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Lawrence Parchman

Sculptor Galaxy (NGC 253)

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Posts Made By: Paul Hyndman

April 9, 2005 06:31 PM Forum: Astro-Physics

Got the 160EDF Final Call today

Posted By Paul Hyndman
Congratulations Philip... here's to some great viewing ahead for us (mine is on it's way too!) smile

Cheers,

Paul

April 12, 2005 06:42 PM Forum: Coronado-Lunt-DayStar Solar Filters

dramatic flare from Saturday

Posted By Paul Hyndman
Superb capture, Alan!

Looking forward to yammering and sharing solar views with you and the gang at Barlow Bob's NEAF Solar Star Party this weekend.

Cheers,

Paul

PS: The avatar pic of me may be a tad on the glamorous side... I'll wear a yellow shirt and hat so you'll recognize me! smile

April 16, 2005 12:01 AM Forum: Coronado-Lunt-DayStar Solar Filters

PST images...first attempts

Posted By Paul Hyndman
Pretty good Jean, and a far sight better than my first images... keep 'em coming!

Cheers,

Paul

May 10, 2005 02:55 PM Forum: Coronado-Lunt-DayStar Solar Filters

PST double stack...

Posted By Paul Hyndman
Once you've tasted double-stuff, you're hooked!

The PST has pushed sub-angsrom solar H-a further than ever into mainstream astro-activities. Now the simplicity of installation and sale pricing(!!!) of the stackable module have brought the thrill of <0.6 ang full-disk views to the masses... ya' gotta' love it!

My own "short-stack" at NEAF (The views? They *will* curl your toes!!!): grin


Upper image: the 90/90/30... pure, unadulterated bino-viewed solar-Nirvana, served up Coronado-style! (photographer: anon)

Lower image right side: Vince C (yellow shirt), me (flaming shirt), and Greg P (green shirt) with friends, showing visible signs of the wear and tear we suffered under the hot NEAF sun (this was after day ONE.... fuh-get day two!)
(photographer: Oivind T, Norway)


Cheers,


Paul (very satisfied Coronado 90/90/30 *and* PST owner!)


--- http://www.astro-nut.com ---



Cheers,

Paul

May 12, 2005 11:09 PM Forum: Coronado-Lunt-DayStar Solar Filters

PST?

Posted By Paul Hyndman
I have been wavering about buying a PST in part due to discussions on this list
that indicate it is a very basic instrument that is not really acceptable unless one
double stacks the optics, at an additional cost of $800. Since the $500 for a PST IS a
major purchase, I keep wondering if I want to invest this kind of money in a scope that is
barely adequate. Am I the only one who feels this way?


[SIZE="Large"]YIKES!!! Barely adequate?!? No way José... er, David!!![/SIZE]

You are getting a complete, sub-angstrom, solar H-a instrument that outperforms
anything anywhere near it $-wise on the market.


Some of the reasons many people are stacking them are because:


A) You CAN stack 'em to increase performance levels even further.


B) Coronado designed the PST so as to make the procedure simple and foolproof.


C) Solar H-a is very, very addicting, and stacking may be a more economical approach
to placating the "fever" than moving to larger aperture systems.


Will you enjoy a PST sans-stacking?

You betcha', or I would not own one myself... even though I also have a 90/90/30.

My club purchased three PSTs, and they are constantly out on loan (and several members
have since purchased their own!)


What makes 'em so special is the design, craftsmanship and, lest I forget, the "magic"
that lives inside:





Cheers,

Paul

July 18, 2005 10:46 PM Forum: Equipment Talk

Solar viewing, do you get bored with it quickly?

Posted By Paul Hyndman
Yeah, it does get tiring after a while.

If only the features would remain the same instead of constantly changing, we wouldn't have
to spend so much time mesmerized by it. :S



(info on this and other solar images: http://www.astro-nut.com/sun-ha-08nov02.html )
Cheers (from a sun-lover),

Paul

October 16, 2005 02:47 PM Forum: Coronado-Lunt-DayStar Solar Filters

Withdrawal and Irritability

Posted By Paul Hyndman
Oooooh... DOUBLE STUFF!!!

Good when done with Oreos, but even better when talking about Coronados.

Enjoy!

Paul

October 17, 2005 06:51 PM Forum: Coronado-Lunt-DayStar Solar Filters

PST Cak

Posted By Paul Hyndman
Yep!

We had chance to view and image through some PST CaKs at the recent HOTS, and one will soon be added to my solar arsenal.

My plan is to use it at public sessions as a real-time CaK video display for those waiting in the H-a queue.

When not at show 'n tells, I'll use it for imaging and to forecast/follow emerging regions of chromospheric activity.

They look to be worthwhile instruments for us solar geeks to have!

Paul

May 14, 2006 11:13 AM Forum: Coronado-Lunt-DayStar Solar Filters

40 mm Scope and DSLR

Posted By Paul Hyndman
There's more than enough light. A common mistake of aspiring solar H-a imagers when using a "color" camera, is to realize they are working with a monochromatic signal... ergo, a properly exposed image looks much darker until it is processed.

You may need a relay lens (PowerMate, Barlow, etc) to reach focus.

I mentioned in an earlier posting that I've been polishing up some of my PowerPoint Solar H-a stuff and converting it to PDF format. Solar H-a imaging techniques and nuances mentioned there should be of help. My apologies for typos, small images etc; I'll clean it up as time permits:

http://astro-nut.com/SolarPrimer.pdf


Cheers,

Paul


August 2, 2008 04:42 PM Forum: Coronado-Lunt-DayStar Solar Filters

Sun shields

Posted By Paul Hyndman
1/4" foam board works quite well for me Edd, and it is lighter/easier to work with than the thicker stuff.

Some types tend to be sturdier than others (ie: Gatorboard), and are available with one side in white and the other in black.
Keep the white side towards the sun (reflecting light/heat away) and the the dark side towards the viewer (reducing background light at the EP, enhancing contrast perception).

You can fashion a simple hood from weed-block fabric and duct tape (see page 26: http://www.astro-nut.com/SolarPrimer.pdf ), to further reduce ambient light.


Here's some shots with the blocker board setup I use:





(You can dress up the back side with one of your images or whatever)

If needed to reduce slipping, you can reinforce the opening ring with a second layer of backer board or foam weather-stripping.

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