My Telescope Store

AstroZap Artificial Star for Collimation - ASZP033


The artificial star is designed to provide a steady stable reference for star collimation to be used in lieu of an actual star. This device will allow collimation without the worry of star drift or seeing conditions. This very bright small point source of light will provide a consistent brightness and produce beautiful diffraction rings when defocused in any eyepiece.This new and improved design features a brighter 18 000mcd ultra white led focused on a 100 micron precision laser drilled stainless steel aperture.The Importance of Proper CollimationCollimation in its simplest terms is the alignment of the mirrors or other optical surfaces in the telescope. A telescope that is out of collimation will typically not perform as well as a lesser telescope (25-50% less aperture) that is in collimation. If you put the extra money into a larger telescope you are not reaping any benefits of it unless the scope is collimated. Also no telescope will allow you to reach a crisp focus at the high power end unless collimation is perfect. It is well worth the time and effort.The star can be mounted on a table or attached to a standard photo tripod using the -20 adaptor provided on the bottom of the unit.These can be used at star parties to provide a star for everyone. It never moves so there are no tracking or centering issues to worry about. It is unaffected by atmospheric disturbances so you can get an accurate collimation under any seeing conditions.The placement of the star depends on the telescope. For an 8" SCT we recommend approximately 100 feet. The further away from the scope the better until you start loosing contrast in the eyepiece. Indoor use is a possibility although we recommend collimation with the scope in position.The procedure for collimating your particular telescope should be outlined in its manual. Please read the instructions there first. It will tell you the location of the collimation screws and any cautionary notes concerning collimation adjustments.

AstroZap Artificial Star for Collimation - ASZP033-1


The artificial star is designed to provide a steady stable reference for star collimation to be used in lieu of an actual star. This device will allow collimation without the worry of star drift or seeing conditions. This very bright small point source of light will provide a consistent brightness and produce beautiful diffraction rings when defocused in any eyepiece.This new and improved design features a brighter 18 000mcd ultra white led focused on a 100 micron precision laser drilled stainless steel aperture.The Importance of Proper CollimationCollimation in its simplest terms is the alignment of the mirrors or other optical surfaces in the telescope. A telescope that is out of collimation will typically not perform as well as a lesser telescope (25-50% less aperture) that is in collimation. If you put the extra money into a larger telescope you are not reaping any benefits of it unless the scope is collimated. Also no telescope will allow you to reach a crisp focus at the high power end unless collimation is perfect. It is well worth the time and effort.The star can be mounted on a table or attached to a standard photo tripod using the -20 adaptor provided on the bottom of the unit.These can be used at star parties to provide a star for everyone. It never moves so there are no tracking or centering issues to worry about. It is unaffected by atmospheric disturbances so you can get an accurate collimation under any seeing conditions.The placement of the star depends on the telescope. For an 8" SCT we recommend approximately 100 feet. The further away from the scope the better until you start loosing contrast in the eyepiece. Indoor use is a possibility although we recommend collimation with the scope in position.The procedure for collimating your particular telescope should be outlined in its manual. Please read the instructions there first. It will tell you the location of the collimation screws and any cautionary notes concerning collimation adjustments.

HOTECH Advanced CT Laser Collimator - HOTE008-4


Options Explained:There are two option menus you need to select when purchasing this product. First the Model Type asks with or without the adjustment stage. A Tripod is needed for using this set up. Some people have tripods with built in fine adjustment controls and some do not have this feature. The Fine Adjustment Controls are needed for acurate collimation - so a choice is given to buy it with or without this feature.You also have the choice of Model Size. Simply choose 1.25" or 2" focuser for your telescope. This reflector mirror goes into your telescopes focuser and is available in your choice of sizes. "This is a very clever device. By using three perfectly aligned laser beams it simulates the parallel rays coming from a distant star. The beams then pass through the telescope twice to amplify any error in the entire system making even small miscollimation errors readily seen and fixed. David's done his homework on this one coming up with a very ingenious answer to daytime collimation of an SCT." Craig Stark Ph. D. Associate Professor and Founder of Stark Labs & PHD Guiding"We have used the HOTECH Advanced CT Laser Collimator on our CDK Telescope to set the initial primary to secondary collimation with good result. HoTech's elegant design and high quality construction allows for ease of setup and makes this an invaluable tool for collimating a Cassegrain Telescope." Allan Keller PlaneWave Instruments Innovation brings Affortable and Portable Collimation into RealitySince the invention of the Cassegrain Telescope in 1672 by the French sculptor Sieur Guillaume Cassegrain the Cassegrain Telescope has evolved into various derivative designs such as the more popular Ritchey-Chr� tien Dall-Kirkham Schmidt-Cassegrain and Maksutov-Cassegrain. The designs have gained their popularity because of their compact and simple to produce design. With different designs star collimation is and has always been the only effective method to collimate for Cassegrain telescope

