Glass Solar Filter Instruction Sheet
Caution: Never, never look through your telescope at the sun until the solar filter is installed properly and you have reviewed the important points to remember at the end of this instruction sheet.
Important Shipping Information: In the event your merchandise has been damaged during transit, please use the following procedure: Keep the original carton and packing material intact. Call the technical support number at the top of this page. We will initiate a claim with the carrier and arrange for the carrier to pick up the package from you. A replacement will be shipped after we receive the claim number from the carrier (2-5 days). We cannot accept damaged merchandise directly from the customer without prior approval from Seymour Solar.
Cleaning Glass Solar filters: The outside of the filter can be cleaned as often as necessary using a clean soft cloth or soft tissue and isopropyl alcohol. The inside of the filter which is the coated side can be cleaned the same way. Keep in mind the coating is sensitive and can be scratched or rubbed off if excessive rubbing occurs. KEEP IT CLEAN. This optical filter should be handled with care at all times. It should be kept in its’ protective case whenever it is not in use. This will minimize the chances of accidental damage or contamination of the glass. Should there be damage to the coated surface such that bright pinholes occur there may be “ghosting” due to scattered light. If you see any bright pinholes you must block them out before use.
Blocking Pin Holes: You can test for pinholes before using the filter by doing the following: Hold the filter with the inside toward you and outside toward a standard 60-100 watt soft white light bulb. The filter should be one to two feet from the light bulb. If you have a filter with a thin film aperture and you get too close to the light bulb you will burn a hole in the thin film. Don’t get too close. An alternative is to look through the filter at the sky to see pinholes. You should be able to observe any pinholes at this time and they should be blocked during this procedure. All touch-ups should be made on the inside (coated) surface. As many as 20 touch-ups per clear aperture inch can be made with no adverse affects on the performance or safety of the filter. Blocking can be done with a fine point felt marker, small drop of paint, or typing correction fluid. The optical performance of the filter will not be diminished by the blocking procedure, small pinholes or minor scratches. Although pinholes and scratches are common in glass solar filters, we are proud of the fact that they are rare in our filters. All filters are tested carefully for safety before shipment. Please double check before use.
Thin Film Solar Filters: Clean the same as glass filters but take care not to punch through the film.
Mounting: Before observing the sun it is important to equalize the Solar Filter and telescope temperature to the outside temperature. Place the solar filter and your telescope outside. Do not observe through it for at least 15 minutes.
The filter should be installed with the telescope pointed upward. Carefully slide the filter over the end of the telescope. The filter will have one or more thumb screws, depending on the size of the filter, positioned on the side. Hand screw the thumb screw(s) against the telescope so that the filter is centered and just snug enough to prevent the filter from slipping off the end of the telescope when it is pointed downward. For those filters that have only one thumb screw felt is provided to center the filter. Stick the felt on the inside of the filter opposite the thumb screw, so that as you tighten the thumb screw the filter tightens against the felt pad. Do not over tighten the thumb screw(s). This can cause distortion, glass cracking, or stripping of the threads. You have to allow for thermal expansion.
Off Axis Solar Filters: Clean the same as the glass solar filters. Care must be taken not to scratch the coated surface of the glass which is toward the telescope. When mounting the off axis filter the glass aperture should be positioned as close to the twelve o’clock position as possible.
Caution: Your finder scope must either have a solar filter or be covered. If you look through your finder scope at the sun without a solar filter you can damage your eye in fraction of a second. With a little practice you can obtain close alignment by moving your tube assembly until the smallest shadow of the tube assembly is cast behind you.
IMPORTANT POINTS TO REMEMBER
- Direct sunlight may warm the tube assembly enough to cause internal heat currents that can degrade image quality.
- Check the filter for any pinholes, scratches or other damage before each use.
- Cover the finder scope if not equipped with a solar filter.
- Equalize the filter and telescope temperature to the outside temperature (at least 15 minutes).
- Cover the tube assembly with a light colored cloth.
- Do not view over pavement or buildings. Viewing over grass will help avoid surface heat currents.
- Point your telescope away from sun before removing the solar filter.
- Do not leave the telescope unattended so that children or inexperienced adults could point it at the sun without the filter properly attached.
- Clean the inside coated surface of the Solar Filter only if absolutely necessary.
- "Ghosting" can occur due to internal reflections (glass filters only). If this is a problem, simply tilt the filter slightly.
- Do not install or put your filter up against a smaller telescope. The end of the tube will damage the coating or substrate.
- When looking through the focusing tube without an eyepiece, there may appear to be small defects in the coating which are not seen when observing through the eyepiece. This is normal and is not an optical or safety concern.