ICEINSPACE
Moon Phase
CURRENT MOON
Waning Gibbous 85.8%
|
|
16-10-2012, 08:41 PM
|
|
Registered User
|
|
Join Date: Mar 2010
Location: Canberra
Posts: 1,640
|
|
Oz Companies Qualified to Collimate Refractors?
Received my copy of Aus Sky & Telescope today. On p23 I see that Astro Optical Supplies in Sydney now offers a 'Collimation Clinic' for most scopes. 'High tech facility using multi-laser technology'.
What professional options do Oz refractor owners have out there?
I'm thinking about a Takahashi TOA which need a professional's touch if out of collimation.
|
28-10-2012, 10:59 AM
|
|
Registered User
|
|
Join Date: Jan 2012
Location: Melbourne
Posts: 3,688
|
|
Quote:
Originally Posted by Logieberra
Received my copy of Aus Sky & Telescope today. On p23 I see that Astro Optical Supplies in Sydney now offers a 'Collimation Clinic' for most scopes. 'High tech facility using multi-laser technology'.
What professional options do Oz refractor owners have out there?
I'm thinking about a Takahashi TOA which need a professional's touch if out of collimation.
|
I don't know about that service.
Send it back to Takahashi for collimation if in doubt.
|
28-10-2012, 11:52 AM
|
|
Registered User
|
|
Join Date: Mar 2010
Location: Canberra
Posts: 1,640
|
|
Thanks for chiming in.
That's very true but the issue there - a $2,000.00 round trip back to Japan at best guess and possible miscollimation on the way back home.
Is there no one in Oz (apart from perhaps Astro Optical) with the skills and tech to do this? If so, what a shame! If you live in the US the Takahashi America / Texas Nautical Repair team, Fred and Art can a) sell you the scope and b) provide that level of after sales service...
|
28-10-2012, 06:44 PM
|
|
Certified Village Idiot
|
|
Join Date: Jul 2006
Location: Mexico city (Melb), Australia
Posts: 2,341
|
|
Multi LASER collimator.......I wonder if they are referring to the GMK collimator by Wolfgang Grzybowski?
|
28-10-2012, 07:15 PM
|
|
Registered User
|
|
Join Date: Mar 2010
Location: Canberra
Posts: 1,640
|
|
Looks interesting but small. A consumer / home use version? I'd expect something bigger and more expensive.
I'm going to call the Astro Optical Supplies guys next week to see what's on offer. I'll be sure to report back. Fingers crossed it can handle the likes of a TOA
|
28-10-2012, 07:45 PM
|
|
PI cult recruiter
|
|
Join Date: Apr 2010
Location: Brisbane
Posts: 10,584
|
|
|
28-10-2012, 07:53 PM
|
|
Registered User
|
|
Join Date: Mar 2010
Location: Canberra
Posts: 1,640
|
|
Rick, thanks for bringing 'that' one to the conversation. A sobering read. I saw that post for the first time a few years back. The thread starter did not reveal the name of the Aus company that did the dodgy, 'at no time have I said who the company is, there have been numerous guesses, and that is the way I prefer to leave it for the time being. My close friends know, that much I will say'...
Cheers.
|
29-10-2012, 11:34 PM
|
|
Registered User
|
|
Join Date: Jan 2012
Location: Melbourne
Posts: 3,688
|
|
Quote:
Originally Posted by Logieberra
Thanks for chiming in.
That's very true but the issue there - a $2,000.00 round trip back to Japan at best guess and possible miscollimation on the way back home.
Is there no one in Oz (apart from perhaps Astro Optical) with the skills and tech to do this? If so, what a shame! If you live in the US the Takahashi America / Texas Nautical Repair team, Fred and Art can a) sell you the scope and b) provide that level of after sales service...
|
$2,000 ?
I heard that $750 was the price to recollimate including shipping.
The result on a Baby Q was perfect.
I won't say who it was.
|
29-10-2012, 11:55 PM
|
|
Oh, I See You Are Empty!
|
|
Join Date: Apr 2010
Location: Laramie, WY - United States of America
Posts: 1,550
|
|
Quote:
Originally Posted by wasyoungonce
Multi LASER collimator.......I wonder if they are referring to the GMK collimator by Wolfgang Grzybowski?
|
GMK site, via Google Translate...
|
30-10-2012, 12:26 AM
|
|
Registered User
|
|
Join Date: Mar 2010
Location: Canberra
Posts: 1,640
|
|
$750.00 - not loose change in my book, plus the TOAs are far bigger and heavier than an 85mm BabyQ. $2,000.00 was a rough guestimate, but the principle still remains, why no similar services down under?
|
31-10-2012, 07:30 PM
|
|
Registered User
|
|
Join Date: Jan 2012
Location: Melbourne
Posts: 3,688
|
|
Quote:
Originally Posted by Logieberra
$750.00 - not loose change in my book, plus the TOAs are far bigger and heavier than an 85mm BabyQ. $2,000.00 was a rough guestimate, but the principle still remains, why no similar services down under?
|
Hi Logan,
Colimation is not an easy job.
