Collimating Skywatcher 180 Mak with Hotech

[morls (Stephen)]

Hi,
I've borrowed a Hotech SCT collimator from a generous IIS member, but am having some trouble understanding how to collimate my Skywatcher 180 Mak. I can set things up, but the procedure is different than for an SCT. When I was looking to buy a collimator, I got in touch with David from Hotech, who said there was a different procedure for Mak, and that he could send through the description. However, I've since emaild and asked but with no reply.

I'm wondering if anyong here knows the correct procedure for collimating a Maksutov (fixed secondary, moveable primary is the main issue, as the Hotech instructions are based around an adjustable secondary)
Cheers
Stephen

[dannat (Daniel)]

easier with a cheshire sight tube, or direct with star test/alignment

try this - Since the primary is adjustable you still do it in the same order. And it has to be the holographic laser (one that projects the crosshair pattern).
Stick it in the focuser/visual back (I like to use the laser's 2" adapter and a screw-on 2" VB but you don't have to). If the cross-hair laser pattern is directly centered in the secondary its good otherwise you need to adjust the primary to center it (unlike an SCT where you adjust the corrector plate position with shims to center it).
After that its the same making sure the reflection of the center laser dot hits the center of the laser (looking thru the side cut in the laser after getting them both coexistent looking thru the corrector back to the laser while adjusting the Rumak secondary if needed).