Mastering Eclipse Imaging: Tips and Findings from My Testing Session

[@DeepSpaceAstro]

You are the man when it comes to this stuff! Thanks so much for all you do on your channel, and the help you've provided!

[@Naztronomy]

Thank you ❤ that means more than you know!

[@ncwolfie]

Appreciate you sharing your Setnc work. Taking a 4"APO with a Canon T4i, a 60mm with ZWO294 and a 50mm with ZWOA224 from NC to Conway Arkansas. Setnc worked well enough for me in the 2017 eclipse, right up until my mount reached its limit during totality. The one thing I overlooked , a meridian flip! More prepared this time, just concerned about the weather.

[@Naztronomy]

Oh man, I know the pain of the meridian flip. And now I wish I kept the Meridian flip part of this video. My CEM40 failed to do a meridian flip during my testing because I had it turned off. I edited it out of the video because I found myself ranting so I had to take it out. I plan on doing a final SETnC video in a few days where I'll go over as many things as possible that I think people should be aware of, including a meridian flip. What are you using to control your ZWO294 and 224? Wishing both of us clear skies!

[@ncwolfie]

@@Naztronomy FireCapture, but I'm also looking at SharpCap since a user has been working on a script. Not sure I will go that route though since time is getting short.

[@Bills_APCh]

Hi Naz, Fascinating video. I hope you get to see the eclipse ok. I am worried you are doing too many setups! Unless you have 2-3 people assisting you, you are doing the work of 5 people!!

[@Naztronomy]

Thank you! I hope you get to see the eclipse okay as well! Most of my setups will be automated and I have a priority list of what's my most important setup. So my goal is to get my first priority setup running, then my second, then my third, and then my fourth. I think this will let me have enough mental capacity to make all of this work. We'll find out next week :)

[@erewhon42]

I'm really looking forward to see what you come up with in H-alpha. I got an H-alpha telescope last year, but I decided not to bring it for the eclipse. (I don't have a stable way of capturing images, and haven't had the time to focus on it.) And yeah anxiety levels are going to be off the charts. 🙂

[@Naztronomy]

Cool! Which h-alpha scope did you get? Whenever you're ready to dive into that setup, I have a couple of videos to help you. Here is one: kzbin.info/www/bejne/gaOudImLa9Gofrs Also feel free to join the discord server (invite link in the description) and you can ask questions there. I can help and there are a couple of others with h-alpha scopes who can answer questions. Clear skies!

[@erewhon42]

@@Naztronomy I have a Coronado PST. Nothing too earth shaking. I'll take a look at it. Thanks! Although probably after April 8th at this point. 🙂

[@vattarai]

Thanks for dropping this video. I am also attempting multiple setups similar to yours. Lunt 50Ha + zwo ASI 174 | canon R6 + 100-500 lens on so AM5 | canon T51 + 300mm and Celestron EdgeHD 9.25 with reducer + Astro Modified Canon 5Diii riding on CGEM2 mount | 14mm with a friends R6 on a stationery tripod. Wish me luck, and hope the weather will be in our favor. I am driving from Southern California and will be around Bee Cave or Marble Falls TX.

[@Naztronomy]

Ah wow! Best of luck! You have a monster team, that edgeHD is going to be amazing. I used my 6SE in 2017 and left my reducer at home. I'm not bringing it this year due to space reasons. Hope you have good weather because if you do, it means I probably do too 😊Can't wait to see what images you take. If you haven't yet joined, check out the Discord Server (invite link in the description) and there will be a place for everyone to share their eclipse images and videos. Clear skies!

[@RossMcLendon]

"Haven't seen the sun on a weekend for what seems like months" So true - same here in RI. Might get a chance this Saturday, though! By the way, since I noticed you have one EQ mount- what is your plan for the meridian flip?

[@Naztronomy]

I edited out part of my video where I talked about the meridian flip because I was ranting about meridian flips 😅 My meridian flip test failed because I had it turned off from my previous session. I think I'll do a manual flip 30-40 minutes before totality. Totality will be a few minutes after the sun passes the meridian which isn't ideal but a manual flip should be fine. I should also be able to change the tolerance so that it flips earlier. Will try to set that to 15° so that it flips an hour early and if that fails, I'll do a manual flip.

[@txastro4453]

Currently I am planning to run SETnC with intervalometer backup. I have not had any problems (indoors) running SETnC with LiveView active. I can't find anything that instructs users to not use LV. I do have preview time off. Good to know about deleting f-stop data if that is fixed.

