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Sun spot solar projector kit

Knighty2112

By Knighty2112
in Observing - Solar

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Knighty2112

Knighty2112

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A few months back I bought an Astromedia kit for a solar projector. I’ve bought a few kits off them, all good, but this one is the most used. It works great as all I need to do is get it pointed at the sun to check to see if there is any action in WO at all. As can be seen below there is nothing sunspot wise. And on a cold day like this I don’t even have to go outside to check it when the sun shines through the southern window of my house either. So before I even think about dragging even my grab and go scope out to do some solar observing, I check with this little device first to see whether it is worthwhile. All in all a great little device made mostly out of cardboard, all but the optical lens. :) 

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5B9384E0-022E-4372-8E55-27CA470CA06D.thumb.jpeg.2cec5e031b887c2c9b9ba246957ddce1.jpeg

 

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Mark at Beaufort

Mark at Beaufort

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Gus - they are a very useful piece of kit. When SGL/Herefordshire Astro Society organised an event when we had the partial solar eclipse in March 2015 one of these devices was very popular with the school children. By the way did you attend that event because it coincided with an SGL star party.

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Knighty2112

Knighty2112

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7 minutes ago, Mark at Beaufort said:

Gus - they are a very useful piece of kit. When SGL/Herefordshire Astro Society organised an event when we had the partial solar eclipse in March 2015 one of these devices was very popular with the school children. By the way did you attend that event because it coincided with an SGL star party.

Hi Mark. No, I never attended the event at all I am afraid. Wish I had., although I did attend the SGL star party last October. 

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Peter Drew

Peter Drew

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Much as I'm sure that the device is brilliant for the group viewing of large sunspots and specially eclipses, I doubt whether its resolution could show small details that would still be worth observing in a decent WL telescope.  :icon_biggrin:

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Knighty2112

Knighty2112

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2 hours ago, Peter Drew said:

Much as I'm sure that the device is brilliant for the group viewing of large sunspots and specially eclipses, I doubt whether its resolution could show small details that would still be worth observing in a decent WL telescope.  :icon_biggrin:

I use it not as any main solar viewer, but as a quick checker of the suns surface to see if there is any activity in WL, so mainly if I see a blank disc up there I don’t bother to get my scope out to check it with my Lunt Wedge, even though there might be a tiny AR it may not be able to discern. No, it doesn’t give any details like you would get in the EP with any telescope and a good quality EP, but it can pick out quite small AR’s still very well, along with pronounced faculae too. On good days you can just about make out some granulation too on the suns surface if the seeing is good. Not suggesting that this can in any way beat even modest telescopes for views in WL of the sun, but for just under £20 that’s pretty good what it can actually see. :) 

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saac

saac

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45 minutes ago, Knighty2112 said:

I use it not as any main solar viewer, but as a quick checker of the suns surface to see if there is any activity in WL, so mainly if I see a blank disc up there I don’t bother to get my scope out to check it with my Lunt Wedge, even though there might be a tiny AR it may not be able to discern. No, it doesn’t give any details like you would get in the EP with any telescope and a good quality EP, but it can pick out quite small AR’s still very well, along with pronounced faculae too. On good days you can just about make out some granulation too on the suns surface if the seeing is good. Not suggesting that this can in any way beat even modest telescopes for views in WL of the sun, but for just under £20 that’s pretty good what it can actually see. :) 

I agree wholeheartedly, it really is fit for purpose and an excellent price. I've used one in the classroom and for that purpose - group viewing, eye safe, and no fuss setting up or operation it certainly delivers. And as a bonus, you also get the enjoyment and satisfaction of building it . I'm a big fan of Astromedia models, I have their Ornery (yet to finish)  and the Newtonian telescope which was gifted to the classroom; good quality working models at a very affordable price point :) 

Jim 

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Knighty2112

Knighty2112

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1 hour ago, Cyclops said:

Hmm this got me thinking. I wonder if I can make my own, cardboard box, old lens ...

You’d also need a convex mirror to project the beam from the lens back down and onto the white screen. The kit comes with two, so you can switch between a smaller or larger image shown on the screen. 

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