Solar Photography set up!

Update May 21!
I am slowly in the process of demonetizing all my videos, I was never in it for the money or the glory. I just like to help people. This way you can rest assured i'm not making a video only to trigger an algorithm or as click bait. I have been a bit disillusioned with it all lately, and hopefully this will help.
Instead if you wish to support me you can buy me a coffee or beer instead :) entirely your choice though!
www.buymeacoffee.com/astrostace
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Hi everyone!
In this video i will show you some of the new kit that i will be using to do a bit of solar astronomy and astrophotography!
Altair Astro have been very kind to me and have let me borrow a few bits of kit.
This video is just a 'first look' kind of video and i will be doing full reviews on everything after i've used them for a while.
Music: www.bensound.com
In the video we have:
The new Altair Astro 130 EDT-F telescope:
link to follow
The new Altair Triband D-ERF Filter:
www.altairastro.com/altair-tr...
The Daystar Quark Chromosphere:
www.altairastro.com/daystar-q...
The Altair GPCAM 178M:
www.altairastro.com/altair-gp...
Its also very important to note, taking images of the sun or viewing the sun should never be attempted without the correct protective gear and appropriate filters for your equipment. Always do your research and ask a professional if you're unsure!
Disclosure: Bear in mind that the links in this post are affiliate links and if you go through it to make a purchase I will earn a few pennies (at no cost to you) which in turn helps to support my astro gadget habit and keep all the reviews coming :D

[@I_Spaced_Out]

The people who dislike this video prefer cloudy weather.

[@astrolivechannel3124]

I agree.

[@imexx80]

:-D haha

[@salvatorecala863]

Extremely beautiful this setup and result

[@AstroExploring]

Great results Stace and really nice video! I love seeing solar work 🙂

[@flanerpete2040]

Nice setup and awesome images! Congrats on your first attempt at solar. Always fun to see Luna as well. Thanks for sharing, Stace.

[@enriqueboeneker]

Love the texture you got! It’s amazing!

[@DylanODonnell]

So cool.. I've wanted a quark setup for ages! Thanks for the details.

[@liamb7963]

Great Video Stacey. Love that Luna got in on the action!

[@markc7884]

A joy to watch! Keep making them

[@craiglowery4427]

Great video Stacey. I'm just getting started in solar

[@macmad42]

Just so nice seeing you back as missed your just so easy to watch videos

[@slapastronomy8646]

Very nice refractor and some excellent images. Well done. Scott

[@DJRonnieG]

Helpful video with useful details and a great imaging results too!

[@richardkelsch3840]

Great kit, Stace! Good to see you back. Really nice images for a first attempt. Rick Schomberg, Canada

[@BritishBeachcomber]

Great video. Makes a change to see a KZbinr getting such impressive results with affordable kit, rather than showing off what they can afford with KZbin monetising.

[@angelaschnelly]

I saw you featured in the AstroBiscuit video so I came over to check your channel out and show some love. I got my first telescope in January. There was and still is so much to learn. While watching a ton of videos and tutorials, one thing I consistently kept noticing is that there aren't many females in this field. Glad I found you, and I'm excited to dive deeper into your channel. ✌️💚

[@MCDanyification]

Very cool! Well done!

[@robsbackyardastrophotograp8885]

Excellent! Good run!

[@chaotician23]

Really interesting stuff, lots of useful info, thanks!

[@zuperblue1]

ANOUTHER DETAILED well thought out revu, thank you

[@hyperionsixzeroeight5064]

very educational, thanks.

[@buddhifonseka7782]

Great stuff! What really helps with solar is having a long USB extension cable to get the computer inside the house especially if you have the system computerised with mount and focuser control. Probably one of the most useful things you can have for Astro. Even at night - you can stay warm indoors (or away from insects if it's warm outside). Always choose a good quality industrial grade cable - cheap ones will randomly disconnect and cause no end of trouble and frustration. I speak from personal experience.

[@drfritz142]

Yay. Great video thanks. You rock.

[@gregorymckenna6609]

Awesome photos Tracey! I can’t believe that was your first attempt at solar imaging. You should submit them for an APOD!

[@marcinandryszczak3187]

Super, nice inspiration.

[@paulabrierley7979]

Absolutely breathtaking. I'll have to get myself an ERF for the 115EDT and my Quark Chromo. The only negative side to all this. On some day's it's just too hot. Keep up the great work Stace and stay well.

[@cityspaceastro]

Great Image and from first light as well. I don't think I have ever got a set up to work first time out the box. Well done

[@Lacquerhead-TX]

Nicely done Stace! One of these days, when my telescope grows up, it too will have a Quark.

[@spookydonkey2195]

I learned so much! Solar imaging seems like a whole different world. Love the shots, colors and details are amazing! All my ❤️ to bamboozled Luna, you two always put me in a good mood 😁

[@blazejason5551]

You prolly dont care but does anybody know of a tool to get back into an instagram account? I was stupid lost my password. I appreciate any assistance you can give me.

