wookie1965

Cracking images I have yet to see Saturn this time hopefully the weather with play ball

I was advised that I could use my 120mm celestron with a 1.25mm solar wedge and to try a green filter here are the results not too shabby. 

Paul 

Brilliant I have copied the doubles and positions to see the difference through my refractor thank you for posting.

7 hours ago, Mr Spock said:

What about the Astro Essentials green or dark green filters? At £9 there's little to lose by trying one. They won't have the narrow bandwidth of the Continuum but will cut out completely red and blue.

I also used my 120mm with a 1.25" Lunt without issue. It got a little hot on the back plate (that red thing that says 'Caution HOT' ) but not excessively so. It got to a similar temperature with a 100mm. I don't think a 120mm + 1.25" wedge is a problem in our climate.

Do you think this will work. 

9 hours ago, Mr Spock said:

I have the Helios 120mm. It is completely transformed by a Continuum. At the moment you are only operating at about 10%!

This is a single shot. It doesn't capture anything like the actual detail.

 

Wow I will have to get saving then cracking shot. Saying that I can only use anything above 18mm eyepieces in my vixen it has not enough inward travel with the wedge, I have been told to cut a half inch off the tube but I am not so sure about that.

10 hours ago, Stu said:

Why using an aperture mask Paul @wookie1965? seems a shame to cut the aperture down? How was it visually?

I only have a 1.25" Herschel wedge as far as I know they are only good up to 4" not supposed to use them on more aperture. I would need a 2" one and I haven't got the money for one of them. 

On 26/06/2024 at 17:04, Highburymark said:

I wonder if you might get slightly sharper images with a green filter, or (more expensively) a Continuum filter, which Baader fits into its wedges. Obviously it turns the Sun into an unnatural colour, but you quickly get used to it, and with achromats it also reduces CA and boosts sharpness. Just a thought if you might have a green filter somewhere.

Normally I do get sharper pictures but I was dodging clouds just wanted to see if it worked. I would love a continuum filter but like you said mega bucks. I use a magnifying glass to get the focus better but like I said I was just trying it. I do have a green filter also a UHC and a oiii filter I could try those. 

Thank you for the information appreciate the input.

Used my Celestron 120mm Omni XL with a aperture mask with a 18mm BST, herschel wedge, variable polarising filter and S21

When I had my 200p I got one of these fantastic bit of kit.

https://www.365astronomy.com/lacerta-dual-speed-1-10-microfocus-upgrade-kit-for-skywatcher-crayford-focusers?gad_source=1&gclid=Cj0KCQjwsuSzBhCLARIsAIcdLm62Vzm6779WKRcWyg8igjIg1B0o8FLqGEDorMoCGEhDogLJI1zYWWgaAgSCEALw_wcB

I wanted to try the Herschel wedge in the 120 so I made a quick aperture mask out of cardboard and took a couple of pictures, worked really well.

Made a solar filter for my Celestron 120mm Omni XL T works pretty well. 

25mm,18mm BST'S Vixen 102M, Herschel wedge, variable polarising filter and S21. 

18 minutes ago, kev said:

Nicely done

ive had my sp 102m since i was 19. I have intention of ever getting rid of it.   I find it so easy to use.  

has yours got the 1.25" focuser on it?

7 hours ago, mapstar said:

I'm good cheers. Not done much astro this year though which I'm looking to alter this autumn and winter.

Did Nick try getting in touch with admin? I had a few problems getting back on but the admin managed to sort it 

As far as I know he tried everything, I had trouble something to do with dns server had to do a couple of things I read on the internet.

A warm welcome to SGL 

40 minutes ago, mapstar said:

Ah there you are.

Sorry paul off topic.

Was wondering where you'd  disappeared to Nick. 

Nick could not log in after they changed the way you log in so had to make a new profile which was a shame, hope you are keeping well.

I have asked the same thing for my Vixen 102M 

1 hour ago, whooshbang said:

I could probably whip something up but would need a drawing from you with dimensions.

That's brilliant I'm just out at my mums atthe moment I will take measurements and do a drawing when I get back thank you so much. 

Sorry to jump on this thread would someone be able to make a adapter plate to put a Celestron 120mm focuser on a vixen 102m. There is no screw thread just needs 3 holes 120° apart on each side and would not have to be big just enough to fit inside the vixen tube and over the Celestron focuser. 

I defocus so I get a bigger surface area to centre the star makes it much easier. 

A warm welcome to SGL 

Does anyone know of a 2" focuser that will fit this scope please. 

I got these yesterday about 12.30pm. 

I can only view the sun until about 4pm then it goes over the roof of my house and as it was chucking down nearly all day, break in the cloud came about an hour ago. 

Got two sets of doublets care of Linton (Iguise) cannot thank him enough. The thicker pair fit in the cell of the vixen 102M, tried them just across the road and they focus cannot wait try them either on the sun or at night. Unfortunately I put the thicker of the doublets in the scope on first look it focussed on the roof across the road when trying it with solar could not focus on the sun.