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!!
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!
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........
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!