Collimation (a bit of waffell)

[Mick.G.]

I had to collimate the scope tonight,(for the first time).

In the garden,and after allot of messing about,I had made a complete pigs ear of it.

To cut a long story short, I found out what I had done. I also found out that there is the faintest cross either on the secondary mirror or the small lens that is in front of it,(catadioptric newt) Lined them up with the spines of the secondary mirror bingo,went out again to star test-spot on. And the best views of saturn that I have ever had out of this small scope.

So all I can say to all those new to gazing and got a newt,learn how to collimate your mirrors,I wish I had done months ago.

Mick

[Mick.G.]

It did me Twixi,till I had to do it :shock:.

[Jamie]

Thats just the next step for you Caz.

Just another word for line up and angle your mirrors correctly.

One of these things that scare you till you have done it yourself.

[Jamie]

:shock:

[GazOC]

:shock:

Just to reiterate what Jamie said..... :shock:

[GazOC]

I thought I'd broken my scope the first time I collimated it!! It took me a good hour or so and all I could think was "Why didn't you just leave it alone?"

[Jamie]

Why does everyone take things so literally around here... :scratch:

Come on now Caz there is a fine line between being literal and taking the p@ss

We were doing the latter.

Click on the big smiley.

[The Warthog]

The first couple of times I collimated my scope were hell. The first time I had instructions in my hand, and actually did a reasonable job, using a film can with a hole in the lid. The second time I screwed up everything, even the secondary mirror, and finally got it slowly back into alignment. Third time I was away, and actually tried to collimate using the primary retaining screws rather than the adjusting screws, and stripped one before I gave up. I eventually got the hang of it, without doing any real damage.

Last weekend I collimated my scope in three minutes or so, without tools other than the collimating eyepiece, and it's fine.

Most important things I've learned. If the primary isn't moving, you're turning the wrong screw. Use only two screws of the three for adjusting. Do the secondary first. Get a collimating ep; you can't get as close with a hole in the focuser cap as they say you can, although it's better than nothing if your alignment is really out of whack.

Don't flinch! go for it!

[MartinB]

Come on now Caz there is a fine line between being literal and taking the p@ss

[MartinB]

Come on now Caz there is a fine line between being literal and taking the p@ss

Dang! Can't use these quotey things. Think I need a good ole shake myself.

Think that might be whats coming your way though Skyguy

Twinx - your collimating suggestion brightened up my gloomy morning :lol:

Martin

[The Warthog]

Why does everyone take things so literally around here... :scratch:

It's a very English way of getting laughs. I learned it from my father, who learned it from his father, who...

[GazOC]

Why does everyone take things so literally around here... :scratch:

It's a very English way of getting laughs. I learned it from my father, who learned it from his father, who...

That and "toilet" jokes.....