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  #1  
Old 27-05-2009, 08:55 PM
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manny
Looking beyond earth

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Hotech laser collimator

Hi
Does any one own or has used the 2" version,if so how accurate is it
compared to a cheshire and are the results accurately repeated.
I own the orion laser collimator 1.25 version but it is never used due to it's inability to produce the same result twice, so the cheshire is my trusty collimation tool.Just wondering if the Hype surrounding this collimator is justified.


Best wishes
Manny
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  #2  
Old 27-05-2009, 11:56 PM
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ngcles
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Me too ...

Hi Manny & All,

Quote:
Originally Posted by manny View Post
Does any one own or has used the 2" version,if so how accurate is it
compared to a cheshire and are the results accurately repeated.
I own the orion laser collimator 1.25 version but it is never used due to it's inability to produce the same result twice, so the cheshire is my trusty collimation tool.Just wondering if the Hype surrounding this collimator is justified.
I'd like the answer to that question too thanks!

I went back to a Cheshire a few years back for precisely the same reason --plus the Cheshire never seems to run out of batteries at a critical time! But I am interested in this product. Sooo ... will someone let us know.

It was a S&T "Hot Product" a couple of years back (2007 ???) -- so it is very unlikely to be a dud, but for the price I wan't to know just how good it is!


Best,

Les D
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  #3  
Old 28-05-2009, 12:50 AM
Calibos (Keith)
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Manny, do you own the Orion Lasermate Deluxe version or the original Orion Lasermate. If you own the Deluxe version then heres a cut and paste of a recent post of mine on SGL forums:

Quote:
........I am selling the Orion XT12i, now that I have my LB16 and am making progress with my mods. I wanted to provide the new owner with an accurate means of collimation at night...but without giving them my beloved Glatter.

I eventually hit on a brainwave that resolved all issues I had previously had with it. Now it turns out that I was re-inventing the wheel as I discovered that others had hit on this idea before but I was still chuffed that I had thought of this independently myself.

First issue was slop between the Orion and the LB16 GSO 2 speed I transferred from my LB16 to the Orion as I was obviously putting my Moonlite on the LB16 instead. I had some spare teflon tape from another mod that wrapped around the Orion barrel and took out the slop. Second issue was laser mis-collimation. I realised that instead of messing about with V-blocks, I could collimate the scope accurately with a cheshire, then insert the Orion, making sure I inserted it in the focuser orientated the same way each time (ie. aligned the O for Orion on the sticker with a drawtube screw. Now I knew the scope is collimated perfectly after the cheshire but that the miscollimated laser is shining its dot outside the donut. Instead of centering the dot in the donut with the secondary screws (remember, I know its already perfect), instead one centers the laser dot by adjusting the laser itself collimation screws. After rotating the laser in the drawtube, all dot wander eliminated with the laser dot staying perfectly centered in the donut. Next issue was still having to go backwards and forwards to check primary collimation. Remember that although the Orion has a 45º face for viewing from the back, that this is without a barlow and we know that using a laser for primary collimation without a barlow for the barlowed technique especially on a fast newt is a definate innacurate NoNo. Was I back to the situation of having to go up front 20 times and stick my head inside the tube to see my DIY barlow target on the end of the barlow up the drawtube??

The answer was no!. I had remembered a recent thread where someone had realised that although the donut shadow reflected on the 45º face of the Orion would be much larger and much more diffuse because the return beam and shadow had to pass back through the barlow lense (unlike the blug), that because the Orion Lasermate deluxe had a white Bullseye marked target face unlike the plain metal 45º target face of other similar collimators, this meant that one could still easily see the big diffuse donut shadow on the white face and acccurately center it within the outer rings of the bullseye target!! Meaning one could now use the Orion Lasermate deluxe in combination with the barlow method, while still utilising the 45º target face and thus being able to collimate the primary from the back of the scope in seconds instead of all that back to front malarkey and "damn it, turned the collimation bolt the wrong way again..."

So basically I now had an Orion collimator that the new owner could use to get as much accuracy as my Glatter!

