Collimate a Telescope without a Cheshire

[@GarthGoldberg]

Thank you for making this topic simple and easy to follow.

[@dankahraman354]

In the very first step you are completely blocking view of the primary mirror by the larger sheet of paper of a slightly different colour while a smaller strip of paper is directly opposite the focuser laying inside the tube and under the secondary mirror. You then take a picture and use a small fine scale ruler to determine that the secondary mirror is centred in the focuser. Very clever. Much appreciated. Thank you!

[@ThePred2009]

i had this telescope a few years ago its a great scope. i used a laser collimator its pretty easy to use

[@jefftrvecvlt1819]

Even if the laser is collimated itself, the play in the focuser and the tightness of the screws can easily offset the laser. Did you experience this issue?

[@hakksaw]

I have experienced that wobble while using a laser collimator. Especially with the standard 2/1.25” adapter. I have used a Glatter “Parallizer” which I purchased a decade ago to help each time I collimate. Even use it with alot of my 1.25” EPs. I simply make sure whatever accessories that Im using are snug and just go with that. Even with a laser collimator in a secured position there will still be a little play but not enough to affect the views, at least not that I could tell. All my star tests looks concentric and tight. Crisp planetary and moon views at high power as well. On good nights of course. Currently viewing with a 10 yr old Apertura AD10. I did do a quick roll type test to make sure the laser itself was throwing a straight line. Only needed some minor primary adjustments from time to time. Cheers.

[@jamesbondaygee]

antares laser i got was out and couldn't really centre it even at 2 hours of adjusting allen key bolts

[@eric.grondin.974]

Excellente démonstration de collimation . Merci monsieur !

[@madMARTYNmarsh1981]

If you're looking for a laser collimation tool I highly recommend the model made by Baader planetarium. It costs a bit more than other laser collimators but it is a superior tool, well worth the money.

[@MrZizilis]

Many thanks for this video Michael, extremelly easy to understand newtonians collimation the way you demonstrate and explain each step...very well done!!!

[@dragonseps8058]

That collimator cap is a brilliant idea 😊 👍

[@GarnettLeary]

Nice video. I made a collimation cap from the focuser plug by poking a hole in its center. I go without tools also. The paper trick is new to me. Never thought of it.

[@anannyosamayel1350]

How did you make sure that the hole was in the centre? I'm having troubles

[@cart1089]

What a cop out. All us cheap skates are here because we don't want to spend any money. Props for being the first Murican to say Cheshire properly.

[@NewAstronomer]

XD Thanks!

[@jamesbondaygee]

That was a pretty nice demonstration. I have a 12 inch celestron at our school here, but the secondary mirror does not look perfectly circular. Should it be? When I loosen the center screw and try to make it more circular, tightening the screw again makes it more elliptical again. In particular show exactly what it is and where you are taking measurements of the secondary mirror? Where exactly are you measuring from the edge of the tube along the spider veins to the Secondary Mirror on each side?

[@tley7203]

Finally after watching dozens of videos on this subject, yours made since was easy to understand. Thank you

[@GG-rs8dw]

This is a very easy-to-understand video that captures the points of correcting the optical axis of the Newtonian telescope. Japanese subtitles can also be displayed by automatic translation, so I will introduce this video in Japan as well. ニュートン式反射望遠鏡の光軸修正のポイントを押さえた非常に分かり易い動画です。自動翻訳により日本語字幕も表示できるので、日本でもこの動画を紹介しようと思います。

[@hansmeier1608]

Good! My english is to simple for your explanings but you are all what you explain also showing in practice, so it's good to understand. Please show also a complete adjustment that is needed after demontage/montage.

[@roninalienman]

Thanks for the useful and simple video. Well done.

[@FredrickYoung]

Thank you for posting this video. You explained the collimating process for a Newtonian telescope very well.

[@4mikeyd]

Thank You For Sharing. Clear Skies!

[@MichaelBernardo]

+michael defrancesco Thanks!

[@michaelarocha7070]

nice video, I'm learning! ☺ planning to buy Celestron PowerSeeker 127EQ for my 3 yr old son and for the family. I think this is the decent model to start stargazing.

