To Gerry and the rest of the Coronado family,

As your company becomes part of the Meade Instruments Corporation, I wanted to take a moment to let you know how much of an impact the line of powerful yet affordable instruments you created has had on my enjoyment of astronomy.  Even though I remain a committed planetary and deep sky observer, since purchasing first a MaxScope and then a Personal Solar Telescope in 2004 I have done considerably more solar observing than nocturnal viewing—probably two or three times as much! While this in part a function of weather-- many times we've had blue skies give way to clouds after sunset--this wouldn’t have been a decisive factor if Hydrogen Alpha solar observing weren’t so compelling and absorbing.  I’d even go so far as to call it addictive, in contrast to the relatively staid and static views of the sun one gets through white light filters.

My Observing setup                           My son Alex using the PST                                A happy solar observer!!!

Whereas I doubt I've used my Baader white light solar filters more than once a year, rarely a clear day goes by when I do not haul the PST out to observe Sol at least once.  On the weekend, I’ll frequently set it up on my deck (weather permitting) and check out the ever-changing views every few hours throughout the day.  Piggyback-mounted on a white light-filtered  Maksutov-Cassegrain, and coupled with binoviewers and high light throughput zoom eyepieces, I honestly can't imagine any more satisfying visual solar observing experience without going to the level of equipment and time commitment represented by the truly “high end” solar observers. 

The PST in use at the "Almost Heaven Star Party" (Image courtesy of Phil Wherry)

I also do a fair amount of “public outreach” viewing, ranging from Boy Scout jamborees to our astronomy club’s public events or impromptu sessions for the lunch crowd and passers by outside my downtown office.  Virtually none of these many hundred of observers has failed to be blown away by the views through the PST, and a number have been impressed enough to buy a PST of their own.  Many products are hyped, but don’t live up these expectations. The PST, however, has easily been the most satisfying single purchase I have made as an amateur astronomer.  I’m on the waiting list for a Calcium-K PST and look forward to having the opportunity to piggyback it with my existing white light/Hydrogen Alpha duo.

Thanks for opening up affordable and addictive vistas of the sun to a veritable legion of amateur astronomers like myself.  

Regards,

Jim Richberg