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Gerry, David, et al,
The Helios has arrived! I got to try it out today. it was windy, so the camera-tripod mounting I was using was pretty shaky, but from what I saw it looked great. Prominences and filaments were easy to see, and some granulation. When things calm down and I can get a steady view, perhaps
even more detail will be apparent. It's already far better than another H-Alpha filter we purchased from another company several years ago.
It was a long wait, but my patience and your care in manufacturing sure seem to have paid off. Thanks again.
Tommy Ehrensperger, Woodward Academy
As you probably know, the Helios is having an enthusiastic feedback by amateurs here in Italy. Once again, dear David, my sincere compliments for all your work and struggle to get such a fantastic product. With my best wishes for a fantastic 2000. Cordialmente. Marco Vespa FRANZ FOTO OTTICA srl 16, Via XX Settembre 09125 CAGLIARI ITALY Hi Gerry, Wanted to let you know that I received my filter soon after your last message. My chances to use it have been limited due to heavy work load, holiday commitments - hope your holidays were great - cloudy weather (You must have had some wicked weather judging what happened in France) and alas the lowest sun angle of the year. But when I have been able to look through the filter I am truely amazed!!!! NICE WORK. regards, Bob LaPree E-mail received December 21 from Giovanni Dal Lago Dear David, Italian dealer Alberto Vespa (of FRANZ) has delivered HELIOS1 and the Pronto Halfa-filter to me for a test on my magazine. Now, I have tried visually the HELIOS1: congratulations, the telescope is excellent; the mechanical part is realized with the maximum precision, and also the detail of the cromosphera and prominences and the is notable visually! How is it possible, with a focal so short, to have an image with bandpass of 0,8A only? Why don't you think about producing the heated version dell'HELIOS1? ...:) I Hope for to be able to get some good images CCD... Regards, Giovanni Dal Lago, Coelum magazine, vicedirettore Giovanni Dal Lago gdl@lead.it - http://www.lead.it/~gdl/ 36010 Carrč (Vi) ITALY - via Costa Diana Prima, 3/b phone: +39.0445.380580/893302 - fax: +39.0445.380463 COELUM Astronomia via Appia, 18 30173 Venezia - Mestre ITALY redazione@coelum.com - http://www.coelum.com e-mail received December 18 from Bill Cosgrave: I just received the ASP-60, and I have to admit something, I probobly enjoy using finely made instruments as much as I enjoy looking at the sky. The ASP-60 certainly qualifys as a finely made instrument. Thank you! E-mail received November 27th. It's like Christmas here in Ogden, Utah. I received a hand delivered package from Coronado Instruments after more than a year and a half wait. Safely packed in its own traveling case the CIG-540 Solar Filter arrived intact. I placed the narrowband element in the nicely machined TV 101 adptor plate and screwed the adaptor plate onto the four inch refractor. I placed the star diagonal containing the blocking filter on the back end of the telescope along with a Meade 18mm Superwide eyepiece. Before the clouds came in I my wife and son had a real treat. The solar prominences and filaments were spectacular and in my own back yard. One Question. Do I owe you for the adaptor plate? Thanks, the wait was worth it. Bob Neill Marco Vespa" October 23, 1999 Tim Black from the Fort Worth Side Walk Astronomers comments: I'm absolutely in love with my filter (ASP-60). I'm more than pleased. The combination of the filter and the TV Pronto is a winner. I've been taking it around to school groups and the kids are amazed and thrilled with what they see. I'll send pictures. Many thanks. YOu've got one more than satisfied cutomer. We love referrals but one from Brian Daniells to his father gives particular pleasure...thanks Brian. And from Paul Rodbell of Atlanta on October 21. I received the Helios this morning about 10:00 AM. Needless to say I am very impressed. The sky cleared from two days of rain immediately after it arrived. Conventional wisdom would have predicted another 40 days of rainy,or , at least,cloudy skies just because I received the new scope, but that fortunately was not the case.The scope works fine. I am pleased. It was worth the wait. October 19, 1999 Thanks for the suggestions--my problems were that I was not tuning the filter correctly, and that I thought that the optimum H-alpha position was more off center than it really was. For me, the tuning was much more critical than half a revolution of the blocking filter. I found that there was definitely an optimum position within two clicks, and that this optimum position rapidly changed as the scope warmed (of course, it settled down eventually). After that, it was similar to critical planetary visual observing--Ineeded to read about what I was looking at, have persistence, and wait for moments of good seeing.I found it very helpful to block stray sunlight to increase contrast. The Solar Observing Book you suggested was excellent.