DayStar Filters SolaREDi Odyssey User manual

ATTENTION!
DayStar SolaREDi telescopes are specially manufactured for
solar observing. Tampering with; or disasssembling the
SolaREDi telescope can cause eye damage or blindness.
For best results and safety reasons, please read instruc-
tions completely prior to using your SolaREDi Telescope
Never disassemble or leave the telescope unattended.
DayStar Filters
SolaREDiOdyssey
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DayStar Filters
Welcome to DayStar Ownership:
Always remember:
Use caution when solar observing. Inspect your instrument
regularly and do not leave it unattended in a crowd or
around children.
DayStar SolaREDi optics are precision electronically tuned.
DayStar filter optics are rear-mounted.
DayStar SolaREDi telescopes have LONG focal ratios.
Fast eyepeices under 30mm are not recommended.
Your image will be large. Use a wide eyepiece.
A robust mount is recommended.
DayStar products are all hand-manufactured in the USA.
The SolaREDi Odyssey Telescope is warranted for 5 years.
A DayStar product can be traded-in or upgraded.
Clear Skies, and remember:
No Sun, No Fun!
Jen Winter - Owner
www.DayStarFilters.com
149 Northwest OO Highway • Warrensburg, MO 64093 USA
866-680-6563
12 1
Bandpass Choices: 60mm Aperture, 1375mm FL
0.7Å Ha Solar Telescope DayStar Professional Quality
0.5Å Ha Solar Telescope Precision Tuned
0.3Å Ha Solar Telescope 5 Year Transferrable Warranty
Made in USA

Other DayStar Products:
ION Filter:
- New in 2011, DayStar has upgraded the once
temperature sensitive T-scanner line with the intro-
duction of the new ION filter. This entry level rear
mounted filter offers the same ease of use as
SolaREDi with the unlimited aperture of the
Quantum. ION works in all climates summer or
winter.
Quantum H-alpha Filter:
- Introduced in 1973, with housing improved in
2007, the Quantum is a heat-controlled precision
tuned filter which is applied at the rear of any tel-
escope of any aperture operating at F/30.
Requires a front mounted Energy Rejection Filter
(available in sizes up to 165mm). Quantum filters’
tuning is controlled to 0.1Å accuracy and may
be tuned up to 1.0Å in red and blue wing.
Operates on 12VDC. Includes LCD readout and
wing-shift button controls, serial interface port for remote operation,
international power supply and 6 foot extension cord.
Energy Rejection Filter:
Mounted on the front of the telescope before the
objective, a red or yellow colored glass Energy
Rejection Filter (ERF) is designed to absorb excess
UV light before entering the telescope system.
Note that colored ERF glass cannot be used in
conjunction with Calcium line filters. ERF glass is
available in sizes from 50mm up to 165mm.
Calcium II K and H Line Filters:
Calcium II line filters are aimed at one of two important emission lines of
Calcium at either 3933Å or 3969Å. The Ca II H-Line filter is designed for
visual use. At 5.0Å wide, and higher into the visual spectrum, it offers a
brighter and easier image to see. It is offered in
a Tilt-tune housing like the T-scanner, as tuning
isn’t as critical due to the wide emission line. The
Ca II K-Line 2.0Å filters are for professional appli-
cations intended for observations of the sun’s
atmosphere. It is offered in the Quantum style
housing in order to precisely target subordinate
lines inside the main K line.
For information about other DayStar products, contact your local dealer
or visit: www.DayStarFilters.com 11
2
Daystar filterS
SolaREDiOdyssey Telescope Operating Guide
Dedicated telescope for Hydrogen Alpha solar observing.
Wavelength: Hydrogen Alpha 6562.8 Å
Focal length 1375mm, F/23
Clear aperture: 60mm
Clear exit aperture: 32mm
2 element refractor.
Thank you for purchasing the DayStar Filters SolaREDi Odyssey telescope. This
telescope has an 60mm F/5.7 doublet and a TeleVue 4X powermate to accom-
plish a focal length of 1375mm. The diffraction limited resolution of this tele-
scope at Hydrogen Alpha is approximately 2.8 arc seconds.
