8
Collimating the optical systems
Although the optics in your telescope were carefully collimated in our quality control department prior to leaving
our facility, we recommend collimating the telescope after reassembly. The whole procedure is straightforward
and should takes only a few minutes after reassembly, if you have numbered your trusses and reassemble your
telescope the same way it had been assembled.
The collimation of the telescope is done in three steps:
Rough Collimation
Collimating the secondary mirror:
If the telescope is collimated you should see the concentric images of your eye, the secondary mirror, the main
mirror and the focuser.
To test rough collimation:
1. Remove the eyepiece from the focuser and look through the focuser draw tube. The secondary mirror should
appear round. If the secondary mirror does not appear round, tilt it with the three collimation screws that are
located on the back side of the secondary mirror holder.
2. Next check the reflection in the secondary mirror of the middle point of the main mirror, which is marked by
a tiny black doughnut on the mirror. If the reflection of the mark on the main mirror is not in the center of the
secondary mirror, center it by using the three collimation screws.
1: Draw tube barrel
2: Primary mirror
3: 4 vanes of secondary mirror holder
4: Secondary mirror
5: Your eye
Collimation
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Netonian reflecting telescope. Spider vanes (1); secondary mirror (2); parabolic primary mirror (3); primary mirror adjustment screws (4); focuser drawtube (5); focused image (6).
Secondary Mirror Assembly (front and side view).
Spider vanes (1); tilt screws (2); secondary mirror holder (3).
Spider vanes (1); secondary mirror (2); focuser drawtube (3);
focused image (4).
Secondary Mirror Assembly (front and side view). Spider
vanes (1); tilt screws (2); secondary mirror holder (3).
Netonian reflecting telescope. Spider vanes (1); secondary mirror (2); parabolic primary mirror (3); primary mirror adjustment screws (4); focuser drawtube (5); focused image (6).
Secondary Mirror Assembly (front and side view).
Spider vanes (1); tilt screws (2); secondary mirror holder (3).
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