Solar Sunday

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Montana
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Solar Sunday

Post by Montana »

Well, it was supposed to be a Solar Sunday but in true Cheshire style it rained all weekend from Friday night to Monday morning :(

However, we all had great fun meeting Brian (Mapleridge) and his wife yesterday all the way from sunny Canada to be in wet soggy England. Stuart and Mark also joined us for a day Solarchatting. This forum is great for bringing us all together.
(Stuart, Brian, Mark, me)
DSC07121small.jpg
DSC07121small.jpg (490.2 KiB) Viewed 2328 times
and we even got got drunk on the Maple syrup :lol:
DSC07120small.jpg
DSC07120small.jpg (576.55 KiB) Viewed 2328 times
It is actually sunny at the moment (a miracle), so I am running out with the telescope now!!!!!

Alexandra


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Re: Solar Sunday

Post by MapleRidge »

Hi all...

We had a great visit with Alexandra and Darren over the weekend, and a nice change to get acquainted with Mark and Fiona and Stuart and Julia on Sunday. As Alexandra says the weather was wet, but it didn't hurt the get together. Ironically, Monday morning started off with brilliant blue skies and sunshine.

I brought samples of 'Liquid Sunshine'...Maple Syrup for everyone as well. I sounds like it is a popular treat over here ;) Now I have shed some weight in the suitcases and can take more scotch back home with me :P

As Alexandra said this forum provided a great network for our solar work, but it has a great group of people and it is always nice to meet in person.

Take care everyone,
Brian


Brian Colville

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
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Re: Solar Sunday

Post by Montana »

I'm happy too, thanks to Brian I have the day off work and it was sunny for 20 minutes to try out my new/replaced/repaired Lunt Cak module.

WOWWWW!!!!! amazing!!!! don't think you have bad seeing for 5 years, get it repaired. I knew as soon as I put it on the TEC140 it was a different beast. Seeing is probably rubbish but at 5x the contrast was brilliant and focus was easy peasy. 5Years wasted!!!!! This is my best ever CaK image taken in 5 minutes flat, hardly any processing. I am sure I can do better :hamster: :hamster: :hamster: thanks Brian for the day off.

ImageSun_080534_29_07_2019 by Alexandra Hart, on Flickr

ImageSun_080534_29_07_2019 f colour by Alexandra Hart, on Flickr
Please click and zoom in.

On bad note the Grasshopper 3 doesn't work anymore :( Flycapture doesn't recognise the chip but it does recognise the camera. Any ideas how to solve it? I have only used it once. The hubby did plug it into his Apple computer a week ago and it spat it out, I hope Apple hasn't reprogrammed it :(

Alexandra


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Re: Solar Sunday

Post by ffellah »

Great photos, sounds like you guys had a blast ! At NEAF Brian told me he was going to visit the UK. Always nice to meet in person after knowing each other online. Great images, Alexandra, nice to hear that all is working well now... (except the GH3 😌)

Franco


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Re: Solar Sunday

Post by marktownley »

Great to see everyone yesterday! Lots of fun :)

That CaK shot is a killer Alexandra, glad things are working there. I was imaging the same area as you earlier too, however at smaller image scale and lower resolution, just going through some processing now.

That grasshopper is badly behaved; not sure what to suggest other than check the drivers are updated on your lappy, try a restart, usual stuff really.


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Re: Solar Sunday

Post by LTHB »

Top-notch CaK image! Not over-sharpened and very contrasty, really great!


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Re: Solar Sunday

Post by eroel »

Alexandra:
A superb CaK image, beautifully processed clean and crisp, have not seen one like that since long.
The TEC scope has superb optics, I have known Yuri Petrunin since long ago when he started with the TEC scopes.
Also you had a superb meeting with Brian whom I have met before at NEAF and other conventions.
I regret I could not meet Stu or any of you in the UK on my last visit, hope that someday we all could meet. :D
Best wishes to all,
Eric.


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Re: Solar Sunday

Post by Valery »

Glad to see the porblem with CaK filter solved and your excellent images, Alexandra!

Great to see you guys on photos.

Valery


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Re: Solar Sunday

Post by MAURITS »

Congrats Alexandra, such nice pictures with solar forum friends.
Indeed this forum create a very close band with other users.

Sometimes I said to my wife I have friends in the UK, America, Canada, France, Germany ... and world wide, all with the same "Sun" in mind.