WARNING:
POINTING TELESCOPES AT THE SUN CAN BE VERY DANGEROUS WITHOUT
THE PROPER EQUIPMENT AND CONFIGURATION. NEVER POINT AN ORDINARY TELE-
SCOPE AT THE SUN WITHOUT A SPECIAL, COMMERCIALLY MANUFACTURED SOLAR FIL-
TER AFFIXED TO THE TELESCOPE. WHEN USING A DEDICATED SOLAR TELESCOPE SUCH
AS THE SOLAREDi, REGULARLY CHECK THE TELESCOPE CONDITION TO BE SURE THAT NO
PARTS HAVE BEEN ADJUSTED OR TAMPERED WITH IN A WAY THAT THE TELESCOPE
COULD COME APART. WHEN FINDING THE SUN USING THE "Sol-Searcher", DO NOT
LOOK THROUGH THE HOLE. MERELY OBSERVE THE POSITION OF THE DOT PROJECTED
THROUGH THE HOLE ONTO THE VIEWING SCREEN. IF YOU SUSPECT THE SOLAREDi
TELESCOPE MAY NOT BE FUNCTIONING OR ASSEMBLED PROPERLY, DO NOT ATTEMPT
USE. ANY UNFILTERED LIGHT PASSING THROUGH A TELESCOPE CAN CAUSE INSTANT
AND PERMANENT EYE DAMAGE.
KEEP THIS OPERATING GUIDE WITH THE SolaREDi AT ALL TIMES.

DayStar
Telescopes and filters are all HAND MADE.
• Each instrument is hand manufactured and assembled one-by-one. Each is unique.
Slight variations in construction that do not affect performance may occur.
• Each instrument is indivudually tested on the Sun. Sun testing is an absolute necessi-
ty to assure quality performance. While every precaution is taken to maintain the ‘like
new’ appearance of the telescope, it may encounter minor cosmetic smudges or abra-
sions on the mounting foot or the drawtube during testing.
• The optical filter stack is assembled by human hands using special optical couplant
that must remain loose for over 10 years. Occasionally, if disturbed, this couplant can
migrate to optical surfaces. Do not disturb your optical stack. If a small amount of
couplant is smudged onto your outer surfaces, it is best not to disturb it. It will not
affect performance, like a large mirror. Larger smears will need to be cleaned by tech-
nicians at our factory.
Warranty: The SolaREDi Odyssey telescope is warranted to be free of manufacturing
or workmanship defects for 5 years from the date of purchase. If your SolaREDi
Odyssey telescope requires warranty service, please contact DayStar Filters to discuss
the defect, upon which you will receive a return authorization. NO RETURNS ARE
ACCEPTED WITHOUT PRIOR AUTHORIZATION.
The warranty does NOT include: collimation, defects caused by mis-handling, exces-
sive or inappropriate weather exposure, optical cleaning, or opening the optical filter
assembly, defects of a subjective nature, coverage for any telescope purchased
through an unauthorized DayStar Filters dealer.
Warranty work will be performed at DayStar Filter's discretion and may only be per-
formed at the DayStar Filters laboratory. The telescope must be shipped in its case
with proper inner and outer packaging. Return shipping and insurance charges are the
purchaser's responsibility.
Special
note about opening the filter compartment:
Sadly, about 1 out of 10 filters returned for service at DayStar have been opened by
the owner in an attempt to repair the filter themselves. These opened filters are
always damaged by the act of opening the optical compartment, requiring more
expensive repair services than if the unit was left intact. In consideration for the over-
all health and longevity of your telescope, we hope you will not ever choose to open
the optical compartment of your SolaREDi.
3
10
Standard
features of the SolaREDi telescope include:
1375mm F/23 doublet telescope with
2" Dual Speed crayford focuser with 4.5" drawtube with dual rate knob,
an internal 'visual hot mirror' reflective Energy rejection filter,
an internally configured TeleVue 4X Televue Powermate barlow lens,
a DayStar Filters sub-angstrom bandpass Hydrogen Alpha filter assembly and
TeleVue 'Sol-Searcher' solar finder.
Tuning:
Temperature affects the tuning of your SolaREDi telescope. Your SolaREDi
telescope is equipped with a precision electronic tuning system which will automat-
ically control the heat and thusly the tuning of your telescope. Just plug in the power
supply, wait for the light to change from yellow to Green. Once the light is green,
your telescope is now on band and ready to view. The TUNING KNOB has a center
detent stop position which marks the ideal tuning location of the telescope to pass
Hydrogen Alpha light. Be sure the knob has stopped on this detent stop position
located in the center of its range of travel for guaranteed operation.
