Cheap collimator

I just purchased a used Meade 10" f/4.5 Dob and I wanted to get a basic, cheap collimating tool. When I went to my local Scope City they showed me a nice black annodized one which just fit into the focusser and had a very small hole in the middle. The thing cost about $30 so I figured I could make something myself. What I found was a perfect fit: it's a black plastic Kodak 35mm film can. I just cut off the lip which serves to snap the lid in place and cut a small hole in the bottom. It does exactly the same thing as the $30 deal.

Tino Hammid

A few suggestions, if I may:

Prior to making any scope adjustments, rotate your laser collimator in the focuser while observing that the beam does not paint an excursion (it should continuously point to the same spot). It's not unusual for a collimator itself to need collimation and a vee block is less accurate than using the focuser for this check.

Do your final tweaks using a point source (star)

Paul

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