Tarantarra! Ving to the rescue!

[Omaroo]

Mercury walking in front of the Sun on Thursday - for the last time in ...uhmm... a while. Forgot all about it until yesterday. Started the ring-around today to all the astro shops I knew of to see if they had either a glass, ready-to-go Thousand Oaks solar filter for the ETX-60 or at least some film. None! All you good people have swallowed up stocks!!:P

Ving sees my pleading post and PM's me to volunteer some T/Oaks film offcuts from when he did his full-aperture jobbie on his 8" Newt. Yay!! I PM him right back and even though I know it, it didn't occur to me that he lives almost within walking distance from Jenny and I.

So... hop in the car and whizz around 5 minutes later. Ving - you are a very kind cow - a legend even!:thumbsup: Thanks mate. I owe you big time.

OK - so here's my filter now. I knocked off the top of a beer brewing mix kit and turned a 55mm hole in the centre with an off-axis cutter. I then stuck good-quality automotive double-sided tape on the inside and then a cutting of the film to that. I then lined the whole inside with the fluffy side of some Velcro tape and voila! Instant solar filter for Thursday!

Hope it's sunny now........ :sadeyes:

Anyway - thanks David.

1) Beer brew kit lid with 55mm hole cut in.

2) Double-sided tape around the inside. The film goes right to the outside edge.

3) Fluffy velcro for a snug fit to the OTA.

4) The finished product on the end of our new little ETX-60 "Solar" version.... Can't wait now!

[h0ughy]

just remember to clean the film before you view through it, or you will be saying where the hell is mercury as there will be quite a few false signals there.:thumbsup:

Ving, another job well done, as lengendous (ok i made that word up for Mr Ving) as rawhide!!:D :whistle:

[Omaroo]

LOL! :doh: Yep - I should have dusted it off prior to taking the pic. A good blow with my lens blower and it's all sparkly again. Not a single finger print on it..... :D

[Ric]

Hi Omaroo, that has to be one of the best pieces of inventive construction I have seen in a long while you've done a great job.
The "good deed of the day" award definitely goes to Ving for coming to the rescue.
So what happened to the home brew :cheers:

cheers

[Omaroo]

hehe.. thanks Ric :)

The home brew is ... uhmm.. brewing! 50 litres or pilsener and cervesa on at the moment.

We've also just bottled 36 bottles of plum, blackcurrant and apple wines after they've been bubbling away all winter.

Cheers (and I mean it)
Chris

[Ric]

Sounds real good Chris,
I've just bottled up two batchs of Coopers lager myself for summer and just put another of Canadian Blonde on the brew as well.
I've noticed a new brewing shop has just opened in Queanbeyan as well, I'll have to pop in tomorrow and see what they are offering.

The wines sound good as well, there will be a few merry nights under the stars by the sounds of it.

cheers

[ving]

no problems sir, it was just sitting in the shed (mmm... shed) anyhow. glad its being used.
thats a pretty flash looking cell you made for it. did you get a chance to test it thismorning while the sun was out? theres some pretty good sun spots out at the moment :)

[Omaroo]

Thanks yet again David :)

Yes, I used it this morning at about 8:45 while the sun was out briefly. It works a treat! I justhave to find the right EP to suit it now as the ones I tried gave either not enough or too much magnification. I'd like to see the sun centered and take up about 80% FOV.

Cheers!
Chris

[astro_nutt]

Good one Ving..nice job Chris..c'mon sunny Thursday!!

[ving]

try scopesim.com
tap in your focallength, aperture and pick an eyepiece. i am guessing about 5mm would give you 80% of the FOV :)