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DayStar Filter™ Solar System Filter Wheel

Overview of The Filter Wheel Functions

DayStar is best known in the amateur astronomy community for their Hydrogen Alpha filters but they also manufacture other specialized and custom filters that are uniquely designed to transmit a narrow portion of the solar spectrum while reflecting or absorbing undesired parasitic light. The models of filter routinely produced by DayStar are based on three configurations: QUANTUM PE, QUANTUM SE, or ION.

The standard production DayStar filters differ in terms of:
Plot of QUANTUM PE surface uniformity (901,833 bytes) = “Sun

Center bandpass wavelength, at either: Calcium II K Line, Calcium II H Line, Helium D3 Line, Hydrogen Alpha, Hydrogen Beta, or Sodium D Line

Bandwidth
Clear aperture of the filter, and
Bandpass regulation, and controllability features of the filter.

Above Left: DayStar Filter bodies are color coded for ease of identification. All are powered based on either the QUANTUM and ION series housings.
At the rear are: QUANTUM series Hydrogen Alpha filters (red), then Helium D3 Line, and Calcium K Line filters. Most are shown with attachment interface plates.
At front are formerly available T-Scanner series tiltable filters including: Hydrogen Alpha, Sodium D Line and Calcium H Line (85,285 bytes).

Above Right: imaging the same Sunspot through DayStar filters: Hydrogen Alpha, Calcium K Line, and Sodium D Line (137,379 bytes).

Why and When Do I Need This Filter Wheel?

Each filter reveals a different aspect of the Sun, and with so many ways that DayStar lets you look at the Sun the idea came about to make a mechanism whereby the observer (or imager) could quickly change from one filter to another and thereby be better able to compare the same features at about the same time, but at several different bandpass settings. The result of this is the DayStar Filter™ Solar System Filter Wheel.

Right: The DayStar Solar Filter Wheel alongside a QUANTUM Hydrogen Alpha filter for comparison (53,015 bytes).
Click on image to see enlarged view (120,741 bytes). Popups must be enabled.

The DayStar Solar Filter Wheel allows you to view or image the Sun through as few as two or up to four different installed filters selecting any one with just the touch of a button* or even by remote control*. Each filter still has full +/- 1Å wing shift tuning capability, and the renowned Quantum precision control. So this is fully satisfactory even for the most demanding research applications.

Any DayStar Hydrogen Alpha filter assembly must be used in conjunction with a suitable Energy Rejection Filter.

The DayStar Solar Filter Wheel is great for outreach and education events since the behaviors of several different elements and how they appear as features on the Sun can be quickly compared. With several DayStar filters installed you can perform INSTANT COMPARISONS of solar phenomena: switch within a few seconds from Hydrogen Alpha to Sodium, then to Helium and on to Calcium and back again, effortlessly and accurately employing just one telescope.

This can be particularly stunning when employed at public outreach and education activities since the behaviors of several different elements and their how they appear as features on the Sun can be quickly compared.

Realize savings of funding by not having to purchase a second, third or fourth solar telescope and mount.

Efficiency of time: whether you are limited by the time allowed in a class session or when competing for time on a research instrument. The Filter Wheel minimizes time that would otherwise be lost reconfiguring a telescope. The quicker set up and take down times add up to big advantages and savings of something much more costly over the years than hardware: time taken up by staff that would otherwise be changing filters and telescope configurations one at a time.

The filter wheel even saves on training time for new staff and reduces the risks of lost components or confused operators; the assembly simplifies operation of multiple filters and is just about as "idiot proof" as is possible.

Any of the DayStar filter wavelengths, bandpasses, or quality combinations can be used. We can even load custom wavelengths for your research applications. Some of the more popular combinations we recommend include configurations with:

Visual Observer's set:

Imager's set:

Prominence doppler set:

Research set:

If you already own a DayStar filter then we can move your existing QUANTUM, ATM, or University series filters into the new housing. T-Scanner or SolaREDi owners can make use of the DayStar trade-up policy to lower the cost of entry.

Budget tight? Start with just two positions of the Filter Wheel filled, then return it to the Company Seven to fill more filter positions at any time thus increasing the versatility of the set.

"total flexibility and ease of use, and with no compromises"

Feel free to contact Company Seven with your requirements, or visit our showroom to see these systems in operation.

See The Filter Wheel At Work AND What Makes It Work:

Above: click on the image to open your Browser video player and view a clip demonstrating the DayStar Solar Filter Wheel Stream or save it to your computer. This shows how the Filter Wheel is controlled locally by pushbutton though it can be controlled remotely with software. Filters installed include: Hydrogen Alpha 0.4Å, Hydrogen Alpha 0.7Å, Sodium D Line 0.4Å, and Calcium H Line 5Å
File size: 1,821,092 bytes ◊ Video Length: 24 seconds ◊ File format: 320 x 180 FLV-1 Video with Audio

DayStar Filter Wheel components (103,800 bytes)
Click on image to see enlarged view (327,719 bytes). Popups must be enabled.

SPECIFICATIONS:

Dimensions	7 x 7.75 x 2.3 inches (178 x 197 x 58mm)
Weight	5 lbs 2 oz (2.3 kg) typical when fully loaded.
Mounting Hardware	Accepts standard QUANTUM plates, providing mounting to T-thread, SCT thread, or 2" drawtube, for use with eyepieces or cameras.
Power Requirements	10 to 30 Volts DC, 2.5 amps. International AC adapter included with choice of US, UK, European, or Australian power cord.
Positions	Minimum two (2), maximum four (4).
Filter Change Time	Less than three (3) seconds.
Telescope compatibility	With sufficient back focus travel: Refractor, SCT, Maksutov. Any aperture: 60mm, 90mm, 155mm or more! Apochromatic refractor recommended for best results as achromats may require slight focus adjustment when changing positions.
Focal Ratio	Best performance at F/30. Recommended range from f/27 to f/35.
Remote Control	RS-232 serial port required. Control by DayStar Quantum Control software for Windows OS, or communication protocol available for programmers to utilize other operating systems.

PRICES:

Install compatible existing user-provided DayStar filters into a new filter wheel: $4,950.00 (U.S.D.)

Example packages:

Note: additional cost for pupil plane applications.

Delivery time: currently Approx. six (6) months.