[SJAAboard] Collimation tools for scopes

[Rob Hawley (SJAA)]

>But lasers are hard to use on solid-tube scopes and don't do as good
>a job as an Aline or Cheshire anyway, so getting the simpler ones
>for the non-truss scopes makes sense.

I echo Rich's comment that anything we must do must be something that we can
easily teach to a beginner in a short time and they can subsequently do.
The laser is very simple to explain and beginners immediately adopt it.

The Orion laser we are considering has a Cheshire like target that can be
viewed from outside the tube.  Regardless I teach people how to do the
collimation looking down the tube.

Rich correctly points out that lasers may not be aligned.  That is a known
problem that I teach as a part of the beginner's class.  Any laser we bundle
with a scope will be checked and aligned if necessary.

I also use a Cheshire for adjusting the primary. Rich made some suggestions
on using the Cheshire to adjust the secondary that I need to try.  In any
event the price difference between the better Orion laser and their Cheshire
is not that much.


Rob Hawley