2
© Baader Planetarium GmbH | 2021
3
Manual: SunDancer II
Baader SunDancer II H-Alpha-Filter
Congratulations on your purchase of the SunDancer II from Baader Planetarium.
It is a compact H-alpha filter that integrates a 3x telecentric system, a blocking filter
and a heated H-alpha etalon from SolarSpectrum in two separable
housings. It has
been designed with safety and ease of use in mind, combined with an extremely age-
resistant construction and a high-quality filter. The most important features are:
• H-alpha filter with a half-width (FWHM) of 0.6±0.1Å at an effective focal ratio of f/30;
shows prominences and solar surface details.
• Integrated 3x telecentric system with 2nm Half-Bandwidth (FWHM) blocking filter.
The TZ3-system is suitable up to 35 mm field of view without vignetting. Optimal for
telescopes with f/10, recommended up to about f/8 and usable up to about f/6.5.
On optics faster than f/10, the FWHM (Full Width at Half Maximum) increases
• Easy change of the transmission line by turning the micrometer screw to observe
fast solar events in the blue wing of the H-alpha line (Doppler shift)
• Resistant to ageing: The dielectric coating of the blocking filter (instead of the usual
silver coating) and the airtight storage of the Etalon filter in oil prevent the ageing
processes of simpler filter designs. With proper treatment, the filter will retain its
performance for many years
• 25 mm Etalon from SolarSpectrum – with 23 mm aperture behind 19 mm aperture baffle
• Removable focusable 1¼" eyepiece clamp and T-2 thread for connecting cameras
• On telescopes with up to 80 mm aperture and a focal ratio of f/8 or slower, it can be
operated without an additional D-ERF energy protection filter in front of the objecti-
ve – tested for 10 hours on the Baader-Apo 95 at f/6.1
• Electrical temperature control: the filter automatically heats up to its optimum ope-
rating temperature as soon as it is connected to the power supply
• Low power consumption: Via the supplied main adapter or, in mobile use, via an
optional rechargeable battery pack
• Wide operating temperature range: -10 to +40° C; storage temperature not below
0° C
Table of Content
SunDancer II H-Alpha-Filter . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3
All in one! . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4
Scope of Delivery . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5
Preparations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6
Choosing a Dielectric Energy Rejection Filter . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6
Usage without an Energy Rejection Filter . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7
The Telecentric System and Thoughts about the Telescope . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7
Eyepieces . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9
Choosing a Star Diagonal . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10
Power Supply . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10
Observing with the SunDancer II . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11
The parts of the SunDancer II . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11
Connecting to the telescope . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11
The Functions of the Temperature Control Box . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12
Changing the Operation Temperature . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13
Using a Neutral Density Filter . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13
Using a Telecompressor. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14
Using a Bino-Viewer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15
Calibrating the Filter and Settings of the Temperature Control Box . . . . . . . . . . 16
Setting the Temperature . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16
Calibrating the Filter . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17
Tilting the Filter . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17
Troubleshooting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17
Photography . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18
1¼" Video Modules/Planetary Cameras . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18
DSLR and CCD Cameras . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19
Telecompressor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20
Afocal Photography . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20
Storage and Maintenance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21
Safety information . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21
Technical Data . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21
Don't miss anything – The Baader-Planetarium Newsletter . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22
