Show us your set up in action during the day.

[Nigella Bryant]

35 minutes ago, JeremyS said:

That’s a terrific solar set up Nigella. You really do seem to be specialising in multi wavelength solar and are achieving great results 👍🏻
So has your solar kit completely taken over the dome? What about your solar RoR? And what about nighttime observing.

Unfortunately my solarquest mount only took the one scope so I've moved everything onto the neq6 mount which was in the dome. So yes, it's all being done in the dome for now. No night time I'm afraid. I'm planning on replacing the mount in the dome in the autumn for the C11 and the 12inch newt and go back into the solar RoR in the autumn with the neq6 mount. Then night time viewing will commence in the dome.

Edited April 17, 2021 by Nigella Bryant
More comment added

[Luke]

I think this is the angle from which our garden looks least worst. This is my new daytime visual rig.

Solar h-alpha - Skywatcher ED100 DS Pro + Quark
It's a long scope but very light for its size and a joy to use. We upgraded the focuser to a Baader Steeltrack, which we are very happy with. I don't personally recommend the Quark having had a number of issues with it and more recently my wife's now being faulty. My Quark is so-so and has a number of marks/spots in the view. But a good Quark and a bit of aperture is hard not to like!
Oddly, my wife and I both prefer using the Quark in the ED100 over the 120, even though the 120's focal ratio should be more suited to the Quark (which has an integrated 4.3x telecentric barlow and is said to work best at F30).

Solar white light - Skywatcher Equinox 120 + Baader Herschel Wedge
I used to use the ED100 on the giro mount together with a Tele Vue 85 and 1.25 inch Lunt Herschel Wedge - but the 85 has now given way to the 120. I was previously using the 120 for solar imaging on a HEQ5, but don't image any more. The scope has our poshest upgraded focuser, a 2.5" Feather Touch Rack and Pinion. It is a very well made unit, not that there is much wrong with the Baader Steeltrack. I do think focusers are the weak point on the Skywatcher scopes, though they can be adjusted and some folks find them fine. The issue I had with the Equinox's focuser was that locking it moved the focal point slightly, if memory recalls, it was otherwise almost a keeper for me.

I am now using the Baader Herschel Wedge for visual having previously used it mainly for imaging. It sounds ace that you can use the wedge for visual or for imaging by swapping out the ND filters but in practice I found I couldn't be bothered to keep swapping between the ND filters. The filter goes on a thread inside the wedge and then the 2 inch eyepiece holder threads on top of that, so there's a bit more to it than just unscrewing one filter. I also found the Lunt 1.25 inch to be pretty good too. I feel like the Baader might pay off more in the 120 when conditions are good.

Giro Mount on Vixen Hal-130 tripod
I really love the Vixen Hal-130 tripod! We also have one on our HEQ5 mount. It is light and strong and reasonably sturdy. I am getting a little wobble with the ED100 and 120 when moving the scopes/focusing but find it minor.
Love the giro too, it's a low hassle setup.

Solar Finders
There's a Tele Vue Sol Searcher on the ED100 attached by Velcro, which is not ideal. I have a fixed one on my Tele Vue 85 that works better. And I am enjoying having a built-in finder on the Baader Herschel Wedge - you can see a bright solar disc on the back of it.

Eyepieces

I mainly use the Tele Vue 32mm Plossl with the Quark, with an eyeguard extender, because the eye relief is long. I normally use Tele Vue Radians for white light. We have Delos too which are excellent for white light as well but I am fond of the Radians and they are light and that bit more compact.

Edited April 22, 2021 by Luke

[Stu]

Very nice setup @Luke 👍👍

I did some comparisons between the Lunt and Baader and found there to be an improvement with the Baader, just more detail visible in granulation and at high powers.

[Bob Downer]

No solar yet, just trying out a new head and giving the local crows and chimneys a good looking at.

[Highburymark]

On 22/04/2021 at 19:06, Luke said:

I think this is the angle from which our garden looks least worst. This is my new daytime visual rig.

Solar h-alpha - Skywatcher ED100 DS Pro + Quark
It's a long scope but very light for its size and a joy to use. We upgraded the focuser to a Baader Steeltrack, which we are very happy with. I don't personally recommend the Quark having had a number of issues with it and more recently my wife's now being faulty. My Quark is so-so and has a number of marks/spots in the view. But a good Quark and a bit of aperture is hard not to like!
Oddly, my wife and I both prefer using the Quark in the ED100 over the 120, even though the 120's focal ratio should be more suited to the Quark (which has an integrated 4.3x telecentric barlow and is said to work best at F30).

