2022.10.07 AR3112 against all the odds.

[Rusted]

SW gales blowing straight into the open slit of the dome.
The telescope is rocking during gusts!
White sky, watery sunshine in those rare glimpses.
Yet, despite everything I captured one video.
1448x1216 50/1000 frames resized to 700 for the forum.

7.10.2022 15.52 150.10 2xb rsz 700.jpg (112.45 KiB) Viewed 427 times

Unbelievable! I wasn't going to process this second video because of cloud crossing:

7.10.2022 15.57 150.10 2xb rsz 700.jpg (121.59 KiB) Viewed 419 times

[rigel123]

Way to persevere!

[Rusted]

Thank you both.

I am trying to think of other hobbies where they worry about the seeing conditions:

Cave diving?

[MAURITS]

Despite the conditions the images are beautiful Chris.

[DeepSolar64]

Chris,
You caught the end of a slow-blow M1.01 class flare in AR13116. I observed it through most of it's cycle.

Thumbs up!!

James

[Rusted]

Thank you both for your kind words.

I was amazed that anything came out of these videos at all. The blue sky had turned white before the serious clouds came in.

The Lunt etalon is proving far more forgiving than the PST with the former's much larger sweet spot. Though there is still the possibility to double stack using both etalons. Which probably means an even longer filter stack!

I'm now thinking of mounting a parallel tube truss bolted onto the telescope's backplate. To properly support the filter optics on sliding baffles. Probably using birch ply for a trial set-up.

There is no way to sight though the empty etalon-filter stack for precise optical alignment using a Cheshire. The Lunt optics can't be removed from their mountings. So it will mean working entirely on precise, external concentricity of all the hardware in series.

Some optical alignment checking can probably be done through the objective by centring reflections. Assuming nothing is deliberately tilted in the filter stack.

[Carbon60]

Nice result, Chris, in very challenging conditions.

Stu.

[Rusted]

Nice result, Chris, in very challenging conditions.

Stu.

Thanks Stu.

One would hope that such "difficulties" help to enhance my abilities when the seeing is cooperative..

[marktownley]

Nice capture in less than ideal conditions.

I think a rear truss for the MT assembly will offer a big improvement.

[ffellah]

Nicely done Chris.

Franco

[Rusted]

Thank you both.

A rear truss would need to allow easy access to both the Lunt PT etalon and both focusers.
My T-S focal reducer should arrive in the post tomorrow.
Then I can see how that affects the physical layout and imaging.
I was going to put it on the Lunt etalon's nosepiece but that would add some distance to the etalon.

[marktownley]

My T-S focal reducer should arrive in the post tomorrow.
Then I can see how that affects the physical layout and imaging.
I was going to put it on the Lunt etalon's nosepiece but that would add some distance to the etalon.

You need to get that reducer as close to the collimating lens on the module as you can.

[Rusted]

My T-S focal reducer should arrive in the post tomorrow.
Then I can see how that affects the physical layout and imaging.
I was going to put it on the Lunt etalon's nosepiece but that would add some distance to the etalon.

You need to get that reducer as close to the collimating lens on the module as you can.

Whoops! My ploy of hanging the entire Lunt 60MT off the etalon's nosepiece may just have been found wanting!
A bit too much like trying to lift oneself by one's own bootstraps. Which is precisely why Lunt made it impossible without a lathe.
We will soon know. The reducer is being delivered today. That rear truss may be required much sooner than I had imagined.