16.10.2020 Unexpected sunshine and nice spot! AR2776

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 Friday 16th Oct. 1/47F. Unexpected sunshine showed AR2776 in SE quadrant. Seeing is wobbly mush but I'll keep trying! 

Objectives dewed over. Set the heating bands going and eventually reached 70F. The dew disappeared. 

Light bridges visible on the umbra.

I have a new 3m USB camera cable.

Heating bands reached 70F.

11.12 Seeing improving slightly.

11.20 Cloud has arrived.

24cm from etalon to camera using 2.6x GPC. I have no focuser so must use push pull.

 

 

 

 An image of the telescopes with the heating bands in place on the 6". 

 

Both objectives are dewed over but cleared quite quickly.

The D-ERF is filthy! Dust and pollen are attracted to the dewed surface and stick. I have tried a bulb blower, a hairdrier and a very soft brush but the dirt does not shift. I have now made an aluminium protective cover for the D-ERF. It is lined with plastic to prevent marking of th D-ERF cell. An internal disk of polystyrene will provide some insulation.

The afternoon was plagued by cloud from the  NE.

AR2776 is clearly visible in white light. 

I'd have tried a capture but am still waiting for the cloud to clear.

Which it never really did.

 

 The etalon/filter stack with the 2.6x GPC on the  camera's nose. Etalon to focus distance is 235mm in this case. So I need at least 15mm travel in a T2-1.25" helical focuser. 

 There is the potential to make more room for a T2 or 48mm helical focuser. By moving the Blocking Filter to a shorter adapter. 

I have removed the 2" helical focuser due to its considerable length.[90mm] There was simply not enough room for it to fit within the 200mm required spacing without a GPC to extend the focus further. A [helical] focuser for the camera is highly desirable to achieve sharp focus. A 1.25" filter thread is vital to allow a range of GPCs to be fitted in front of the camera. The camera usually fits onto a T2 male thread. Which matches the blocking filter. If the camera is attached directly to the blocking filter there is no way to support a GPC.

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