(SEE FAQ) I observed for 90 minutes today. I saw loops and prominences around the entire disk, including a total disk view which I know only the Helios can provide. A very crisp filament appeared to snake it's way through an active region. It was at this time that I realized how large the H-alpha field was: I moved the scope with a TV 8 Plossl (1 deg field),and I could move the filament 3/4 of the way to the edge before it disappeared. Eventually, I will get accessories which will optimize the viewing in this scope. For me, both of my 2" diagonals fail to come to focus.I am going to use a high quality 1.25" diagonal, as opposed to the mediocre one I have now. During the day, I find it harder to use short eye relief eyepieces like 4-11mm Plossls, so I am going to use more complex designs with long eye relief like the Pentax XL-SMC's and the Radians. Thanks for introducing me to what will probably be a lifelong "sub-hobby" of H-alpha observing.My Helios will be my main sunspot scope as well--I just have to tune it away from H-alpha! Derek Wong Looking forward to the Mercury transit, Derek Wong October 12, 1999 last August our institute bought an Helios I, we used it to take Sun images during the eclipse.The images were shown during a manifestation held in Turin (Italy)last 11th August through a widescreen in a square full of people (about5000 people)and during a TV transmission (T3 - Leonardo) on 3rd national channel. Helios I is an excellent telescope, I appreciated the compact design, without electric device (heater), good resolution and good quality of the images and details of the chromosphere and prominences. Simple well done!Alberto Cora, Director, Osservatorio Astronomico di Torino October 7, 1999 Yes, raise the flag- my Helios arrived yesterday afternoon and what's more today we had a perfect sky so I got a chance to try it out.It's a beautiful instrument for which you and your people are to be congratulated. I find it very easy to use and am very happy to have it. Now I can go ahead with my white-light work and at the same time switch over to Ha the minute I see something interesting going on there. I,m also happy about the short focal length of the Helios because it gives an image of perfect size for use with my CCD camera which I' m just beginning to get used to. If and when I capture something spectacular either inCCD or photographically I'll sure send you a copy. Regards, Phil Glaser Helios received. Remarkable views. Please send literature that we may give to prospective customers. Well worth the wait, and I agree that Helios was the best choice, so easy to set up and use. James Blackstock, OUT OF THIS WORLD, MENDOCINO, CA ET423@aol.com To: lunt@vtc.net I had a wonderful session yesterday 10/2/99. I cannot thank you and David enough for opening up the door for me for H-alpha solar astronomy. Most amateur astronomers that I know really don't have a concept of what they're missing. However the people that have come with me on observing sessions understand and Im sure will all be customers soon. The view was fabulous and the prominences were stunning. I have attached my first attempt at close-up prominence photography. For all of your customers that wonder if the AS-1 90mm performs on prominences I can only say the view is "absolutely stunning" especially surrounding the full disk as viewed through the 35mm Panoptic and 55mm Televue eyepieces.The detail, brightness and contrast are all excellent. Ive got other shots to scan in and send to you however there were no large sunspot groups. I am attempting to hook up my CCD this week as Im sure I will need it for the closeup shots. I was able to get f66 focal length for the prominence shot by dropping a 3X Televue barlow into the projection path after the blocking filter and before the camera. Talk to you later. Gene Turner Subject: Re: Solar Filter Date: Sat, 28 Aug 1999 15:43:16 EDT Testimonial Today was the first day that I was able to fully use the AS-1 90mm. Several issues have been resolved concerning the attachmentto and use of the filter with the Televue 101 F5.4. The finaloptimum rear train setup seems to be in order as follows: (1)2" Televue star diagonal, (2) 2" 4x Televue PowermateBarlow, CIG AS-1 blocking filter, 2" Televue 35mm Panopticor 55mm Televue Plossl eyepiece. I can't begin to describe toyou the astounding full disk view this setup provides. If anythingyou have understated the performance of your filter. The visiblesurface detail and the contrast far exceeded any H-alpha filterthat I have previously seen, and I can assure you that I havea great deal of solar viewing