Sol’Ex & Star’Ex

Subcategories

• 

  Sol’Ex Spectrograph...

  🔧 Sol’Ex & Star’Ex Accessories — optimizations validated by Christian Buil

  Find here the full range of accessories and complementary parts for Sol’Ex and Star’Ex: ND filter holders, dedicated filter mounts, mechanical and optical upgrades, reinforcement solutions, and advanced diffraction grating management. All our accessories are designed in collaboration with Christian Buil and manufactured in premium European PETG.

  ☀️ Filters & Light Adaptation

  • ND filter holders (neutral density) — recommended by Christian Buil to reduce flux.
  • Tilted filter holder — dedicated to solar corona observation.
  • Polarizing filter holder — improves visual comfort and brightness control.

  🧩 Practical Sol’Ex / Sunscan Accessories

  • Sunscan mode accessory kit — allows the use of Sol’Ex without a motorized mount, simply with a photo tripod.
  • Kodak-thread plates — to mount your Sol’Ex on a photo tripod for easier setup.

  ⚙️ Mechanical & Optical Upgrades

  • Star’Ex kit — extension dedicated to stellar spectroscopy.
  • Gen2 slit holders — for the new slits (since November 2024). Included by default on Sol’Ex and Star’Ex from September 2025 onwards.
  • Pro collimator block — upgrade for early Sol’Ex V2 models.
  • High/low resolution optics kit — switch between 80 mm (LR) and 125 mm (HR) using an M42 interface and aluminum extension tube. Included by default on recent models, available separately for earlier ones.

  🧱 Rigidity & Camera Compatibility

  The stiffeners (brackets) connect the camera to the collimator block, compensating for the original structural weakness. Essential for Star’Ex (guiding, long exposures) and strongly recommended in solar HR with heavy cameras.

  • LR / HR stiffeners — included by default in Star’Ex packages; also available separately to adapt your setup.
  • Dedicated Player One stiffener — optimized for cameras recommended by Christian Buil (an alternative to ZWO models).

  📐 Diffraction Gratings & Protection

  • Additional grating holders — to use several interchangeable gratings (600 to 3600 lines/mm), UV or visible range.
  • Dedicated protective boxes — hold the full holder + grating set, with anti-humidity bags. New screw-cap version planned for improved sealing.

  Important: handling gratings is very delicate — a single dust particle or fingerprint can ruin them. Our holders and cases are designed to secure these operations.

  Compatibility & evolution: the vernier dial assembly remains available for the original Sol’Ex models. All our accessories are designed to evolve with your Sol’Ex / Star’Ex and support your practice.

• 

  Mechanical Kits for...

  Discover our complete Sol'Ex and Star'Ex mechanical kits, built according to the open-source designs of Christian Buil, fully hand-assembled and ready for action. Each spectroheliograph ships with all internal hardware, mounts, and fasteners pre-installed in our workshop: simply drop in your optical glass elements to start imaging.

  ✅ Available Configurations:

  • 🔵 Sol'Ex & Star'Ex Pro: High-end mechanical assembly printed in Carbon-Fiber PETG with proprietary internal anti-reflection baffling and Gen2 slit holders. The stiffest, most thermally stable, and future-proof platform.
  • 🟢 Sol'Ex & Star'Ex V2: Standard technical PETG build offering high thermal durability, the ideal entry point to explore high-resolution solar scanning spectroscopy.

  🚀 Why Choose Our Pre-Assembled Mechanical Kits?

  • 🔧 Ready for Optics: All fasteners, alignments, and internal holders are factory-tuned (no 3D printing or complex DIY fabrication needed).
  • 💎 Advanced Polymers: High-precision manufacturing in UV/heat-resistant standard PETG and Carbon-Fiber reinforced PETG.
  • 📜 Official Project Approval: Sol'Ex V2 and Sol'Ex Pro kits are officially validated and recommended by project designer Christian Buil.

  🌍 Who Is This For?

  • 🔭 Amateur Astronomers & Clubs: Image the dynamic chromosphere across H-Alpha, Calcium H/K, or Helium lines without spending weeks building hardware from scratch.
  • 🌌 Stellar Spectroscopy Enthusiasts: Seamlessly upgrade to stellar spectral classification (Star'Ex HR and LR modules).

  👉 Notice: Mechanical kits do not include optical elements (slits, diffraction gratings, and doublet lenses are available from our partner Shelyak Instruments).