[@ricardandres2883]

NO ! Buy a celestron astromaster 130eq. Better mount, tripod, and OTA, for a similar price

[@starboy_66]

Much respect for posting this video,very useful,peace mate!

[@MichaelBernardo]

ÐƎvyd ALex I'm glad you liked it. Thanks for watching.

[@zacattack8]

My 8" meade LX70 Didn't come with anything to collimate it with, and the instruction manual is extremely vague how to go about it. So many different sites and resources say I need a Cheshire or laser collimator but I have no clue what any of those things are. It''s extremely frustrating.

[@MichaelBernardo]

Zachary Gray It looks like the LX70 is a general model that includes refractors, reflectors, and cassegrains. Assuming you have the reflector because it is 8", you should be ok by following the instructions in this video. A cheshire and laser collimators are just tools you need to make collimation easier.

[@JohnnieDoe183]

+Zachary Gray Look up some stuff on collimating using a 'barlowed laser' i.e. A laser collimator, as shown in this video, but with a barlow lens placed in front of it within the focuser. (Often people already have one in their collection, or a barlow may have come with your scope?) It is a *GENIUS* adaptation of the laser collimation technique, and just requires you to have a centre-spotted primary mirror (cheap and easy to do). ...Essentially, *lasers lie!* The laser itself is often not properly collimated, meaning you are collimating your mirror to something which isn't collimated itself - bad idea! (There are other variables too, which cause lasers to 'lie'). This method eliminates those by *diffusing* the laser light into a larger spot/area (because the barlow sits in front of it), and instead of a dot of light, sends back a haze of red laser light, with the shadow/silhouette of your centre spot back to the target on the side of your laser. You then just need to centre this *shadow*, rather than a dot of red light. This method effectively 'ignores' collimation errors in your laser, and slop/wiggle etc. in the focuser tube, making it very very accurate, yet just as easy to do! *Basically it's can yield far more accuracy for no more hassle, and only a tiny bit more money (unless you already have/can borrow a barlow lens!*

[@zacattack8]

+Michael Bernardo How do I collimate the primary mirror without a laser? It has the little black ring to mark the centre. Also I don't have a collimation cap either, and the instructions basically say "Just eyeball" it. The images in my telescope look fine until I use my 5mm lens, then it becomes evident the collimation is off.

[@JohnnieDoe183]

If you don't want to use or buy a laser, try using the complete guide on astro baby's website. Just Google astro baby collimation guide. They suggest either a Cheshire eyepiece or simple collimation cap. All a collimation cap does is force you to look through the focuser centrally. They are dirt cheap and you can even make your own out of a 35mm camera film case! But pretty important for aligning the secondary in the focuser. I believe a sight tube does the same thing. The Cheshire eyepiece usually has a crosshair in it to help you centre your primary mirror centre spot, so you could use this instead of a laser to align the primary. You could eyeball the whole thing, however you will likely find if you then perform a star test that you are probably quite a way off of accurate collimation. Simple £5 or home made collimation cap and a Cheshire will do a very good job. Hope this helps

[@JohnnieDoe183]

Also I kind of lied. Apparently the Barlow laser technique will ignore the focuser tube slop, but not necessarily the collimation of the laser itself. It does not turn a cheap nasty laser into a good one as such!

[@joecolee466]

Great video, just wondering if you know anything about Galileo telescopes? I have a g-102 md2 and a lens fell out of the focusing tube, as best I can tell, it appears to have been glued in. I'm trying to find the correct way of putting it back in. Thanks

My telescope needs a small collimation, but i still not shure if the secondary mirror is the bad one or the primary mirror. I just have a cap.

[@MichaelBernardo]

salvador allende Unless your mirror mounts are damaged, you should be able to collimate it following the steps in the video. Hope it helps.

[@MrSIRDIZZLE]

Sweet that bad boy is coming in today and 1st thing imma do is collimate it.. cant wait..

[@MichaelBernardo]

Floyd Dizzle That's great. Let me know how the collimation went.