[@Naztronomy]

Live view on the camera is fine, it's just that you can't use it in Canon EOS Utility. The only thing I'd keep in mind is when I shoot with live view active, my camera takes pictures a little bit slower. It may not be the case for your camera, just something I noticed with mine. It should be fine for the partial phases but the totality loop may not like it as much.

[@txastro4453]

Good point for totality. I hadn't thought about that. Once I adjust position before totality, I'll shut it off until we're back in partial.

[@hangerbird]

Rainy day here, today. Have to wait for the Sun to show up to do any decent testing.

[@Naztronomy]

Best of luck! We have some sun tomorrow so I'm going to try my best to test at least one set up all the way through.

[@hangerbird]

@@NaztronomyHeading also to TX. I have family there, so there's a price to pay on that end. ;-)

[@kazchmielowiec4209]

Hi Naz. Thank you for sharing. Question, why are there so many lines in your sample XL script with the same exact time particularly on the extra bailys beads?

[@Naztronomy]

The times are in 1 second intervals like this: 2024-04-08 18:34:00 2024-04-08 18:34:01 2024-04-08 18:34:02 2024-04-08 18:34:03 Are you seeing them all as the same time? If you're seeing them all at the same time then I wonder if it's some kind of formatting issue.

[@DavidJones-iq8hp]

i DO APPRECIEAT ALL YOUR EFFORTS! Kinda over whelming. I do realize you have already started your trip,I hope to leave on Sat. I did not know you could have more than 1 set n c program running at a time,Good to know ,now just need to figure out how to do it. I am useing Gordon Telepun's Solar eclipse timer, I was wondering is there a way to add his partial times to set n c? (not at all famauliar with any kind of spreadsheet) He has 20 times to add, again not real fast when it comes to entering all of that info. Also do you know of a video that shows the two programs working together? So any sugestions .... The other question that I have that in your testing you may already know the answer. When shooting the beads I wanted to just hold down shutter and get bursts. can I do that between what set nc already has set up without screwing up what is already set?? Thanks so much!! Hopefully weather will coperate Wish you the best

[@Naztronomy]

Thank you! Unfortunately, we had to change our plans due to the cloud forecasts so I'm still at home. We also leave for Saturday, not sure where yet. We can end up anywhere from Indiana, Ohio, or Upstate New York. And you can only control one camera from one computer at a time. SO although you can r un multiple SETnC instances on the same computer, only one will really work at a time. To use Gordon's partial eclipse times, you can either add a row or edit an existing row with the time you see on the app. Pick the time on the exposure table closest to what the Solar Eclipse Timer app suggests, if that makes sense. You should be able to either add 20 rows or edit 20 existing ones. Unfortunately, I don't know any videos that shows the two programs together :( if I had time before the eclipse, I'd create one for you. And you can hold down the shutter to take manual exposures while SETnC does its thing. You should only do that in between SETnC photos. During Baily's beads, most of the shots are 1 second apart so something to keep in mind. Best of luck to you as well, clear skies!

[@hangerbird]

Regarding the AT60ED.... I take it that you have a field flattener on it. Have you used it in the past to photograph the Sun, using a solar filter? I'm curious as to how the image of the Sun looks with this setup. Have you done a video on this setup for photographing the Sun? What my goal is: I have the SolarQuest, but what I want is to find a scope that will allow me to photograph Sun Spots. My thought is a scope where I can insert different power eyepieces so that I can get better images of the Spots. From what I am seeing, the AT60ED doesn't seem to give you the ability to add an eye piece to the setup; or am I incorrect with that?

[@Naztronomy]

You don't need a field flattener for solar system images, so I don't have it installed for my setup here. For my setup here, I have my Canon T5i connected to the AT60 using a basic t-thread/t-adapter. You can add a diagonal to the end of your AT60. If you keep the 2" to 1.25" adapter screwed in, you can insert a diagonal which should have a 1.25" barrel that goes into the AT60. T hen on the other end of the diagonal, you can insert an eyepiece. The AT60 doesn't come with a diagonal so you'll have to supply your own. If you watch my first light video here, at the 3:30 mark, you can see t hat I have a diagonal attached to the end with an eyepiece: kzbin.info/www/bejne/fHO2aIOefMljrM0 I quickly look at the moon through the eyepiece. Hope that video helps!

[@hangerbird]

@@NaztronomyI just watched the video. Did you use any eye piece, within the T setup, with that setup?

[@Naztronomy]

@@hangerbird I used a Celestron Plossl 25mm Eyepiece with that setup.