I' am glad your Cak system is working now after a long time of problems.

Your comments are always so nice and perfect discrible. 👏👍


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Re: Solar Sunday

Post by MapleRidge »

Hi Alexandra...

The repaired CaK module produced a superb image...great capture and processing :bow

I'm looking forward to the Ha images once you have them processed...thanks for sharing your scope and camera this morning ;) I hope the PGR camera can be fixed up without a lot of trouble too!

Brian


Brian Colville

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
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Re: Solar Sunday

Post by xn44 »

:hamster: 👏👏👏👏


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Re: Solar Sunday

Post by viewer »

Impressive get together, and very nice pictures!

I'm quite new here and planning to post some modest sketches.


Eq-2 mount on the balcony, pst, mak with baader filter, zoom, camera asi290mm

Sketches and images:
https://www.cloudynights.com/gallery/me ... 07-viewer/
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Re: Solar Sunday

Post by Montana »

Thanks everyone :) had a great day today with Brian and Sandy in the sunshine!

Just been sat down for an hour now and downloaded the firmware for the Grasshopper 3 and after 2 attempts with the UpdaterGUI and lots of error messages we seem to have got the firmware back on again and it works now with Flycapture and Firecapture :hamster: all seems a bit dodgy, will see how it goes. The Hubby is now not in the doghouse anymore but banned from ever plugging it in his Apple computer :lol:
Now to start processing the day's solar pictures and Brian's captures. It may take till tomorrow night now as I am running out of time.

Alexandra


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Re: Solar Sunday

Post by Montana »

Viewer, a very warm and sunny welcome :hamster: the more sketches the merrier :hamster: I am looking forward to them :)

Alexandra


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Re: Solar Sunday

Post by viewer »

Thanks!


Eq-2 mount on the balcony, pst, mak with baader filter, zoom, camera asi290mm

Sketches and images:
https://www.cloudynights.com/gallery/me ... 07-viewer/
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Re: Solar Sunday

Post by Carbon60 »

Thanks for a fabulous Sunday get together, Alexandra. It was great catching up with everyone.

A superb image there. Fantastic to see the CaK module repair now giving you such an excellent view. Congrats on SPOD! :) :)

Stu.


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Re: Solar Sunday

Post by MapleRidge »

Congrats on the SPOD, well deserved after the frustrations you had over the years using its predecessor!

Also good news on the Grasshopper camera, hate to have Darren in the doghouse :lol:

Brian


Brian Colville

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
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Re: Solar Sunday

Post by Montana »

Thanks for all the lovely messages everyone, this forum is full of smiles :)
and thanks for the SPOD :hamster:

Hope to do some more processing tonight, I'll get there eventually.
Alexandra


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Re: Solar Sunday

Post by Martin_S »

Great post Alexandra

Martin


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Re: Solar Sunday

Post by krakatoa1883 »

Superb CaK detail, Alexandra, did you take it at full aperture ?


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Re: Solar Sunday

Post by Montana »

No at 100mm, Yuri said the TEC140 was near perfect in the blue at 100mm and not at 140mm.

Brian, I bet you are glad you left Cheshire. The rain Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday have been terrible. Apart from the fact a lot of roads are closed due to flooding and yesterday I was almost drowned in Manchester, today they have evacuated the entire town of Whaley Bridge which is only 13 miles from where we were at Bosley Locks on Monday because the dam is failing. I told you the peat bogs would be getting full but this is ridiculous even on our standards! what a summer!

Alexandra


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Re: Solar Sunday

Post by MapleRidge »

Alexandra...

I just saw an article on MSN about the rains and flooding causing the problems at the dam. If you had rain all of Tues-Thurs and add in the weekend rain I'm not surprised the flooding has gotten worse. Hate to hear that this is becoming such a high risk situation.

The entire trip was a great tour, and the time in Cheshire was amazing thanks to you and Darren! I am glad to be home in my own bed and not living out of a suitcase :lol: Our weather is the opposite, as we have had little rain in the past 3 weeks and it is starting to hurt the crops (too much early, now too little)...farms are never satisfied with the weather!!!

Clear here this morning and had a few hours at the scope before lunch...pretty quiet save one prom and a few filaments. I'll post once I get them processed.

Brian


Brian Colville

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
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Re: Solar Sunday

Post by xn44 »

I Hope good Weather for you! .... and everyone also!😢🤭👍


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