Solar white light - Skywatcher Equinox 120 + Baader Herschel Wedge
I used to use the ED100 on the giro mount together with a Tele Vue 85 and 1.25 inch Lunt Herschel Wedge - but the 85 has now given way to the 120. I was previously using the 120 for solar imaging on a HEQ5, but don't image any more. The scope has our poshest upgraded focuser, a 2.5" Feather Touch Rack and Pinion. It is a very well made unit, not that there is much wrong with the Baader Steeltrack. I do think focusers are the weak point on the Skywatcher scopes, though they can be adjusted and some folks find them fine. The issue I had with the Equinox's focuser was that locking it moved the focal point slightly, if memory recalls, it was otherwise almost a keeper for me.

I am now using the Baader Herschel Wedge for visual having previously used it mainly for imaging. It sounds ace that you can use the wedge for visual or for imaging by swapping out the ND filters but in practice I found I couldn't be bothered to keep swapping between the ND filters. The filter goes on a thread inside the wedge and then the 2 inch eyepiece holder threads on top of that, so there's a bit more to it than just unscrewing one filter. I also found the Lunt 1.25 inch to be pretty good too. I feel like the Baader might pay off more in the 120 when conditions are good.

Giro Mount on Vixen Hal-130 tripod
I really love the Vixen Hal-130 tripod! We also have one on our HEQ5 mount. It is light and strong and reasonably sturdy. I am getting a little wobble with the ED100 and 120 when moving the scopes/focusing but find it minor.
Love the giro too, it's a low hassle setup.

Solar Finders
There's a Tele Vue Sol Searcher on the ED100 attached by Velcro, which is not ideal. I have a fixed one on my Tele Vue 85 that works better. And I am enjoying having a built-in finder on the Baader Herschel Wedge - you can see a bright solar disc on the back of it.

Eyepieces

I mainly use the Tele Vue 32mm Plossl with the Quark, with an eyeguard extender, because the eye relief is long. I normally use Tele Vue Radians for white light. We have Delos too which are excellent for white light as well but I am fond of the Radians and they are light and that bit more compact.

Great set up Luke!

[JeremyS]

20 hours ago, Bob Downer said:

No solar yet, just trying out a new head and giving the local crows and chimneys a good looking at.

FS 60 Q? Very nice 👍🏻 

[Bob Downer]

Thanks Jeremy, yes it is.

[mikeDnight]

I had a funny turn this evening and set the 10" F6 Dob up in the garden. My 8 month old English Bull Terrier (Rhubarb) wasn't at all pleased and took issue with its presence, very vocally. He must have good taste and prefer refractors. 

Edited April 26, 2021 by mikeDnight

[JeremyS]

29 minutes ago, mikeDnight said:

I had a funny turn this evening and set up the 10" F6 Dob up in the garden. My 8 month old English Bull Terrier (Rhubarb) wasn't at all pleased and took issue with its presence, very vocally. He must have good taste and prefer refractors. 

Steady on there Mike!
I know how you feel. I ended up with this big black reflectory thing as as finder for my lovely fluority Tak FS 60.

[mikeDnight]

1 hour ago, JeremyS said:

Steady on there Mike!
I know how you feel. I ended up with this big black reflectory thing as as finder for my lovely fluority Tak FS 60.

Don't worry Jeremy, I soon got the big reflectory thing out of my system after ten minutes using it. I rapidly retreated back into my cosy obsey and to my much more civilised and gentlemanly refractor. Rhubarb may have been telling me something when he tried attacking the Dob. 

[jetstream]

6 minutes ago, mikeDnight said:

I soon got the big reflectory thing out of my system

Yes, the big reflectorys are best left to serious scientific research

[JeremyS]

2 hours ago, mikeDnight said:

Don't worry Jeremy, I soon got the big reflectory thing out of my system after ten minutes using it. I rapidly retreated back into my cosy obsey and to my much more civilised and gentlemanly refractor. Rhubarb may have been telling me something when he tried attacking the Dob. 

 

1 hour ago, jetstream said:

Yes, the big reflectorys are best left to serious scientific research

Don’t worry gents. The big SCT runs itself doing science whilst I’m having fun with the FC 100 DZ + extender Q

[paulastro]

Here's a pic of my Tecnosky 102ED F7 this morning.  I had just taken some WL solar pics, hence the Olympus E-M5 Mk11 hanging off the end of it.

[Stu]

12 minutes ago, paulastro said:

Here's a pic of my Tecnosky 102ED F7 this morning.  I had just taken some WL solar pics, hence the Olympus E-M5 Mk11 hanging off the end of it.

Nice scope Paul, and nice mount too 😉. Looks good in AltAz mode 👍

[paulastro]

36 minutes ago, Stu said:

Nice scope Paul, and nice mount too 😉. Looks good in AltAz mode 👍

Many thank Stu.  The scope is well suited with the Vixen Super Polaris. I've preffered altaz to eq for some time,  I've always found altaz mounts to be far more intuitive and easier to use.  It's a rare day indeed when I use the SP or the DX in eq mode 😁.

