Excuse to Buy Laser/Cheshire collimator

[Charic]

My reason to buy a laser collimator.

Why so many cloudy nights! It must be a curse for buying something astronomical.

I successfully collimated my OTA the other Day (looking at pictures to compare) and can see the Primary’s centre mark, centred around my peep-hole in the collimation cap (35mm type). But needed to get out to test with Starlight.

Early this morning I saw a light in the Sky, though the thin veil of cloud and through bleary eyes realised it was Jupiter, so I put the scope out the back door, locked onto target which was just visible now through some tree vegetation from the scopes position/perspective.. I tried the Star test and it looked bad. Another look through the viewfinder showed that my scope was looking through the trees, no wonder the picture was broken, then after a few minutes, above the tree line I was observing again. I could see 3 Moons and the circular shape of the planet, but no detail. I tried the Star test again, and it looked like smoke wafting about in the image. I realise now it was air turbulence in the scope (just come from a warm kitchen to a cool morning, with no cool down time?) and possibly what was happening above with the cloud layers sweeping in, then before I knew it, clouded over again. So in comes the scope, and as I was about to put its cover on, I noticed, to my surprise a large gap between the Tube and the black shroud on the front end of the tube, and just to the left of the Focus assembly( I could see the inner workings of the focus finder through the gap). Now by pressing on the tube, it flexed slightly, and so did the Focuser. Not good. So I managed to close this gap by rotation of the shroud (check out the before / after pics in my gallery) and then early today I collimated again, with the help of my Son. Its great during the final phase to see visually the primary lens coming into alignment. Sons a great help with the screwdriver. Then this afternoon I read-up on Astro-Babys guide, so this time loosened the spider and started from Scratch. Again. with the help of my Son this evening, it all looks OK, but now needs the final Star test again, but I cant do this all on my own, back and fore to the viewfinder and then to the collimation adjusters, so have decided to invest in a Laser/Cheshire collimation tool. Its just got to be quicker adjusting the secondary, by looking into the scope, and then adjusting the primary, and if I’m out and about I will now be able to achieve this on my own. So looking at the reasons to buy or Not this last few Days,, my decision is settled. Now to compare those lasers with the Sky-watcher variant. Ive also read about setting true the laser, in a cradle, and also about using a Barlow for more accuracy in alignment.

Take care.

[Bart]

Google he barlowed laser technique, I find it excellent for quick and easy alignment

Barry