Quark chromosphere Zwo 290mm mini backfocus distance

[Elp]

Just tried to image the sun with the above using the following:

WOZ61 (I know too fast),

WO diagonal, vixen flip diagonal, with vixen extension tubes and vixen diagonal 45mm spacers up to 80mm spacers, Barlow on nose of 290mm mini too and also without with all combinations.

 

With either of them I couldn't even see the sun on camera, not even a blur. Anyone got suggestions?

 

 

 

[Pete Presland]

Sorry deleted my response,  I didn't see you were using a Quark. Unfortunately I have no experience with one.

Have tried googling images of quark\scope combinations ?

 

Edited August 5, 2022 by Pete Presland

[Pete Presland]

Might give you an idea of the distances required for focus to be achieved,  also they do require a warm up period?  

Also are you sure the sun is definitely on the chip?

[Elp]

I've tried searching and read a few on CN, though no one specifies exactly how they've worked out the distance required. I would of thought if it's in focus with an eyepiece that swapping the eyepiece for the camera would at least see the sun even a blur but no.

The sun was definitely there (maybe not on chip, but it wasn't even close, normally you see some glare to one side as you're getting closer) as it was tracking for around two hours no issue, whenever I put an eyepiece back in the sun would be there.

The quarks do require warm up but whilst they are warming they act a bit like white light filters so you can still see the sun.

In the meantime I've ended up buying a load of adaptors (which I probably don't even need) so I can try it straight through without diagonal.

[Rusted]

Daft question: You haven't got a green filter or Baader Solar Continuum on the camera nose? Or elsewhere?
Many use a green filter for white light, solar imaging. Then find everything is black in H-alpha.
I've done it myself. Once. When I swapped to my white light scope for H-alpha, just as an experiment.
Mixing red and green paint makes black or very dark brown paint.

Another quick check for camera basic function:
Wave the bare camera around, cable connected but no optics.
It should show some light moving on the monitor if it can see the sky or sunshine.
Which is also a good check to remind yourself whether you have left the lens cap on the 'scope.
Turn the gain and exposure almost right up in your capture software. Anything visible on the monitor now?

You don't strictly need extensions to hold a camera steady for your initial tests for focus or basic function.
You can hold it in your hand as you move it in and out looking for a focus. Or even just a light patch on the monitor.

 Diagonals use up a lot of focal length. Remove it and try moving the camera in and out without it.
Rack the focuser right in first. To give you maximum inward focus.
 

[Elp]

Thanks I'll try all this again once I get my adaptors, I'm familiar with it all having imaged with a Coronado PST. No filter was on the camera and when I took it out of the holder sure enough it was flooded by environmental light so the camera was working fine.