I'm watching the SSun now from sunny Phoenix. I have only my #14 welder's glass, but I can see one sunspot. No optical aid, just the glass and my eye. Pretty small, but definitely there! Brent --- Chuck Hards <chuckhards@yahoo.com> wrote:
The price on the welder's glass is certainly attractive, but know that the image may be less than satisfactory.
The sun will be a dark-green color, and the filter does nothing to suppress scattering. That is, you may notice a lot of bright glare surrounding the disk of the sun itself. Detail such as sunspots will be difficult to see, plague will almost certainly be totally invisible. Low-contrast details will be lost.
The best view of the sun in white light will be provided by a Baader Mylar filter. Any other brand of Mylar or metal-on-glass filter is second-best. Only Baader will show the sun as white, and preserve low-contrast details. Any other filter will tint the image blue, yellow, orange, or green.
And all filters must be used ahead of any optical system used; eyes, telescope, or binocular.
It is also a good idea to tape-on solar filters, even those that are a snug fit. I have seen idiot bystanders attempt to remove a filter while someone else was looking through the telescope...disaster in the making. Please take all precautions if showing the sun to the general public, and don't leave your equipment unmanned for even a few seconds.
Remove your Telrads and any other lens-type reflex sight; if sunlight gets into the optical train, it will melt your reticle. This happens with Telrads when they are pointed 90-degrees from the sun, with the sun above the unit. Same with Quickfinders.
Chuck
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