"Glenn Woodell" wrote in message
news:Fh9Tb.14746$fZ6.6394@lakeread06...
In article ,
says...

There is 2 ways to use a telescope to look at the sun.

1. Mount a sheet of white cardstock above the eyepiece and PROJECT the
suns
image on the cardstock. I do this with my 8inch Dob and it's the safest
way
to
do it.

Do this and you can do exactly what I did wth a brand new eyepiece. Melt
the
inside of it as you are getting it set up. My exciting image of the sun
grew
hazy as smoke started to pour out of my eyepiece holder.

2. But a full apature solar filter that goes over the front end of the
telescope.

This is a much better choice. It allow you to observe the sun directly.

Glenn

Yes.
Projection, is fine, _provided_ you really know what everything in the light
path is made of, _and_ you keep it aimed well.
In the case of a Dobsonian, provided you don't have eyepieces with plastic
mounting rings (becoming rarer rapidly...), it is OK. If you aim slightly
'off' with the Newtonian scope, the image misses the secondary, and is
safely formed in front of the body of the scope.
On an SCT. it can damage the bottom of the baffle tube, if the scope is not
kept well aimed, and there have been reports of cracking the corrector
plate, if the heat is allowed to build up....
Normally refractors again work OK, but will heat rapidly, if aimed 'off
target'.
The full aperture filter, is very cheap to make now (with the Baader
astro-film), and works well.
The general rule, is be very careful, and know what you are doing, before
starting. If in any doubt about safety, _don't_...
Remember to cover the viewfinder scope.

Best Wishes