Which are the better laser collimators?

[qld]

hi team ,
Obsession recommends the astorsystem , i have tried many types of laser collimators and for my two obsessions i have found the 2inch Astrosystem excellent, its quick and easy to use and if you want perfection then in addition use the Astrosystem autocollimator its simple to use also .Both are intuitive and you dont need a degree in collimation.The kiss principle is allways best imo

Originally Posted by norm

Hi Gavin,

I'm with Greg here . Go the Astrosystem or the Howie Glatter.

I've got the 2" Astrosystem barlowed Laser collimator and it works a treat. Its also well built.

As Greg mentioned, when collimating the primary you need to tweat the primary knob, stand up and look back in the focuser and do this a number of times. It can be a slight pain the backside and much easier if someone is around to help.

I've put up with this for a year or 2, but I've just ordered the 2" tublug from Howie Glatter (around $126AU posted) and hopefully it will be arriving soon. It's compatible with the AS, so when it does arrive goodbye to having to crouch, tweak primary knobs stand up and go back to the top to check the focuser etc (and repeat 4-5 times). It can be all done crouching down at the rear of the scope and done in less than a minute.

End of the day, imo, buy quality and you won't regret it.

Cheers,
Norm

[Krumlov (Gavin)]

Thanks John, Jim, Greg and Norm.

Firstly let me say to others reading this in the future that I did finally find the information I needed on the Catseye system. You need to scroll right to the bottom of the left hand frame and there is an "Information Links" section that should have everything you need.

So I appear to be down to Howie Glatter, Astrosystems and Catseye.

Greg could you expand a little on why you would recommend a laser first? If the Catseye system provides the best alignment then why not just go for it. Or are you suggesting that to a novice the additional accuracy would not be discernable and thus I would be better putting the $100 difference into something else?

Cheers!

[solissydney (Ken)]

Why don't you just make up a cardboard sleeve on the collimator?
Ken

[gb_astro]

Originally Posted by Krumlov

Greg could you expand a little on why you would recommend a laser first? If the Catseye system provides the best alignment then why not just go for it. Or are you suggesting that to a novice the additional accuracy would not be discernable and thus I would be better putting the $100 difference into something else?

Cheers!

The CatsEye crosshair and cheshire tools will get you as
close to excellent collimation as a good laser will.
However I just find the laser easier to use.

The CatsEye autocollimator is a final tweaking tool.
You need to be pretty well spot on with your collimation before you can
use it easily. So you need the other CatsEye tools, or a laser, as well.

Also apparently the slower your scope the less benefit there is to be gained from the autocollimator.
The CatsEye website seems to imply that about f6 is the cut off point.
The GS-680 is f6 so I can not see the autocollimator justified, at least as an initial investment.

gb.

[Hagar (Doug)]

In most cases a laser collimator is that but to use any effectively you must collimate the laser first.

The other thing I would look for is a laser with a fitted lens to set the laser to just a focused dot rather than the various paterns which come out of the cheap ones without a lens.

Of the cheap range the best I have found was the Orion deluxe laser collimator. At $149 for a lensed unit which doesn't use the el cheapo laser pointers from the junk shops as it light source but rather a true commercial laser module.

[Krumlov (Gavin)]

Originally Posted by gb_astro

The CatsEye crosshair and cheshire tools will get you as close to excellent collimation as a good laser will.
However I just find the laser easier to use.

OK sounds great. Unless someone comes up with some alternative points of view I will go for the Astrosystems.

Thanks for all the help guys.