Heres a few pics to illustrate using the Orion from the back with the barlow method:

(photo quality isn't the best. Despite donut shadow being much larger and more diffuse than the small dark black shadow of the Blug or barlowed methods where the shadow/beam does not have to pass back through the barlow. In reality the Orions (2pass barlow) shadow is more distinct than the photo's would indicate. To re-iterate, its the Orions Bullseye rings that help to accutarely center this large diffuse shadow. Much harder to do on a non bullseyed target face)
However, all is not lost if you have the older version with just the plain metal 45º target face. I was thinking I could use a hairdryer to soften the glue of the white paper bullseye targer on my own deluxe and peel it off. Scan it, and then others could print it off on some self adhesive printer address label to stick on their plain metal 45º target faces.
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Click for full-size image (lasermatebarlow2.jpg)
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Last edited by Calibos; 28-05-2009 at 11:35 AM.
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  #4  
Old 28-05-2009, 02:43 PM
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alexch (Alex)
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I have HOTECH SCA 2" and find it very good. When I got it it was pretty spot on and didn't draw a circle. Then I dropped it on the floor and it went out of collimation, but I managed to collimate the laser in the telescope using the 2" adaptor. The 2" adaptor has very little play when rotated in my focuser so it was easy. I just tilted the primary so that the return beam misses the secondary and projected the spot on the wall 3-5 metres away.

The self-centering feature is great and works as advertised. The laser hits the primary within 1-2 mm of the centre every time I insert it. There still is some play in the focuser, tube flexure, etc but every time I collimate with it the result is very close to perfect when I check it with the cheshire or star-test.

95% of the time it is the only tool I use in my 12" f/5 Dob for collimation.

Cheers,
Alex
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  #5  
Old 28-05-2009, 08:24 PM
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RobF (Rob)
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Thanks Keith. Might just dig out my (non deluxe) orion laster collimator some time and try as you describe. 8" is small enough I can just reach 2 of the primary screws without too hassle, but would be nice to use the laser for a check after travelling to remote sites.

Up until now most thankful I bought a cheshire too though....!
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  #6  
Old 20-11-2011, 04:49 PM
cjpops (Craig)
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Hey all,

Sorry to bring back an old post - hope somebody can assist..

I'm having a bit of a suitation calibrating my Lightbridge today - I followed Calibos (Keith) information here regarding the 'barlow & orion lasermate deluxe and managed to sucessfully have the 'donut' inside the *45 faceplate..

When I reinserted collinmator in by itself without the barlow it is way out of alignment ( laser is out of the secondary mirror ), so I took it out and put the barlow back in and the 'donut' is still perfectly inside the orion lasermate's *45 'circles' in the faceplate.

I know the lasermate isn't very accurate and it always gives a different reading each time i take it out and back in again, but in this case the donut /barlow collinmating is almost the same position on the faceplate when inserted in again..

Hope this make sense... I just dont know what collinmating reading to believe (barlow method or the standalone), any advice?
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  #7  
Old 20-11-2011, 05:26 PM
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Jason D (Jason)
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You are looking at two different readings. Barlowed laser tells you how accurate your primary mirror is aligned. Unbarlowed laser (forward laser) tells you how accurate your secondary mirror is aligned.

Based on your data, your primary mirror looks good but your secondary mirror is off.

Re-iterate. Align the forward laser by only adjusting the secondary mirror then align the donut shadow on the face-plate by only adjusting the primary mirror. Back and forth until both are aligned.

Jason
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  #8  
Old 20-11-2011, 06:27 PM
cjpops (Craig)
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Thanks for your tip Jason it worked!!

I've managed to get both primary and secondary mirror spot on by doing your method back and forth a few times.

Hope the skies are clear tonight!

Cheers
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  #9  
Old 20-11-2011, 07:19 PM
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Kevnool (Kev)
Fast Scope & Fast Engine

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2" are always going to be better, Only because if your 1 1/2 adapter has slop in it then you will have lotsa trouble collimating with wobble.

Cheers Kev.
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  #10  
Old 20-11-2011, 08:04 PM
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multiweb (Marc)
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Got the 2" one. Love the cross pattern. Much easier to center the dot when you don't see it but you can still align with the lines.
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