Thanks sir, this is technically a very important video. I was taking my collimator for granted. I never thought that itself needs collimating too. When I first saw the title, it took my attention as in "What on earth is this person saying?!" . but good on.

I bought a collimator not long ago, which badly needed collimating when out of the box. This video solved the problem of how to do it and I even made the test rig as shown which was a breeze to do. Without doubt this video is a very valuable piece of information to get your collimator collimated. Thanks MikeyJ.

This is an essential video for anyone who own both a Newtonian and a collimator.

Excellent! Thank you so much. I recently bought a laser collimator and completely decollimated my telescope using it. It was much, much handier than a cheshire or star test, but without being collimated it's worse than nothing. I got everything back in collimation with a cheshire/star test, but I move my telescope a fair bit so collimating is a fact of life. I'll be working on my collimator this evening to try to get it in shape. Subscribed!

Great tutorial. Instead of two right angle brackets, I improvised by taping a pair of identical and long steel socket drivers together side by side, forming a rigid straight “valley” on which to spin the collimator. I then pointed the laser at a precise point on a distant neighbour’s house at night - after first reassuring him that no Russian snipers were afoot.

@OmniversalInsect

3 жыл бұрын

wouldn't you be able to do the same thing by just placing it into the telescope and looking at the primary mirror?

@irfanrashid2114

3 жыл бұрын

@@OmniversalInsect We need at least 6 ft distance between the collimator and the wall to be able to do it easily, i guess in the telescope, we dont have that much distance usually, and there is focuser slop as well.

thank you that was very helpful and I am looking forward to looking through a properly collimated telescope for the first time

thank you. I'm ashamed to admit I have never done this, but have used a lazer collimator a thousand times. Going to build this jig and do this now.

Excellent tutorial, you make it so concise & straightforward. Thank you!

Best video so far as how to collimate your collimator

Excellent Idea and method. Subscribed ! Well done Chap.

I was looking for a video on how to properly use the collimator and I found yours. Now I'm collimating my collimator instead of my telescope. Double the work because of you ! Glad I learned that my tool wasn't reliable before trying to use it. You're the first I found talking about something that is obviously essential to a good collimation. Thanks !!

@MikeyJ

5 жыл бұрын

narno26 nice! Not sure if that’s a compliment or a complaint 😉

@HollomanUFOLanding

4 жыл бұрын

@@MikeyJ It's a colliment ;)

Brilliant video thanks. I have a laser collimator being delivered today, never used one before so this is perfect.

Thank you sir, for us beginner's this stuff really helps.

Great video and gets right to the points needed to get the job done.

Very clear simple explanation ! you have helped myself & I think many others ! 10/10

I just received my Astromania Alignment 1.25" Next Generation Laser Collimator a few hours ago. First thing I did per your suggestion was Col The Col ;). However all I used was right angle of the counter top with its vertical backsplash. Was perfect, no movement. Then got to work. It was very close to collimation already, but to the laser perfect into the primary mirror donut 'thingy' then adjust the primary mirror to make the laser disappear into the center black hold of the collimator. Still a great video! Now all i need is a stinkin' clear night.

Thank you for making this video. I only am getting started looking up, am learning something new every day. Until I saw this, I didn't know that my laser would need alighment.

Really useful, straight to the point

Best video ever! I had shied away from using a laser collimator due to accuracy. Who new the collimator itself needed collimation!? Ordered one now; will be here Saturday and I can now collimate my Zhumell z130. Cheers!

Great video with easy instructions! Thanks!

Very useful information. I was able to crudely attempt this with four dinner forks pressed against each other instead of the right-angle brackets lol.

Greatest vidéo about this question. Well done and thanks!

Brilliant and simple! Thankyou so much!

Clear and concise, great to watch thank you. Looking forward to more videos, I also have the Skywatcher 150 and eq3-2 mount and would be interested in a short collimation video if possible as most are either overly complicated or poorly explained. Atb and happy new year!

