A spotless sun in Calcium-K 29/08/18

[DrRobin]

Hi,

The main reason for taking the images the other day was to check out my kit as I am now in Crete.  I wasn't going to take my solar kit with me due to the low activity, but last week's sunspots convinced me to give it another go.

Of course we arrived to torrential rain and near total cloud cover, but it has cleared up today and the forecast is quite good for a few days.  Sadly there isn't any sunspots, just the remains of last week's spots going over the limb.  Let's hope for a bit more, otherwise bringing my scope might turn out to be a waste of time.

Usual travel kit, WO Zenithstar 80mm, Lunt CaK module, ASI174mm

The Sun in Calcium-K, from Crete, 29/08/18.  No Sunspots. by Robin DrRobin, on Flickr

Since my Skywatcher Alt/AZ mount bust on holiday at Xmas (now working again, thanks to fixing the [plastic] gears, I splashed out on an AZ GTi which features WiFi and a phone app in place of the hand controller.  It tracks really well, is stable and also has the sun in it's database, something missing from the physical hand controllers.  I had to make a plastic spacer to raise the mount (and save weight) from a piece of plastic drain pipe, but it works great.  The whole lot is 700g lighter than my previous Alt/AZ and it allows the scope to go to higher angles of elevation.

Anyway here is a photo of today's imaging session whilst waiting for the sun.  Taken from the side balcony outside of the bedroom.

Solar imaging in Crete by Robin DrRobin, on Flickr

A couple of chairs provide a table and seat so I can sit in the shade.

And finally, one of the scope outside.

Solar imaging in Crete by Robin DrRobin, on Flickr

So hopefully, some more sunspots.

Robin

[Hughsie]

I love the SolarQuest Mount, so light and ideal for travelling. What have you got it propped up on?

[DrRobin]

Hi,

It is base from a Skywatcher Merlin mount (cast aluminium). I added a home made plastic spacer made out of 3" plastic drain pipe (with a piece of 20mm conduit in the middle for added strength) and then an extra long bolt, actually from a G Clamp that turned out to be the right thread.

It is very solid and very light weight, the mount goes in checked in luggage, with the scope, filters, camera and laptop in hand luggage.

For my Quark, I take a 2" diagonal in hold luggage and used to take the mirror out in hand luggage, but the diagonal box is well padded so that all goes in the checked luggage as well.

I power it all from a USB battery and very small DC to DC converter (home made) in the white plastic box.  Runs for hours on the battery as well as powering my Quark, iPhone and other USB devices.

Robin

[Pete Presland]

That is the most featureless Ca-K image i have ever seen, it really is quite up there at the moment! very nice portable set up Robin!

[Davey-T]

Interested in how the dovetail is attached to the scope, I've got a 100mm version with tube rings.

Dave

 

 

[Stu]

What a cracking little setup Robin, and obviously giving excellent results too. Shame the sun is not cooperating! I’ve been looking in White Light and Ha today and there is nothing apart from a few proms. Fingers crossed for something to arrive around the corner.

[DrRobin]

The black collar close to the clamp point is drilled and taped, so the dovetail is secured with a single Allen bolt.  As the dovetail is ridged (curved) on the inside it naturally aligns and a single bolt is all that is needed.  It's all about saving weight.

I take the dovetail off and ship it in checked in luggage.  The scope then weighs just over 3kg.  However, the scope unscrews at the same collar, so the focuser and back half could also go in checked luggage if needed, that reduces the weight of the aluminium tube and lens to about 1.5kg.

I have an accurate set of scales and weigh everything out to save a few grams here and there.  So far I haven't had too many problems and apart from a scope, Lunt CaK, Quark, ASI174, a couple of barlows, I also have an iPad, USB battery, laptop, drone, waterproof camera and a 360 degree video camera with me.  At security it is more a case of what they don't want to see and it is easier to empty the whole case in to trays than wait to be asked.