Perkil8r Posted May 17, 2012 Share Posted May 17, 2012 It has occured to me that whilst I now have a solar filter for the scope, I now need to find the sun. Yes, I know, it's the big bright thing in the sky during daylight hours, but how to safely place it in the scope..... Obviously the finder scope is out of the question and the telrad is next to useless, or is it? My idea: Put a cover over the telrad so it is in relative darkness, and on the glass part place a welding mask glass. That way I might just about be able to make out the red rings, and the welding mask glass would make it safe to eyeball the sun? Other methods involve me wearing the welding mask and looking along the length of the scope to get it somewhere near.... Any thoughts? Any better ideas? If I had goto this wouldn't be an issue I'm sure. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Doc Posted May 17, 2012 Share Posted May 17, 2012 Use a piece of card and project the sun through your finder onto the card. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Perkil8r Posted May 17, 2012 Author Share Posted May 17, 2012 not a bad idea.... might have a go with that as soon as the sun shows it's self for a bit. Maybe I'm just over thinking things lol. My only reservation is that in a split second of silliness it would be possible to forget and go to look through the finderscope, Whereas with the telrad method I would remove the finderscope all together taking away any possibility of accidents. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BAZ Posted May 17, 2012 Share Posted May 17, 2012 Look at the shadow of the rear of the scope, the more it looks like a circle, the closer you are. I leave the caps off the finder, and watch for the sun to be projected through onto the shadow. (straight through finders only) Don't forget to replace the front cover on the finder, apart from eye damage, it can melt bits inside the finder scope when it's off axis. You don't forget the smell! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Fluke Posted May 17, 2012 Share Posted May 17, 2012 If you went down the DIY filter road, have you got enough film left to make a filter for the finder scope too? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Perkil8r Posted May 17, 2012 Author Share Posted May 17, 2012 I could, but that would mean looking at the sun with one un protected eye, allbeit without any magnification, but still not ideal... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brantuk Posted May 17, 2012 Share Posted May 17, 2012 You need a solar finder. The Televue Solfinder I have on the solar scope is dead simple and can be reproduced with two small disks of wood or metal (or I dare say card) and a thin straight strip of wood. The disks must be identical size - don't need to be more than an inch or 1.5" diameter (but any size to suit is fine). Drill a tiny hole dead center of one disk and stick a tiny patch of circular white paper dead center of the other (someting like the offcut produced by a paper hole punch). Mount them either end of a dead straight piece of thin metal or wood (2 or 3 ply thickness would do it) using screws or glue or strong double sided tape. They must be perfectly aligned with each other, and the squared off wood strip. Mount the whole lot on the scope perfectly aligned with the scope. Use the finder scope shoe to wedge the wood strip square in place. Now point your scope (complete with baader solar film and 25mm eyepiece) at the sun until the white dot projected through the front pinhole onto the rear card hits the white hole punch spot. You will have your back to the sun for this part cos you'll be looking at the rearward disk. When the spot is on the white patch.... Bingo you're solar aligned Crude and simple but works! If you have to look at the sun use polarized sun glasses and look through an offcut of baader solar film - that works too but only do with extreme caution. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Perkil8r Posted May 17, 2012 Author Share Posted May 17, 2012 Now that sounds simple and clever all at the same time. Might have a play in the morning with some bits of wood. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Perkil8r Posted May 22, 2012 Author Share Posted May 22, 2012 Okay, after a quick play I have found that Martyn's method works perfectly. I just move it so that the shadow is as close to round as possible and with the finder covers off the sun is projected over the shadow of the finder. It seems to be spot on! Thanks Martyn Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
+Ibbo Posted May 22, 2012 Share Posted May 22, 2012 Keep the telrad out of the sun it can wreck the film that produces the rings so I'm told Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Perkil8r Posted May 22, 2012 Author Share Posted May 22, 2012 Keep the telrad out of the sun it can wreck the film that produces the rings so I'm told Eeek! It's been out all day! I'll go fetch it in now! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
+Ibbo Posted May 22, 2012 Share Posted May 22, 2012 Just read it on top of the telrad where you put the batteries it may have to shine in from the top Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Create an account or sign in to comment
You need to be a member in order to leave a comment
Create an account
Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!
Register a new accountSign in
Already have an account? Sign in here.
Sign In Now