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Asking Price
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Condition
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Distance from you
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$89.95
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New
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Description:
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HoTech SCA-Collimator
ALL AMERICAN MADE from American Made Components!
http://www.greatredspot.com/SCA-Collimator.htm
Self-Centering Adapter (SCA)
The HoTech laser collimator separates itself from all the other laser collimators with its innovative self-centering adapter technology (SCA). The mechanism allows precise and repeatable installation in all brands of 1.25" and 2" telescope focusers. All laser collimators in the current market have one fundamental problem - the slop in the adapting mechanism between the laser collimator and the telescope focuser. This problem is clearly recognized and often discussed among astronomers but so far there is no definite solution in the market yet.
The Self-Centering Adapter cleverly eliminates the slop by linearly compressing the built-in rubber rings. By doing this, the diameter of the rings expands to compensate the gap. Because all rings evenly expand radially in diameter from the compression, this automatically centers the laser collimator in the focuser draw tube. The SCA adapter accommodates various brands of adapting focusers which have slightly different manufacturing inside diameters so our laser collimator will be precisely centered for each installment.
Many laser collimator manufacturers give users the wrong impression, “big and heavy means rugged and stable.” Instead, HoTech engineers successfully cut the unnecessary weight on the laser collimator because we understand that additional weight on a telescope (especially open structure Newtonians) will create imbalance and structure sagging. The SCA-Collimator is made with aero-space grade lightweight aluminum material and CNC machined with the tightest tolerances, then sand blasted and anodized to protect from harsh environment. Nothing has been sacrificed while you get a long lasting state-of-the-art collimation instrument.
The faceplate viewer helps to display the returning laser spot with a clear visual reference during adjustment. The faceplate allows you to align your primary mirror from the rear of the telescope eliminating traveling to the front of your scope repeatedly during collimation.
HoTech understands the importance of this, so the faceplate is a standard feature in our laser collimator. All astronomers deserve to have it without paying any extra!
In addition, the faceplate viewer’s pattern is laser engraved to ensure a long lasting sharp targeting grid. Unlike other collimators, the target is not a sticker that will peel, or paint that can rub off or chip. We understand that you are paying for a precision instrument that is supposed to be well made.
Keeping the laser dot to the finest point is the key to precision collimation. But when you look closely at the laser dot from brand to brand, most laser dots appear large, not really a fine point as you imagined. This means there is guess work involved when you try to center the dot; not just centering the laser dot to the center of the faceplate, but also centering the center of the dot itself. This does not make any sense when you are trying to take the advantage of the collimated laser beam's characteristic "which has a low beam divergence, so that the beam radius does not undergo significant changes within moderate propagation distances." In other words, the laser beam size within the collimation distance (laser collimator to
the primary mirror and back to the faceplate) should remain a constant fine point. As you know, most laser collimator brands are not really laser manufacturers. They install an off-the-shelf laser module or pointer and align the laser in a tube without REALLY considering the user’s application, namely the operating distance for a laser beam size. HoTech has been designing and building laser modules and systems for over 10 years for various professional industries. We know exactly how a laser should work. HoTech limits the laser beam to the finest size in the correct operating distance for optimal effect. Our understanding and experiences with the laser design permit you to have an effective and precision collimation.
HoTech considered all aspect of parameters in their design. Parameters like the alignment mechanism, mechanical and optical structure of the laser itself, and more are taken as part of our design. For instance, some laser collimators actually install an off-the-shelf laser pointer in the casing. It is very cost effective (for seller), but it inherits numerous problems. In many cases, the laser pointer might not install perfectly centered in the casing due to pointer size variations and the added alignment mechanism. So the laser itself is not positioned on the true alignment point and optical axis. As the result, the laser can never be center-aligned in the enclosure. It is possible to align the laser beam parallel to the optical path but always with an offset along the optical axis. This means the laser beam is off no matter how you center adapt the laser collimator to the focuser. The result of off-centered laser will introduce astigmatism into your telescope.
By using the CR123, 3V battery as our laser power source, our laser collimator has over 65 hours of continuous use battery life time. The included CR123, 3V lithium battery operates well under a typical cold night and it has a 10 years shelf life. This is a great advantage that you don't have to worry about changing the tiny hard to find cell batteries frequently in the dark like other collimators.
The diffraction grating (DFG) technology has benefited mankind in many ways since its invention. We can also apply this technology to our laser collimator. Using the DFG pattern on a reflector telescope is accurate and useful for quick collimation of the primary mirror. Simply projecting the DFG pattern from the telescope onto a wall or screen, and adjusting your mirrors according to the position of the secondary mirror’s shadow is a simple procedure that can be performed from home.
The standard DFG pattern is a cross with additional 45-degree short crosses to help users zero in with ease (see above photos). The optional DFG lens can be easily installed or uninstalled at the front section of the laser collimator.
Available Models
1.25" Laser Collimator: Single complete laser collimator with built-in SCA adapter.
2" Laser Collimator: The unit works for both 2" and 1.25" telescopes. It comes with a 1.25" SCA laser collimator pre-loaded in a 2" to 1.25" SCA adapter.
The SCA Laser Collimators work with all Newtonian and SCT telescopes using standard 2" or 1.25" focusers.
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Keywords:
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HoTech SCA-Collimator
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