DayStar Filters SolaREDi User manual

ATTENTION!
DayStar SolaREDi telescopes are special instruments
which may operate differently than even
experienced telescope owners may expect.
For best results and safety reasons, please read
instructions completely prior to using
your DayStar SolaREDi Telescope.
DayStar Filters
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.
DayStar etalons are Temperature Sensitive.
DayStar filter optics are rear-mounted.
DayStar filter optics are designed to tilt for tuning.
DayStar filter optics have operative temperature ranges.
DayStar SolaREDi telescopes have LONG focal ratios.
Fast eyepeices such as Nagler are not recommended.
Your image will be large. Use a wide eyepiece.
A robust mount is recommended.
A DayStar filter is a solid spaced, not an air-spaced etalon.
A DayStar filter does not use ‘double-stacking’ techniques.
DayStar products are all hand-manufactured in the USA.
A DayStar Telescope is warranted for 10 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

DayStar Recommends 12-35mm
Plossls, Radians and Panoptic eyepieces.
Other DayStar Products:
T-Scanner H-alpha Filter:
- Introduced in 1988, the T-scanner is a non-heated,
tilt to tune 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). T-scanner is not heated and
operates at ambient temperatures with a 40° F cli-
mate range. Best in coastal or temperate climates.
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 telescope of any aperture operat-
ing at F/30. Requires a front mounted Energy
Rejection Filter (available in sizes up to 165mm).
Quantum filters’ tuning is controlled to 0.1Å accu-
racy 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 impor-
tant 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
applications intended for observations of the sun’s
atmosphere. It is offered in the Quantum style hous-
ing 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

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 expectan-
cy is extended up to 2-3 times by climate controlled storage.
Do not touch the internal, red optical elements of the SolaREDi filter assem-
bly. 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 gently 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 performance. 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 pol-
ished with any non-abrasive car wax. Red anodized surfaces can be
cleaned with Windex.
Warranty: The SolaREDi alpha telescope is warranted to be free of manu-
facturing or workmanship defects for 10 years from the date of purchase. If
your SolaREDi alpha 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-han-
dling, excessive or inappropriate weather exposure, optical cleaning, or
opening the optical filter assembly, defects of a subjective nature, cover-
age for any telescope purchased through an unauthorized DayStar Filters
dealer.
Warranty work will be performed at DayStar Filter's discretion and may only
be performed 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.

DayStar Telescopes and filters
are all HAND MADE.
• Each instrument is hand
manufactured and assem-
bled 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 necessity 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 abrasions 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 dis-
turbed, 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 technicians at our factory.
Solar Minimum Notice:
Let us remember that the Sun
has a sunspot minimum and
maximum cycle of about 11
years. We are currently
experiencing a period of
sunspot minmum that has
lasted surprisingly long. This
means that the sun may not
have as many exciting things
going on the day that you
view or image, than you may
have seen in photos or in the
past, if during a point of high-
er activity in the past.
This difference in visible activi-
ty is unrelated to the instru-
ment through which the sun is
viewed.
Prominences and active
regions will return as they
always have before.
Sunspot
Sunspot
Maximum
Maximum
Sunspot
Sunspot
Minimum
Minimum

Daystar filterS
SolaREDi αTelescope 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 alpha tele-
scope. This telescope has an 80mm F/4.0 doublet and a TeleVue 4X
powermate to accomplish a focal length of 1375mm. It has a
reduced clear aperture of 60mm in order to accomplish the F/23 nec-
essary for proper operation. The diffraction limited resolution of this tel-
escope 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 TELESCOPE AT THE SUN WITHOUT A SPECIAL, COMMERCIALLY
MANUFACTURED SOLAR FILTER 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 TELE-
SCOPE 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.
The recent availability of CCD cameras and DSLR cameras has offered a
simple opportunity 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 construct-
ed 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 tilted 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.
Fortunately, short exposures mean imagers can sort from hundreds of
frames over a span of time to select from superior seeing cells which occur
regularly. High speed imaging and sorting from hundreds of frames greatly
reduces the need for stacking.
o The Best Digital imaging success in Hydrogen Alpha comes with a MONO-
CHROME SENSOR.
o Digital imagers should consider a way to tilt their chip through adapters or
configuration.
o Digital imagers should consider high speed imaging to image-sort for
superior seeing cells.
Daystar recommends MONOCHROME CCD and high
speed imaging cameras with image-sort technique to
overcome seeing limitations. When Newtons’ rings
are present, we recommend the MG-0408
RG
GB

