Within his manual, you can jump straight to the collimation section to get going this is what i did. Heres a method thats simple and doesnt require continue reading notools telescope collimation. Figure 8 the view through the focusing tube of a collimated sctwith a. Ae picostar artificial star for collimating telescopes. Meade 10 sct models introduced prior to 2005 have 3 screws and therefore require different collimation knobs. When the collimator is misaligned without the corrector, a dual crosshair pattern will be seen.
Daylight collimation of a sct or maksutovcassegrain. However my 6se did not the circles only partly overlapped and were off centre. The hyperstar lens system facilitates extremely fast imaging by converting an f10 telescope into an instrument with a f1. Metaguide is a videobased tool for precise collimation using the infocus diffraction pattern of a star. Pdf beam collimation in the presence of aberrations. This hotech advanced ct laser collimator enables collimation for your 14 schmidtcassegrain telescope with hyperstar lens. Collimation of a sct is critical to getting the sharpest images possible, especially when viewing. Aligning the optics of a schmidtcassegrain telescope sct is much easier than collimating a newtonian telescope and can easily be learned by any user. Sct collimation software metaguide astronomy software. They are taken with my 10 sct meade lx200 and show vega.
About 90% of collimation errors are down solely to the primary mirror so dont jump in and start meddling with the. Collimation of a sct is critical to getting the sharpest images possible, especially when viewing planets at high magnification. Defocus a lot until you have what looks like a round globe or blob of. Consequently, collimation is at least 4 to 5 times more accurate. Unfortunately, many new cat owners seem intimidated by this simple process.
Sct collimation the sky at night in digital images. Although the rapid download speed of webcams makes planetary focusing. A typical pattern is shown in figure 2 and is available to download as a pdf file. With its shortrange capability, you can perform collimation indoors day or night without being subjected to weather conditions. Laser collimators for easy telescope optics alignment. It just requires looking into the front of the scope from a very specific location. Collimation of newtonian telescope part 1 duration. Sct s are very sensitive to mis collimation, contrast and resolution suffer quite a lot. Look into the focuser through your collimating cap. The advanced ct laser collimator brings the collimating star to your telescope within arm reaching distance. Step 1 you will need a takahashi collimating scope and an m100x1 adaptor to attach it securely to the telescope.
Hotech laser collimator for 14 sct whyperstar lens hlc140. A friend of mine who also owns a 12 lx200 also purchased the kendricks sct collimator. Optional crosshairs allow users to efficiently zeroin the laser with ease during the final collimation on the secondary and the primary mirror. This item is in stock and typically ships in 1 day or less. Your maksutovcassegrains primary mirror was aligned at the factory and should not need adjustment unless the telescope is handled roughly. Shown at left is a laser collimator for collimating a newtonian telescope.
I dont want to try to explain how it all works, as franks guide does that well. Instruction of collimating ioptron mak150 collimating is the process of aligning a telescopes optics. However, by using a special two part process, it is possible to use a laser to collimate a sct. Schmidt cassegrain telescope advice maintenance sct. Now, backyard astronomers have an alternative to achieve excellent collimation conveniently using the advanced ct laser collimator. When properly collimated, all the mirrors or lens will be.
I purchased a kendrick sct rear cell version laser collimator. A manual for optical evaluation and adjustment, 2nd ed. Hubble optics 5star artificial star for testing and. The farther you put the target away, the more accurate it will be as you are increasing the f ratio of the collimation beam. Eds guide to sct collimation posted by ed moreno 03082007 12. Cassegrain telescope sct design can only be collimated by adjusting the tilt of. Collimation is the process of aligning the optical axes of all the optical elements in a telescope. Laser collimation for schmidt cassegrain telescope.
For optimum performance, precisely aligned optics are a must. Dual selfimage technique for beam collimation request pdf. For the sct, manufacturers instruction manuals and other respected sources invariably describe only star collimation 1,2, typically adjusting firstly for symmetry of the shadow of the secondary mirror when offfocus at moderate magnification, followed by. This manual contains information on how to test the collimation. Slide the collimator into the focuser and feel if the adapter is tight during the insertion. Schmidt cassegrain telescope advice maintenance sct collimation. It is designed with a low power laser in a barrel that slides into the eyepiece focuser, replacing the eyepiece during the collimation process. The screws on the back of your telescope may be different. Get to know how to use the webcam in manual mode before you try con. Schmittcassegrain collimation made easy using a duncan. Advanced ct laser collimator users manual v8, page 1 of 7. Experienced sct users will tell you that the first step in collimating your scope is to understand why it is important by reading thierry legaults collimation page look at the astrophotography on his web site he very much knows whereof he speaks. If too loose, gently pull out the collimator and repeat step 2b until you feel the insertion is snugly fit into your focuser. The final position of the reflected beam is about 0.