@MikeyJ

7 жыл бұрын

Thanks Paul, I will see what I can do 😉

@dgodiex

6 жыл бұрын

here -> kzread.info/dash/bejne/anttmrSNgJnQkrw.html

Nice straight forward video that needed to be done no matter what the semantic nitpicks have the say. Big win for you and those with crooked laser tools that don’t work right. Thanks!

@MikeyJ

6 жыл бұрын

thanks Todd, new Collimation vid should be posted next weekend :)

Excellent explanation and presentation.

Great little video. Thanks for this valuable info. For Christmas I got a 7 in. MAK and a personal tour of Mt Wilson Observatory both of which I look forward to use if this weather ever improves!!

@MikeyJ

7 жыл бұрын

thanks, that 180pro is a nice piece of kit, although I heard it takes a long time to settle to temperature. The 2" Back plate is an advantage over the 5", giving you more options for add ons. The Mt Wilson tour will be great, for sure, I am quite envious ;-)

I like this idea and I could also see using some roller bearings in this jig. 608-2RS type used in skate boards.

Thanks , good explanation

Awesome video! Thank you for the info! Now to make a jig :)

Thank you for your video. Saved me buying another one

Thank you very much for this video. I have both a laser and cheshire collimator. When I collimated with the cheshire and had my collimation perfect, I then tried the laser and it was always out of collimation with the laser. I have now collimated my laser and both the laser and cheshire both show perfect collimation

@johnwriterpoet1783

3 жыл бұрын

I can't get my collimator adjusted. Did you have trouble?

I think opening a book to the middle would give you the platform to rotate the collimator.

Hey there, i was looking for a simple but exact way to test the collimation laser. With your V-block you sealed the deal. Nice and useful video... Thanks a lot. „Like“ and shout outs from Germany! :)

Thank you for the good explanation 😋

superb - simple and easy, thanks!

Great idea... I made one close to your design.. Mine was making a 1' circle.. Took an hour to get it right.. Thnx

Literally watched this new years eve/day 2022....thanks for the video dude going to revert to this once I get my collimator from amazon on 3rd of Jan....... p.s happy new year !!!

The only suggestion I would make if yours are as far off as mine was, is to clean out the holes as best you can , then remove the three 2 mm set screws completely so you can get the Allen wrench to fit the screws well, and get the rest of the black silicone out of the holes! That way you can be sure the wrench is engaging the screws, then make your adjustments! Mine made about a circle about 15cms! Wish they would Collimate these things at the factory , but I guess it takes time!!

fantastic and easy to follow thx

Super helpful, thank you!

Thanks man, exactly what i was looking for, i got new colimating tool and it looks bit off at first look, not shore about it but the target on the tool sits quiet funky at its place. But now i know how to check it out. Thanks

Thanks I just got my first scope with laser collimator included. Laser is definitely out of collimation. Looking forward to first night of viewing stars

Very Good thank you from Venezuela...

Thank you! Great video. What is the appropriate tolerance? I adjusted my laser collimator to 21 minutes of arc (0.75" @ 120"). Is that enough?

Thank you!

I've used fingernail polish to hold the heads of small screws in electronics equipment. That may or may not work here, but it's easy to clean out. Thanks for the video.

Brilliant!

Great video thanks for the help.

@MikeyJ

6 жыл бұрын

Ross Graham, you’re welcome 😉

Thank you so much!

Thanks for the video, good job. I also have an SVBONY (dumb name by the way) what size Allen wrench is required to turn the Allen Bolts on the Collimator? Just saw a comment that mentioned 2 mm, is this correct? Never mind, It IS 2mm.

Awesome thanks!

Thanks for the ideas. I made one of these jigs to hold the collimator and it worked well. In test the arrangement, I was not too sure if the label was having an effect on the alignment as I rotated the collimator and so I removed it. I also got the feeling that only two or the three screws was doing any alignment adjustment and that the third screw was an alignment 'lock' screw. I could be wrong, but IF I am correct, this 'lock' screw corresponded to the "0" position (off) - I obviously don't know if this applies to all collimators. The hint to use the numbers to remember which screw you're adjusting is a good one.

