10 replies to this topic

[Dale Smith]

Clouds and rain here today, with a brief series of cloud breaks around 12:30. I lucked out on the timing. Set up my Seestar S50 with Baader solar film and managed to take three RAW video stacks. This was the best one, at 20 seconds. Edited in the Seestar App and then cropped and monochrome filter applied in the iOS Photo app.

 

 

 

Edited by Dale Smith, 20 June 2025 - 07:51 PM.

[gstrumol]

Nice shot, Dale!

[rigel123]

Good one Dale.

[Foc]

Very nice results Dale...you should consider using both of these images in a photobook or calendar

[gstrumol]

Very nice results Dale...you should consider using both of these images in a photobook or calendar

Indeed - each post I make is saved as a Powerpoint slide for 'posterity'   An easy way to keep records.

[Dale Smith]

Thanks everyone! Great idea, Foc and Gary!

[Scuba2do]

Really nice Dale , I have that Seestar and I have a hard time finding the sun with it with software.  It never finds the sun on mine.  I do have it setup in Polar mode on tripod.  I need to work on it some more but not today with gusts up to 40 mph.

 

Tony

[Dale Smith]

Really nice Dale , I have that Seestar and I have a hard time finding the sun with it with software.  It never finds the sun on mine.  I do have it setup in Polar mode on tripod.  I need to work on it some more but not today with gusts up to 40 mph.

 

Tony

Hi Tony,

 

I find that I sometimes have to level my S50 more than once when searching for the Sun. If it fails to find the Sun on the first go, I’ll cancel and check the S50’s level and adjust, then try again.

 

A few months ago I bought a 3D printed solar finder off a vendor on Etsy, and that’s been a huge help. It can be used manually, but usually when the S50 is being squirrely about finding Sol, I’ll cancel the Go-To when the Sun is near the center of the bullseye and then use the on-screen joystick to move to the Sun.

[rigel123]

Since I have been capturing a shot of the sun each day possible for that sunspot progression project I am doing I often don’t have time to jump through all the hoops for the Seestar to find the sun.  I set it outside on its little tripod and align it so that you can see the space between the scope and the “arm” that holds it in its shadow.  Turn it on, connect to it. Raise the arm and attach the filter, then select Solar System and Go To the Sun and when it asks me to level it I just skip that step, then skip when it asks if the filter is in place, and then using the “joystick” I simply slew straight up until the disk shows in the FOV and then select center object and shoot a 30 second video.  Slew the scope back down, remove the filter and shut it down.  This takes up about all of three minutes, the longest wait is waiting for it to announce, “Powering on, ready to connect!”

[KWhitt]

I set it outside on its little tripod and align it so that you can see the space between the scope and the “arm” that holds it in its shadow.  Turn it on, connect to it. Raise the arm and attach the filter, then select Solar System and Go To the Sun and when it asks me to level it I just skip that step, then skip when it asks if the filter is in place, and then using the “joystick” I simply slew straight up until the disk shows in the FOV 

I do the exact same thing with my SeeStar.  And as a bonus, because I added a reflective vinyl to the sun-facing sides of the S50*, as I slew straight up, a bright reflection from the vinyl comes from overhead to behind the S50, and as soon as that reflection aligns with the top of the shadow I know the sun is in FOV.  

 

Kristie

 

(* to keep it a bit cooler when it was out for hours during the 2024 total eclipse--quicker sun finding was a nice side effect)

[rigel123]

I do the exact same thing with my SeeStar.  And as a bonus, because I added a reflective vinyl to the sun-facing sides of the S50*, as I slew straight up, a bright reflection from the vinyl comes from overhead to behind the S50, and as soon as that reflection aligns with the top of the shadow I know the sun is in FOV.  

 

Kristie

 

(* to keep it a bit cooler when it was out for hours during the 2024 total eclipse--quicker sun finding was a nice side effect)

That makes sense as that little thing gets hot quick with the sun beating down on that all black body!