[@lianasher3339]

@Blaze Jason instablaster =)

[@blazejason5551]

@Lian Asher thanks for your reply. I got to the site on google and im waiting for the hacking stuff now. Seems to take a while so I will reply here later when my account password hopefully is recovered.

[@blazejason5551]

@Lian Asher it did the trick and I finally got access to my account again. Im so happy! Thank you so much, you saved my ass :D

[@lianasher3339]

@Blaze Jason glad I could help xD

[@DennisCarmody]

Solar is very fun! It's a whole new challenge. The payoffs are much more immediate than DSO imaging, though, so that makes it worth the challenge!

[@vk2np]

Great images only have a little Coronado PST no where near as much detail as the Quark with a larger refractor gives but they are so expensive . Cheers from Sydney

[@AstroLaVista]

Thanks Stace, that tilt adaptor is a nifty solution, I had no idea tilting the camera got rid of Newton rings. It's nice to learn something even if I don't have a solar rig at the moment, cheers :) p.s. Those images were just slightly better than the ones I got from my little Lunt 35 B600 when I had it....just a tad bit better lol ;)

[@AstroForumSpace]

Olala, that's a really nice setup @astrostace :-). Enjoy!

[@davepastern]

Nice one Stace! Solar imaging must be catching as I've seen a few people buying setups very recently. I'm waiting on my Lunt 60mm TT BF1200 to arrive (should be tomorrow). Mount is on the blink with a minor problem that prevents me from using it, so can't image with it until that's sorted (will take a few weeks prolly).

[@thomasfuchs78]

Amazing!

[@TomeRodrigo]

That's great.

[@davidheflin5847]

Nice scope and images!

[@davidbrandenburg8029]

you could take a 4 inch mirror blank and have the people who aluminizes telescope mirrors, use his machine to put on the film you need. of course you will need to polish the back side too.

[@mubarakhayath]

That sun though😍😍🔥🔥 Looks cool,I mean Hot 😅😂🤟

[@Dartel]

Awesome job, I hope to move up from my 80mm Explore Scientific to 127mm or more for my Daystar Quark Chromosphere and Sodium D. Your processing is way better than mine, Well Done.

[@davidbrandenburg8029]

I wish I could afford a set up like hers!.

[@redscarfboy]

Oh man - those twist locks should be standard on all focusers.

[@permafrost7781]

Great stuff, let us know what the Sun looks like visually (without cams), thx

[@Blacktiecinema]

Great job Stace! Just curious to know if you leave your mount out there full time on the pier?

[@TheAngryAstronomer]

If I spend a grand on a filter and it comes in a 3d printed housing it's deffo going back. I wonder how many people will buy one expecting it to be this chonky machined aluminium block of loveliness.

[@DennisCarmody]

Probably not many. This is an extremely niche market. Probably why they aren’t going through the added effort and cost of doing it your way (and increasing the price).

[@spookydonkey2195]

Yea, I would gladly print a housing for the glass to save some $. Less weight and more money for other bits. Win win.

[@GaryMCurran]

Very nice, Stace. What you didn't say was what kind of exposure times and such you were using to get those shots. The prominence was stunning. Also, not sue what Newton Rings are, so when you do the review on the tilt adjuster it would be great to see "before" and "after." That's a nice little scope, I'm looking forward to seeing some deep sky and planetary work with it. Have you got your filter wheel yet? Use that GP cam and standard color filters for planets, should be awesome with that scope. Glad to see a new video from you.

[@davepastern]

exposure time will vary - have a look at some of Marty's image tutorials on KZbin (wise imaging). I'm just starting out (still waiting for my lunt to arrive!!!) so have been reading up on things a lot and watching lots of very helpful videos on KZbin too. Newton rings are optical defects caused by the Etalon (ERF in this case). newton rings will stand out pretty obviously. Here's a good thread on CN about it - www.cloudynights.com/topic/571416-so-why-am-i-getting-newton-rings-now/. Stace will be better off imaging planets with her SCT - size matters and more aperture means more resolution. Just remember, some of the planets have fast rotation, which limits exposure times (Jupiter for instance) and going mono and using a filters/filter wheel makes it a bit more complicated. You'll have to prolly use winjupos to assist with de-rotation. Also, for any of the gas giants, a CH4 filter is highly recommended for your L channel data!!!!

[@GaryMCurran]

@@davepastern Thank you, sir. I kind of figured a color cam would be best for planets due to the rotation speeds, I'll check out the Cloudy Nights thread on Newton Rings. I agree that an SCT or a Mak-Cass would be better for planets. Right now, all my stuff is in storage, so I'll have to wait to get it out and back up and running before I can do anything. A lot of the stuff was lost in evictions, so I'll have to replace a lot of it anyway. Sigh.

