B1800 blocking filter for visual observing and imaging, and with the precious Feather Touch focuser.

What is the „Pressure Tuner“ system?

The air pressure of the atmosphere varies, depending on if you are at sea level or on a mountain. Unfortunately also the sensitive Etalon filter systems respond to these air pressure variations. The wavelength range that is allowed through the filters, shifts as a function of the air pressure. This shifting is indeed minimal, but at bandwidths of less than one Angstrom it is already clearly visible. If the filter is not adjusted precisely to the H-alpha wavelength, the image of the sun through the telescope degrades, prominences and surface details are no longer visible.

Therefore, the Etalon filter systems have to be adjusted to the prevailing air pressure at the observation location. This “Tuning” called adjustment is typically done by a mechanical tilting of the filter. At sizes of a few Angstrom, it is obviously not easy to achieve the exact adjustment by mechanical tilting. And because the filter is no longer perfectly straight in the beam path, but slightly oblique, there may also be optical failures.

The new air-pressure system “Pressure Tuner” by Lunt Solar Systems takes a different path. The Etalon filter will not be tilted to only simulate a balance to the air pressure, but the air pressure in the filter system is in fact adapted by 100 percent to the real external air pressure. Thereafter the air surrounding the Etalon can simply be compressed or decompressed by the tuning system in order to change the air pressure between the surfaces. This allows the Etalon surfaces to always remain at the same perfect angle to the light waves but changes the diffractive index of the air in the chamber and thus accomplishes the same tuning expect that it goes around + or - 0.4 Angstrom on either side of the centerline. Therefore, the patent-pending “Pressure Tuner” system from Lunt Solar Systems is also called “True Doppler Tuning”, and it achieves much better results than conventional tuning systems.

Observing the starry night sky

The H-alpha Etalon system can be removed from the telescope in a few easy steps thanks to its modular design. With the additionally available conversion kit (item number LS#0551330) the 2-lens ED Apo refractor can then be used as a normal telescope with 80mm aperture and 560mm focal length for observation and photography of the night sky. The FPL-53 doublet lens offers an low colour aberration image. Common 2 inch star diagonals can be used at the high quality R&P focuser of the conversion kit LS#0551330.

Please note that the optionally available conversion kit LS#0551330 is absolutely necessary if the telescope should be used at night.

More applications:

With additionally available accessories the LS80MT offers even more possibilities!

• Double-Stack
  The LS80MT telescope can optionally be upgraded with the additionally available double-stack module DSII/SFPT (item number LS#0551395). The DSII system is a internal double-stack module. Thereby a bandwidth of <0.5 Angstrom is achieved for H-alpha solar observation. Therefore much more details on the solar surface will become visible.
• Solar observing in White-Light
  If the H-alpha unit has been removed, of course either a sun filter to be installed in front of the objective, or a Herschel-wedge at the focuser can be used to observe the sunspots in White-Light.
  The optionally available conversion kit LS#0551330 is absolutely necessary.
• Solar observing in Ca-K wavelength
  Certainly, the Ca-K filter modules from Lunt Solar Systems can also be used at the LS80MT to observe and photograph super-granulation and other effects visible in this wavelength on the sun.
  The optionally available conversion kit LS#0551330 is absolutely necessary.

This makes the LUNT LS80MT a completely universal usable telescope!

Optional: Astrogarten Observation Cloth Professional