Ha Sun Today

[barx1963]

Well it was a lovely day here in Colac, so had a crack at some more solar.
I am starting to get a reasonable handle on processing and found that the best way to achieve focus is get focus is to get a large cardboard box and put the laptop in that so I can actually see the screen while focusing!
Why hadn't I tried that before? Probably the lack of a large cardboard box!!

Anyhoo, here are a couple of details images. Both taken with the Lunt 60, the second image I had double stacked. Mount is the Orion Sirius G and camera the PG Chameleon 3. Processed with PIPP, Registax 6 and PS Elements 7.

Cheers

Malcolm

[John W]

Hi Malcolm, Thanks for the images - an interesting area on the sun. Cheers, John W.

[pvelez]

Sounds familiar Malcolm. I struggled with getting the etalon setting right on my Lunt. I found the best way to do that was to drape a towel over my head at the scope - looked odd and was quite hot but it did the trick

Nice images

Pete

[Derek Klepp]

Nice ones Malcom there was a big prom early this morning'

[lloydscope]

Hi,
Does anyone know how to get the best Solar Scope, Double Stacked.
I have heard that DAYSTAR was the best, but i went into CLOUDY NIGHTS and a bloke called STEPHEN RAMSDEN gave a not so good review on this solar scope, (bad actually)..to do with cold & hot days, in not operating good at all. He actually had socks on it during the day?..My mate has a CORONARDO single stacked which is a great view. However i have looked through a LUNT double stacked, it was absolutely brilliant. What is your opinions gentlemen. thx..lloydscope..

[barx1963]

I have used both a single stack Coronado and my current Lunt DS. The Coronado is nice. The helical focuser IMHO lets it down a bit. It is fine for visual, but getting the focus just right for imaging can be a bit of trouble. Of course I was mounting it a bit dodgily, on a decent mount like a HEQ5 or better it would work better.
The Lunt is great, but double stacking the tilt tune version does result in a very small sweet spot. That is the reason I have cropped the shots here. The pressure tuned version apparently gets around that issue, but having not used one extensively, I would leave comment on that to someone else.
If imaging, be aware that the 60mm versions of these scopes are different focal lengths. The Coronado is 400mm and the Lunt is 480mm I believe. For full disc images the DMK41 camera was fine on the Coronado, but I neeeded a larger sensor for the Lunt
Overall both are excellent scopes IMHO

Malcolm

[Star Catcher]

I have the Lunt80 and image mainly in single stack mode. I use the double stack mode using Lunt DSII module mainly for visual using binoviewers. It gives good views and details. Recently have got a Quark and prefer the double stack view using the Quark rather than the Lunt DSII module on the Lunt80.

The main caveat is that the evenness of light (hotspots)can vary a lot with different copies of the Quark especially for imaging which is less tolerant of such variations. Yes I have resorted to wrapping a aluminium foil around the Quark on a 37 degree day with the body of the Quark getting much hotter in the direct sunlight. Once I wrapped one layer of foil, it immediately stabilised the temperature and all was good from there on. It is no big deal and looks spacey :)
Ted

[stephenramsden]

Hey!! This is the bloke called Stephen Ramsden! I would love to offer any advice or assistance I can. :hi: