PST,Solarmax40'Scope,Filter Only?

Hello All,
As I was passing by here again,a thought occurred to me about the PST everybody seems hot on.If the PST is around five hundred dollars,and the Solarmax 40 is nearly three times that cost(I think),and they're both 40mm aperture,and both ostensibly do the same job,what exactly are you paying for with the Solarmax?
It's an obvious question that has likely been answered a dozen times already in this forum,but I only look in here occasionally.
Another question.The smallest 'scope I have is a Sky90,were I to tread the HA path what would you get,having written out the 90 and 60mm filters on grounds of cost say.An SM40/BF and the little Tak.,an SM40'scope or a PST?
I admit these are idle but recurring thoughts which suggests to me I maybe working up to emptying my pockets again.
Cheers,

Bruce

Bruce:

There are a couple of differences between the PST and the SolarMax 40 Telescope: a) the SM40T has a bandwidth of <0.7 angstroms while the PST is advertised at <1.0 angstroms (some of them are reported to be as good as <0.6 angstroms). The narrower bandwith of the SM40T allows you to see more surface detail; b) the SM40T is a better choice if you want to do any photography or binoviewing, although there are some new accessories that make this possible with the PST.

As far as what to invest in, I decided to go with a dedicated scope (SolarMax 40 Telescope) so that I could use my TV-76 for simultaneous white light and h-alpha views. I am just in the process of getting my scope double-stacked, and I also bought an adapter plate so that I could travel with just one scope (the TV-76) for both day and night viewing.

The bottom line is really how you want to view. If portability is key, go with the PST. If surface detail and the ability to do photography and binoviewing are important, go with the SM40 for your Sky90 or if you want more flexibility (white light & h-alpha at the same time), go with the SolarMax 40 Telescope.

You can't go wrong with any of those setups.

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