SolarSpectrum?

Use this section to discuss "standard" Baader/Coronado/ Lunt SolarView/ Daystar, etc… filters, cameras and scopes. No mods, just questions/ answers and reviews.
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Montana
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Re: SolarSpectrum?

Post by Montana »

Thanks guys :) lots to think about.

Update: Had a chat with Rupert and he says Solarscpectrum are out of stock indefinitely :( however, they seem to be launching something new this weekend which they wouldn't tell him about, so we shall see....

Alexandra


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Re: SolarSpectrum?

Post by marktownley »

I heard they've struggled with the wildfires out there... Let's look forward to a potentially exciting announcement in the days ahead then...


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Re: SolarSpectrum?

Post by Valery »

Alexandra,

Don't listen to all sceptics. Let them be limited to any smaller apertures they consider comfortable for them.
Earlier or later you will outresolve all your problems with an imaging rig, telescope collimation keeping, best seeing moments capturing.
Only those reach the goal who believe and move forward without looking back.

I will try to help you out, but my best help is written above.


Valery.


"Solar H alpha activity is the most dynamic and compelling thing you can see in a telescope, so spend accordingly." (c) Bob Yoesle.

Largest full size 185 - 356mm Dielectric Energy Rejection Filters (D-ERF) by ARIES Instruments.
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Re: SolarSpectrum?

Post by Radon86 »

Montana wrote: Mon May 03, 2021 3:10 pm Thanks guys, I'm still in two minds whether to spend yet more money or not ;) I'll have to see what Rupert says.

In answer to a few questions, my PST mod isn't lacking contrast but it is off centre, so when imaging only half the field of view is on band. It is like a very bad Quark and I don't have the knowledge to re-centre the sweet spot. I do have a 2" Hydrogen alpha filter in front of the PST mod as a blocking filter.

I do image first thing in the morning, I have the C11 cooling overnight in the greenhouse, I have a heat reflective jacket on it. I also start the imaging with the C11 first, then work the TEC140 afterwards. Luca Valantini taught me 10 years ago to start with High res first, start with CaK, then WL, then Halpha, then move to low res. I have always followed this track.

Highbury Mark, that is interesting to hear about the C11, I'm not sure of the quality of my optics, I am sure it isn't half as good as Alfred's. Thing is, you can blame the seeing for years and actually find the optics are bad and you will never have good seeing. I blamed seeing for my bad CaK imaging for 6 years, got suspicious, tested it against Stuart's CaK module and found mine had bad optics. Got it replaced and had brilliant seeing every time there after. Unless I had a telescope optical lab it is not easy to test a set up under ideal conditions to test it. I need to move to Hawaii :)

Alexandra
Hi Alexandra,
I would tend to agree with Valery. The limits tend to be due to limited seeing with the Jet Stream in the UK. Do you have a good Solar scintillation monitor (SSM) ? If I were you, I would make some careful analysis of the optics and imaging scales involved. Its hard to fight Earth's atmosphere ?

My suspicions lie on the seeing and site of your observatory and the atmospheric conditions..


High res H-alpha ? I remember being impressed with Carbon60 and some others H-alpha scales, you can see the fine detail in active areas very nicely, and even magnetic field lines ?

I would be very happy to have a DSF solarscope filter like yours. Maybe you can try more animations of proms or active regions ? Maybe this would help furthering solar research. I don't know if solar research needs help from solar imagers much.

Magnus
Magnus


Solar: H-alpha": Quark Chromosphere filter; Baader white light filters
Scopes: Altair Astro Travel ED70mm (F 420mm, D=70mm);; Skywatcher 90mm (F 910mm D=90mm); GSO focuser;;Altair Astro 60mm guidescope (D=60mm,F=225mm)
Cameras: ASI120mm-S,ASI174mm
Mount: SW HEQ5 Pro, SW EQ3 Pro Synscan (SW = Skywatcher),Vixen Polarie tracker (portable setup)
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Re: SolarSpectrum?

Post by Radon86 »

Montana wrote: Thu Apr 29, 2021 2:54 pm Hello,

I was wondering if anyone could tell me the difference between the various SolarSpectrums as I do not understand?

