Low Budget Solar Viewer
- chartram
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Low Budget Solar Viewer
Apologies if this has been covered already. This is a super cheap DIY solar viewing setup.
Ingredients:
- 3gal bucket
- ultra flat black paint (for inside of bucket)
- dark silver or gray or black party balloon
- appropriately sized embroidery ring
- 1.5” umbrella holder with set knob or screw
- cheap plastic 45° 1.25” diagonal
Drill 1.5” hole in the center of the bucket, attach the umbrella holder. Paint the inside of the bucket, stretch the balloon over the bucket while securing with the embroidery ring. Attach 45° diagonal to your scope, slide the umbrella holder over the diagonal and tighten the set screw. Find the sun, focus and enjoy!
When focused, sun spots appear crisp and clear, and since it ‘projects’ onto the balloon, there is no bending over/yoga involved with viewing. It’s great for eclipses too! Although I’d bet this could work with most scopes (the balloon or optics never once got hot), the ONLY scope of mine I would ever point at the sun unfiltered is my inexpensive ST80.
Mike
Scopes: WO Star 71 Gen-II (F/4.9), Astro-Tech AT115EDT (F/7), Celestron 8" Edge HD (F/10)
Cameras: ZWO ASI1600MM w/ Baader 1.25" LRGB & Narrowband Filters, ZWO ASI174MM mini, Starlight Xpress Lodestar X2
Mount: Skywatcher NEQ6 Pro
Guiding: Orion ST-80 (f/5) w/ADM MiniMax (side-by-side), ZWO OAG
Software: PHD2, Sequence Generator Pro, PixInsight
Dark Site Transportation System: 2020 Telluride SX
- messier 111
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Re: Low Budget Solar Viewer
REFRACTOR , TS-Optics Doublet SD-APO 125 mm f/7.8 . Lunt 80mm MT Ha Doublet Refractor .
EYEPIECES, Delos , Delite and 26mm Nagler t5 , 2 zoom Svbony 7-21 , Orion Premium Linear BinoViewer .
FILTER , Nebustar 2 tele vue . Apm solar wedge . contrast booster 2 inches .
Mounts , cg-4 motorized , eq6 pro belt drive .
“Your assumptions are your windows on the world. Scrub them off every once in a while, or the light won't come in.”
― Isaac Asimov
Jean-Yves
- Lady Fraktor
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Re: Low Budget Solar Viewer
This is something like a solar funnel?
I use refractors from
The only telescope design you should not use is a refractor with a sub-
You can use TV petzvals as well.
See Far Sticks: Elita 103/1575, AOM FLT 105/1000, Bresser 127/1200 BV, Nočný stopár 152/1200, Vyrobené doma 70/700, Stellarvue NHNG DX 80/552, TAL RS 100/1000, Vixen SD115s/885
EQ: TAL MT-1, Vixen SXP, SXP2, AXJ, AXD
Az/Alt: AYO Digi II, Stellarvue M2C, Argo Navis encoders on both
Tripods: Berlebach Planet (2), Uni 28 Astro, Report 372, TAL factory maple, Vixen ASG-CB90, Vixen AXD-TR102
Diagonals: Astro-Physics, Baader Amici, Baader Herschel, iStar Blue, Stellarvue DX, Tak prism, TAL, Vixen
Eyepieces: Antares to Zeiss (1000101)
The only culture I have is from yogurt
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