experience. David, both you andGerry should be commended for your uncompromising efforts forproduct quality and customer service. And yesthere were a few tough times as you went back to the drawing boardto re-work my filter. And yes there were discussions of canceledorders, I guess similiar to the grumblings of mutiny when Columbus'screw hadn't seen land for a while but I can assure you the waitwas well worth it. Unfortunately I was so enthralled with theview that I didn't shoot any film. But I will be taking picturesin the morning and will E-mail you Monday with some shots. Pleasedo not hesitate to use me for endorsements as I can assure anyonethat the possible wait is very much worth the end product. I amwilling to respond to anyone interested in the real performancelevel of your filter. Don't hesitate to give out my Email to yourserious customers. Thanks again and my next Email is to Al Naglerto express my appreciation for his great products that coupledwith your filters provide such an outstanding package. Hopefullywe'll stay in touch. Sincerely, Gene Turner e-mail address on request. First, I want you to know that I have been getting absolutely stunning visual images of the sun over the past few days. The more I have worked with your filter, the more I have been amazed at the optical quality inherent in the system, and the exquisite detail I can detect during moments of perfect seeing. Whatever misgivings I had when I first tried the filter have now been replaced by a passion for solar observation which today, nearly caused me to be late to my morning class at the University. Brian Daniells referring to his ASP-60 with 35mm blocking filter "CIG filters and their dedicated solar telescope, Helios 1, are of the highest optical &, mechanical standards and are superb instruments for both visual & photgraphic work. We had our first opportunity to view the sun through their filters at Astrocon'99 last week. CIG has recently overcome significant hurdles to solar instruments ever produced....in particular, the Helios 1 dedicated telescope is a winner. Helios 1 offers amazing performance at an amazing price. ($2,295.00 USD). We were able to view prominences, flares, granularity and the structure around sunspots without changing filters or altering bandwidth...." Jim Kendrick "I just returned from the Astronomical League convention where I had the pleasure of meeting Coronado Instrument founder David Lunt. Mr. Lunt had examples of his solar H-A filters and the Helios telescope which performed beyond my expectations. I have been worried about whether we would ever see the items actually produced and shipped following the many delays over the last 6 months,so it was nice to see that the products are actually being produced and shipping currently. The Helios scope was especially interesting. Ambient temperature operation, no tuning required and a very sharp, high contrast image.Prominences were amazingly sharp and practically 3 dimensional. Plages,filaments, various granulations, etc were all clearly followed for hours." Dale Ireland, WA "Just taken delivery of my CIG special.....one glance at the equipment showed Coronado to be perfectionists and professionals....first class product" R. Alpair, U.K. "The filter arrived Thursday. I was out of town until last night, so this morning is the first chance I have had to look at it. The machine work is beautiful, and is a perfect match for the work that comes from Astro-Physics (this is, of course, the highest compliment). The case is a nice touch, too." B. Daniell, Boulder, CO "I would have to say you have one of the HOTTEST astronomy products I've seen come along in years! I will be more than happy to send people your way to buy the scope or at least to one of your dealers." Tom Bisque, Bisque Software Dear David Lunt, I could make a quick look at the sun through your filter when the clouds have lifted. Let me give you my preliminary short comments:1. Details of granulation, dark-filaments, and sun spots are all clearly observed. The entire disk image is very flat. The best details I have ever seen!.Morikawa, Tele Vue Japan Hi. A quick note; I just returned from Stellafane and am heading down to Cape Cod for the week. I had my first view through the Helios Thursday, along with several members of our club,the Aldrich Astronomical Society, and it blew us away! Nice job everyone!Lee Pappas lunt@theriver.com CC: caribetour@altavista.net References: Hi Gerry: Had no mayor hassles with customs. Right now it's the rainy season over here, so days suitable to use the filter are limited. Nevertheless, on the few occasions I had the opportunity to observe the sun, sights have been spectacular. Just recently added a motorized equatorial mount, and now observations (with the Helios) are even more satisfying. IT WAS WORTH THE LONG WAIT. Thanks and regards, JIM |