Well done Isabelle, always a daunting task on the first foray. Had the same with my SCT, took over the kitchen, OTA on the cooker and me the other end leaning on the ironboard!!! Did make the mistake of asking my better half to help, disaster, so wore out the tiles walking back and forwrd for a couple of hours :D.

Still, your all done now and can get out there and hopefully better seeing :).

Jim

I'm really looking forward to my next "seeing" experience Jim! Thanks!

Isabelle

Hi Isabelle, always a daunting task, i too spent 2 hours fiddling with mine with a chesire collimator, but when you have done it a few times it is easy, i only do the main mirror now, has the secondary is usually ok. Only trouble with dobs if you are moving them about in and out the house, i think they go out of colimate, yours paul.

hi and glad its done i check mine every time its a bumpy path some nigts and its a sort of pre set up check,whilst waiting for the sun to go down, how did you find the lazer any good ,price? am hope in toget out tonight but am tired from the other night

pat

Pat, the Hotech laser collimator is a little on the pricey side ($130.00) but I am extremely happy with it. It made my whole experience less bumpy and I believe that with practice, it will take me ten minutes tops to collimate!

Isabelle

Paul, like you I do take my scope in and out of the house for my viewing sessions. I believe that collimation will indeed have to be done very often. The laser collimator will be a cinch once I am used to it I'm sure. Thank you for your encouragement!

Isabelle

the price sounds about right,but if it takes a few mins to do it thats even better a lke to check mine most times am out a little tweak helpsand its good practice i have to lug the 12" down the garden its about 35 feet to my obs and its heavy some times and gets bumped about a bitnot done much eye looking at the min take in pics as taken over its so adictive,i even made a dew cover out of a old plant pot flocked the inside and it works a treat for the dslr lens the dew the other night was rough,do not no if you got chance to see my last wide field shots,did your pics take a nose dive a no ya did a few,did you get any futher with it ?

have a great week

pat

Pictures? I have to say that because of my collimation dilemma (waiting for the equipment by the mail and clouds, I didn't believe what I saw was worthy of pictures but soon,.. the clouds will open!

I have to lug my 10" a couple of feet and over the threshold. There is not to much bumping around but enough for me to start checking regularly on my alignment.

I'll take a look at your pictures now Pat!

Isabelle

hi these are were the newest are widefield shots, with the goto mount for tracking which is seady for maybe 15mins before a monor re-adjustment

http://s473.photobucket.com/albums/r...field%20shots/