@MikeyJ

4 жыл бұрын

Thanks Craig... I re-did the collimation a coupledom weeks ago and came to your exact same conclusions...removed the label, and noticed that only two screws seem to move the beam, so a locking screw could be right! The other thing I did this time around was use a woodworking clamp to stop any movement of the jig, much more repeatable result. Thanks for the feedback 😊

@Green_House

2 жыл бұрын

@wictro Thanks 🙂

I just use the box it comes in. The box has plastic molded to the collimator so it keeps it pretty steady. I don’t think there’s any need to make any jig or really anything at all.

Thanks for this, I will make some v blocks, or drilled out circle blocks, from some wood offcuts

Nice video. Thanks! I love you little right angle gig. Excellent.

@MikeyJ

7 жыл бұрын

hehe..thanks Ron, it's certainly not 'over-engineered', but does the job

In mm , what type of allen key should i use ? I hv the exact same laser like u... Plz mention sir

thank you so much! Mine had a label covering the screws so at first i assumed i just needed to buy another. kind of silly looking back lol

I ended up collimating my f5/newt with just a Cheshire. Cost me about 40 quid. Would have plumped for a laser one, but people told me the Cheshire would suffice. I was in tears with this. I totally messed it up to start with. I ended up taking off my secondary mirror. To put it back on: no instructions, no measurements. It took me about 3 days. 8 hours a day. One of the most frustrating experiences of my life. I got it done eventually, better than it was, but it was not a nice experience. I've heard good and bad about laser collimators. I don't know. But my Cheshire did the job at the end of the day. It was definitely more accurate than when I started. I'm totally new to this though so it's probably best to ignore anything I say. I still don't think my collimation is absolutely spot on, but it's not bad. I'll know what to do better next time.

@MikeyJ

5 жыл бұрын

123ubuntu666 I suppose ‘no pain no gain’, but it is a bit intimidating to collimate at first. I have both the Cheshire and the laser these days, and only takes about five mins. I sympathise with the secondary though, I actually loosened mine to the point I could hold it in place with my fingers, to get it looking square in the focus tube first time. Must get that video up on KZread..

@123ubuntu666

5 жыл бұрын

Yeah, it's a learning curve. It will be easier next time. Look forward to any new vids you have on Eye Pieces. Cheers.

Good video but fell short on explanations... Did you tighten or loosen that hex bolt? Did it lower or raised the beam? If you loosen did you tighten on the opposite side?

Thank you

Oh thank god the lathe in the garage now has a job. :)

Thank you 👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻

What do you do when the laser is going in a medium sized circle and you can’t get it to go smaller

Why not just put it into the telescope without tightening the screws then rotate it?

Does it matter which screws you tighten/loosen?

I used 4 small caster wheels screwed into a short piece of 2x6 to hold my laser.

Hello good video.. but ive used this and all mirrors inline but i can only see the secondary mirror nothing else is this right ...please help many thanks

@MikeyJ

3 жыл бұрын

Hi Darren, thanks. I think you speak about the actual collimation of the scope rather than the laser. There are some good videos out there on that, but a couple of comments from me: when you look down the focus tube at the secondary, you should see it as a perfect sphere, directly under the focuser (use a cheshire or sight tube for this). Also, the main mirror needs to have a centering ring on it to do accurate collimation, and it sometimes helps to put some card behind the secondary, so you can distinguish between the reflections. Search for 'Astro Baby's collimation guide' its a good help

Since it's fast to do with the right setup, wouldn't it make sense for the company that manufactures it to do so before shipping it? Or is that too much work for a mass produced product? Or maybe their alignment is changed during shipping?

@MikeyJ

Жыл бұрын

Everyone I know that checked their Laser found it needed a tweak. I'm sure a Hotek or Farpoint won't need it, but cheap Chinese ones... You pay your money and make your choice!

What size allen key? Those rubber keyholes are pain to scratch out.

