Great video & a good tip about taking flats using a piece of the milk carton I will make the same for my dual solar rig as I've never took any flats when imaging solar as yet. Looking forward to your next video.
Glad it was helpful! Do you not get Newton's Rings at all with your set up? I find the flats avoid Newton's Rings and, as you can see, the flat panels are quite simple to make.
I only get Newtons rings when I use my DMK41 with a Barlow lens on my set up or my ASI120MM camera, the DMK41 used straight onto the PST's works great & I get a full disc it's just when I get the occasional dust mote so using this flats method is really going to help, I've just got to wait until the Sun is out in the right place so I can try it.
A lot of fun to watch. I’m stuck inside due to weather. Towards the end you mentioned getting thousands of frames at 1 minute expo time. I get surface blurring beyond about 10 seconds. Have you tried shooting below 10 seconds? Aim for 500 frames. I’m not at all trying to rewrite your acquisition plan. I’m challenging you to see how much sharper your surface detail will be. It made a huge difference for me. I wasn’t aware of how dynamic the surface was until I started trying to emulate Simons work. Larger aperture systems see the biggest change. I’m at 40mm and it’s still worth limiting the exposure time.
Thanks, Garnett I shall try reducing the frame count and see how I get on. That being said the seeing (and clouds!) is my limiting factor until the sun starts climbing again next spring.
Heated gloves need to be somewhat more above the dew point…. I’ve finally found some warm gear that actually works, so good bye slowly freezing fingers and toes. Are any of the U.K. starparties not drowning in dew? Having bought some binoculars recently some dew heating might be in order.
Looking forward to the next part, processing. Greetings from the Southern Cross Observatory-Tasmania 42 South. Ex Leeds Pom-down under since 1968, still very active at 84. Google my name or observatories.
Hi Shevill - thank you! Now the sun is returning to our northern skies I must dust off the solar scope again and do some more daytime observing. Alas I am waiting for a new blue filter as mine has fogged over. I hope all is well over there in your part of the world - and I am very jealous of your southern skies.
@@RefreshingViews New spots are emerging and looking very interesting. Hope you get a replacement filter soo, had to replace mine a couple of times in my 2009 Lunt. Clear skies.
How do you deal with heat about the sensor? When my sensor reach 27 Celsius degrees it starts to reject frames, and now, in the middle of the winter, it tooks only 2 or 3 videos 6k frames each. Do you have the same problem? I can't imagine this summer. 27 degrees is the starting point. I have even a specific blanchet, black inside and reflective mylar type outside but no.
Where did you get that enclosure for your computer and what is it called? I am looking for the exact same thing for my setup. When I search for dish pans or wash basins, I get something much smaller.
It’s a plastic storage tub Darryl from our local hardware store in England: www.diy.com/departments/form-fitty-black-14l-plastic-stackable-storage-box/3663602762942_BQ.prd
I have been studding up on RU-vid video's on solar imaging and processing, I have a PST40 solar scope, and I have been using my DSLR 1300D and a ZWO120 MC PRO. I noticed in your video right at the start when you load up FireCapture and get the sun on screen I noticed a gradient I have the same thing with my 120 and I cant seem to get rid of it. Any clues? I have tried expos,' gain, moved camera in and out. I have been using AstroSurface for my stacking and processing because you can do everything in one program even enhancement, I reckon it is going to king of the heap in the near future. I have watched other videos of yours but I have not noticed that gradient before. Cheers Robert Aust'
I suggest reading up on solar flats. I’m inherently lazy so don’t normally bother but did make a flat panel from frosted plastic (from a cereal packet IIRC). This helps evenly illuminate the field of view despite differences from the etalon.
I'd suggest researching hydrogen alpha scopes if that's what you're after. Cheaper option is a white light baader solar filter to cover your lens (white light so only sunspots and plage but not h-a).
Your cheapest option is a daystar quark there are some models that can be attached on the end of cannon lenses and cameras you are still looking around $1,500 dollars for solar hydrogen alpha imaging though.