This is an expensive hobby - you will have to face that fact.
There are many Takahashi telescopes around that amateurs
have tried to collimate which are way out of spec.
I can ask an expert friend of mine about it tonight if you want?
cheers
Allan
|
31-10-2012, 07:49 PM
|
|
Registered User
|
|
Join Date: Mar 2010
Location: Canberra
Posts: 1,640
|
|
Thanks for contributing Allan.
To clarify, I don't own a TOA (yet).
Referring to my opening post, I am looking for domestic collimation options. The luxury of sending a TOA back to Takahashi in Japan has long been an option for southern users - but expensive.
Yes, collimation can be complicated. I don't claim to be a collimation guru, but after using laser collimators, Catseye gear on newts, the Takahashi collimation scope on Mewlons and general collimation software - I can appreciate the complexities that must accompany collimation of an air spaced triplet, like the TOA.
Please do speak to your expert friend, as it's that sort of domestic option that I am attempting to investigating here...
|
31-10-2012, 10:39 PM
|
|
Registered User
|
|
Join Date: Jan 2012
Location: Melbourne
Posts: 3,688
|
|
PM sent.
|
31-10-2012, 10:47 PM
|
|
Registered User
|
|
Join Date: Mar 2010
Location: Canberra
Posts: 1,640
|
|
Thanks Allan
|
31-10-2012, 11:01 PM
|
|
Registered User
|
|
Join Date: Dec 2005
Location: Sydney
Posts: 1,879
|
|
I'm a little mystified as to why it should be particularly complicated to collimate a Takahashi?
Assuming that the lenses were well centered and edged in manufacture ( the elements therefore having no `wedge') , and since passed a factory collimation check, then simple tilt of the whole lens assemble should be all thats required to return the scope to perfect collimation , and that can be adjusted looking at a star with a high power eyepiece whist adjusting the tilt. I thought that was one of the benefits of a refractor - freedom from any particularl complexity in collimation ?
|
01-11-2012, 12:34 AM
|
|
Registered User
|
|
Join Date: Jan 2012
Location: Melbourne
Posts: 3,688
|
|
Quote:
Originally Posted by Satchmo
I'm a little mystified as to why it should be particularly complicated to collimate a Takahashi?
Assuming that the lenses were well centered and edged in manufacture ( the elements therefore having no `wedge') , and since passed a factory collimation check, then simple tilt of the whole lens assemble should be all thats required to return the scope to perfect collimation , and that can be adjusted looking at a star with a high power eyepiece whist adjusting the tilt. I thought that was one of the benefits of a refractor - freedom from any particularl complexity in collimation ?
|
I found out tonight that it is done on an expensive laser jig.
|
01-11-2012, 02:08 AM
|
|
Automation nut
|
|
Join Date: Mar 2008
Location: Bathurst
Posts: 667
|
|
Quote:
Originally Posted by Satchmo
I'm a little mystified as to why it should be particularly complicated to collimate a Takahashi?
Assuming that the lenses were well centered and edged in manufacture ( the elements therefore having no `wedge') , and since passed a factory collimation check, then simple tilt of the whole lens assemble should be all thats required to return the scope to perfect collimation , and that can be adjusted looking at a star with a high power eyepiece whist adjusting the tilt. I thought that was one of the benefits of a refractor - freedom from any particularl complexity in collimation ?
|
The TOA series from takahashi is a air spaced triplet. The 3 elements are collimated separately. With 2 sets of collimation screws at the front of the scope.
It's just not a case of collimating the triplet assembly as a whole. This is just for the TOA series, but then again, I don't think I would like to collimate an fsq....
Brett
|
09-11-2012, 12:16 AM
|
|
Registered User
|
|
Join Date: Sep 2006
Location: Adelaide
Posts: 1,699
|
|
Just chiming in here regarding the Aust company who say they can collimate Tak scopes. Well I can assure you that they cannot , I had a very expensive lesson learnt here, if you have problems with a Tak refractor, send it back to Japan, end of story. Feel free to PM me about this and I will fill you in with the gruesome details.
|
09-11-2012, 05:55 AM
|
|
Registered User
|
|
Join Date: Mar 2010
Location: Canberra
Posts: 1,640
|
|
Peter, good to hear from you. This is very helpful information.
To clarify, I don't own an out-of-collimation TOA, but should that situation ever arise, then back to Japan really does sound like the safest bet.
Case closed on this one I think
Cheers, Logan.
|
Posting Rules
|
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts
HTML code is Off
|
|
|
All times are GMT +10. The time is now 04:03 PM.
|
|