[SJAAboard] Collimation tools for scopes

[Mark Wagner]

I think that for loaner telescopes, introducing people to using 
telescopes, and the tools used with them, the inexpensive route is 
best.  Lasers are "cool toys" - but A-line collimators and Cheshires are 
very easy to use, and inexpensive.  There are also many people with lots 
of experience using them, and it would be easy to teach or find help.  
And you can't shine an A-Line or Cheshire in your eye accidentally.


Rob Hawley (SJAA) wrote:
>> 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 
>
>
> _______________________________________________
> SJAABoard mailing list
> SJAABoard at sjaa.net
> http://sjaa.net/mailman/listinfo/sjaaboard_sjaa.net
>
>