collimating - is it just me?

[iamjulian]

Hi

I have had my 150P scope for just over six months now. It has been on two car journeys. It has been mounted and unmounted probably 30 times. But I have never collimated it. Is this unusual?

I ask because when I back it out of focus on a bright star or planet, the dark inner ring is exactly in the middle, or as near exactly as I can tell. Which I understood to mean it does not need collimating. I carry it carefully and it never gets knocked but I wondered why so many people seem to be constantly collimating their scopes?

I do want to learn how to do it, but I don't want to knock my scope about on purpose, just so that I can practice. Anyone else experienced this?

[Space Bat]

Collimation is subjective - As some people will be happy as you seem to be that if on sensible magnification it holds reasonable collimation. However there are people that must have collimation at 400 - 600x magnification.

In most cases we just don't get the seeing conditions to warrant absolute collimation and if you are happy with what you are seeing collimation wise then that should be good enough

Chris

[yeti monster]

I doubt Sir Issac Newton was obsessed with collimation, apples maybe, but collimation? Nar.

However, there's no point in being scared of it, and it's worth having a go (on a quiet day or cloudy night) just to pop the cherry, so to speak.

[themos]

Have you seen the Airy disc in it?

[Doc]

If a star test shows the secondary bang in the middle of your primary then I would leave alone unless you want to learn then it that case turn all your screws and try and get it back. I've done this numerous times and after a few attempts it becomes pretty eassy to recollimate your scope.

[Beulah]

Julian,

Our 150p has never been collimated since we acquired it five months ago - despite being used by my son many many times. The smaller you go on reflectors, it seems the less you have to collimate.

My 200p gets collimated every three or four sessions.

[Doc]

And a 16" everytime you take it out

[wulfrunian]

I've collimated my 10" once. The secondary looked okay to me, so I just tweaked the primary so that the centre spots lined up. To be honest, I couldn't really see much difference the next time I took it out. Last Saturday we went over to the farm, and went bumpity bump over the farm track to the observing site, and all still looked well to me. I think the moral is that if you're like me and not an expert, then small variations won't affect the views you get.