Mounting: The SolaREDi combination mounting foot may be threaded directly to a
¼ x 20 standard camera tripod mount, or using industry standard "Vixen" style
dovetail mounting accessories. With heavier 2" eyepieces or equipment, we dis-
courage camera foot mounting. Users may consider a tracking mount for best
results. The included dual-speed focuser may be rotated with adjustments to the
allen screws found in front of the red focuser section.
Focus
considerations: We designed the SolaREDi with a wide variety of focus
options and focus range. In conjunction with the 4X powermate, the actual focus
travel is magnified by 4 times. Therefore, only minor movements in focus on the
knob are required to accomplish large changes visually. Most eyepieces and cam-
eras focus with the tube extended approximately 2.5- 3" out.
The two adjustment knobs on the under side of the focuser aredesigned to adjust
tension of the crayford style focuser and to lock the focuser down.
The adjustment screw toward the FRONT of the telescope is FOCUS LOCK.
The adjustment screw toward the BACK of the telescope is FOCUS TENSION.

49
Owners will beneift from getting to know the use and function of each of these two
adjustment knobs. The crayford style focuser will behave differently with the weight
of an eyepiece and diagonal / or camera than it does without added weight on the
telescope. Use caution when adding or removing heavy accessories in the drawtube.
Wing
Shift: If you are interested in exploring wing shift for experiments or variaiton in
view, the SolaREDi Odyssey offers +/- 0.5Å range of red / blue wing shift with the use
of the tuning knob. Clockwise will tune the filter towards the red wing and
Counterclockwise turning will tune the telescope towards the blue wing.
Filtration
and safety: The optical solar filter stack is mounted at the rear, eyepiece end
of the SolaREDi Odyssey telescope. Alone, it provides off-band rejection density
greater than 6.0 from X-ray to beyond 2 microns. This means that it is safe to look
directly into the rear of a properly assembled SolaREDi Odyssey telescope without an
eyepiece. The SolaREDi Odyssey telescope requires no additional blocking filters or
special diagonals or eyepieces and unless it
is disassembled with tools, the telescope
cannot be rendered unsafe. Should any
element of the filter age or degrade, that
degradation would cause a darkening of
the image and not an unsafe filtration.
- SLR, DSLR, CCD and webcam cameras
may be mounted in the 2" focuser using a
standard 2" to T-Thread camera adapter
and appropriate T-ring to camera adapter.
35mm film cameras or most DSLR's will
show full disk. Monochrome cameras are preferred over color models, for their
greater resolution and sensitivity at H-alpha.
We recommend the Moonglow Technologies Interference Eliminator with DSLR
cameras to eliminate 'Newtons Ring' interference patterns.
- Bino-Viewers can be used with the SolaREDi telescope. Barlows or negative lenses
are not necessary, as the focus travel of the telescope has already been increased by
the application of a TeleVue powermate.
- DayStar
recommends 30-555mm Plossl eyepieces.
Note
about digital imaging: Hydrogen Alpha is a very narrow or monochromatic
wavelength of light. Many cameras which use a color CCD chip have sensors for blue,
green and red. The pixel sensors which are sensitive to blue and green have no data
in Halpha, so a color CCD chip will give 1/4 of the resolution that a monochrome chip
of the same size does. Also be aware that image processing algorithms often aver-
age pixels, which reduces image quality in addition to reduced resolution. While
color CCD imaging such as DSLR is convenient and accessible to the public, it includes
a number of unavoidable inherent limitations.
Fortunately, short exposures mean imagers can sort from
hundreds of frames over a span of time to select from superi-
or seeing cells which occur regularly. High speed imaging
and sorting from hundreds of frames greatly reduces the
need for stacking.
• The Best Digital imaging success in Hydrogen Alpha comes with a MONO-
CHROME SENSOR.
• Digital imagers should consider a way to tilt their chip through adapters or con-
figuration.
• Digital imagers should consider high speed imaging to image-sort for superior
seeing cells.
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Care
and cleaning: While not in use, we recommend that users store the SolaREDi
alpha telescope with its end caps on, in the provided heavy duty re-sealable plastic
bag with dessicant dehydrating packets; in a climate controlled environment. The
SolaREDi telescope optical filter life expectancy is extended up to 2-3 times by cli-
mate controlled storage.
