2" Barlowed Laser vs. 2" Laser/2" Autocollimator

OK - I've used a 2" laser along with a 2" autocollimator now for a while, and I am getting consistenly excellent results with my 14.5" dob. Now that I know how to align my focuser accurately using a 2" sight tube, my laser always agrees exactly with my autocollimator, and as a result, I never even bother with using a Cheshire. My routine is: laser centered on the primary, laser return dot exactly in the center of the laser's slanted grid face, check with autocollimator, triangles stacked exactly.

So tell me - is using a 2" barlowed laser equally (or more) accurate as my current setup, and by nature, also a step simpler? And if so, is there a commercially-available 2" barlowed laser that I can just go and buy that works better than everything else?

Thanks,
Doug

Hi Doug,

My understanding is that a barlowed laser is basically equivalent to using a cheshire and so is not as sensitive as using the autocollimator.

From the sounds of your setup (all triangles stacked in your autocollimator) you don't need a barlowed laser :-)!

Steve

If'n it ain't broke, don't be a fix'n it.

Get the Glatter model. It's everything Geoff said. I have a drawer full of old laser collimators and the Howie Glatter 2" model is superior in every way. It is *very* precisley machined. The results are repeatable and there is no slop from the focuser tube.

I liked the 2" model so much with my SM 14.5 that I bought the 1.25" collimator from Howie as well. I use this one with a Portaball-8 and an Oak Classic.

... about "if it ain't broke don't fix it". However, the question I'm asking is if a barlowed laser is AS ACCURATE or MORE ACCURATE as an autocollimator.

If a barlowed laser is absolutely as accurate or more accurate, then I might be able to save a step in my process and also do it a bit more easily at night.

However, if a barlowed laser is NOT as accurate as an autocollimator, I won't bother changing how I collimate.

Thanks...