Here is a quick review from France of a recently delivered LS35T Solar Telscope.

…”Hello,
This is a quick report of the LS35DX.

Only 35 mm of diameter and what a view!
My first glance through the little Lunt was the first of April and that will
remain engrave in my memories.

After having center the sun in the eyepiece, i turned the helical focuser and I saw one of the most spendid spectacle that our companion star could give us : a huge arch of hydrogen. I was stuck behind the little Lunt and filled with wonder.
After a timeless while, my mind was back and i realised that there is a little wheel recessed into the filter. I moved the wheel carefully and the proms appeared most vivid with more details, that’s laces of Hamper.

It was sumptuous, I saw another big prom and 4 littles proms the same day.
My first rendez-vous with the sun was sucessfull and thanks to Lunt to made such good Halpha instrument for a fair price.

Hervé…”

We’re certainly very please at all the very positive respnses and feedback we are getting. The LS35T solar filtering system was not without it’s technical issues along the way. The main issue being the ability to get a working unit thru UPS and into the customers hands. It’s one thing to build a great scope, test it here and package and ship it. Only to find that it has been destroyed in shipping…

Other issues included our inability to get good etalon and IR coatings. I can’t tell you how frustrating it is to deal with vendors who claim to do perfect work, send parts well out of spec without so much as a word.  (more on that in another blog).

The production at Lunt is almost fully ramped up. Just in time!! The Sun is putting on a great show….

About Lunt Solar Systems LLC…

Lunt Solar Systems is a manufacturing and sales facility located in Tucson, Arizona. Lunt Solar design, fabricate, assemble, and test solar telescopes and solar filters. Whether you are looking for a dedicated solar telescope or a solar filter for attachment to you own astronomy telescope, we can help. Solar telescopes models start at $499 for an LS35T (telescope) or the only slightly more expensive LS50F (filter), all the way thru the 152T and the 160F. Solar observing is both fun and educational. Don’t miss out on Solar Maximum. Feel free to contact us with question or comments and we’d be happy to help.

Some of you may recognize the Bino platform. It is the unique design from Howie Glatter. It was designed to accept the PST, but as you can see, it readily accepts the LS35Ts. (I need to let Howie know that I have his set ready :)

We had a customer and his wife come by to personally check out the system that he had just purchased. As you can see, the system even has 2 zoom eyepieces which worked remarkably well. I was very pleased with the view after everything was aligned. It really gives a nice 3D feel to the Sun. Doppler shifting slightly allowed the eyes to merge the images, giving an impression of even more detail than thru a single system.

The LS35T/Deluxe Package comes standard with the mounting foot for the Bino Platform. However, if your inter pupilary distance is anything like mine, the tilt mechanisms on the LS35T front etalon assembly will need to be shaved a little.

If you are interested in the LS35T for Bino use, give us a call, or drop us an e-mail. We would be happy to get you a matched set and do the modifications for you. Contact Howie for a Bino Platform and you’re off and running.

About Lunt Solar Systems LLC…

Lunt Solar Systems is a manufacturing and sales facility located in Tucson, Arizona. Lunt Solar design, fabricate, assemble, and test solar telescopes and solar filters. Whether you are looking for a dedicated solar telescope or a solar filter for attachment to you own astronomy telescope, we can help. Solar telescopes models start at $499 for an LS35T (telescope) or the only slightly more expensive LS50F (filter), all the way thru the 152T and the 160F. Solar observing is both fun and educational. Don’t miss out on Solar Maximum. Feel free to contact us with question or comments and we’d be happy to help.

I have just been informed that the LS35T is now shipping from STOCK!!

You can now get an LS35T by contacting us at sales@luntsolarsystems.com

Thank you to Savio Fong for sending this excellent image of the Annular Eclipse from Hong Kong. This image was taken with an LS35T!

The LS35T is probably a perfect example of a product that I fully espected to get from design to Customer in a few months, but ended up taking almost a year.

As many will know the main issue was the ability to ship the product and have it arrive in good working condition. For those that received their LS35T un-damaged, they have been very pleased with the performance. However, Lunt received alot of calls from Customers who’s LS35T was damaged via decontacting, bent screws, and even broken ERFs. This despite the fact that we box the scope in fitted foam, in a box, in foam end caps in another box. Shipping thru the standard shipping companies has simply been down right difficult. When they state that a product needs to be safe for a 6 foot drop, they mean it. The first guy to pick up the box launches it into the back of the truck from 6 feet away.. (don’t get me started, it hurts)..

Anyway, after much mechanical re-deisgn, the use of different potting products, locking screws, and mechanical stops, we have finally achieved a very high success rate on product survival.. Not to mention a few tweeks to the optical design along the way ;)

Of the couple of hundred LS35Ts we recently shipped, (cross our fingers) only a few have not survived the gauntlet.

Of the Customers recieving the LS35T, the feedback has been overwhelmingly positive. Images like the above are proof that the system really does perform very well (is this where I say “told you so?”). The ongoing decision of discontinuing the product (which we have done for 6 months) are being re-thought, and it does look like we can start to accept new orders for the product.

As you might expect there is still a few months leadtime on new orders as we work to remove the backlog.

Some have waited for a year. We appreciate your ongoing patience, and certainly hope that you find the product worth the wait.

In closing.. It has, and will ALWAYS be our policy to hold product back if we feel that it does not reflect the performance and safety that is so important.  Solar Telescopes are NOT your average Telescope. They contain many highly specified, highly sensitive optical elements. The amount of technology contained within even the basic scope is amazing and goes far beyond that of even the most advanced night time scope. We are working on shipping backlogged product as fast as we can, but will continue to maintain the highest level of quality in every product.

About Lunt Solar Systems LLC…

Lunt Solar Systems is a manufacturing and sales facility located in Tucson, Arizona. Lunt Solar design, fabricate, assemble, and test solar telescopes and solar filters. Whether you are looking for a dedicated solar telescope or a solar filter for attachment to you own astronomy telescope, we can help. Solar telescopes models start at $499 for an LS35T (telescope) or the LS50F (filter) all the way thru the 152T and the 160F. Solar observing is both fun and educational. Don’t miss out on Solar Maximum. Feel free to contact us with question or comments and we’d be happy to help.