TIL my solar filter was basically a fancy paperweight

Spent $180 on a solar filter for my telescope to catch the partial eclipse last October. Got it all set up, took about 30 photos, and then realized the images looked like fuzzy cotton balls. Turns out I bought the wrong type for my scope and it wasn't focusing right. Missed the whole thing because I was too busy fiddling with the mount. Anyone else waste money on gear that just didn't work for what you needed?

2 comments

2 Comments

michael8808d ago

Check your telescope's focal length and the filter's required back focus distance before buying. I did the same thing with a $200 Baader filter on my SCT and had to return it. Measure twice, buy once works for solar gear too.

nora_wells587d ago

Man that's a bummer about the $200 Baader filter, sorry to hear it. I've been there with solar gear before and it's a real pain when you think you've got it all figured out and then it just doesn't fit right. Especially with those SCT back focus specs being so picky, it's easy to miss the fine print. Getting stuck with a return on something that expensive stings, no way around it. At least you caught it before trying to use it and damaging anything, that's the real nightmare. Hope you found a setup that actually works after all that hassle.