What do I need?

[Tippon]

Hi all

I'm hoping to get some photos of Mercury's transit across the sun next month, but I'm not 100% sure where to start. I'll list my existing equipment first, and hope that I haven't bought completely the wrong kit! 

Pentax K-x camera,
ND10 filter,
Grade 14 welding glass,
Celestron AstroMaster 130 EQ-MD Reflector Telescope,
T Camera Adaptor with Barlow Lens,
Fotodiox T/T2 Lens Mount Adapter for Pentax K/PK mount Camera,
Tripods for the camera and telescope.

I'm 99% sure that the ND filter is no good, but I've used welding glass to view the sun during the partial eclipse, so I'm confident that it will be ok. I know I need a solar filter for the telescope if I'm going to use it at all, but this is where I get stuck. I think I need a filter for the big end (technical term there ), rather than the eyepiece, but I don't know what to look for. The opening is 130mm, but the filters I've found on Ebay are either very expensive, or in China. There's one seller who makes filters for the smaller 46.5mm opening in the dust cover, but I have no idea if that would work either.

I'd be very grateful if someone could point me in the right direction, and let me know what I need, and if I'm going wrong.

Thanks in advance  

[michael.h.f.wilkinson]

Get a sheet of Baader Solar Film, and make a simple cardboard mount for your scope. That is the cheap and safe solution.

[David Smith]

As Michael says, get some of this stuff

https://www.firstlightoptics.com/solar-filters/baader-astrosolar-safety-film-nd-50.html

Even comes with instructions for making a mount. Or you can get a pre-fab like these

https://www.firstlightoptics.com/solar-filters/astrozap-baader-solar-filter.html

[WobblySkipper]

Baader solar film (about £20), cardboard, sticky tape. The film will have instructions on how to make the 'screen' for the 'big end'.

Make sure any finder scope is capped off, and don't look directly at the sun.

Jim

[Pete Presland]

+1 for the baader fim

[Tippon]

Hi all

Apologies for the slow reply, we've got a newborn in the house, so my hobbies get pushed to one side every now and then! 

Thanks for all the suggestions. It looks like I'm building a filter then