Today's SUN (20200825) | Paramount ME, and more

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pedro
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Today's SUN (20200825) | Paramount ME, and more

Post by pedro »

Today's SUN (20200825) | Paramount ME

WEB LINK:
http://pedroreastrophotography.com/sun_ ... 20-08.html

Check out a new setup that I plan to use shortly to image the Sun (Paramount ME). It will be housed in a third observatory (roll-off-roof 2x2m)


PARAMOUNT ME (20200825) | Pedro RE'
http://pedroreastrophotography.com/


Solar imaging session (20200825) | Pedro RE'
TV101, LUNT60
GS3-U3-28S4M, Takahashi EM-400
http://pedroreastrophotography.com/

Image
SUN (20200825) H-alpha PROMS (08:00 UTC). LUNT60, BF30, PGR GRASSHOPPER 3 GS3-U3-28S4M

Image
SUN (20200825) H-alpha PROMS (08:00 UTC). TV101 F/5.4, SM60, BF30, PGR GRASSHOPPER 3 GS3-U3-28S4M

Image
SUN (20200825) CaK PROMS (08:00 UTC). TV101 F/5.4, LUNT 1200 CaK Module, PGR GRASSHOPPER 3 GS3-U3-28S4M

Image
SUN (20200825) WL, CaK & H-alpha (08:00 UTC). TV101 F/5.4, LUNT 1200 CaK Module, SM60, BF30, PGR GRASSHOPPER 3 GS3-U3-28S4M
Last edited by pedro on Tue Aug 25, 2020 6:05 pm, edited 1 time in total.


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Re: Today's SUN (20200825) | Paramount ME

Post by DeepSolar64 »

WoW, Pedro. Paramount is among the best. The weight capacity of that mount has to be impressive. Nice images too. Unless I get lucky I probably will not get to observe today. Clouds and rain predicted.


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Re: Today's SUN (20200825) | Paramount ME

Post by pedro »

Thanks James

I have two paramounts ME. This one will be used for imaging the sun and other targets as well


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Re: Today's SUN (20200825) | Paramount ME

Post by DeepSolar64 »

pedro wrote: Tue Aug 25, 2020 3:08 pm Thanks James

I have two paramounts ME. This one will be used for imaging the sun and other targets as well
Impressive, Pedro, Impressive!


Lunt 8x32 SUNoculars
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Re: Today's SUN (20200825) | Paramount ME

Post by eroel »

Pedro:
The ME is a sturdy mount, I have an old one with the TDM (Telescope Drive Master) with encoder and works really well with the mounted 12" f/8 RC and the Epsilon 180mm.
Looks like I still have very old mounts like the Byers 812, the A-P 1200GTO (with a TDM encoder too), a Losmandy 200 and even a Cavel and an Edmunds mounts. ;)
Best regards and fuerte abrazo.
Eric.


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Re: Today's SUN (20200825) | Paramount ME

Post by EGRAY_OBSERVATORY »

Excellent news Pedro on the newbie mount.

I guess that something in the order of a 300mm scope or several smaller ones will be fitted in due course, so should be interesting...

With around 218 Kgs/480 lb total instrument capacity, it certainly allows for so many options as well as the smooth belt-driven capabilities too.

Excellent video and thanks vm

Regards
Terry


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Re: Today's SUN (20200825) | Paramount ME

Post by pedro »

Thanks guys

I plan to use a TMB175 F/8 and a RCOS 10" F/9 with this mount and a couple of refractors to image the sun as well (TEC140 F/7 & APM180 F/5)

I still have to build the roll-off

Back in the day I had a C14 with a Byers retrofit (it's sold now). It had the best Byers worm gear I used so far
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Re: Today's SUN (20200825) | Paramount ME, and more

Post by EGRAY_OBSERVATORY »

Stroof !! Pedro, That certainly is some huge gear you've shown us.

But what is that large box-like silver/grey item, complete with the RS-232 and USB ports etc., and noting that there are two pipe-connections (for water or nitrogen-cooling a camera) ??? TMB175_F8_Riccardi_1X_FF_20200728-04.jpg (789.9 KiB) refers ?

