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Rhizoo
member
Reged: 10/13/09
Posts: 32
Loc: Texas
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Well, I feel dumber than I have in some time...and you may want to tell me to go with that feeling. Which is ok if you will also give some advice.  I am a brand new newbie. I was given an orion off axis solar filter as a gift to fit my xx12i. I assumed that I just fit it over the end of the telescope and I would see the sun. But when I install it I don't see anything through the focuser, either with or without an ep installed. Can someone help instruct me on using this sort of filter. Thanks.
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-Orion XX12i dob
-Ethos 13mm
-Ethos 6mm
-coffee mug from McDonald Observatory
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molniyabeer
Confused and Asleep
Reged: 01/08/05
Posts: 2558
Loc: Central Coast, California
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Rhizoo,
It sounds to me like you are not quite aligned on the sun when you attempt to view. You are correct that you put the filter over the open end of the tube with the offset hole in between two of the spider vanes holding your secondary mirror.
The easiset way to get aligned is to use the "shortest shadow" method. Once the filter is in place, watch the shadow of your main tube or (capped!) finder scope. Move the whole scope until the shadows are as small and circular as you can get them. You should be just about spot on the sun at that point. You may still have to do a little searching for the acutal image but once it comes into view, you'll clearly see the bright disk, even if it's out of focus.
Once you've found the sun, you can make a "cheater" finder this way: Take a piece of stiff card stock and cut a strip about 7-8" or so long and maybe 2" wide. Make a fold in it about 2 inches from each end to make sort of a wide "u" shape. In the center of one of the turned up ends, punch a hole with a paper punch or similar (slightly smaller might be better). Attach this to your scope so that the hole is towards the front and the long axis is aligned to your scope. When you find the sun, you should see a bright spot of light coming through the hole and falling on the rear upturned piece. Mark that spot with a pencil. Then to find the sun again, just move the scope until the light spot falls on that dot and you should be pretty much "spot on."
Hope this helps.
Clear skies.
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Steve
16" Meade LightBridge (Beowulf)
10" Hardin DSH, StarMax 127mm Mak, PST H-a
Oberwerk 11 x 70 binocs, Tasco 10 x 50 binocs
Santa Maria Clear Sky Clock
Figueroa Mt Clear Sky Clock
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Rhizoo
member
Reged: 10/13/09
Posts: 32
Loc: Texas
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Thanks Steve for all that great info. And I think you are right. I think I was just not perfectly aligned. I guess I was thinking that due to the size of the sun, I would not have to be as precise with alignment. If you could answer me one more question I will know if I am now on track. When there are not any sunspots to observe, is all that I am going to see be a very symmetrical orange ball that creeps across my view as all other objects do? I did finally find that after I read your post and aligned more precisely. Thanks so much for your help.
Phil
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-Orion XX12i dob
-Ethos 13mm
-Ethos 6mm
-coffee mug from McDonald Observatory
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molniyabeer
Confused and Asleep
Reged: 01/08/05
Posts: 2558
Loc: Central Coast, California
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Phil,
Yup, you've got it. The sun is blank at the moment (there was a nice spot last week). We're in solar minimum, a periodic (11 year cycle) low in the level of sunspot activity, and this has been a very long, low minimum. But, we're on the climb out (hopefully) and over the next year we could be seeing more.
Glad to help. Clear skies.
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Steve
16" Meade LightBridge (Beowulf)
10" Hardin DSH, StarMax 127mm Mak, PST H-a
Oberwerk 11 x 70 binocs, Tasco 10 x 50 binocs
Santa Maria Clear Sky Clock
Figueroa Mt Clear Sky Clock
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