Collimation guide for schmidt cassegrain telescopes. The collimating tools below are mechanical and optical aids that will help you keep the optics of your telescope at their peak to give you the best possible image contrast and resolution every night you go out to observe. The key is an accurate and low latency centroid that can be chased aggressively to overcome gearbox and bearing noise. If an sct is in need of collimation, a slightly outoffocus star near the center of the field of view will appear as in one of the six eyepiece views shown above.
Oct 06, 2011 aligning the optics of your reflector telescope is crucial for optimal performance all the more so if you have a telescope with a focal ratio of f5 or less. The method presented below corresponds to this second step. Being in this game for a while now i never heard of this program before, but i wish i had. Hotech sca laser collimator with crosshair first light optics. Also is a distant radio tower light a viable source to point the scope or does it have to be a. Collimation viewer can be started by clicking on the realtime collimation defocused star collimation viewer menu in ccdinspector. Collimation tools help you get top performance from your telescope. Sct collimation the newfangled way hardly seems possible its been eleven frackin years since i started my sct user yahoogroup. There will be an sct device updater icon on your desktop. Usually collimation is done with an out of focus star, and refocusing an. During the day, put the marble inside a long carboard tube. Collimation of a sct is critical to getting the sharpest images. This is because most of them are created for experienced telescope enthusiasts. Change only one screw at a time, dont uncrew all three of them, because theres nothing else there to hold the corrector plate in place, getting the corrector plate back in place is much more work than collimating a sct.
It just requires looking into the front of the scope from a very specific location. With the hubble optics 5star artificial star, telescopes are truly easy to test and collimate. The first step is cut out a circle of card which will mask the entire aperture of your sct using your. Telescopeman demonstrates the use of a laser collimator on an orion xt10i reflector telescope.
Eyepieces free delivery possible on eligible purchases. Enter the importance of learning how to align your newtonian reflector telescope. Most telescope users know that the only way to get every last drop of performance from a reflector telescope is to ensure that the optics are in good collimation. Collimation viewer shows the threescrew, tiptilt collimation arrangement that is commonly used on sct s, rcs, newtonians, and other styles of telescopes. If youre collimating a sct, you can probably do the necessary. Al s collaid sct collimating assistant discussions. Tagged duncan mask, easy collimation, guide to collimation, schmitt cassegrain collimation. Ccdinspector is designed to work seamlessly with ccdsoft and maxim dl and other ccd camera control programs to provide these functions, along with a number of other useful tools to estimate seeing, image quality, tracking, and guiding performance. Sct collimation software metaguide astronomy software. Easy collimation with texereau inspired artificial star. How to collimate your sct telescope with hyperstar using hotech advanced ct. Collimating the hyperstar iii new forest observatory.
Your newtonian reflector will give great images of stars and planets but only as long as you keep it well tuned. Ron wodaskis collimating a cassegrain page note that most folks in the northern hemisphere use polaris as the star to collimate their scts because it doesnt move much during the time it. The driver for this procedure came when i bought a hyperstar unit for my c14. A star test is the most accurate way to check that your telescope is correctly collimated, however, with care, a laser collimator can do an excellent job for you. A set of collimation screws makes adjustments more straightforward especially in the dark.
Traditional laser collimators are not suitable for collimating sct telescopes but the hotech lasers sca mechanism and detailed faceplate provide the accuracy and repeatability necessary for even sct collimation. For optimum performance, precisely aligned optics are a must. How to collimate your telescope skyatnightmagazine. Metaguide allows me to obtain sub2 fwhm stars with a celestron cge and 11 sct at 2800mm f. When its cloudy or you are indoors, the astrozap artificial star is designed to provide a steady, stable reference star for collimation, and can be used in lieu of an actual star. At the center of the guide are the reference designations for the screws and their orientation as you face the front of the telescope. These bobs knobs collimation knobs fit all versions of the celestron 6 f10 sct. With its shortrange capability, you can perform collimation indoors day or night without being. Orient your scope so its easy to reach the collimation screws. May 04, 2019 metaguide can provide insight into both the optics of your telescope, and the tracking behavior of your mount. If you are a beginner, you might have been searching for manuals that teach how to collimate a telescope in easy tounderstand and easy tofollow steps. Collimation is not all that hard but anything to make things easier as well as.
Luckily, achieving this goal doesnt have to be difficult. Metaguide is a videobased tool for precise collimation using the infocus. If there is any other software worth mentioning please chime in. There is a bit of an art to collimating a newtonian. The laser has a return beam screen that makes collimation an easy. Even more than how easy it is, we tried to impress on users how important it is. The optical train is not disturbed by removing an eyepiece and replacing the camera after collimation focus position will need only minor adjustments to get to best focus after collimation is completed whats more, the collimation can occur right on, or very nearby to the field you will be imaging. If i was using a small fl i can see this software would be effective and easy to use. Dec 14, 2011 collimating your schmidtcassegrain telescope in just a few minutes. The process can be applied to any sct, and has also been successfully used with a meade 16 acf. Daylight collimation of a sct or maksutovcassegrain checking the optical alignment on schmidtcassegrain or maksutovcassegrain telescope can be easily done in broad daylight. Ive had a lot of fun with it, and its still quite active, though time seems to be passing the good, old yahoogroups by in favor of glitzier venues. Without the right tools, this process can become tedious and inaccurate.