[@gregzade7459]

The spider vane screws which are attached to the telescope have been loosened Does the spider vane need to be adjusted or aligned and how do you center it again?

[@anthonybellemare2014]

The red dot is in the good spot but I still see the secondairy mirror when I look at a star. Please help me..

[@emcllns]

Laser itself is not collimated

[@abhinavsaini3512]

try focusing

[@abhinavsaini3512]

It also happened with me

[@DirkDirk1983]

Collimate your laser.

[@slap_my_hand]

Can't you do all those steps with the laser collimator?

[@cryptojihadi265]

No. A laser won't help you center the secondary mirror with the eyepiece. A laser will then mislead you into thinking you have perfect collimation when in reality it's wayyy off.

[@CountCarbsNotCals]

What happened to the gap between the top portion and bottom of scope, isn't that usually just open space.

[@jack002tuber]

I think there is a missing step. After the primary is aligned you want to tighten all the small screws on the end again, right?

[@willpesek984]

step one ? step two have a bunch of weird colored papers nobody has. step three: just use your iphone to align, didnt work, cut to still frame to show a photo of when it worked lol. step 4. use a laser to confirm. ill never get those minutes of my life back.

[@jack002tuber]

Step 6, post a reply 2 years later

[@SNEAKY_VISION]

I learn alot from this page

[@jford5908]

Isnt a laser Collimate a kind of cheshire?

[@MichaelBernardo]

+John Ford Yes, they both serve the same purpose.

[@jford5908]

I gave up in the end. Getting a 6" refractor instead.

[@TankR]

@@jford5908 gotta look up tool-less collimation, the final adjustment should be looking at an out of focus star and fine tuning the primary.

[@madMARTYNmarsh1981]

You said Cheshire correctly the first time. In England we say shire more like sheer.

[@serenityjoe86]

Or "shr"

[@1mdweldor]

Good job in the video, but I fell asleep halfway through, you voice is very calm lol 😊 🙏

[@MichaelBernardo]

😊 thank you

[@davidjin9491]

Help help my telescope just falled from the stand but I checked the mirrors haven't broke or any scratches but I need help on the first step my the collimating cap please reply when I see stars there I see the cross and the secondary mirror in the way what do I do help please tell me

[@bernardogonzalez8870]

Hello. How you made to cover the telescope on the sides?

[@MichaelBernardo]

+Bernardo Gonzalez I made the light shroud using a custom-cut upholstery and velcro. You can read more about how I made it here: newastronomer.com/diy-custom-shroud-for-12-sky-watcher-flextube/

[@dallascrofton5957]

Hi very nice demonstration im also very keen on the universe been using binoculars were you can use both eyes. Very welldone from Dallas in Gloucestershire.allways wanted to meet a asian person with the same interest as myself.

[@starboy_66]

It must be really brown paper ? Anything else i can use ? I just bought the same telescope,except mine is 8"

[@MichaelBernardo]

ÐƎvyd ALex No, it doesn't have to be any particular color as long as it creates a contrast so that you can see where the edge of the tube is. I hope that helps.

[@lexaaa3396]

Hello! I would like to ask for your help regarding my scope. I bought this surplus telescope online and I was so excited to use it but I couldn't see anything except for that blob of light :cry: I am using a 7-21mm zoom eyepiece. Things I've done: 1. Adjusted the focus knob and the magnification of my zoom eyepiece 2. Cleaned the mirrors 3. Tried collimating the scope 4. Tried an ordinary eyepiece 5. set the eyepiece at 7mm and pull the eyepiece outward by removing from the holder while staring at it. But still no changes. Maybe there's a problem with my primary mirror? Am I missing something here? Thank you in advance.

[@jonkennedyfederation]

i hoped you could help... I am seeing perfectly ROUND stars but I can see the crosshairs from the scope .. i have collimated my newtonian 150/750 many times with laser collimator to perfect precision! HELP!

