Double stacking PST etalon and Quark Combo on Aug 19

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gabrieli
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Double stacking PST etalon and Quark Combo on Aug 19

Post by gabrieli »

I had combined my 2 unremarkable PST etalons separately with my Quark Combo some time ago and saw that, although the double stack effect was obvious (no double limb), the view was very dark and required a longer than usual shutter speed.

I came back to that combination today since the single stack view with the Quark alone was very flat looking.
To use a shutter speed of 1/30 s I had to boost the gain fairly high and recorded a number of files at my Mak's base focal length of 2700 mm f/15 with the following optical train:

180 mm ERF + 180 Mak + 35 nm H alpha filter + PST etalon + Quark Combo + Blackfly S 2.3 MP.

The PST etalon is very sensitive to the point where if you nudge the tilting ring, the image develops uneveness, ghosts, and off band issues.

Lou

The first image is a single stack image with only the Quark Combo
half.png
half.png (333.95 KiB) Viewed 446 times


The remainder are double stacked images.
limb1.png
limb1.png (373.11 KiB) Viewed 446 times
whale.png
whale.png (346.24 KiB) Viewed 446 times
filament.png
filament.png (771.59 KiB) Viewed 446 times
Last edited by gabrieli on Fri Aug 20, 2021 9:46 am, edited 1 time in total.


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Re: Double stacking PST etalon and Quark Combo on Aug 19

Post by EGRAY_OBSERVATORY »

Certainly Lou, these are excellent images with that set-up.
I love filament.png (771.59 KiB) as the filiaprom capture and its' colouring.

Thanks for sharing

Terry


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Re: Double stacking PST etalon and Quark Combo on Aug 19

Post by DeepSolar64 »

WoW, I especially like the one of the big NE filament. Good detail can be seen within it.


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Re: Double stacking PST etalon and Quark Combo on Aug 19

Post by AndiesHandyHandies »

Hi

Are you using the PST etalon bare or with collimating lenses?

Amazing the Quark works so well at F15 and no Telecentric. I have a theory that Rumaks are 'orthoscopic' as a flat field. So similar to telecentric.

Cheers. Andrew.


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Re: Double stacking PST etalon and Quark Combo on Aug 19

Post by gabrieli »

Hi, Andrew

In this session, I used the PST etalon with collimating lenses in place. I plan to try my other PST etalon with the outer lenses removed in the next session. In order to use higher than f15, say f30, I plan to use a TV 2X Powermate and then a 0.5X reducer after the etalon but I'm afraid that the shutter speed will suffer somewhat and it's already at 1/30s.

Lou


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Re: Double stacking PST etalon and Quark Combo on Aug 19

Post by Montana »

Wow!! these are superb Lou, especially the double stack views :bow :hamster:

I forgot to ask, did you find the operating temperature for your Solar Spectrum (I think it was you who had asked)? It should be written on the side of the etalon box.

Alexandra


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Re: Double stacking PST etalon and Quark Combo on Aug 19

Post by gabrieli »

Hi, Alexandra

Here’s what I see on the side of my Solar Spectrum filter:

5DoUP.jpg
5DoUP.jpg (299.07 KiB) Viewed 397 times

When plugged in, the display starts climbing upwards from about -19 until it reaches 0.0.

0.0 is not a temperature but rather just shows that the factory set temperature has been reached.

Using the push buttons, I can specify in  ˚C how many degrees higher or lower than the factory set temperature that I want to use but this doesn’t tell me what the actual operating temperature is.

The -19 value that the filter starts at means that it starts 19˚ below the factory set temperature.

This doesn’t affect the operation of the filter. If anyone else who has an SS ASO 0.5Å filter, can you confirm
this information? Thanks.

Lou


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Re: Double stacking PST etalon and Quark Combo on Aug 19

Post by Montana »

That is weird Lou, in my instruction booklet it says that the set temperature in degrees C is written on the side, set it at this temperature on the dial. My dial starts at the temperature of the air (I presume), I need to check that out, but I assumed that it was.

If that was the case, you wouldn't be able to use my controller and I wouldn't be able to use yours as the units are different. I would have thought all would be calibrated for actual temp not arbitrary units. I don't understand that. Also, if it were -5 degrees outside and your controller said -19, then on another day it was +30 outside, how would you go up another 19 degrees and still be on band.
Alexandra


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Re: Double stacking PST etalon and Quark Combo on Aug 19

Post by allhoest »

Very fine and contrasted images.

You should be able to set the target T° on the controller.
So it should not be a problem swapping controllers.
Note that the "old controllers" have a different cabling.

The name plate t° of my controller is 30°C.
To my experience, I have the best results at 27.5°.

At starting, the controller displays the etalon T°, so it should be the room t° were the etalon was stored.

CS
Alex


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Re: Double stacking PST etalon and Quark Combo on Aug 19

Post by Astrophil »

Very good images, Lou.

Mine states 55ºC on the label, I set it to 59º usually. At that temp. it produces a more uniform field and seems to be on band.

Phil


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