More aperture please (PST)
More aperture please (PST)
Hi all,
Please bear with me for a while, I’m trying to get my moneys worth out of this new solar scope and justify its purchase. Double stacking was not satisfactory and a mod 2 was even less impressive, so my plan is to get the most out of imaging with the stock PST. This will be old news for most here so feel free to send some tips my way.
I have some lower power Barlows arriving this week that should help match the image size to the Grasshopper camera. A 2.5x Powermate is too much for a full disk in one shot and mosaics are time consuming. I did find that using a short snout on the camera will come to focus but the image is small. Anyway, here are my first attempts at full disk imaging with the PST.
The first uses a 2.5x Powermate and a focal reducer (don’t laugh).
Second and third is with the short snout on the camera only.
Forth is a four panel mosaic using the 2.5x.
Fifth Is a greyscale version. I like it the best.
Thanks,
Phil
Please bear with me for a while, I’m trying to get my moneys worth out of this new solar scope and justify its purchase. Double stacking was not satisfactory and a mod 2 was even less impressive, so my plan is to get the most out of imaging with the stock PST. This will be old news for most here so feel free to send some tips my way.
I have some lower power Barlows arriving this week that should help match the image size to the Grasshopper camera. A 2.5x Powermate is too much for a full disk in one shot and mosaics are time consuming. I did find that using a short snout on the camera will come to focus but the image is small. Anyway, here are my first attempts at full disk imaging with the PST.
The first uses a 2.5x Powermate and a focal reducer (don’t laugh).
Second and third is with the short snout on the camera only.
Forth is a four panel mosaic using the 2.5x.
Fifth Is a greyscale version. I like it the best.
Thanks,
Phil
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Re: More aperture please (PST)
The last couple of pics are the absolute best you are going to get with a 40mm, these are cracking
Alexandra
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Re: More aperture please (PST)
Nice shots! It's just about finding the correct spacing of the barlow to the chip to fill the fov.
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Re: More aperture please (PST)
4 and 5 are indeed beautiful! So please don't invest in a new barlow, but in time by making mosaics. (-;
Baader VIP barlow is really nice btw. You can change the distance by adding or removing T2 extensions.
Baader VIP barlow is really nice btw. You can change the distance by adding or removing T2 extensions.
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Re: More aperture please (PST)
One of these https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Short-C-Moun ... :rk:3:pf:0 and the nose off a 2x barlow should give you the image scale and focus you need to get a fuller frame.
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Re: More aperture please (PST)
Phil...
The FD's are good, and if you can get a barlow to boost the image scale a bit it will give you some great images.
The mosaics are very impressive but I agree they are a lot of work. For me, the FD on one frame are not meant to be super high-res, but a way to show the full disk and where features are relative to each other. Larger scopes can then be used to get the top end images.
Brian
The FD's are good, and if you can get a barlow to boost the image scale a bit it will give you some great images.
The mosaics are very impressive but I agree they are a lot of work. For me, the FD on one frame are not meant to be super high-res, but a way to show the full disk and where features are relative to each other. Larger scopes can then be used to get the top end images.
Brian
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Maple Ridge Observatory
Cambray, ON Canada
Photos: https://www.flickr.com/photos/185395281@N08/albums
10'x15 Roll-off Roof Observatory
Takahashi EM400 Mount carrying:
C14 + Lunt 80ED
Deep Sky Work - ASI294MM Pro+EFW 7x36/Canon 60D (Ha mod), ONAG
Planetary Work - SBIG CFW10, ASI462MM
2.2m Diameter Dome
iOptron CEM70G Mount carrying:
Orion EON 130ED, f7 OTA for Day & Night Use
Ha Setup: Lunt LS80PT/LS75FHa/B1200Ha + Home Brew Lunt Double Stack/B1800Ha on the Orion OTA + Daystar Quantum
WL, G-Band & CaK Setup: Lunt Wedge & Lunt B1800CaK, Baader K-Line and Altair 2nm G-Band filter
ASI1600MM, ASI432MM, ASI294MM Pro, ASI174MM, ASI462MM
Re: More aperture please (PST)
Thanks for the suggestions and comments. This is definitely the right place to ask. I agree that FD images are more for an overview of what's going on but some of the disk images I've seen here were spectacular. It might sound odd but at times I like to try to get the most from the least. I've had interesting results from an iPhone and 89mm scope using mosaics. (Link below)
If we get any solar activity soon, I will try another mosaic and a full frame disk image for comparison. You all already know the results but I want to see for myself.
Mark, thanks for the short c-mount link. I'll get one.
Reflected sunlight mosaic with small scope and phone
http://www.astrophil.com/astrophotos/iP ... n=download
Phil
If we get any solar activity soon, I will try another mosaic and a full frame disk image for comparison. You all already know the results but I want to see for myself.
Mark, thanks for the short c-mount link. I'll get one.
