Which telescope does not need collimation?

Refractor telescopes
Refractor telescopes are permanently collimated at the factory and therefore should never require collimation. In general, reflector telescopes are prone to go out of collimation, especially when carried in your car.

Do you need a collimation cap?

For most people, a simple collimation cap is fine. For collimation I use either a Cheshire or laser to position the secondary mirror (something that rarely needs adjustment) and a simple collimation cap for tweaking the primary. That’s it.

What happens if telescope is not collimated?

If your telescope is not properly collimated, it will be impossible to properly focus, no matter the sky conditions.

Do reflector telescopes need collimation?

Certain designs — reflectors and Schmidt-Cassegrain telescopes, or SCTs — require collimation every time you set up. Refractors are factory aligned, and due to their fixed lens, they hold collimation well.

How do you light collimate?

To produce collimated light you can either place an infinitesimally small source exactly one focal length away from an optical system with a positive focal length or you can observe the point source from infinitely far away.

How do you test for collimation?

The best way to check collimation is with a star, either real or artificial

Pick a bright star, any star. This is Sirius.
Point your telescope at the star.
Slowly defocus the star until you start to see a diffraction pattern of concentric circles (see below).
Analyze the diffraction pattern.

How much does a 200p Dobsonian telescope weigh?

The boxed weights are a total of 27KG, (2 boxes, 15KG and 12KG) this will include the packaging and accessories. Allowing for this it will be around 26KG in total. The 200P dobsonian is designed so you can carry the base out and then the telescope, its very easy to sit the telescope in the base once outside.

How are the altitude bearings on the Skywatcher 200p?

As opposed to the simple Teflon strips of a traditional Dobsonian’s altitude bearings, the SkyWatcher 200P uses handle/knobs sticking out the side which are screwed through the rockerbox onto the optical tube assembly. The altitude bearings can be tightened or loosened by twisting the handles.

Is the collimation process the same in a Newtonian telescope?

This is a common enough fast reflector and the collimation process is essentially the same for any Newtonian telescope. Where there are differences between a fast scope and a slow (high f number) scope I have provided text and pictures to highlight the differences.

Which is the best way to collimate a telescope?

To collimate the telescope it should be aimed towards a bright but not glaring surface such as a well lit pale painted wall or fabric in order to get a good image in the telescope and the Chesire should be arranged so that its shiny angled surface gets a good light. Cheshire @ Amazon Tips before you start …..