My new PST arrived yesterday, and we've had nothing but cloud here for a week or more, but I noticed as I knocked off from work today that I could see some blue sky... Still patchy cloud around, but at least some blue!
So as soon as I got home, the PST goes on the tripod and out the front for first light. It's just sooooo simple and easy to use!
Lined ol' Sol up and straight off there's a prominent sunspot near the centre (not sure if you'd call it big or not - I suspect not - but I'll get a feel for that with some experience). Focussing seems to be pretty easy, and the spot increased in size and devloped some shape and a penumbra, and the limb of the sum had quite a few chunky bits hanging off it when it was in focus!
I didn't have much time before sunset, and the patchy clouds kept drifting past (not to mention steam from the factories where I work!
) but I had a bit of fun for 10-20 minutes!
I found the face of the sun very red with no detail, so started adjusting the filter a bit. From what I've read, barometric pressure affects the filter and how it needs to be tuned so I suspect 1100m altitude would affect it as well...
I don't understand how that works yet... something new to learn! Managed to get a hint of detail and some plage around the sunspot, but really just ran out of time!
New toys are great fun!
Al.