Joe, I tried out the solar filter very quickly today on my lunch break (very, very quickly). I didn't have time to take everything outside and do a proper setup. So I just set the scope up in my foyer looking out a window at the sun. First thing I realized.... it is damn difficult to find the sun with your telescope! You wouldn't think so with as big and bright as it is, but it is very hard. You can't use a finder scope or laser pointer to aim your scope. So you're basically having to go at it blind, so to speak. Anyway, I finally found my target. It was pretty neat. I didn't get a lot of time to study our star because I had to get back to work, and also because my daughter was begging for a look. And, of course, my wife took a peek as well.

I can't wait to get some quality time with this solar filter. I think it is a great idea to be able to do some type of astronomy day or night! In addition to the solar filter, I am also making preparations to do some live image broadcasting with my scope and a video camera. I already have a channel on Night Skies Network. I was just testing out the camera feed last night without the scope. Pretty neat! Now I'm Just waiting for the time to actually haul everything outside and get it set up and running. I'll keep you posted.

I used a 2" hole saw on my power drill and went very slowly. I have a question about the offset filter that will probably demonstrate my ignorance. Is one offset hole optimal for solar viewing? Or would there be any benefit to installing another hole on the opposite side of the cover? Or even four evenly spaced holes? I just have no idea what kind of problems or potential benefits doing something like that would bring about.

I have NO experience with solar at all, but everything I've read counsels caution when using an SCT for solar. I think I'm gonna stick with my little refractor and save pennies for an H-alpha solar scope. Not too expensive at all on the bottom end.

So be careful. I'd hate to see you fry your new baby, and your wife hit you over the head with a dead scope!
p
-It's bleedin' demised!

Thanks to you both for the warnings. To be honest, this is the first I had heard of any potential issues with using an SCT for solar. I had done a lot of searching and research on how to make a solar filter for an SCT, but never thought to question whether it should be done. I'm going to have to look into this more before putting it to full use.

Just in time for 2012.

Robb...

Call me when you start the broadcast and I'll follow along.

Robb, shoot me a text and I'll join from Austin. A beautiful night for a telescope here tonight. If only I had one...This will be almost as good!

Lol. Sorry amigo. That sounds like one of my nights! If you read any of my observation session posts, you know it's true. That certainly sucks, but I've been there.

A great sage from Indiana once said, "Sometimes it's just like that," or something close to it. An exceedingly polite northern Indiana way of saying, "Sh1te happens," I think.

I do feel your frustration though, but lessons learned I guess.

My night? Why I'm glad you asked. I say this not to solarthreadjack, but to offer solace in shared frustration...

Watched from Austin as the household favorite Rangers blew a five run lead and 98% chance to win in one inning without getting even one out. I hate the Yankees as much as Paulie hates the Cubs, and only take small solace in a ball going between the legs of HGHRod.

Than got Mom to bed, but even with sleep meds she woke up twice confused about what home and town she was in and where we had been traveling to, though she hasn't left her house in a week.

The third time she got up, around two, I pulled out heavy artillery and made warm milk and we watched most of the Saturn episode of "The Universe" on DVD. What a weird planet! If we could find a big enough bath tub, thing would float! And it has a huge, perfectly hexagonal hole sitting on the top of it! You are a strange bird, mighty Saturno.

Finally got Mom off to bed again and decided to see if I could spot 103P/Hartley in my 15x70 binos. Spent a few minutes with the heart-stopping Orion Nebula high in the Eastern sky, and then turned my attention to Perseus and Hartley 2. I start identifying Capella and the guide stars in Perseus, but it suddenly gets really difficult. Even Capella is not popping in the eyepieces. WTF is going on?! After about ten minutes struggling with this, I finally give, remove my eyes from the back, and see a layer of low clouds has rolled in unannounced and unpredicted by CSC or anybody else!! WTF! Really? I glance at Orion and Jupiter and they are mere smudges. It's all over but the whining...

So there ya go! I'm not saying mine's better or worse, just that stuff does definitely happen. Even Joe doesn't have perfect nights! We can curse ourselves and the skies, or pack up, have a glass of wine, figure our lessons, vent, and go to bed. (This does not always work for me!)

Have never seen that website, and am a little afraid to go there, but you will get it all figured out, maybe tonight, and it will be cool when you do!

Now about that solar filter...

I did order a reticle eyepiece this week, but was in no danger of actually using it. Perhaps AstroGodz are quantum and don't recognize distance as a mitigating factor?

The Great Nebula is the second thing, after Saturn, that I saw that made me stop breathing when I saw it. It was the first thing that made Julia finally stop and say, "Wow. OK. That is pretty cool." Spoiled by too many Hubble photos, and even then, it transcends unrealistic expectations.

The volume of light from it is so huge that, like Saturn, it looks completely fake. I can't say that seeing it in a 114mm scope is any less awesome than the Hubble fly through pics. Just different.

Glad you took the time to find it. I tried the other night even with a dewed over scope but it wasn't over the top of the tree line. Another few weeks and we'll have it for months. Will be hard to target anything else.

Anxious to throw a filter on it!

Okay, so I have a question. How does one polar align your mount during the day when you cannot see Polaris? If I want to set my scope up to track with the sun, how would I accomplish that?

Also, I took heed of your warnings about using an SCT for solar observing. Not wanting to destroy my recent acquisition, I did more research specifically about solar viewing with an SCT. What I have found has calmed my nerves quite a bit and I now feel comfortable with proceeding. While caution is still advised, here is what I have found. The Baader Astro film I used to construct my filter blocks 99.999% of the sun's light. I am not using a full-aperture filter but a mere 2" offset filter. I will be using the filter for direct viewing rather than projection. This means the sunlight will be filtered before it even enters the optical path. I think most of the warnings regarding solar viewing with an SCT are geared towards those wanting to attempt projection viewing. Since the sun light travels the length of the OTA three times before hitting the EP and is concentrated each time, things can heat up very, very quickly and cause irreparable harm to your OTA. However, since I will be blocking 99.999% of the light prior to it entering the OTA and using a relatively tiny aperture, I am fairly confident my scope should be safe.

I have rarely needed to track the Sun, other than public demonstrations or special events like the Mercury/Venus transits. Sometimes I don't even align anything - having the axis of the scope pointing any which way...nudging it as needed.

I usually use the Mighty Nikon refractor at the Adler for solar projection, which is all manual, but when on an extended public sessions, I align to various points along the area to keep just handling just the one axis slo-mo cable.

Using the Adler's dead camera on dome and pavement squares for constant cardinal references, I align the scope's axis to familiar points - ..and thru several sessions have discovered my ground marks for good tracking and quick set-up.

Interesting post on Solar Alignment from Cloudy Nights. Dig it.