Some telescopes require very accurate line of sight adjustment. Al of als reticule fame has released a nice little program which, with the use of a webcam or similar, helps you to determine what adjustments need to be made to improve your sct collimation. Has anyone tried this intriguing software for sct collimation. Aligning the optics of a schmidtcassegrain telescope sct is much easier than collimating a newtonian telescope and can easily be learned by any user. Its an easy way of bringing your telescope up to peak performance as quickly as possible. D perhaps this can be pinned in the software section for easy access in the future for people. Opt offers all the collimation tools necessary to ensure the utmost accuracy for your telescope adjustments to improve your overall astronomy imaging and observing. The celestron cheshire collimation eyepiece is ideal for precise collimation of newtonians and helpful for aligning schmidtcassegrains. Unless you have a trusstube telescope which must be assembled each time it is used, collimation should be an infrequent necessity.
Again defocus the star just a little bit and make small adjustments with the collimation screws. Schmidtcassegrain collimation is best done using a moderately bright star after letting your telescope cool down to outside temperatures. The scope is placed near a very bright torch could also be a small laser a stainless steel polished marble of 515mm is placed at about 20m and in the dark. A good tool can make the difference between successful collimation, and an exercise in frustration that encourages you to settle for good enough. Proper optical collimation is essential to achieving top performance from your telescope. Painless, and worth the effort ok, i have seen numerous posts and writeups over the years regarding sct collimation, and most of what i have read just doesnt make the process clear and omits specific instructions on which screws to loosen or tighten, and which direction to turn them. Ill download the trial and see how things progress, ill report back my findings. For easy visibility from the back of the telescope, i offer two other devices that fit to the focuser drawtube, used in conjunction with the laser collimator to perform barlowed collimation.
The goldfocus plus collimation mask is the only collimation technique which sees and. Quick and easy maksutov telescope collimation check. Optics 101 14 setting up for imaging 5 software instructions 1. People who think that a sct does not need to be collimated very often probably do not. And best of all, this new collimator utilizes a clear and simpletoread, large target display for the. Simply brilliant, i too have purchased an rc8 scope and have struggled with collimation and i am certain this will assist greatly. Telescope collimating tools telescope accessories at. Software for collimation computer software control programs. Collimation tools expert service unbeatable prices. Ccdinspector works with your camera acquisition software to allow realtime evaluation of images to determine collimation, camera tilt and focus. Mar 22, 2017 sct secondary mirror collimation with a laser. Farpoint collimation tools are designed only for newtonian and dobsonian reflecting telescopes. This page presents the method i use to align the optics of my c14. Even more frequent collimation is required of the perfectionist who wishes to account for collimation errors caused by pointing the sct at different objects at different positions.
Periodic collimation is required for casual observing to correct misalignment that results from normal handling and transportation of the telescope. On a newtonian telescope, the collimation is usually made in two steps. Good collimation makes the difference between excellent optical performance and poor optical performance. Theres no test of optics or collimation more precise than star testing. In addition collimation accuracy, depends to some extent on how precisely the tools were made, and how carefully the centre mark was positioned. Laser precision makes collimation much easier for beginners. Usually collimation is done with an out of focus star, and refocusing an sct can throw that collimation back out, so i like that ccd inspector collimates on an infocus star. Each collimation knob in this set measures 12 mm or 12 in diameter.
Oct 12, 2014 collimating the hyperstar iii posted on october 12, 2014 by greg parker it is possible to get perfect stars right across the diagonal of an apssize chip such as the starlight xpress m25c or m26c but only if your hyperstar imaging system is in very good collimation. Collimation is critical to obtaining the best performance from your telescope. And, by god, is it critical for good cat performance. What id like to do is plug either my dslr which is my main imaging camera or my superstar guide camera into the scope.
They are not designed for refractors, catadioptric telescopes, or sct. Schmittcassegrain collimation made easy using a duncan mask. Alignment is easy using the small opening on one end and thin cross hairs at the other end. For instance, most collimation devices depend on the centre of the primary mirror being marked in some way. Software for collimation computer software control. There are three stages to a really good collimation using the stars or a starlike source such as a solar reflection off a distant ball bearing or christmas tree ornament. Collimation planetary imaging bedford astronomy club. Als collimation aid for imaging archive iceinspace. Some optical tubes hide the screws under a cover that you can easily pry off.