Reflected sunlight mosaic with small scope and phone
http://www.astrophil.com/astrophotos/iP ... n=download
Phil
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Re: More aperture please (PST)
I know exactly what you mean Phil. I’m working on a similar project pairing up a SolarMax 40 with a Borg 45ED and iOptron SmartEQ Pro. Mount and scope together weigh what my Lunt 100 weighs unmounted. I’m thinking quick frame grabs when short on time and ultra-portability. But part of me is very focused on just achieving a satisfying result using a “minimalist” approach - if we can say it with a straight face . I’d say you’re definitely on track to squeeze the most out of that PST. The B&W looks very nice. Love the cellphone moon shot also. I also have a Grasshopper and use that short c mount with just the nosepiece of a Coronado 2X Barlow. It works well. I’m interested to see your further results. As I get my rig together and get some sunshine I’ll try and post some results as well.
Cheers
Christopher
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Re: More aperture please (PST)
Phil:
Your PST gives very good clean and even images, so the result you get with the 2.5 Powermate and a reducer at the camera nose gives a nice FD that can show what is going on the Sun, and if interesting you can make a FD mosaic or just a partial one of the interesting feature.
I use my 40mm Coronado etalons on a 76mm TeleVue, just to take FD´s, so when I see something interesting I make a mosaic or go for a bigger solar scope.
Try to get the best distance of the Barlow to the chip, so to get the best size possible for the used camera chip.
Beautiful clean and crisp mosaics shown.
Best regards,
Eric.
Your PST gives very good clean and even images, so the result you get with the 2.5 Powermate and a reducer at the camera nose gives a nice FD that can show what is going on the Sun, and if interesting you can make a FD mosaic or just a partial one of the interesting feature.
I use my 40mm Coronado etalons on a 76mm TeleVue, just to take FD´s, so when I see something interesting I make a mosaic or go for a bigger solar scope.
Try to get the best distance of the Barlow to the chip, so to get the best size possible for the used camera chip.
Beautiful clean and crisp mosaics shown.
Best regards,
Eric.
Re: More aperture please (PST)
Christopher, with a straight face...indeed.
Thanks Maurits.
Eric, good info. I have a plan to follow. We'll see what happens.
Phil
Thanks Maurits.
Eric, good info. I have a plan to follow. We'll see what happens.
Phil
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Re: More aperture please (PST)
And finally....here's my "minimalist" set-up with an initial result. As I mentioned above it is a Borg 45ED which I've had for many years with an older pre-Meade Coronado SolarMax 40 and the Solar Sprectrum modified T-scanner. All riding on a mighty iOptron SmartEQ Pro+ with nary a counterweight. Set-up and tear down are quick and easy. I don't think I'll be doing any close-up prom animations with this set-up but for a quick FD or super portable rig it ought to do the job. Not sure what that strange striped shading is across the top of the disk but I think I managed to get rid of it in a later shot by rotating the T-scanner.
Christopher
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Re: More aperture please (PST)
Looks a good result! a nice setup too.
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Re: More aperture please (PST)
Thanks Mark! It occurred to me that this light path passes through elements created by David Lunt, Del Woods and Mark Wagner....arguably 3 of the most influential amateur H-alpha equipment makers in the U.S. Kinda cool. I failed to mention the shot was taken yesterday around 11:30 AM EDT.
Christopher
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Re: More aperture please (PST)
Christopher, that is some "minimalist" setup. All the good stuff in one small package. Very nice first image and they will improve with a little tweaking. Made in the USA, well how about that? Looking forward to seeing more.
Phil
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Re: More aperture please (PST)
Thanks Phil. I think it's going to be a fun set up to use when time is limited which these days seems often. If we're going to credit manufacturer nations we'll have to include Japan (Borg) if we're stopping at the focus point I was able to rotate that shadow/reflection pattern out by turning the T-scanner relative to the front etalon. Here's another image from 14:04 EDT same session. A bit cleaner.
Christopher
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Re: More aperture please (PST)
Christopher,
You seem to have ended up with distinct banding across the whole disk????
You seem to have ended up with distinct banding across the whole disk????
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Re: More aperture please (PST)
I'm not sure if you're referring to the fine horizontal banding or the two vertical shadowy ones. I think the latter could potentially be managed using flats. As for the horizontal stuff....yes. This is strange. I uploaded the exact same file to Astrobin and don't see those artifacts. At least not near as pronounced. I suspect it could be oversharpening and compression artifacts but I'm not sure. Also not sure why the same file renders differently.
Thoughts?
Here's the Astrobin image.
Thoughts?
Here's the Astrobin image.
Christopher
"Our imagination is stretched to the utmost, not, as in fiction, to imagine things which are not really there, but just to comprehend those things which 'are' there.". -Feynman
"Our imagination is stretched to the utmost, not, as in fiction, to imagine things which are not really there, but just to comprehend those things which 'are' there.". -Feynman
Re: More aperture please (PST)
Christopher, the second image looks better. The vertical band and the horizontal lines might vanish with the use of a flat. The fine lines look like what interlaced cameras produced so I tried a deinterlace filter to remove them. Not too much loss of detail. Sharpening tends to enhance them. Anyway, not very visible unless enlarged a lot. Keep up the good work.
Phil
Here is the de-interlaced version.
Phil
Here is the de-interlaced version.
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Re: More aperture please (PST)
Thank you for the de-interlace tip Phil. Extremely helpful. I also found a video that had quite a bit of drift in it due to long pauses in adequate seeing so I was able to use AutoStakkert to smooth out the vertical banding as well. I think I'll stop here on this session. Many lessons learned and I'm quite pleased with the result given the 40mm of aperture .
Christopher
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