Dropped $80 on a laser collimator for my telescope and it made things worse

So I got this cheap laser collimator off Amazon to align my Dobsonian mirror. Thought it would be a quick fix. Ended up spending two hours chasing a dot that kept drifting because the collimator itself wasn't collimated. What a mess. Felt like I was going in circles. Finally just used a collimation cap that a guy at the local astronomy club lent me. That worked way better. Anyone else have trouble with those budget laser things?

2 comments

2 Comments

taylorhunt23d ago

That "chasing a dot that kept drifting" part is your real clue to what went wrong. Most cheap laser collimators have plastic threads or a sloppy spring mechanism that lets the laser shift around just by gravity or a bump. A collimation cap is just a hole in a cap, there's nothing mechanical to slip, so it's more dependable even if it's less precise.

veramiller22d ago

Yeah but @taylorhunt, is a cap really better than a bad laser?

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