The advantages of this process is that you are collimating at least 5 times the focal length normally used when collimating using the single star method. Using reticle overlay and artificial star to collimate 8. I have had troubles collimating my sct, tried this and it worked great. The first part of the process calibrates the laser collimator for your individual sct. Checking the optical alignment on schmidtcassegrain or maksutovcassegrain telescope can be easily done in broad daylight. My 8se showed perfect concentric circles all centred on the crosshairs. Sct collimation using hotech advanced ct laser collimator new video 2 duration. Id like to know if there is any software that can help me with collimating an sct. Collimation verification with astrosnap and dmk21af04. Overview having the finest laser dot possible is the key to hotechs precision collimation. And, by god, is it critical for good cat performance. Kitchen table collimation of a cassegraintype reflector. Astro babys guide to collimation newtonian telescope.
Metaguide can provide insight into both the optics of your telescope, and the tracking behavior of your. Tips before you start rule 1 before starting collimation dont assume that anything is out of kilter and check each element before adjusting anything. There are three stages to a really good collimation using the stars or a starlike source such as a solar reflection off a distant ball bearing or christmas tree ornament. These screws are located in the secondary mirror holder. Current daytime techniques there is no accepted standard daytime collimation routine for an sct that i have been able to find. Collimation with an artificial star, inside, outside inspired from.
I find collimating my 8 sct a bit of a chore so i was interested to read about the duncan mask which promised a much easier method. Once collimated they tend to hold it longer than newts. After all the trouble, due to turbulence, the real star may not even reveal the true quality of your telescopes or give you perfect collimation. The telescope and collimator alignment procedure is a little different without the corrector plate installed. Collimating your sct rod mollise basically, its a twopart process stage 1 rough collimation setup the scope and put a medium bright star in the field of an eyepiece.
How do i collimate my schmidtcassegrain telescope sct. As a caution, dont look directly into the laser beam. Please read beforehand your telescope instruction manual. When the two cross hairs merge, the collimator is aligned with the telescope.
Using the method, we could set the collimation position to a resolution of 1. Collimating your schmidtcassegrain telescope in just a. You may have to twist the focus knob a few turns until the. Collimation is critical to obtaining the best performance from your telescope.
Kitchen table collimation of a cassegraintype reflector british. Metaguide also autoguides and has several novel features that allow optimal guiding of midrange mounts under typical seeing conditions. Sca laser collimator for newtonian telescopes cloud. Luckily, achieving this goal doesnt have to be difficult. Download fulltext pdf beam collimation in the presence of aberrations article pdf available in optics communications 194. What id like to do is plug either my dslr which is my main imaging camera or my superstar guide camera into the scope. Aligning the secondary mirror point the telescope at a lit wall and insert the collimating cap into the focuser in place of a regular eyepiece. Comes with an allen wrench for factor collimation screw removal. Al of als reticule fame has released a nice little program which, with the use of a webcam or similar, helps you to determine what adjustments need to be made to improve your sct collimation. Just got one of these to help collimate my refractors.
Although the rapid download speed of webcams makes planetary focusing much. Center the star in the field to avoid possible effects of aberration in your telescope. Make only small 16 to 18 adjustments to the collimation screws and recenter the star by moving the scope. Use a magnification near 2x per millimeter of aperture 50x per inch. An artificial star will provide you with an excellent alternative means to do the star test anytime and anywhere you want, without all the drawbacks of real stars. However, there are some tricks to doing it right, and some things to avoid.
I could not find many reports of people actually using one, so i constructed my own and used it for the first time last night. Most telescope users know that the only way to get every last drop of performance from a reflector telescope is to ensure that the optics are in good collimation. The purpose of collimating is to get the best images of stars and other celestial objects. A laser collimator, therefore, cannot be used in the same manner as with a newtonian reflector.
866 361 84 1492 1104 754 1157 1398 1511 1436 1147 388 576 489 814 1284 52 809 661 538 319 281 1006 1543 994 233 1436 204 935 714 744 396 589 841 464 357 974 241 1089