[@PuneetBanga26Aug]

Hi, I am from India , recently i have bought Orion xt8 Classic Dobsonian. Couple of days back while using telescope , my 25 mm plossl eyepiece botton metal part accidentally hit primary mirror and small black coat inside of metal part of eyepiece stick to primary mirror. By 25mm eyepiece while watching moon , it look good. But using barlow 2X n 25mm eyepiece to see Jupiter on full zoom , not sure but i think that black coat scratch on primary mirror is shown in eyepiece. Please let me know, What to do: Does it really effect on light gathering. Do i need to clean it , if yes please tell me simple way, as i am first time user. Or it wouldn't effect the view.

[@TheRealBrook1968]

Excellent

[@pzampella]

Hello! I've been trying to collimate my telescope for a couple of days unsuccessfully. The primary mirror is in place, and the secondary mirror is center under the focuser. The problem is that the reflexion of the tube on the secondary mirror is not centered. I have a couple pictures where you can see it. Could you tell me where can I send those pictures so you can see it and give me your opinion? Thanks!

[@SurCanal]

Very interesting.. well done..Thanks for sharing...

[@MichaelBernardo]

SurCanal You're welcome. Thanks for watching.

[@HollomanUFOLanding]

Thanks Michael for another great video. Is there a laser or other tool that can be used for step 1, collimating the secondary mirror with the eyepeice focuser? I don't want to employ the paper method and I don't have a smartphone :)

[@MichaelBernardo]

Yes, you can use a cheshire.

[@dyson3540]

Thanks Michael, really good demo.

[@MichaelBernardo]

Thank you.

[@wwaqashussain]

My question is that when I connect SynScan to mount, i get message on that No mount detected, start in standalone mod I bought bk mak127(1.25 )+ az synscan two days ago, first day it was working and mount was rotating around now what could be the possible reason for this error message.

[@MichaelBernardo]

Waqas Hussain Sorry, but I don't have experience with SynScan. Perhaps, one of the more experienced viewers can chime in and help. Or you could contact the store or manufacturer for support since you bought it just 2 days ago.

[@wwaqashussain]

thanku for ur reply, it is fixed already :)

[@predattak]

How did you make the light shroud ?

[@MichaelBernardo]

Sorry for the late reply. I have moved to a new channel called "New Astronomer": www.youtube.com/@NewAstronomer I made the light shroud from a piece of dark fabric and velcro. More details can be found here: newastronomer.com/diy-custom-shroud-for-12-sky-watcher-flextube/

[@roideming377]

how do you collimate main mirror without a cheshire?

[@MichaelBernardo]

Roi Deming I took a picture of the secondary through the focuser then made adjustments as necessary.

[@KB2CWN]

Couldn't you have just used the laser to do both? Works fine with me.

[@MichaelBernardo]

KB2CWN I cannot use the laser to align the secondary because the laser collimator does not have a hole in it to see if the secondary mirror is perfectly centred under the focuser. A cheshire does, but I don't have one.

[@_Ciiitron_]

is there a way to do the final step without a laser

[@MichaelBernardo]

You can walk back and forth between the secondary adjustment screws and the focuser tube but it will take you longer. You can also attach a diagonal mirror and point it towards you while you are adjusting those screws but you will need good eyesight. Either way, you will be very difficult out in the field in the dark.

[@MrMaitland79]

i just bought a 8inch dob first one and man am i having problems collimating it my issue is i try to set the secondary im able to get a nice circle and i measured it and its great my problem is when i take the paper out and look the primary mirror is way off is this normal and to i just adjust the primary till i can see it in the secondary or am i doing something wrong when i adjust the secondary and another thing when i bought this he game me what looks like a sighting cheshire its long it has wire cross hairs there a side opening with a 45deg its not laser so how di i set a the primary with it i cant find any videos that set up a dob without a laser just using a old school cheshire

[@MichaelBernardo]

Adam Campbell I think you just need to adjust the primary once you know that the secondary is correctly setup. It does take a lot of practice the first time you collimate. Yes, that is a cheshire that he gave you. But unfortunately, I don't know how to setup a telescope with a cheshire yet. :( But I sure will post a video once I learn how to.

