That's a very kind offer Malcolm but I would be happy to just purchase the right gear and not cause you any effort - are there any good go-to online shops in Oz?
I've done another check on the laser and yes it is actually out of alignment and drawing a circle, however, it does not appear to have any collimation screws I can see.
It's basically a throwaway at this point but I wonder whether the following workaround makes sense to get a decent alignment nonetheless:
1. Twist the laser around in/with the focal tube to circle the laser around its actual intended centre point just as cometcatcher mentioned to determine a real centre point and get this imagined centre point onto the primary mirror circle (the laser almost traces the black circle itself) -> this should align the secondary mirror
2. Leaving the secondary mirror alone now after it has been adjusted to achieve the above, fudge the laser within the focus tube in such a way that it actually shines into the centre of the primary mirror circle (as a stationary beam this time) and then adjust the primary mirror screws until the return beam hits the target on the laser -> this should align the primary mirror
Is this sound logic?
Quote:
Originally Posted by barx1963
Ok, my guess is that it is the slop of the collimator in the focuser that is the main issue. Personally, I would just use a simple collimation cap to start of with. I have one around here somewhere that I could lend to you and also a semi decent laser that may have a better fit. Let me know and I can pop them in the mail to you to test out.
One important principle with collimation is that a laser is not the be all and end all. I use one to quickly check that everything is still aligned but regularly do a full collimation with sight tube and cheshire to ensure it is all still good.
Also, please remember ( and this will grate against your Germanic personality!!) that while collimation is necessary, perfect collimation is often not and spending hours getting it just right is often a waste of valuable observing time. Get it as good as you can, then enjoy using your scope!!
Malcolm
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