Do not touch the internal, red optical elements of the SolaREDi filter assembly.
While the exterior glass surface coatings are durable, they are easily scratched. A
few specks of dust will have no effect on the quality of the image, and may be gen-
tly blown off with a squeeze bulb. Do NOT use compressed air cans to blow dust
off any optical surfaces. Small amounts of residual 'film' will not affect visual per-
formance. Fingerprints, smudges and smears must be cleaned off. Preferred
cleaning method is to return the SolaREDi to the DayStar Filters laboratory for
proper factory cleaning. Do not unscrew, open or separate your SolaREDi filter
assembly. The optical elements are held under pressure by design and will
become damaged if opened. Opening the optical filter assembly will void your
warranty. The safest cleaning method is to moisten a very soft, lint-free tissue,
cloth or "Q-tip" with a pure acetone, methanol, or Isopropyl Alcohol (reagent
grade) and gently whisk away the stain. Do not apply solutions directly to the glass
surface. Stroke from the center of the aperture outward only. After each cleaning
stroke, use a fresh applicator. The fewer strokes, the better!
The tube and other parts are powder-coated for durability and can be polished
with any non-abrasive car wax. Red anodized surfaces can be cleaned with
Windex.
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The recent availability of CCD cameras and DSLR cameras has offered a simple opportu-
nity for solar observers to image the Sun in Hydrogen Alpha with a Digital SLR camera.
Please be advised, however, that due to the nature of monochromatic light and its
effects on a CCD camera, certain effects usually occur.
The DSLR imager must be aware that most camera manufacturers (Canon and Nikon)
use an IR blocking filter which greatly reduces the transmission of Hydrogen Alpha light.
DSLR cameras without this IR blocking filter will have better sensitivity imaging in
Hydrogen Alpha.
The imager should also appreciate that the COLOR CCD chip is constructed in a way that
only 1:4 sensors detect red light. The other 3 sensors only detect blue and green. So a
color CCD chip (in a DSLR or a CCD camera) will only offer 1/4 the sensitivity and 1/2 the
resolution of a monochrome chip.
Another effect present in CCD imaging of monochrome light is the interference pattern
- or Newton's Rings. The effect is similar to interference testing of an optical surface
between two flat surfaces. The sensor and cover slip cause a small interferometer
inside the camera and cause a Newton's Ring moire' pattern. The CCD chip must be tilt-
ed to a minor degree to prevent this pattern. Recent advances in aftermarket adapters
offer a simplified solution for the issue. This effect is a concern for both color and
monochrome sensors. An optional accessory is available from DayStar (MG-0408)
which can be used between the DSLR and SolaREDi to adjust the light angle and extinct
the interference pattern.
85
Bandpass
Expectations:
0.7Å users will find that prominences are easily
visible and very well-pronounced with a 0.7Å filter.
Surface structure is not very contrasted, but it is
possible to see mottling on the surface and large
flares, plages and active regions.
0.5Å users will see prominences but not quite as
broad as with a 0.7Å due to wing shift in the
prominence. Surface detail will be much stronger
with a 0.5Å, revealing more detail in active
regions, filaments, spicule, and all other features.
0.3Å users will see only very thin, hairline promi-
nences, but surface contrast will be very defined
and sharp. Soft chromosphere will appear in high-
est detail with .3Å.
A
word about daytime seeing and limiting resolution:
During the daytime, radiant heating from the sun affects seeing significantly.
Characterized by turbulence or shimmering as seen over a hot street, seeing can
cause significant impact on quality of solar observations.
Bad seeing is caused by air of different temperatures mixing. This typically happens
within the lowest 10 feet of air. It occurs most often over pavement, dark objects,
rooftops and sometimes trees.
High cirrus clouds or “scuz” will cause scattering of sunlight in the high atmosphere
which often makes for bad viewing conditions. A classic sign of high cirrus clouds is
the inability to achieve focus, or the need to “chase focus”. A jet-stream moving
overhead can also hurt seeing conditions even on a clear day.
While many of these conditions are beyond our control, observing in an area with
ideal conditions without pavement in the direction of viewing and on days with no
high cirrus will offer best results. Grass is the best environment for daytime seeing
stability.