[@MrMaitland79]

Thanks for the fast reply I bought the dob last night and I looked at the moon and stars and it was great but I wanted to see how it all worked iv watched tons of videos on how to remove the spider and how to set up the secondary but once I set the secondary the primary is not in view of the secondary like way off I can only see half of it I never did touch the primary so it's odd it was working last night anyways guess I'll go by a laser if you know of any good videos that use the Cheshire I have plz put a link to it here thanks again

[@MichaelBernardo]

Adam Campbell Adjust the spider's legs so that they are spaced equally from the center. Adjust the secondary's distance from the primary by the center screw until it is directly under the focuser. Adjust the angle of the secondary so that it appears circular (not oval) under the focuser. Finally, adjust the angle of the secondary using the 3 set screws so that you can see the primary's reflection. If you can only see half of it, it needs to be adjusted some more. It does take a lot of patience.

[@MrMaitland79]

thanks for the reply after many hours lol i think i set a new record in the end i did it i have a sky watcher 8inch dob and im wishing i saved my money up for a scope with a better build the parts seem cheap the primary screw adjustment is just sad i felt like they didnt move the mirror enough it could be im just a noob but i dont think so like i said in the end i got it to work but i had trouble with the primary more then the secondary lol they didnt even give me a tool to loosen the locking screws on the primary

[@MrMaitland79]

im definitely going to buy a laser so i can set them primary faster

[@RaysAstrophotography]

Thanks for sharing

[@MrSIRDIZZLE]

Is a celestron 127eq a netonian telescope

[@MichaelBernardo]

Yes it is, and it is on an equatorial mount.

[@TopSecret51]

I have a question that is the name of that telescope how much you paid look nice ..what you see thru that telescope the is not normal

[@dinomash379]

Hey B. I got me a starblast 4.5 and I can't seem to get it align. I find a mountaintop with the main eye piece but the ex finder is way off. What am I doing wrong.. thanks

[@kenworthNH]

Your finder scope should have thumb screws so you can get it pointed at whatever you're looking at.

[@dinomash379]

@@kenworthNH figured it out.. the lens was not leveled.... thanks

[@dinomash379]

@@kenworthNH figured it out.. the lens was not leveled.... thanks

[@kenworthNH]

@@dinomash379 good deal

[@TankR]

But how do you make sure your laser is collimated? if the beam is a few degrees off of the body, itll project a false path

[@hansmeier1608]

Look that the laser is not shaking in the ocular tube, it should have very low tolrence. Otherwise put some thin foil around and put it in, it should match good. Then turn the laser in the tube and look to the donut of the primary mirror. It should stay on a point while turning. If the laser shows a circle, it must get adjusted with the 3 small screws. Very fizzly job.

[@tequijo]

hi hi can you help to me? I have an 8-inch dobson, you would know what the minimum focus distance on the ground is; I am new to this wonderful subject model skywatcher 200/1200 thanks thanks from spain

[@MichaelBernardo]

Hi Pako, sorry, but I don't understand your question.

[@hansmeier1608]

You want to do some observations on earth? You can, it's dependent to your ocular, how low your distance may be. With a 30 mm ocular I can focus at minimum ca. 10-20 m. On my tube (10 inch/1250 mm focal length) it makes about 41 enlarging. Didn't try oculars with lower focal lenth and higher enlargment, I guess they need more distance. Maybe in an good astro shop they will allow you to try this.

[@metayeranthony8942]

Can you say me more about your light shroud on your Skywatcher FlexTube? I think to buy this telescope and i had seen the astrozap solution... good but expensive.

[@MichaelBernardo]

Metayer Anthony I just bought some thick dark material from a local linen store, cut it to the correct dimensions, and had my wife help me sew it. The edges are fixed to the OTA by velcro. It only took 2 hours to make it. Maybe I'll shoot a video about the custom shroud. I've seen the astrozap, while I'm sure it's a good quality product, it would have cost me 10 times more, and 2 week wait time for delivery. Thanks for watching.