Baader Planetarium Laser Colli MKIII Laser Collimator - AAS005


Baader Planetarium has added a unique innovation to the laser collimator. The Laser Colli incorporates a viewable etched viewing plate which can be seen through the back of the laser collimator. This permits collimation of SCTs and small diameter closed tube Newtonians instruments that were difficult or impossible to collimate using a conventional single beam laser collimator.Each collimator is individually lathe aligned for accurate collimation. The one-piece die-cast and machined aluminum housing guarantees a stable alignment. The compact size and lightweight make the Laser Colli an indispensable tool that is handy to keep in anyone's eyepiece box (though we doubt too many will find use as a keychain).

HOTECH Advanced CT Laser Collimator - HOTE008


Options Explained:There are two option menus you need to select when purchasing this product. First the Model Type asks with or without the adjustment stage. A Tripod is needed for using this set up. Some people have tripods with built in fine adjustment controls and some do not have this feature. The Fine Adjustment Controls are needed for acurate collimation - so a choice is given to buy it with or without this feature.You also have the choice of Model Size. Simply choose 1.25" or 2" focuser for your telescope. This reflector mirror goes into your telescopes focuser and is available in your choice of sizes. "This is a very clever device. By using three perfectly aligned laser beams it simulates the parallel rays coming from a distant star. The beams then pass through the telescope twice to amplify any error in the entire system making even small miscollimation errors readily seen and fixed. David's done his homework on this one coming up with a very ingenious answer to daytime collimation of an SCT." Craig Stark Ph. D. Associate Professor and Founder of Stark Labs & PHD Guiding"We have used the HOTECH Advanced CT Laser Collimator on our CDK Telescope to set the initial primary to secondary collimation with good result. HoTech's elegant design and high quality construction allows for ease of setup and makes this an invaluable tool for collimating a Cassegrain Telescope." Allan Keller PlaneWave Instruments Innovation brings Affortable and Portable Collimation into RealitySince the invention of the Cassegrain Telescope in 1672 by the French sculptor Sieur Guillaume Cassegrain the Cassegrain Telescope has evolved into various derivative designs such as the more popular Ritchey-Chr� tien Dall-Kirkham Schmidt-Cassegrain and Maksutov-Cassegrain. The designs have gained their popularity because of their compact and simple to produce design. With different designs star collimation is and has always been the only effective method to collimate for Cassegrain telescope

Orion LaserMate Deluxe Telescope Laser Collimator


With our LaserMate Deluxe you will get perfect alignment of your reflector's optics, and faster than with standard collimators. Precise collimation ensures that you'll enjoy the sharpest possible images. Using the LaserMate Deluxe is a simple one-step procedure. A new rear view port in the anodized aluminum housing lets you see both the emitted and return laser beam spots while standing at the rear of the telescope. Just tweak the scope's collimation screws until the beams overlap in the center of the LaserMate's target pattern. Done! Perfect collimation at lightening speed. Only 4" long, it's easy to stash in your accessory case. Ideal for Newtonians and a must for those with focal ratios of f/5 or lower. Fits any 1.25" eyepiece holder. Includes one CR2032 battery and instructions. One-year limited warranty. This Class IIIA laser product complies with US 21 CFR 1040.10 and 1040.11