[@davepastern]

@@GaryMCurran well mono is better - remember, colour cameras have a RGGB bayer matrix, so they are less efficient at collecting photos. Mono is better, but more work. I've just bought a C9.25/ASI290mm/EFWmini/LRGB filter set/Baadher CH4 for lum data combo in the past few weeks. Haven't had a chance to set it up and start imaging yet. SCT will be better for planetary imaging imho - the maks are very nice, but have issues with cool down (not that the SCTs are perfect). You still need to pay attention to getting the SCT out a few hours earlier than your imaging session, actively cooling it with reflective cooling materials or even ice packs!!! and of course where you play your scope - grass is better as far less thermals than concrete, and avoid imaging over a roof top too (thermals). There's an excellent video on planetary imaging featuring Damien Peach on astrofarsography's channel. I hear you about storage - my NEQ6pro hasn't been used for about 11 years (long hiatus from the hobby) and needs a strip and rebuild prolly and is still in storage.

[@jamesdougan8789]

g`day stace congratulations on your first light attempt.. the 2nd one is my favorite ..looking forward to the new scope review i am a sct guy (edge 8")looking for a refactor (my first) of good quality apo double ,triple .quad in the future for both imaging and a bit of visual ..please don't rush the review take your time (tomorrow is fine.... i am joking lol ) when you get to it . it is fine... really get to know your new scope and enjoy the new gear .. i hope your skies are clear and your neighbours outside lights are broken lol cheers james D

[@davepastern]

what did you wanna image James? Remember, object size/FOV will be dictated by the focal length + camera pixel that you intend to use to image with and also consider the mating between camera and scope in terms of under/over sampling too.

[@jamesdougan8789]

@@davepastern i have mainly done planetary asi 290mc this is my step into wide field so i was more interested in good glass focuser what it comes with flattener reducer rings etc as i also have to get a camera full frame sensor maybe .. also i only know the build quality of celestron OTA`s and i am interested in the other brands and comparing the quality as i have no access to other gear this will be a long slow process as i plan to spend a few thousand $ on a good setup thanks for the interest cheers james D

[@davepastern]

​@@jamesdougan8789 again, it comes down to scope fl/camera pixel combos as to what sort of FOV you will get with imaging. I went with a SkyWatcher Esprit 80 + ASI 1600mm pro because I wanted to image wide field nebula. It's not really good for small DSOs like galaxies or planetary nebula though. No single scope will fit all "sizes". I now have a C9.25 which will be used for planetary and also smaller DSOs such as galaxies and planetary nebula. When I get my NEQ6pro sorted out that is lol! sbig has a good page on scope/camera choosing that includes a formula to work out the imaging FOV. Actually, here's the link: diffractionlimited.com/choose-ccd-camera/. Note section 2. "FOV" and the formula in that section. So, work out what you want to image first, the camera you want (pixel size, number of pixels qe etc), then look at the scope as the final part of the picture. It really is a symbiotic relationship!!!! The Esprits are triplets, very well built, very heavy, decent focuser that has a rotator - they compare very very well to the Takahashi refractors imho - the very tiniest noticeable details only visible in pixel peeping and then, only very time improvements in the Tak that costs 4x as much...if you're more interested in image quality than being a snob, the esprit are an excellent choice! Since I wanted to image wide field nebula without having to resort to mosaics etc, the esprit 80 + 1600 was the perfect combo. Image scale will mean that smaller objects are small and that the combo is NOT ideal for imaging them. What camera are you using or plan to use? I presume that you're in Australia too, given the lories video on your page. I'm an Aussie too (Brisbane). I'm still a newb when it comes to imaging so please take my advice with caution.

[@abhijitjuvekar]

Can you tell which camera & microphone you use to record videos indoor?

[@chrisstrobel3439]

Love your concrete pier 👍 The Mount looks a little small for that OTA .. are you happy with the setup for imaging?

[@AstroStace]

Absolutely! The eq6-r carries the 130 triplet with no issues at all :)

[@chrisstrobel3439]

AstroStace Nice! I’m thinking of putting a Takahashi TSA-120 on mine but have been a little hesitant .. which is why I asked. Thanks!

[@InnerProp]

This is a nice video, but I'm afraid a lot of the terminology went over my head. I want to do some solar observing, but I haven't found much instruction between pinhole camera type and your level. I have a new 4 inch reflector and I'd be willing to view the sun by projecting image. Any advice?

[@dutenait824]

Why only for refraktor telescopes, for a quark? The only thing I could imagine is the aperture or the coma by a newton and no away to add a corrector? If you find a big and strong enough ERF why wouldn't it work, with a RC, SC or even RASA, excluding price?

[@gowdsake7103]

How the hell did you get a colour camera to work

[@Patrick_McFadin]

Pointing my telescope at the Sun actually gives me a physical reaction. Just NOOOOOOO! Also, I now want to try this.

[@AstroStace]

Please do your research first. Never point your scope at the sun without the correct filters and safety gear in place. There are warnings in the video and description. If in doubt get in touch with a professional

[@Patrick_McFadin]

Oh I wasn't planning on it. I'm saying just the thought of having a telescope slew anywhere near the Sun makes me cringe.

[@oswaldbastable4139]

There goes the sun then ;)

[@misiddiai]

That's quite an expensive set up... ffs I want to be a youtuber 😮 By the way, I'm not sure what an "hoi speed camera" is LMFAO 🤣👍🏻 P.s. new sub here 🙋🏻‍♂️😄

[@Mistr_A]

Very expensive toys unfortunately