I also cannot find the model Jozef (Oreoluna) has on Astrograph, is this no longer made?

I am going through a mid life crisis at the moment. When I first started solar imaging my first loves were detailed Hydrogen alpha full discs and high resolution white light. Back in 2009 I dreamed and bought a TEC140. I then had a choice of a Solarscope for full disc imaging or a Solarspectrum for high res. I chose a Solarscope and I have never regretted it.

I imagined one day I would get to do high res Hydrogen alpha and bought a Quark + 135mm D-ERF for the TEC140. It was happiness for 3 months and [hot place] on earth for 18 months.

I then bought a C11 and had heaven in white light and I am still very happy. However, for CaK and Hydrogen alpha it is absolute rubbish and have never even seen remotely anything in all the times I have tried. When you lose happiness and solar imaging becomes frustrating and you have no will to process your images, then something is very wrong.

I don't understand how my PST mod works and have been told it cannot work on the TEC140. However it was useful in being able to replace my blocking filter on my original PST.

I would now like to move towards my original dream and see high res Hydrogen alpha on my TEC140. I know this is possible as Luca used to use a SolarSpectrum on his TEC180. The question is which to go for, I know it needs to be 0.3A but which model? I don't want to waste more money. Also do I invest in a 160mm D-ERF as I am limited to 125mm with the 135mm due to the filter cell and I am losing the 140mm?

The TEC140 is like a dream, when I use it my eyes light up and the live views on the screen light my soul. The C11 just does not do this for me (unless I view in WL), I can never see anything at all no matter what I try, it is not even close. Maybe one day if I move to a mountain top it will give me joy, but I will stick to WL for now. Solar viewing should not make you sad but make you happy. The C11 makes me sad. The TEC140 makes me jump for joy.

I hope you can help.
Alexandra
Good Morning Alexandra,

I am talking from a moderately cloudy London on a Sunday morning.
I saw your post and was curious. I don't know much about Solar Spectrum, but I remember coming across this being used by Michael Wilkinson. He is on the StarGazers lounge, Maybe you can check out his posts and contact him.

https://stargazerslounge.com/topic/2423 ... ngle-pane/

On another note, maybe you can trim your equipment list and sell your C11 ?
I also wonder if you have a solar observatory setup, or do you setup everything each time you image ?
Taking a break from solar imaging may do you some good, as your eyes could have a rest from solar images for a while ?

Magnus


Solar: H-alpha": Quark Chromosphere filter; Baader white light filters
Scopes: Altair Astro Travel ED70mm (F 420mm, D=70mm);; Skywatcher 90mm (F 910mm D=90mm); GSO focuser;;Altair Astro 60mm guidescope (D=60mm,F=225mm)
Cameras: ASI120mm-S,ASI174mm
Mount: SW HEQ5 Pro, SW EQ3 Pro Synscan (SW = Skywatcher),Vixen Polarie tracker (portable setup)
Accessory: SW Auto-focuser
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Re: SolarSpectrum?

Post by astroshot »

Alexandra,
I use two configurations with my TEC140:

1. Baader Cool Ceramic wedge - with either a 2x barlow or preferably a 4x Powermate. Very much depends on seeing conditions. In our part of the world, the 4x powermate can't be used every sunny day unfortunately due to the atmospheric turbulence from the Gulf Stream.

2. Daystar T-Scanner H-alpha filter with Baader D-ERF and 4x Powermate. I enjoy using this setup on a sunny morning when the seeing is good.

I say 'morning' as that for me is easily the best time of day for solar observing before the atmosphere is heated up significantly by the Sun, resulting in turbulence.

Re the PST, these vary significantly in quality. You might need to try several of them to get one that works perfectly for the mod setup.

Therefore, if it were me, I would just buy once and cry once - get the Solar Spectrum if that is what you really want and sell what doesn't work so well for you.

Michael.


Michael in Kildare, Ireland.
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Re: SolarSpectrum?

Post by Dennis »

One thing that comes to my mind: do you use the sct also for nightviews / imaging?
I use my c9 a lot for night time imaging and therefore am used to collimate it properly at a star with a free software called "metaguide".
So i simply "know" from nighttime viewing / imaging, that the device and optics work.


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-2x Gerd Düring 2.7x
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