Solar observing Saturday 12th Jan at Sue's 10:00 - 14:00

[Sue]

Everyone welcome  

My address and contact number are on the December TOAST. Please phone or e-mail here if you need directions.

[Delphine]

Thanks Sue for hosting the Solar observing and for the delicious spread. 

We were amazingly lucky with the weather and it was an enjoyable social occasion as well.

[Mike]

Yes thanks for your hospitality Sue. We were very lucky with the weather seeing as the day before and after were completely clouded over.

After a few teething problems we were able to test the Solar Scope and find out that it gave us excellent views of the sun. On the day not a lot was happening apart from a few small spots and a tiny prominence.

All we need to sort out now is an accurate way of polar aligning the mount during the daytime as the sun kept drifting out of the field of view.

[Sue]

Thanks Mike for all your efforts getting the scope up and running.

Regarding mounting scope on the tripod. Just had a word with Ted at telescope house. The box with the mount should have incuded a couple of  black 6" drilled plates  one of which  should provide two holes that will locate on the mounting ring on the solarscope. The scope ring has three drilled holes. If we have not got an appropriate plate they will take one of them and drill it up for us.
Did Jim pass over the whole box with the all the bits that came with the mount?

Roy will be picking me up from the operation(Kent and Sussex, T Wells) tomorrow afternoon so could possibly drop plate in then as passing or if you post it to them we could collect it when passing by next week (think I may have stitches to be removed!).

[Mike]

Sue,

There was one dovetail from what I remember. However, it is no good to us as the ring has only one hole with a thread in it and 2 without so it will be no better than the plate we used on Saturday.

[Sue]

Hi Mike

Just had another look. All three holes are the same diameter and appear to have the same thread.

[Mike]

Are you sure? I saw a large central hole with a thread and a smaller hole either side without !?!?!?!

[Fay]

Mike, I'm, sure I read somewhere that when you want to look at the Sun you have to polar align the scope the night before & keep it running.

[Sue]

Mike, I have the scope on my lap and can confirm,3 x5mm holes 15mm apart. Might we be ok?

[Mike]

In that case I can drill the appropriate holes in the wedge that came with the mount.

[JohnP]

Mike, I'm, sure I read somewhere that when you want to look at the Sun you have to polar align the scope the night before & keep it

Fay - That's OK if it is for home use but not much good if you plan on taking it to a school or public setup for kids etc. to look through - unless you want to stay out all night & guard the scope...

John

[Fay]

Yes I know, that's what I thought, but Mike said he would have to find out how to polar align during the day.

I think I had been observing the Sun & looked up how to keep it in view & that was the answer.

Fay

[Sue]

Thanks for your information Fay. I think we may have to use a compass and a spirit level at the school although Carole mentioned some device for the purpose she had seen advertised when she was here on Saturday.

[Sue]

Mike, Great news. One problem sorted!     Are you happy to do the necessary drilling or shall we let Telescope House do it - as Ted has offered?

[Ian]

can you align it backwards? That it, set the time, date and then goto the sun, then adjust the alt-az until it's pointing ok? it'd track like that for long enough I'd have thought?

[Carole]

I've been having E mail conversations with Hugh this evening as we are going to the school tomorrow.  He suggests rather than trying to "track" we just find the sun manually and tweek the controls frequently.

I did that on the Moon watch as they had to wait for us to put the scopes up, let alone find time to do an alignment, and it worked OK.  Having said that of course I dare say the sun is more difficult to locate.  I have some solar specs I could bring if you need to look at the sun while you are trying to locate it in the scope.

Who is the person who is actually going to bring and operate the solar scope on the day?  Is this Jim?

Carole