New Solar Setup

[Paxo]

Managed, at last, to do a couple of hours observing with my new solar setup. Mainly set up to do imaging in Ha and Ca K wavelengths.

Ha is taken care of with a double stacked pst, this gives some stunning images with the tuneable 0.5A bandgap.

The Ca K wavelenth is proving a little more troublesome. I'm using a Baader K-Line-filter which operates at a wavelenghts of 395nm. This filter is used in conjunction with Baader Solarfilm (photographic version ND=3.8). As you can see from the pics below, I've mounted these onto a dual mount bar on the EQ6 pro which gives an extremely sturdy mount for imaging.

The main problem is the human eye is not sensitive at these, virtually ultraviolet, wavelengths so limited to imaging (I did know this before purchase), tried today on the Megrez 72 with the liveview feature on the Canon 40D and managed to get reasonably focussed images but seem to require more contrast (I've probably picked a bad time to pick up surface features, Ha showed a relatively bland disc at the time). I've got enough Baader film left to produce a front filter for my FLT110, I may give this a try to see how aperture effects the filter.

Does anyone out there know if there is an optimal position for the Baader film from the front lens on a refractor, and can this have any effect on contrast. I've managed to keep the film relatively slack in the housing as instructed.

A trudge round the www recommends that these Ca K filters are best used on reflectors as fracs lack the contrast needed - this has confused me somewhat - not sure how reputable this source was.

Anyway, posted a couple of pics of the setup and a quick first snap in the Ca K wavelength. I'll keep trying, ccd's next (sun/weather permitting)

Regards

Steve

[daz]

Hmm, that mount looks a little on the small side for that gear Steve!!

[lunator]

Steve

You need a smaller counterweight

Looks a cracking set up

Cheers

Ian

[Paxo]

Daz,

That's just for the the daytime, at night it takes an WO FLT110 with a piggybacked wo Megrez 72 or an 8" orion optics Newt with either other instrument in tandem to guide. A versatile mount.

Steve..

[Solar B]

Hi Steve

Nice set-up and images...theres nought wrong with your Cak image....they

work best when there are spots on the disc as they tend to pick up the

magnetic distrubances around them....you could try making a filter for

the 110 with the 3.8 as that would give greater mags and you sound be

able to pick-up the Super Granulation up there in the Chromosphere...you

also may need to stack quite a few images for some features to

apppear....keep up the good work 8) the night time die-hards dont

know what their missing Brian

[Paxo]

Thanks for the encouragement Brian, I'm pretty much burning the candle from both ends at the moment trying to enjoy both the day and night time (weather permitting of course).

Steve

[radioactive]

Very nice looking set-up Steve mate. Can't beat the EQ6 Pro to mount those meaty monsters on. I am picking up a pst very soon also,So I will try picking your brains soon myself. :shock: I intend to mod it Similar to what Brian has done with his using the Atares after I have explored other options first.

[Paxo]

Looking forward to the discussion already.

Steve