Solar calibration frames

Discuss solar related topics.
Post Reply
User avatar
FRAZ
Jupiter Ambassador
Articles: 0
Offline
Posts: 236
Joined: Mon Mar 01, 2021 9:57 pm
3
Location: England
Status:
Offline

TSS Photo of the Day

Solar calibration frames

#1

Post by FRAZ »


We have a nicely defined set of calibration frames for nighttime astrophotography.

What calibration frames do you use for solar astrophotography?

I use the flat frame in firecapture as it takes out any dust bunnies, imperfections in gradients and some newtons rings.

I also wondered the benefits of cooled ccd cameras and if it is a step worth taking? (I discussed this briefly with ben and he has both cooled and non cooled cams)

Your thoughts would be appreciated.

Fraz.
Mentored by Keith, Mike, John and Bill. (The old guard) and forever grateful.
PST mod stage 2 - Quark on extended loan and yet to repay with value ;)
Camera- ASi 174 mono no tilt required.
BF10,15,30 straight through with baader ffc. (looking to replace the rusted IFT on 10 + 15 with a maier replacement)
Lots of nighttime scopes and stuff but focus on the sun.
User avatar
Lowjiber
Orion Spur Ambassador
Articles: 2
Offline
Posts: 975
Joined: Tue Apr 30, 2019 12:30 pm
4
Location: Las Vegas, Nv, USA
Status:
Offline

TSS Awards Badges

TSS Photo of the Day

Re: Solar calibration frames

#2

Post by Lowjiber »


FRAZ wrote: Thu Jul 22, 2021 8:36 pm We have a nicely defined set of calibration frames for nighttime astrophotography.

What calibration frames do you use for solar astrophotography?

I use the flat frame in firecapture as it takes out any dust bunnies, imperfections in gradients and some newtons rings.

I also wondered the benefits of cooled ccd cameras and if it is a step worth taking? (I discussed this briefly with ben and he has both cooled and non cooled cams)

Your thoughts would be appreciated.

Fraz.
I use a de-focus flat about half the time. If I'm shooting a large prom, I don't bother.

I use two ASI174 Monochrome cams. One has a cooler that I constructed myself and the other has the cooler built-in. I swear by cooled cams. Before I started using coolers, I used to take the cam off and put it in the freezer between shots... One can get away with that in the very low humidity in the desert.

Clear Skies
John (Urban Astronomer) Apertura AD10 Dob; XLT 150 Dob; XLT 120EQ; Lunt Solar 60 PT/B1200; ES AR102; SW Pro 100ED; 2 SW Pro 80ED's; 90mm Eq; WO Z-61; SW 90mm Virtuso Mak; 2 Orion ST-80's; Quark-C; Cams: Polemaster, ASI120MM-S, ASI174MM & ASI174MM-C
User avatar
Gordon United States of America
Site Admin
Site Admin
Articles: 1037
Offline
Posts: 8270
Joined: Wed Apr 24, 2019 10:52 pm
4
Location: Cottonwood, AZ
Status:
Offline

TSS Awards Badges

TSS Photo of the Day

I Broke The Forum.

Re: Solar calibration frames

#3

Post by Gordon »


I also use a de-focus flat. But 90% of the time I don't need it.

The biggest problem I had in the beginning was Newton rings. A tilt adapter fixed that problem. Since then it's mostly clouds and really high temps that do me in.
Gordon
Scopes: Explore Scientific ED80CF, Skywatcher 200 Quattro Imaging Newt, SeeStar S50 for EAA.
Mounts: Orion Atlas EQ-g mount & Skywatcher EQ5 Pro.
ZWO mini guider.
Image cameras: ZWO ASI1600 MM Cool, ZWO ASI533mc-Pro, ZWO ASI174mm-C (for use with my Quark chromosphere), ZWO ASI120MC
Filters: LRGB, Ha 7nm, O-III 7nm, S-II 7nm
Eyepieces: a few.
Primary software: Cartes du Ciel, N.I.N.A, StarTools V1.4.

Image
User avatar
PhilPhree United States of America
Earth Ambassador
Articles: 0
Offline
Posts: 14
Joined: Sat Aug 07, 2021 11:55 pm
2
Location: Golden, Colorado
Status:
Offline

Re: Solar calibration frames

#4

Post by PhilPhree »


Lowjiber wrote: Sun Jul 25, 2021 6:10 pm
FRAZ wrote: Thu Jul 22, 2021 8:36 pm We have a nicely defined set of calibration frames for nighttime astrophotography.

What calibration frames do you use for solar astrophotography?

I use the flat frame in firecapture as it takes out any dust bunnies, imperfections in gradients and some newtons rings.

I also wondered the benefits of cooled ccd cameras and if it is a step worth taking? (I discussed this briefly with ben and he has both cooled and non cooled cams)

Your thoughts would be appreciated.

Fraz.
I use a de-focus flat about half the time. If I'm shooting a large prom, I don't bother.

I use two ASI174 Monochrome cams. One has a cooler that I constructed myself and the other has the cooler built-in. I swear by cooled cams. Before I started using coolers, I used to take the cam off and put it in the freezer between shots... One can get away with that in the very low humidity in the desert.

