Blew $150 on a solar filter that was way too small for my scope

I bought one of those cheap glass solar filters off Amazon without checking the measurements first. It was rated for up to 4 inch aperture but my 6 inch dob wouldn't even let me cap it properly. Tried to hold it in place with tape and a rubber band like some DIY hack. First sunny day I set it up and the thing just fell off mid observation. Luckily I noticed before it hit the ground but the whole setup slid and scratched the coating. Total waste of cash. Anyone else get burned by buying gear without measuring twice first?

2 comments

2 Comments

parkermorgan9d ago

man my buddy tried the same tape and rubber band trick with his solar filter a few years back. thing flew off during a partial eclipse and the sun fried the focuser on his ETX before he even realized what happened. he was gutted, still talks about it like some war story.

max_ramirez489d ago

Go measure twice next time man, I learned that one the hard way too. Not to nitpick but that story about the ETX focuser getting fried might not be totally accurate. The sunlight coming through a telescope without a filter is dangerous for your eyes for sure, but it usually just melts plastic eyepieces or burns the inside of the tube before it gets to the focuser itself. Focusers are usually metal and take a lot more direct heat to actually warp or melt. Still a scary thing to happen though. Your buddy is lucky he didn't damage his eyesight more than his gear. That's why I always tell people to buy filters from reputable brands and double check the measurements before clicking buy.