It would be nice to have a guide to teach how to do it. How to align your newtonian reflector telescope sky. They are not designed for refractors, catadioptric telescopes, or scts. Farpoint has a variety of collimation tools including our custom laser collimators, which have a lifetime guarantee to never go out of alignment. A small opening on one end and tiny cross hairs on the opposite end facilitate easy alignment. Telescope collimation tools for sale skies unlimited llc. Given the scts 5x magnifying secondary mirror, thats not surprising.
Many collimation manuals are severely loaded with technical details and confusing steps. The difference between a collimated and an uncollimated sct, especially on the planets, is like night and day. They allow the adjustment to be made more conveniently, with. Apr 21, 2014 for optimum performance, precisely aligned optics are a must. The collimation must be made only when the instrument is in thermal equilibrium. Astrozap artificial star for collimation lowest prices. Now, backyard astronomers have an alternative to achieve excellent collimation conveniently using the advanced ct laser collimator. A properly collimated telescope will provide pleasing images over a wide range of magnifications. Celestron 114lcm collimation easier method youtube. They are taken with my 10 sct meade lx200 and show vega. If you are prompted that there is an update to the.
Recollimating most optics to restore the best images is a relatively simple task, and should be done on a regular basis. Unfortunately, many new cat owners seem intimidated by this simple process. Once you have done it a few times, it will start to become second nature. Heres a method thats simple and doesnt require tools or even a centredotted. I know of one planetary imager who always leaves his sct parked in the position he images in i.
The unit should be kept in a clean ziploc bag when not in use, separated from the magnetic mask. Thats fine for newtonian reflectors, but not for scts and maks. Metaguide can provide insight into both the optics of your telescope, and the tracking behavior of your mount. Primary mirror collimation is the most critical adjustment in a newtonian, and its been realized that with modern fast focal ratios of f4. Jun 08, 2015 in practice, this is one of the most useful tools you can get for your reflector and will make the job of collimation much easier. Collimating a schmidtcassegrain telescope jims astrolog.
When everything looks concentric and uniform, its now time to do an infocus collimation. Id like to know if there is any software that can help me with collimating an sct. How do i collimate my schmidtcassegrain telescope sct. Metaguide is free, easy to use, works with any type of telescope, and most video. The constraints are so high that a simple car trip always changes the. Im trying to fine tune my pds collimation with it but cant get my head around it. Here is a much easier method for collimating the celestron newtonian microscopes as i demonstrate on my celestron 114lcm. Hubble optics 5star artificial star for testing and. The goldfocus analysis software displays the objective measure of the. Maksutov telescopes a design like the sct tend to hold collimation well. Schmittcassegrain collimation made easy using a duncan. Collimating your schmidtcassegrain telescope in just a few. Single defocused star collimation method introduction.
With its shortrange capability, you can perform collimation indoors day or night without being subjected to weather conditions. Performed a new collimation on my 8se after fitting the bobs knobs. Schmidt cassegrain telescope advice maintenance sct. The above illustration is a depiction of how rings appear with an out of focus, high magnification star image, and how the pattern changes as the collimation screws are adjusted. Sct collimation using hotech advanced ct laser collimator new. Nov 27, 2016 usually collimation is done with an out of focus star, and refocusing an sct can throw that collimation back out, so i like that ccd inspector collimates on an infocus star. Collimating an sct is simply a matter of adjusting the three screws on the. Experienced sct users will tell you that the first step in collimating your scope is to understand why it is important by reading thierry legaults collimation page look at the astrophotography on his web site he very much knows whereof he speaks.
High point scientific offers a wide selection of telescope collimation tools for your stargazing equipment. Browse our variety of collimation tools to find the perfect one for your telescope. The alignment process with an sct involves adjusting the secondary alignment screws to bring the diffraction rings into a centered, concentric configuration. Svbony sv121 red laser collimator adjustable deluxe 1. The celestron newtonian reflector collimating tool is a combination of a sight tube and a cheshire eyepiece in a single unit.
The collimation eyepiece is more accurate than the simple. Changing the screws may be easy, you still need to be very careful though. Sharpcap collimation discussions software stargazers. In fact, its a good idea to choose a night when the stars arent twinkling too much. Fortunately, the three collimation screws on an sct s secondary are easy to adjust, even if you do have to remove the dew cap to get at them. The advanced ct laser collimator brings the collimating star to your telescope within arm reaching distance. Heres a method thats simple and doesnt require continue reading notools telescope collimation. Commercially made sct telescopes all have slight optical and mechanical alignment errors. Make collimation adjustments with your ccd camera to an accuracy not available with eyepieces or manual collimation aids. Construction and threads both consist of black oxide steel. I have had troubles collimating my sct, tried this and it worked great. Thanks to amazons associates program, doing so costs you nothing yet.
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