Posts Made By: Don Pedro

Your Pronto will be fine for solar observations. I always keep a filter with my mine for impromptu solar sessions. Although I have used the technique before with reflectors I have never been tempted to do Solar Projection through the Pronto or my TV eyepieces.

You can buy or make a safe solar filter. Although I started out with a glass filter from Thousand Oaks Optical I now use Baader film with custom cells almost exclusively. Like many other solar observers I have come to prefer the sharpness and contrast of images through the Baader film to other filter types.

Safe filters don't have to be made of glass, elaborate, or expensive. Here is a link to some filter construction images that I posted last week in the Yahoo! Groups Talking Telescopes photos section. There is also a solar eclipse photo in the batch.

http://photos.groups.yahoo.com/group/telescopes/lst?.dir=/BAADER+AstroSolar%99+Filter+Types&.src=gr&.order=&.view=t&.done=http%3a//briefcase.yahoo.com/

I am on the West Coast as well. Where -are- the best skies on the Atlantic Coast of North America during early June?

Don

I like my Proxima 31 but your f4.5 mirror could be too much for this inexpensive eyepiece. The UO 40mm Mk-70 might be a good option for you. Check out this review:

http://www.cloudynights.com/eyepieces/Six%20Low%20Cost%202.html

If you are willing to compromise a bit the Cloudy Nights piece should help. Otherwise your fast dob is begging for TVs Naglers or Panoptics.

Don

Last month I finally bought a Vestil CPRO-600 chair. It is solidly built and meets your requirements to fold flat without mechanical disassembly.
https://www.amazon.com/Vestil-CPRO-600-Ergonomic-Worker-Capacity/dp/B0052PJF5E/ref=sr_1_2?s=industrial&ie=UTF8&qid=1501679964&sr=1-2&keywords=vestil+chair
This chair has a footrest and a wide adjustment range.

Don