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jhopper
Joined: 10 Aug 2006
Posts: 3
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 Posted: Thu Aug 10, 2006 10:16 am Post subject: Collimate or not? |
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Hi I hope you can help. I have just got my first dobsonian telescope a Celestron StarHopper 8. I don't know if it needs collimating or not and don't have a clue about what to do if it does.
When I look through it I can't see anything obviously wrong, but I want the best image I can get.
Thanks in anticipation. |
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rocketeer
Joined: 09 Aug 2006
Posts: 9
Location: UK
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| Posted: Thu Aug 10, 2006 12:24 pm Post subject: |
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At first collimating may seem a bit of a drastic operation but if you take some simple steps it's easy enough. There are several references to how to do it on the web. Remember that the most important thing is the safety of you and your equipment. The best way I found to safeguard the kit is to always do adjustments with the 'scope in a horizontal position -i.e. so that if you drop anything it does not fall down the tube! Spend a few minutes looking at the mounts for the two mirrors before you start and try and understand what they do. In the case of the primary, it is usual to have 3 locking screws and 3 adjusters. Turning the adjusters without releasing the locking screws will get you very worried. The adjusters normally have springs around them.
As for what you are trying to achieve - the aim is to get a very symmetrical picture through the eyepiece with no lens. This is easier if you have a small hole to look through rather than just placing your eye on the lens aperture. Cut a piece of card with a 'pupil size' hole, or, as I have seen suggested, you can use a 35mm film case and pierce the base. Good luck! |
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Nightowl
Joined: 09 Aug 2006
Posts: 6
Location: Bristol, UK
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| Posted: Thu Aug 10, 2006 3:06 pm Post subject: |
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I have just done my first collimation to my Revelation 8 scope. I didn't have any instructions with it that told me anything about how to collimate it so like you I searched the web.
I found this helpful http://www.andysshotglass.com/Collimating.html |
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