DayStar Solar Scout SS60-DS 60mm H-alpha Solar Telescope

[Geoff Lister]

When I use my (colour) camera, I tend to use Sharpcap to display and capture images. The focus is a bit of  problem, but Sharpcap includes some focus quality indication functions, and I find that my best images correspond with the highest focus quality indications. I have not tried the SS yet with the recent sunspots, but I would expect these to make a sharp focus easier than using the edge of the disk.

Geoff

[richard ashbee]

On 11/06/2020 at 22:10, RodAstro said:

Excellent

I got my best picture yet using the Scouts Quark unit on tuesday.

Cheers Rod

Would you use a polarizing and UV/IR filter when taking photos? or just one?

[tico]

Hello, 

It's a good visual solar telescope? 

Similar to the PST 40? 

Thanks. 

Tico. 

[richard ashbee]

On 06/06/2020 at 13:49, RodAstro said:

Hi

I hope your new scope has arrived and is working well.

The ASI 120mm camera should work fine although you wont get a full image of the sun.

I realise now why stopping the aperture down helps so much, a quark starts to work at f15 but not that good, it is becoming optimum at f30 and above so stopping down to 30mm brings you to f30. Stopping down to 37mm gives you f25 and is a nice compromise and a vast improvement.

One of the main complaints of the scope is the image is to bright so stopping down actually helps two fold. A simple cardboard mask will do fine as a stop. 

It will be interesting to see your results.

Rod

Hi i am new to this, how do you stop down the scope from F15 to F25, is it on Sharpcap?

[Second Time Around]

On 26/12/2020 at 14:19, richard ashbee said:

Hi i am new to this, how do you stop down the scope from F15 to F25, is it on Sharpcap?

This is how I stop down when using my Quark: https://stargazerslounge.com/topic/368004-have-you-any-ideas-to-share/

[RodAstro]

Hi 

I don't use a filter with the standard scope, no need the objective is to small.

I just use a UV/IR when using the removed quark unit on my 6" scope to take the unnecessary load of the first little quark filter so the UV/IR goes before the quark.

As the UV/IR filter is a reflection filter and not an absorption filter it will not come to any harm, clear glass absorbs very little heat.

For photography no other filter is needed as they just reduce light throughput so increasing exposure time so the wrong way to go. Because everything is moving on the sun you need to keep the length of video as short as possible otherwise as you stack you will blur your image due to movement of the features on the solar surface.

Using a polarizing filter for visual use can be useful to dim the image for chromosphere detail especially if using full aperture but I find reducing the aperture much better. You only need one polarizer as the quark etalon is polarised so with an eyepiece and polarizer attached you can just rotate the eyepiece to very the brightness.

For reducing the aperture I just use a set of filter adapter rings, the first ring 67mm to 72mm just fits the front of the DS60 with the 67mm male threads neatly inside the dew cap and this is taped on using insulation tape, the filter rings can then be screwed to the 72mm female thread at the front and staked as you like down to the smallest ring in your set. These sets of rings can be bought on ebay for about £7  so not expensive to try.