Advanced CT Laser Collimator Manual (V9.0 =OH=) Page 7 of 20
5.1. Center Aim your Telescope to the Collimator
With the collimator switched to mode 1, the laser crosshair (a single-point light source) is emitted from the center of the
collimator into the telescope and reflected back to the collimator target plate. With a diffuser strip installed over the crosshair
laser, the primary mirror reflects a filled cone-shaped beam back onto the collimator’s target plate as a donut shaped beam
(the secondary mirror shadow is in the center of the beam). Adjust the donut until it is concentric with an equal-sized printed
ring on the target. This step centers the telescope’s primary mirror’s optical axis to the center of the collimator center crosshair
laser and collimator face printed target cross pattern.
a. Place one of the provided diffuser strips (matte-finish tape) over the center crosshair laser (mode 1) in the center of the
target plate to diffuse the laser crosshair into a donut shaped beam.
b. Use the telescope’s fine adjustment knob or its hand control to center the donut light beam until the donut pattern is
concentric with an equal or similar-sized ring on the target plate.
c. Unless you are very familiar with your telescope aiming control, it is recommended that you line up one axis at a time, e.g.,
adjust telescope for vertical Up/Down (Up/Dn), then horizontal Left/Right (L/R).
Adjust Up/Dn until the donut moves, and the top and bottom of the donut as the same distance to one of the target rings,
then adjust L/R until the light beam L/R sides are equal in distance to the same target ring.
d. Iterate
Step 5.1.c
until the donut light beam and collimator target plate ring are as concentric and centered as possible.
Donut is off from ring 1
Donut is centered
5.1.a. Alternate Method to Achieve Step 5.1, Telescope Alignment - With the diffuser
strip removed you can use the outer edge tips only of the laser crosshair lines instead of the
outer diameter of the donut to line up with an equal-sized (or similar) ring on the target plate.
That is using the laser crosshair tips only instead of diameter, and move the telescope until
the crosshair tips are concentric with a ring on the target plate. (With the diffuser strip in
place, the donut beam masks the crosshair itself but not the location of the crosshair tips
which is of value to prevent confusion with the next
Step, 5.2
.)
Continue the Alternate Method
Step 5.1a
by performing
Step 5.1.b, .c, & .d
above to
complete this step.
NOTE – For Alternate
Step 5.1.a
, telescope alignment, it can help to visualize a box around the crosshair that is perpendicular to
and just touching the outer edge tips of the laser crosshair lines, then move within this imaginary box with respect to the chosen
target plate circle until the target circle is centered inside the box. The crosshair lines need not be centered on the printed target
cross, and at this point, they probably are not. See photo illustration. (The exact position of the laser crosshair lines with respect to
the center of the collimator printed target cross is adjusted in the following
Step 5.2
, Collimator alignment.)
FIG. 2A
Aim Telescope at Collimator,
Diffuser strip installed
Vertical offset