The SolaREDi 60mm has a limiting resolution at 6562.8 of approximately 2.8 arc sec-
onds. Over-magnification of the image will have resolution limitations in which fea-
tures can not be resolved. Also note that the sun’s limb in hydrogen alpha is soft, with
a fuzzy layer of chromosphere surrounding the surface. Using eyepieces higher than
25mm in power, it is challenging to achieve focus on the limb. For users who are
interested in higher magnification, we suggest one of our other models of ION or
Quantum DayStar filters which can mount to your existing telescope and be used up
to 6.5” in clear aperture.

76
Features
of the Sun in Hydrogen Alpha
By observing the sun with a narrow bandpass filter tuned to 6562.8Å, we can observe
the behavior of the Sun's
Chromosphere. The chromosphere
is like a shell of gas around the Sun's
photosphere, always moving and
changing. The chromosphere's
structure behaves differently in
active regions than quiet areas,
where magnetic field lines are
stronger. Thought to be tied to the photosphere, the chromosphere is governed by
magnetic forces and, yet it still has its own IntraNetwork (IN) of material oscillating
every 5 minutes.
On the limb, even a rather wide fil-
ter of 1Å or more will show promi-
nences, a detail of the chromos-
phere projected against the dark
black contrast of space. To observe
the details of chromosphere on the
face of the sun, we need a narrow-
er filter to eliminate more off-band
light of the photosphere and continuum. We need a filter less than 1.0Å. The nar-
rower the filter's bandpass, the more contrast we will see - down to 0.4Å, where
prominence structure is reduced due to high velocity and subsequent wing shift.
Spicules dominate the chromos-
phere in non-active regions and
have been studied exhaustively.
They are barely visible, last only
about 15 minutes, and resemble a
"burning prarie". Some jets can be
seen shooting 10,000 km up from
the Sun's limb at velocities of about
30km/sec. Studied exhaustively, they present a number of observing challenges, as
they are too small to resolve and move so quickly as to present wing-shift challenges.
Field
Transition
Arches (FTA's) connect P and F spots - elements of opposite polarity.
Inside an active region, where
sunspots are originally linked by a
FTA, a shear boundary forms. Field
Transition Arches are different from
filaments in that they are thin and
not very dark. The FTA usually has
plage or granular structure under-
neath.
Filaments appear as large, dark eyebrows
across the surface of the Sun. With a
brightness of about 10% of the disk due to
scattering, they appear dark on the sur-
face, but on the limb, show as a promi-
nence. Active Region Filaments (ARF) dif-
fer from Quiescent Region Filaments (QRF). ARF are darker, smaller and have more coherent
fibril structure along their axis. A sheared magnetic field runs parallel to this axis, permitting
a sizeable flare. QRF may produce a big
Coronal Mass Ejection (CME). An ARF may
erupt and reform several times.
Plages: Most of the active region area is
occupied by plage. Considerable atmos-
pheric heating takes place in the plage. It
is bright in everything from Halpha to the Calcium H and K lines. This heating is thought to
account for an absence of spicule. While
absent over plage, spicule are prominent
around its edges.
Elerman
Bomb: A remarkable feature of
Emerging Flux Regions is the Ellerman
bomb. Bright points with very broad H-alpha wings (±5Å) that are low in the atmosphere so
they are not visible on H alpha centerline. Called 'moustaches' for their appearance on spec-
trograph, they appear spectroscopically like wide moustaches with a gap in the middle. This
strange and tiny feature typically occurs at the center of the EFR or in the edges of spots -
where the field is breaking the surface.
Solar
Flares are intense, abrupt releases of
energy which occur in areas where the
magnetic field is changing by flux emer-
gence or sunspot motion. Stresses in lines
of force build up slowly and are released
in flares. They occur most frequently at
neutral lines where a filament is supported by horizontal sheared field lines. This event can
only take place along a magnetic inversion line. When many lines of force are involved, two
ribbons of emission appear, brightening simultaneously.
Emerging
Flux Regions: An area on the Sun where a magnetic dipole, or "flux tube" is surfac-
ing on the disk, eventually producing a bipolar sunspot group. Each pole of an EFR is often
marked by pores or small developing sunspots. Surges or even small solar flares can some-
times occur in EFRs. An EFR emerges with
small bright H region with little surges,
then weak arch filaments (AFS) over bright
plage connect small spots on each dipole.
Growth is rapid, forming in just a few
hours.