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Re: Today's SUN (20200825) | Paramount ME, and more

Post by JochenM »

That's a nice setup you're putting together there, Pedro. Should provide lots of fun for many years to come!


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Re: Today's SUN (20200825) | Paramount ME, and more

Post by Montana »

Some lovely prominences around the disc Pedro :bow :hamster: and nice to see you getting even more new toys to add to the collection :hamster:

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Re: Today's SUN (20200825) | Paramount ME, and more

Post by pedro »

Thanks guys

The huge grey box is a SBIG STL11000 CCD camera. I use these cameras to image the deep-sky


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Re: Today's SUN (20200825) | Paramount ME, and more

Post by Rusted »

Dear Pedro,

You have some lovely "toys." :bow

Have you considered trying a roll off building for the new solar set-up?
You might enjoy improved seeing conditions without having a solar heated wall just below the telescope objectives.
I have often wondered how warm your present dome gets.
I often see up to 8F differential between [shade] air temperatures inside and outside my open and well ventilated, plywood dome.
Moreover, a raised thermally neutral [wooden?] platform might get you above local, ground convection currents.


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Re: Today's SUN (20200825) | Paramount ME, and more

Post by Derek Klepp »

Lovely Pedro. Did you purchase this second hand or brand new? The reason I ask is that I am thinking about purchasing a bigger mount than my EQ 6 and there are limited suppliers down here in Australia of quality mounts but Paramount is one.
Derek


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Re: Today's SUN (20200825) | Paramount ME, and more

Post by DeepSolar64 »

Hey Pedro 👋 Do you have any other Coronado scopes besides a PST? Just curious. You have a lot of scopes! 🔭


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Re: Today's SUN (20200825) | Paramount ME, and more

Post by pedro »

Hi James

I have several Coronado Pre-Meade SM etalons (SM90II, SM60, SM40). The second Paramount was a gift from a close friend

I do not have other Coronado Scopes apart from the PSTs (I have 3)
Last edited by pedro on Sat Aug 29, 2020 4:27 pm, edited 1 time in total.


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Re: Today's SUN (20200825) | Paramount ME, and more

Post by pedro »

I will build a roll-off-roof for the second Paramount. It will be my third observatory. It will be a 2x2m roll-off

My dome gets warm during the day but I image early in the morning most of the times

I hope I will have it in a couple of months
Last edited by pedro on Sat Aug 29, 2020 4:36 pm, edited 1 time in total.


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Re: Today's SUN (20200825) | Paramount ME, and more

Post by DeepSolar64 »

pedro wrote: Sat Aug 29, 2020 3:48 pm Hi James

I have several Coronado Pre-Meade SM etalons (SM90II, SM60, SM40). The second Paramount was a gift fro ma close friend

I do not have other Coronado Scopes apart from the PSTs (I have 3)

I was just curious of your assessment of them, especially the Meade ones. But if you don't have one you cannot rate them. :)


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Re: Today's SUN (20200825) | Paramount ME, and more

Post by pedro »

My experience tells me that generally the Pre-Meade etalons are much better that the new ones. I tested several Pre-Meade Coronado 90 (single and double stacked) and they were very good


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Re: Today's SUN (20200825) | Paramount ME, and more

Post by pedro »

The new roll-off will be similar to this one. 2x2m with aluminium walls (wallmate inside).
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Re: Today's SUN (20200825) | Paramount ME, and more

Post by DeepSolar64 »

Pedro,
I hear the Meade ones vary more in quality than the older ones. Some being quite good and others not so much. Mine seem to be decent but I do wonder about my SMII60 sometimes. It rarely does well at even moderate magnifications. I tend to use it most often in the 16x to 33x range. Low power. Details fade rapidly as magnification increases.

Nice roll off. In time I may get a setup, an observatory. This would be awesome!

James


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Re: Today's SUN (20200825) | Paramount ME, and more

Post by marktownley »

You have some nice equipment Pedro.

Where did you get the roll off from in the last photo?


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Re: Today's SUN (20200825) | Paramount ME, and more

Post by pedro »

Thanks Mark

The roll-off was recently built by a Portuguese friend (Rui Goncalves). It houses a C14 that I owned a few years ago

My plan is to build something similar to house the second Paramount ME


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