- 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 nega-
tive lenses are not necessary, as the focus travel of the telescope has
already been increased by the application of a TeleVue powermate.
- DayStar recommends 12-30mm Radians, Plossl’s and Panoptic eyepieces.
Note about digital imaging: Hydrogen Alpha is a very narrow or mono-
chromatic 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 average 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.
Daystar recommends MONOCHROME CCD imaging
whenever possible for best results.
Standard features of the SolaREDi telescope include:
1375mm F/23 doublet telescope with
2" Moonlite 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.
Mounting: The SolaREDi combination mounting foot may be threaded
directly to a ¼ x 20 standard camera tripod mount, or using industry stan-
dard "Vixen" style dovetail mounting accessories. With heavier 2" eyepieces
or equipment, we discourage camera foot mounting. Users may consider
a tracking mount for best results. The included Moonlite 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 5 times. Therefore, only minor move-
ments in focus on the knob are required to accomplish large changes visu-
ally. Most eyepieces and cameras focus with the tube extended approxi-
mately 2.5- 3" out.
Tune for Hydrogen Alpha: Temperature affects the tuning of your SolaREDi
alpha telescope. Your SolaREDi telescope has a minimum operative temper-
ature range printed on the attached label. When the SolaREDi is cold, short-
er wavelengths are allowed to pass through. When it is warmer, longer
wavelengths are allowed to pass through. To accommodate a 40°F (22°C)
climate range, the SolaREDi can tune its wavelength to pass Hydrogen Alpha
light.
To tune your SolaREDi, slowly twist the red tilt adjustment screw (located on
the side of the drawtube barrel) while looking through the eyepiece. You
should notice a change in surface texture on the disk of the Sun as the filter
tunes on and off of the Hydrogen Alpha wavelength. You will want to tune
to a position which offers best surface contrast across the entire disk. This
position will offer your best view of prominences, spicule and surface detail.

Filaments appear as large, dark eye-
brows across the surface of the Sun.
With a brightness of about 10% of the
disk due to scattering, they appear
dark on the surface, but on the limb,
show as a prominence. Active Region
Filaments (ARF) differ from Quiescent Region Filaments (QRF). ARF are darker, small-
er 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 spectro-
graph, they appear spectroscopically like wide moustaches with a gap in the mid-
dle. 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
emergence or sunspot motion.
Stresses in lines of force build up slow-
ly and are released in flares. They
occur most frequently at neutral lines
where a filament is supported by hor-
izontal 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 surfacing 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 sometimes
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.
Operating temperature: The SolaREDi is operable on-band in a tempera-
ture range of approximately 40°F. In climate conditions below the minimum
operating temperature of the SolaREDi, the filter will not operate on-band.
A heating strip can be applied at the barrel section containing the black
screw. This will allow users to increase the operative temperature range of
the instrument. DayStar filters recommends the Kendrick Astro Systems
product line, in particular, the Kendrick Firelite heater is a compact, inex-
pensive and effective accessory.
The SolaREDi telescope assembly may also change temperature and
require settling time when first removed from its storage and placed into
use.
Also, during the day, as the temperature of your SolaREDi telescope
increases, you may need to adjust the tuning action in order to stay at
6562.8Å.
Tuning / Tilting action: The optical filter assembly stack is located in the
eyepiece barrel before the eye-
piece. It is mounted on pivot
points which allow the assembly
to tilt. The red headed thumb-
screw on the side of this barrel
will cause the optical assembly
to tilt, and change the wave-
length of light exiting the filter.
Your optical image will not
move or need re-focusing with
this tilt.
Filtration and safety: The optical solar filter stack is mounted at the rear, eye-
piece end of the SolaREDi alpha 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
alpha telescope without an eyepiece. The SolaREDi alpha 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.

Bandpass Expectations:
0.7Å users will find that prominences are easily
visible and very well-pronounced with a 0.7Å fil-
ter. 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 highest 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 atmos-
phere 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 seconds. Over-magnification of the image will have resolution limitations
in which features can not be resolved. Also note that the sun’s limb in hydro-
gen alpha is soft, with a fuzzy layer of chromosphere surrounding the surface.
Using eyepieces higher than 12mm 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 T-Scanner or Quantum DayStar filters
which can mount to your existing telescope and be used up to 6.5” in clear
aperture.
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 chromos-
phere's structure behaves differ-
ently 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 min-
utes.
On the limb, even a rather wide
filter of 1Å or more will show
prominences, a detail of the
chromosphere projected
against the dark black contrast
of space. To observe the details
of chromosphere on the face of
the sun, we need a narrower fil-
ter to eliminate more off-band light of the photosphere and continuum. We
need a filter less than 1.0Å. The narrower the filter's bandpass, the more con-
trast 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 - ele-
ments of opposite polarity.
Inside an active region, where
sunspots are originally linked by
a FTA, a shear boundary forms.
Field Transition Arches are differ-
ent from filaments in that they
are thin and not very dark. The
FTA usually has plage or granular
structure underneath.