Clear Skies
Lowjiber;
I have not tried to photograph the sun (except practicing for the 2017 eclipse.) But as I am working on building my own amateur Solar Scope and I have a CCD and a Canon I use for Night Sky photos... Let's just say it's inevitable!
I would appreciate a description of how you built a cooler for your camera and type of camera you are using.
Thanks, ~Trask
Recently I have been doing almost exclusively Solar viewing. I have two Lunts a 40mm & a 50mm which I can triple stack. One to use for imaging and the other for visual. Two Lacerta Herschel Wedges Big & Sm with 120mm & 95x1300 refractors using go to alt/az mounts and my big goto EQ.
:Astronomer1:
User avatar
Lowjiber
Orion Spur Ambassador
Articles: 2
Offline
Posts: 975
Joined: Tue Apr 30, 2019 12:30 pm
4
Location: Las Vegas, Nv, USA
Status:
Offline

TSS Awards Badges

TSS Photo of the Day

Re: Solar calibration frames

#5

Post by Lowjiber »


PhilPhree wrote: Tue Aug 10, 2021 3:06 am Lowjiber;
I have not tried to photograph the sun (except practicing for the 2017 eclipse.) But as I am working on building my own amateur Solar Scope and I have a CCD and a Canon I use for Night Sky photos... Let's just say it's inevitable!
I would appreciate a description of how you built a cooler for your camera and type of camera you are using.
Thanks, ~Trask
Trask,

I use ZWO ASI174 cams. One is cooled via a homemade Peltier cooler and the other has the cooler built in. When the 174's came on the market, the factory cooled model wasn't available, so I built one that is similar to the one in this video... https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rba94dKfsjs

It's early in the morning and I'm just waking up. Send me a PM reminding me, and I'll take some pictures for you.

Clear Skies
John (Urban Astronomer) Apertura AD10 Dob; XLT 150 Dob; XLT 120EQ; Lunt Solar 60 PT/B1200; ES AR102; SW Pro 100ED; 2 SW Pro 80ED's; 90mm Eq; WO Z-61; SW 90mm Virtuso Mak; 2 Orion ST-80's; Quark-C; Cams: Polemaster, ASI120MM-S, ASI174MM & ASI174MM-C
User avatar
Lowjiber
Orion Spur Ambassador
Articles: 2
Offline
Posts: 975
Joined: Tue Apr 30, 2019 12:30 pm
4
Location: Las Vegas, Nv, USA
Status:
Offline

TSS Awards Badges

TSS Photo of the Day

Re: Solar calibration frames

#6

Post by Lowjiber »


Trask, the forum won't let me add more than one photo. I sent you a PM with my email address. If you'll give me yours, I'll send the photos via email.
John (Urban Astronomer) Apertura AD10 Dob; XLT 150 Dob; XLT 120EQ; Lunt Solar 60 PT/B1200; ES AR102; SW Pro 100ED; 2 SW Pro 80ED's; 90mm Eq; WO Z-61; SW 90mm Virtuso Mak; 2 Orion ST-80's; Quark-C; Cams: Polemaster, ASI120MM-S, ASI174MM & ASI174MM-C
User avatar
Lowjiber
Orion Spur Ambassador
Articles: 2
Offline
Posts: 975
Joined: Tue Apr 30, 2019 12:30 pm
4
Location: Las Vegas, Nv, USA
Status:
Offline

TSS Awards Badges

TSS Photo of the Day

Re: Solar calibration frames

#7

Post by Lowjiber »


I'm gonna try this as a post.

Here are four shots of the cooler I built. Note that mine is physically larger than the one used in the video I linked above. I used a larger heat sink and a larger fan than he did because I just had them on-hand.
IMG_2848_Resized_800_px.jpg
IMG_2847_Resized_800_px.jpg
IMG_2846_Resized_800_px.jpg
IMG_2845_Resized_800_px.jpg
Hope this helps.

This 174 served me well, but when the factory 174-MMC (Cooled) came out I bought one simply because it is more compact than my homemade version.

Clear Skies
John (Urban Astronomer) Apertura AD10 Dob; XLT 150 Dob; XLT 120EQ; Lunt Solar 60 PT/B1200; ES AR102; SW Pro 100ED; 2 SW Pro 80ED's; 90mm Eq; WO Z-61; SW 90mm Virtuso Mak; 2 Orion ST-80's; Quark-C; Cams: Polemaster, ASI120MM-S, ASI174MM & ASI174MM-C
User avatar
PhilPhree United States of America
Earth Ambassador
Articles: 0
Offline
Posts: 14
Joined: Sat Aug 07, 2021 11:55 pm
2
Location: Golden, Colorado
Status:
Offline

Re: Solar calibration frames

#8

Post by PhilPhree »


That's really nice workmanship! Thanks for the contact info and help.
Recently I have been doing almost exclusively Solar viewing. I have two Lunts a 40mm & a 50mm which I can triple stack. One to use for imaging and the other for visual. Two Lacerta Herschel Wedges Big & Sm with 120mm & 95x1300 refractors using go to alt/az mounts and my big goto EQ.
:Astronomer1:
Post Reply

Create an account or sign in to join the discussion

You need to be a member in order to post a reply

Create an account

Not a member? register to join our community
Members can start their own topics & subscribe to topics
It’s free and only takes a minute

Register

Sign in

Return to “Solar”