[@ArkansasPrepper]

Michael Bernardo I would rely like to see a short video on how it is attached also. Thanks Rick

[@MichaelBernardo]

***** I can make one some time. Thanks for viewing.

[@neilgillmore]

nice scope there bro !!!

[@sala9164]

Great video, man.

[@MichaelBernardo]

Thank you.

[@str8choc]

I JUST ORDERED A MOUNT LIKE THAT. HOW DO YOU LIKE IT FOR ASTROPHOTOGRAPHY ?

[@MichaelBernardo]

I have very little astrophotography experience, but I would not recommend this mount for that purpose. A motorized equatorial mount would be better in my opinion.

[@str8choc]

@@MichaelBernardo 😳 awwww bro your two weeks late!!! lol. yeah i did like the mount becuz when im videoing galaxies i lock it in place. i live upstairs and have passed age 60 😂 so a 50 lb mount i aint tryin to move up n down stairs 🤣 i have like 8 telescopes, the celestron 130, the bigger celestron i305xl goto, both on motorized mounts, i have 4 of the c mounts that are fixed lens models, and a couple table top models

[@JamesHawkins54]

Mine does not have a donute on the primary.

[@hansmeier1608]

You can buy such thing in office shop, it's used for paper to put over the holes to get them stronger. It's needed to take the primary out (use thin cotton gloves), be VERY careful that it can't fall on the ground. Measure the mirror, find the middle (good to repeat several times) and put this hole ring exactly at the middle of the primary. Some fizzling work, have good luck with it! If the mirror has much dust on it, you can clean it in water (only if really necessary). There are some vids that shows it.

WOW I have never collimated before but the other collimation video is way less complicated. No measuring ect..ect. but maybe you are right and the more precise the better I guess.

[@elrob20]

great video thank you

[@TheRjjrjjr]

Nice video, thanks!

[@dummag4126]

The only things you need to have for collimate a telescope is a cheshire and one star!

[@MichaelBernardo]

Thanks for watching. I have moved to a new channel called "New Astronomer".

[@meruldhiman1565]

This is 10" model or 12"

[@lmr834]

+Merul Dhiman 12" "in this video, I demonstrate how I collimate my 12" Sky-Watcher Flextube newtonian telescope on a dobsonian mount without a cheshire. There are 3 basic steps to collimating: 1) Center the secondary under the focuser; 2) Align the secondary to the primary; 3) Align the primary back to the secondary. Visit my website: "

[@basedguns8218]

Holy crap that's a huge telescope

[@DanteLoayza]

Muy buena explicación. Las instrucciones escritas siempre me confundieron, voy a poner en su punto a mi telescopio. ¡Gracias!

[@shadowracer789]

Excellent thankyou

[@spacecatboy2962]

gee wiz, you got the hubble telescope in your living room

[@klmusic9132]

More like the James Webb telescope. XD (Google it if you don't know what is)

[@JasperJanssen]

KL Music the JWST is still a little bigger than this 12”.

[@lucaspeters1463]

took me days to realise that a cheshire isnt a laser collimator, and that the cheshire practiacally has an advanced collimation cap on it. after i collimated correctly i got 10 times better views.

[@str8choc]

THAT'S A 10 INCH RIGHT/?

[@MichaelBernardo]

This was a 12 inch dobsonian.

[@str8choc]

@@MichaelBernardo i have the 10inch

[@str8choc]

@@MichaelBernardo dont know if you seen the raw images i been capturing of vemus, saturn amd jupiter, plus moon, some weird things going on. im new myself. lol

[@albertgalvez2556]

And here I'm collimating my microscope (hides my first telescope).

[@myadventure8832]

My telescope don't have all those screws in the back

[@nadalle]

Some telescopes have a protective plate you need to remove to get at the screws.

[@willpesek984]

so step one is have a bunch of items literally nobody has.

[@deano72]

If I subscribe can I have your scope man. She's a beast

[@exenor6372]

Beggar

[@jakubskorvaga418]

Typ

[@epic_playz4283]

No need to flex the collimater lol

[@ridleyroid9060]

I think imma stick with refractors wtf is all this nonsense