Orion 5684 Before You Begin Collimating Using LaserMate Pro, Mirror Under the Focuser

Red laser spot

Figure 8. Place a piece of white paper in front of the open tube. If you see a laser spot on the paper, be careful not to place your eye in that position.

2. 3a. 3b.

Figure 2. Trace the outline of the mirror on the paper.

Figure 3a, 3b. Fold the paper circle in half, and then in half again.

4.	5.	6.
Figure 4. Cut the tip off the paper wedge.
Figure 5. Place the template on the mirror surface and
carefully register its edge.
Figure 6. Affix the ring label to the mirror surface
through the hole in the template.
Figure 7. The primary mirror’s center is now marked,		7.
and it is ready to be reinstalled.

Next, cut out the circle you have just traced with a pair of scissors. Fold the paper circle into quarters by folding the circle precisely in half, and then folding it in half again.

Now, cut about 1/4 inch off the tip of the paper wedge you have created.

Unfold the paper, and you will find that you have a paper template of your mirror with a hole at the center. Make sure the template is still clean; place the paper template over the surface of the primary mirror.

Carefully register the template edge with the edge of the mirror.

Now, take one of the supplied collimation targets and affix it to the center of the mirror’s surface through the hole of the paper template. The center of the primary mirror is now marked, and you can reinstall the primary mirror in the telescope.

Note: For mirror cells that use mirror clips to secure the primary mirror in place, it is important not to over tighten the mirror clips. For Orion reflector telescopes, tighten the mirror clip anchor screws until just snug, and then back off each screw by 1/2 turn. Over tightened mirror clips will put stress on the primary mirror’s fig- ure, and will introduce astigmatism into the optical system as a result.

Before You Begin Collimating Using the

LaserMate Pro

Accurate collimation of your telescope’s optics using the LaserMate Pro will most easily be achieved if you do a rough collimation of the optics with your eye first. This is because if the optics are grossly misaligned, it may be confus- ing to interpret which surfaces the laser is being reflected off of. Refer to your telescope’s instruc- tion manual for the procedure on how to do a rough collimation with your eye.

Note About Centering the Secondary

Mirror Under the Focuser

Centering the secondary mirror under the focuser is an adjustment that can be made with the aid of the LaserMate Pro, but it requires marking the

center of the secondary mirror in the same way the center of the primary mirror was marked. This is generally undesirable due to the large area of the supplied collimation targets compared to the total area of the secondary mirror. Since cen- tering the secondary mirror under the focuser is an adjustment that very rarely, if ever, needs to be done, we recommend simply making this adjustment by eye. Again, refer to the collimation instructions in your telescope’s manual for the procedure on how to do this.

If you wish to use the LaserMate Pro for centering the secondary mirror under the focuser, refer to the appendix section at the end of this manual.

Adjusting the Tilt of the Secondary Mirror

The first collimation adjustment made with the LaserMate Pro will be to adjust the tilt of the secondary mirror. This is performed with the Laser collimator.

Insert the LaserMate Pro into your telescope’s focuser drawtube. Point your opti- cal tube so that it is level with the horizon to limit the play in the eyepiece holder. You want the LaserMate Pro to be “balanced” as possible in the focuser. Secure it in place by lightly tightening the thumbscrew on the drawtube that holds the eyepiece. Then turn the LaserMate Pro on by pressing the red button on the top of the unit until it clicks on.

Before looking into the optical tube, take a sheet of white paper and place it across the front aperture of the telescope. If you see a red laser spot on the sheet of paper, then your telescope is considerably out of collimation (Figure 8). Take note of the position of the red spot, and be careful not to place your eye in that position. Remember, it is safe to view the reflection of the laser beam off mirror surfaces as long as the beam is not directed into your eye.

Look down the front of the optical tube. Remember to keep your eyes clear of any direct reflections of the beam. Notice the red spot on the surface of the

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