@MikeyJ

7 жыл бұрын

Hi Jeff, your right, i used a small 'jewelers' screwdriver for that. As for the Allen key, i am not sure, 2mm or mabe 1.5mm but did you check the collimation first? it might not need adjusting

@nathanielhall3764

6 жыл бұрын

Jeff Lucas 2mm

Maybe I'm missing something because I'm kind of new at all this but I am also a hobbyist machinist and so I am familiar with pretty much everything having to do with making jigs and using tools to square things and I'm always concerned.about making sure my tools are dialed in. But since a collumater has a window on the side of it to make sure a curved mirror and maybe a 90° secondary are bouncing light back up the center of the tube does it also stand to reason that placing the collumater on a flat mirror should cause the beam to bounce once and if the collumater is collumated, the beam should behave in EXACTLY the same way? If not, the laser won't bounce back straight and will then need to be adjusted...I just press mine up against the bathroom mirror.

@MikeyJ

2 жыл бұрын

Hi Christopher, well that’s a pretty interesting idea, although just two points to consider from my side: the back of my collimator isn’t flat, so not sure how I could get it square, and secondly, well two parts to this, the jig holds the collimator on the same surface as the telescope, so no induced errors there, and the distance amplifies the error, making it easier to adjust and see. But I’m not saying mine is the only way, just a pretty easy and repeatable way to do it. I did think about using a mirror to give a longer distance and therefore a bigger amplification, but it just seemed like diminishing returns going beyond the distance of my room. Thanks, Mike

@christopherleveck6835

2 жыл бұрын

@@MikeyJ no disrespect intended. I made up a jig like yours and i didn't see any wandering of my laser after checking and adjusting it in the mirror in my bathroom. I agree, it has to be flat on the bottom or its not going to work. Also the idea of distance causing some amplification of any issues is also helpful. I think my way is accurate enough on my smaller scopes but I did see a tiny movement when using your method and that could make a difference when working with my 17.5" Dobsonian. Interesting thing happened while trying to null that last tiny bit out though. It turns out it was so minute that I only made it worse trying to correct it. So it did allow me to see the very small inaccuracy but it turns out I had actually corrected it to a level that was probably ok with a quick bathroom break. What was better with your method is the direction you need to adjust is much easier to determine and much more intuitive than bouncing a laser around so close to itself and I found myself making my adjustments in the wrong direction the first and every other move after that correction. Anyway thanks for getting back to me I had walked away from this thinking I had it sorted out and you made me rethink it. The viewing through my B.A.T. scope was noticeably improved....

Didnt have to do that with mine.. its spot on (no pun)

@tudorzapciroiu6931

4 жыл бұрын

what laser collimator do you own?

Going to attempt this myself tomorrow. Is this something that needs to be redone often? I hope not, looks tricky.

@MikeyJ

2 жыл бұрын

Should be fine…I checked it every few months..but doesn’t change, at least on mine. Good luck with it 👍🏼

I have that same collimator, but the battery is dead. How in blazes do you change the battery in the bloody thing?

@MikeyJ

4 жыл бұрын

unscrew the end cover...cr2032 battery :)

@stanburton6224

4 жыл бұрын

@@MikeyJ hadca derp moment. Unit shipped without battery and the battery holder was not a design that instantly screamed "battery holder" to me and the instructions were non-existent.

About to buy a used reflector. It's sort of important to actually appear like I know what I'm doing so I can say, "you've never collimated it in how long?". If seller don't have collimator or eyepieces I'm knocking a $75-hole in his asking price. Thanks.

@MikeyJ

4 жыл бұрын

Lol Mike, nice negotiation tactics 😉👍🏻

February 2023… and my ebay purchase doesn’t have any Allen key adjustment holes 😢

Thanks M8, just ordered from opticsplanet.com. Happy New Year

@MikeyJ

7 жыл бұрын

Nice Jeff. I will have a go at a collimation video at some point. One thing with a laser is that it doesn't help align the secondary mirror for out of square, (so rotated off the axis). There are a couple of vids out there that deal with this, but i want to get that part sorted in my head first. in the meantime, when you look down the focus tube at the secondary, without an eyepiece present, it should look near circular, rather than oval.

How do you know the your wooden bracket contraption is perfectly level?