[Stu]

On 26/04/2021 at 16:46, paulastro said:

Many thank Stu.  The scope is well suited with the Vixen Super Polaris. I've preffered altaz to eq for some time,  I've always found altaz mounts to be far more intuitive and easier to use.  It's a rare day indeed when I use the SP or the DX in eq mode 😁.

Yep, I do like AltAz mounts, although do use my GP fairly frequently when doing solar or lunar, just for the tracking. I’m surprised more mounts aren’t made with the possibility of both configurations, it’s doesn’t take too much missing to allow it to happen.

[iapa]

[wheresthetorch?]

My f7.5 AR80S with Herschel Wedge.

 

[Victor Boesen]

I somehow stumbled upon this thread again and would like to update my daytime setup:) I received a daystar quark chromosphere in the start of May and been enjoying it a lot! It's compact, easy to use and it seems I've received a great unit!

Above is my Tecnosky 102 F7 apo refractor with the quark. Works great for teasing out details in prominences and active regions. Yesterday I'm confident I was also able to observe a small filaprom. The photo was taken today at the partial solar eclipse, my first solar eclipse

Next up is my Evostar 72 and the quark, this time on a photo tripod and light AZT6 mount head. I also use my 4" on this mounting solution but it's just on the limit. The Evostar is great for full disks and it can reveal a suprising amount of detail when stopped down to 40-50mm. The same is obviously true for the 4" when stopped down to ~70mm but can't fit a full disk in that one.

Anyone else got some upgrades to their daytime setups? The sun is beginning to put on a show again, and I'm happy I chose to get a quark at this moment!

Victor

Edited July 11, 2021 by Victor Boesen
Photos went missing so added again

[Nigella Bryant]

3 hours ago, Victor Boesen said:

I somehow stumbled upon this thread again and would like to update my daytime setup:) I received a daystar quark chromosphere in the start of May and been enjoying it a lot! It's compact, easy to use and it seems I've received a great unit.

Above is my Tecnosky 102 F7 apo refractor with the quark. Works great for teasing out details in prominences and active regions. Yesterday I'm confident I was also able to observe a small filaprom. The photo was taken today at the partial solar eclipse, my first solar eclipse

Next up is my Evostar 72 and the quark, this time on a photo tripod and light AZT6 mount head. I also use my 4" on this mounting solution but it's just on the limit. The Evostar is great for full disks and it can reveal a suprising amount of detail when stopped down to 40-50mm. The same is obviously true for the 4" when stopped down to ~70mm but can't fit a full disk in that one.

Anyone else got some upgrades to their daytime setups? The sun is beginning to put on a show again, and I'm happy I chose to get a quark at this moment!

Victor

Yep Victor, I've triple mounted my solar scopes.

[callisto]

4 hours ago, Victor Boesen said:

I somehow stumbled upon this thread again and would like to update my daytime setup:) I received a daystar quark chromosphere in the start of May and been enjoying it a lot! It's compact, easy to use and it seems I've received a great unit.

Above is my Tecnosky 102 F7 apo refractor with the quark. Works great for teasing out details in prominences and active regions. Yesterday I'm confident I was also able to observe a small filaprom. The photo was taken today at the partial solar eclipse, my first solar eclipse

Next up is my Evostar 72 and the quark, this time on a photo tripod and light AZT6 mount head. I also use my 4" on this mounting solution but it's just on the limit. The Evostar is great for full disks and it can reveal a suprising amount of detail when stopped down to 40-50mm. The same is obviously true for the 4" when stopped down to ~70mm but can't fit a full disk in that one.

Anyone else got some upgrades to their daytime setups? The sun is beginning to put on a show again, and I'm happy I chose to get a quark at this moment!

Victor

Is it just me or is your bottle of water levitating or is it an optical illusion  😁

[Victor Boesen]

34 minutes ago, Nigella Bryant said:

Yep Victor, I've triple mounted my solar scopes.

When will the fourth one come up then? Could surely fit a magnesium quark setup somewhere in there Focusing each scope will start to be a pain though.

15 minutes ago, callisto said:

Is it just me or is your bottle of water levitating or is it an optical illusion  😁

Now that I look at it I definitely see what you mean I will, however, have to disappoint you and confess that I have yet to go against gravity. There is a slight curb/edge which it's standing on;)

[badhex]

As posted in the 'frac thread my setup for yesterday - the main upgrade being that the scope is new, plus I'm temporarily observing under a Bortle 4 sky from a beautiful garden, not my usual rubbish Bortle 8 city sky and shared roof terrace!

[mikeDnight]

Ready and waiting for viewing the partial solar eclipse on June 10, but the cloud's had other idea's. 😭

 

 

[Steve Clay]