A few minutes of stunning seeing....

[Stu]

I had the Tak out today, testing my new to me Baader Zeiss Binoviewers out with the Herschel Wedge.

I seem to have a a bit of a Zeiss thing going now! Zeiss Wedge, binoviewers and 25mm Ortho eyepieces. I found I needed the X1.7 GPC and the optical element of the AP Barcon screwed into the bottom of the binoviewers using a 2" Adaptor to reach focus. My one frustration is I have no clue about how to establish what sort of magnification this lot gives although I guess it must be in the region of x60. With the D14's I'm guessing x110 but it may be higher.

I was observing with the Denk D14 eyepieces initially. These really are fabulous eps, 65 degree afov, 20mm eye relief and very sharp. Most of the time the seeing was pretty mushy, coming and going, but never brilliant. Then, for about 2 or 3 minutes it totally crystallized into some incredible, photographic views, probably the best I've seen. The larger spot showed incredible detail, dark umbra and petal like structures in the penumbra. The smaller spot again showed lovely fine detail, a nice light bridge across the umbra and a tiny pore (I guess) just to one side. The most amazing thing though was the granulation. Astoundingly clear across the disk and showing variations all over, really great to see.

After that, normal service was resumed, mushy seeing with occasional good spells. I switched to the 25mm Orthos and had some good ish views, but kept wanting more of that cracking seeing! Need to catch the sun early morning for some better views.

So, I seem to have cracked enjoying the binoviewers, at least for Solar and Lunar observing in the frac. The mag seems too high in the Portaball but I may be able to experiment with it and improve things. I reckon I will use them regularly in the frac though, just need to sort a good combination for planetary.

[Joe12345]

Great report, although now I'm really jealous - knowing my luck the best I'll ever get is cloud, and lots of it.

A solar filter arrived for me earlier today, now I'm really looking forward to using it!

[Stu]

Good stuff Joe! The cloud can't last forever, I'm sure you'll get some sun soon to try your filter out. The two active regions are looking great at the moment.

[Piero]

Nice stuff Stu!

I enjoyed reading your report. The Sun is an incredibile target.. I could stay hours looking at it! 

It seems you have been maturing a taste for exotic equipment! well done! It clearly seems it is paying you back with really amazing views!

[Stu]

2 hours ago, Piero said:

Nice stuff Stu!

I enjoyed reading your report. The Sun is an incredibile target.. I could stay hours looking at it! 

It seems you have been maturing a taste for exotic equipment! well done! It clearly seems it is paying you back with really amazing views!

Thanks Piero! Yes, I've been refining things a fair bit recently. I hesitate to say I'm finished now, given past false dawns ??

 

[jetstream]

This is great news Stu!! Just wait until the seeing is excellent and with the sun higher...eagerly waiting your further reports!

[YKSE]

Great stuff Stu 

I've find binoviewing is much more relaxing, clearly less floaters with the same exit pupil, also less scatters from my own eyes, I can generally using about 30-50% higher mag for planets and Moon. than Cyclops.

Now I've just got Baader Diamond Steeltrack focuser for 120ED, whith shortens the light path by about 15mm, it should give good chance for binoviewing with the 2" wedge. Can't wait for a clear day when the Sun is moving higher now

[Stu]

4 minutes ago, YKSE said:

Great stuff Stu 

I've find binoviewing is much more relaxing, clearly less floaters with the same exit pupil, also less scatters from my own eyes, I can generally using about 30-50% higher mag for planets and Moon. than Cyclops.

Now I've just got Baader Diamond Steeltrack focuser for 120ED, whith shortens the light path by about 15mm, it should give good chance for binoviewing with the 2" wedge. Can't wait for a clear day when the Sun is moving higher now

Excellent Yong, the 2" wedge in the 120ED with the BVs should be amazing. Will you still need to Barlow to reach focus?

Do you have ideas about how I could calculate the mag I'm using more accurately?

[YKSE]

Tammy's post here gives some idea about possible mags. He usual does lots of measurement.

2" wedge's light path is about the same (or slightly longer) than 2" mirror, comparing to Tammy's T2 prism result, my guess is that AP Barcon in front of wedge should give something like 3x. Together with 1.7x GPC( which give 1.42x by Tammy's measurement I've read in other thread), the mag should be around 4.2x.

[Stu]

Thanks Yong, will have a look.

Just to be clear, I had the AP Barcon behind the wedge, screwed into a 2" adaptor which held the 1.25" barrel with x1.7 GPC in it. Pics may help.

[paulastro]

That sounds a great view you had during the good seeing Stu, excellent.  I use a binoviewer myself for both HAlpha and white light and it does make all the difference.  Which Tak are you using by the way?

Regarding not knowing exactly what mag you are using, I recognise your dilemma.  I've read about different methods of working out the mag with various formulas and never found anything which is satisfactory or reliable.  The only reliable method I have come up with is the simplest one of all.  I just take out the binoviewer and compare the view with different single eyepieces until I find the one that gives the closest magnification  to the view with the eyepieces I'm using with the binoviewer.  I generally find that the mag I get with longish focus eyepieces in the binoviewer ( 15 - 32mm), plus the bivoviewer 'factor' and the lens in the nosepiece always give me a higher magnification than I would have expected.

[YKSE]

I see. A first rough estimation of the mag shouldl be about 1.42 time AP barcon's mag.

To be more exact, I think paul is right. actual measurement gets you there. You can try with a mirror diagonal with the binoviewer, put a millimeter tape on a wall, with same eyepiece pair, measure the distance of each combo, the ratio is the actual magnification. At closer distance, binoviewer without barlow has a good chance to get into focus.

[michael.h.f.wilkinson]

Great report! That kind of seeing is all too rare. Seeing the sun at all seems rare enough at the moment

[Size9Hex]

Top notch! I spotted those sunspots in my first ever look at the sun a couple of afternoons ago. Nowhere near the same level of detail as you've noted down, but lovely to marvel at regardless. Great to read your own excellent description of it! :-)