@MikeyJ

6 жыл бұрын

Hi Petra, it doesn’t matter if it’s level or not. The important thing is that it is stable as you rotate the collimator, you are only checking alignment. Thanks for watching 😊

@PetraKann

6 жыл бұрын

thanks for that.

Absolute pain in the butt the first time you do it. These videos just don't explain it perfectly. What a lot of these videos don't clearly mention, or don't mention enough is these aren't adjuster screws really. They are 3 screws that hold the laser in place. When you loosen one, you have to tighten the other side to compensate. Your end goal is to have the laser centered AND all 3 screws tight. If they aren't tight, the laser will move around.

Hi, my laser collimator has rubber holes please help

@MikeyJ

5 жыл бұрын

HDono hi, the screws are often covered by some rubber filler, you will need to scrape it out... but maybe check the collimation first as it might be ok?

@hdono8542

5 жыл бұрын

MikeyJ It is a little off, but now I scraped the rubber properly and I see a little hexagon hole. Is that where you put the Allen wrench and adjust the collimator?

@MikeyJ

5 жыл бұрын

HDono that’s it 😊

Pretty sad when you purchased a product and it's out of alignment itself when that's its soul purpose is to align other products. Kinda grinds my gears

@MikeyJ

5 жыл бұрын

True, there are of course products out there with guaranteed collimation, but they cost 5~10 times more than the mass produced ones. You still need to check them all from time to time in case it’s been knocked out of alignment, so the technique is still useful. Thanks for watching, clear skies

@Wub892

5 жыл бұрын

@@MikeyJ I guess yeah its probable.

It really irks me that, that in my case it was Meade, feels the need to sabotage adjusting their collimators. I've tried several times to dig the gunk out of the holes so I could reach the allen heads. Telescopes are designed to be adjusted, why on Earth do they create an adjustment device that isn't? Makes no sense.

@MikeyJ

6 жыл бұрын

J R's Place agreed, just a little more thought would have made it secure but adjustable

@desijrichert

3 жыл бұрын

I mean, I could see if they actually made sure the Collimator was aligned before they sealed the holes but not even bothering then not letting you adjust it? That is just CRIMINAL!

The next step is to collimate the v block

@austinseph1

4 жыл бұрын

"How to collimate the collimator of the collimator"

@alexwang982

3 жыл бұрын

@@austinseph1 haha

Why don't you just rotate it when it's in the telescope? You will see the dot move around on the dot at the back of the mirror?

@MikeyJ

3 жыл бұрын

True, but the mirror is only 1.2m away, the extra distance gives you more resolution for the adjustment?

@johnybaby2

3 жыл бұрын

@@MikeyJ Maybe :)

I'm so sorry but i was looking for the video on how to measure my tape measure.

@MikeyJ

3 жыл бұрын

:-)

@rosskstar

3 жыл бұрын

@@MikeyJ You were a great help. I bought a Z12" off Craigslist for $500 - images not sharp, otherwise decent shape. I finally checked the collimator with your method and it was way off and had to adjust both mirrors. I bet not a few great deals can be found on scopes with a wonky collimator.

@rosskstar

3 жыл бұрын

and "Search for Jehovah while he may yet be found" - we're getting down to it now, not much time to mess around anymore. JW on the web = ORG

Call me stupid, but shouldn’t you look at the rotation at say 400mm (length of scope)? You wouldn’t see that error like you do 10-15’ away.

Please help me. I can't get a laser into my mind. The bigger the circle, the bigger I am. I'm not good at English, so I asked google to translate my words

@MikeyJ

4 жыл бұрын

Hi Toan, I'm not sure to understand you :( We need the circle to be small or non existent when the laser is rotated, so that we know the laser is aligned on the axis of the body... hope that helps?

@ToanNguyen-cf9vk

4 жыл бұрын

Thank you MikeyJ

I could not align collimator no matter how many times I tried. I will send it back.

@MikeyJ

3 жыл бұрын

They vary a lot John, but at a 1/4 of the price of the ‘reputable’ ones, there has to be something that gives in terms of quality

But how do I collimate a laser collimator collimator?

i just rolled the collimator on a table

Why does he tut so much when he talks?

Thank you!