First Time Solar Imaging.....

[CarlGreen]

Hi Everyone, might seem a silly question to you guys, but how do I go about Solar Imaging?
I get the Theory of Nightime Imaging (And whilst not managed to get any images yet (Due mainly to Clouds and my incompetence!) I have achieved several Near perfect polar alignments using Sharpcaps feature! (Not yet managed to hit a Goto target, but that's a work in progress:) )
But whats the set up when it comes to Solar? How do I Polar Align (Or do I need to?) How do I get the Scope to go where I want it to (ie the Sun) without a Star Alignment? - Will Sharpcap keep the Object in my FOV? I have Googled this but cant seem to find any tutorials that go completely from scratch (They all seem to Gloss over the set up and tracking parts......) Any help would be appreciated.

BTW I have an EQ8 Mount, and a Lunt LS60THa and was going to use a QHY5III462C

Thanks

Carl

[admin]

Hi,

it's definitely tougher setting up in the daytime as polar alignment by traditional methods is pretty much impossible. The options you have include...

* A permanent setup - or at least leave the mount in position from polar aligning at night.
* Polar align at night and mark where the tripod legs are - place tripod and mount back at same position in daytime
* Tell mount to GOTO sun, then use polar alignment adjustments to bring the sun into view (assumes your GOTO is usually accurate).
* Compass and altitude scale alignment (ie - by eye and seat of pants...)

In any case you then need to find the sun - Solar finders can be handy (ie https://www.svbony.com/solar-finder-scope/). You could use a guide scope as long as it has its own suitable solar filter.

The other way to find the sun is to take advantage of the fact that the sky is brightest around the sun - turn up exposure/gain/display stretch until you can see some sort of brightness in the image and then move the mount to make the image brighter (reducing exposure/gain/stretch as needed to prevent the image from being all white). That approach will find you the sun fairly easily as long as you are within a few degrees to begin with.

If your polar alignment is out then the sun will appear to drift in view (most of the drift will be in declination). In theory you could drift align based on this, but in practice just manual adjustments to keep it centered or SharpCap's feature tracking may be sufficient.

Hope this gets you started!

Robin

[oopfan]

This definitely helps when centering the Sun:
https://www.astro-physics.com/ksf6000

Instead of a conventional compass, use your smartphone's compass. I believe it will give you readings relative to true north.

Brian

[PeterNH]

I had initial problems (also using Lunt LS60) just finding the sun, until a helpful mate told me about using the shadows cast on the front of the (black) collar on the scope. I stuck on four small pieces of paper at angles around the collar so the shadows could be seen easily. Get the scope near, using goto, and then move the scope in X and Y until the shadow lines are equally placed around the collar. Always works for me, with a wide angle eyepiece, and only takes a few seconds without need for finder etc.
If your EQ mount is reasonably set up (even by compass), as Robin says, sun should be easy to keep in view, unless you have a prolonged tea break.
After that it’s all about focus, sweet spot etc but that’s another journey I’m on at the moment!
Hope that helps.
Peter

[PeterNH]

Forgot to say, this also works if starting up with camera rather than visually (I use Asi178mm) and can use Robin’s brightness gradient method with his marvellous Sharpcap, if not quite there initially.

(Suggest start visual though, as need to know approx spacings for focus -particularly on filter block nose - to make this easy)
Peter

[CarlGreen]

I had initial problems (also using Lunt LS60) just finding the sun, until a helpful mate told me about using the shadows cast on the front of the (black) collar on the scope. I stuck on four small pieces of paper at angles around the collar so the shadows could be seen easily. Get the scope near, using goto, and then move the scope in X and Y until the shadow lines are equally placed around the collar. Always works for me, with a wide angle eyepiece, and only takes a few seconds without need for finder etc.
If your EQ mount is reasonably set up (even by compass), as Robin says, sun should be easy to keep in view, unless you have a prolonged tea break.
After that it’s all about focus, sweet spot etc but that’s another journey I’m on at the moment!
Hope that helps.
Peter

Hi Peter, you haven't got an image of this have you? Thanks Carl

[PeterNH]

I've circled the small strips of paper I've stuck to the front of the collar. In the sun, an easily visible line of shadow can be seen on the paper. Just move the scope so those lines are evenly distributed around the scope.

[CarlGreen]

I've circled the small strips of paper I've stuck to the front of the collar. In the sun, an easily visible line of shadow can be seen on the paper. Just move the scope so those lines are evenly distributed around the scope.

Thank You

[CarlGreen]

Update.......
I managed a short period imaging the other day and was over the moon to actually see something resembling the sun on my Laptop! (I didn't manage to capture any images, but almost there..... )
I need to work on my Focus and Fine Tuning, but am so pleased that after 5 years trying to learn and a criminal amount of money spent on kit that I don't know how to use....I have manged a fuzzy red/orange ball in The Sharpcap window to look at

SC Performed very well keeping the Sun in my FOV, excellent Software! (Thank Robin)