I made an artificial star out of a small cardboard box and a headlamp . I focused and defocused but couldn't see anything that remotely resembled any concentric rings , maybe I should have done it at night . That was yesterday .
My holidays are about to run out and I wanted this project finished before I went back to work . Resigning myself to night time collimation which may be weeks away I tried one last thing .
Using a Sony A7S markll , a HDMI cable and a Flysight monitor I was able to visibly see the effects of turning the collimation screws on my Meade 12 inch LX200 . There is a noticeable sweet spot that can be targeted for rough collimation .
This obviously isn't a precise method and will need to be properly collimated on a star but it has been reassuring for me to know that after 4 or 5 years of doubt , my telescope isn't a loss and is capable of producing a reasonable image .
For me , the best thing about it is that I could immmediately see what was going on without spending hours with a laser .
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tANL_igO2os