No focus

denababy

Hello I have a brand new asi 120 mc and today ( Thursday 28th November 2017) was the first day where the Sun was not hidden behind cloud. Anyway I have three cameras, DMK 21, Altair Astro 130gp and an asi 120mc, I am unable to achieve focus with any of them so it must be something I am doing or not doing. With the first two, being mono, all I got was a white blob but the the mc I got a red blob. I adjusted exposure gain gamma and of course adjust focus but the best I could achieve was a fairly sharp edge of the Sun. I moved the blocking filter ( b600) in and out but could not see any detail. The scope is a Lunt 50ha. I have been going round and round but just cannot get a pic. Anyone have any ideas please.

einari

Most likely you have too long exposure time.

I have to set exposure in the 0.00x second range.

And bw camera is better with Ha Sun.

james_screech

The LS50 wount come to focus with most cameras, try adding the lens elements from a barlow onto the camera 1.25" adaptor. I use the lenses from a SW 2x barlow, works with both a ASi120MM and GPCam2 130.

James

denababy

Today I tried all that has been suggested, starting with a full Celestron omni Barlow then just the lens piece then back to attaching the camera directly onto the blocking filter, I moved the exposure from one end to the other, gain was on 1 as was the brightness and gamma, I moved everything up and down the scale but still I could get no focus just a red blob. I would love to take a few pics of the Sun but at this rate I cannot see it happening, I got the Lunt after doing plenty of research, they (Lunt) say to buy the b600 blocking filter for imaging they even recommend getting a DMK camera !!! I think I’m going to have to save for a Coronado.

einari

Too many variables.

First try with barlow/or just the lens, then adjust exposure/gain so that you get you are not overexposed (histogram is helpful) , then focus that you get sharpest focus, and last adjust etalon so that you get surface details.