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Hi Isdonisgood,
For collimation I use both a laser collimator and a cheshire. First I collimate the secondary with the laser collimator then I use the cheshire to collimate the primary. Another way to do it is to buy a laser collimator that has a bit cut out where the laser is. This allows you to see the returning laser beam and collimate both the secondary and primary with the one tool (Secondary by getting the beam into the circle on the primary, and the primary by getting the beam to return exactly to it's source). This is the most accurate method.
Also:
- Yes, laser collimators need to be collimated themselves, but it is quite easy. You should get instructions with the laser or you can find them on the net.
- I don't know about if the size of the scope affects the size of the cheshire (Although it doesn't sound right to me)
On to eyepieces. On a budget I would recommend Celestron eyepieces from York optical. They are about $75 and I recently bought a 32mm and was very impressed. The 32mm, 15mm, 9mm combination sounds good and in your scope will provide magnifications of 37.5X, 80X and 133X respectivly. I wouldn't get any smaller eyepieces but thats just me. I find that my most used eyepiece is my lowest mag, the 32mm at 33X (For my scope), but this is just personal prefference. High mag requires good skys, and if you are going to do most of your observing from light polluted skys then it would be a waste. Infact my highest mag is 100X and I have found this to be more than enough.
Orion Shorty Plus is a very nice barlow. Bintel have it or simmilar for $180 if I remember correctly and I have view through it and had no problems.
I dont have a telrad but I do have a Rigel Quikfinder which is simmilar and I have no problems with it under light polluted skys. Finders like this make finding things so much easier and I really recomend them. The Rigel Quikfinder is quite good and doesn't take up much room on the top of your scope.
Anyway I hope some of this helps you and I hope you have many great years enjoying everything this great hobby has to offer.
Leon "astrogeek" Schreuder
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