Astro-Gadget 128873-3 ColliDream 3D Collimator User Manual
- June 17, 2024
- Astro-Gadget
Table of Contents
128873-3 ColliDream 3D Collimator
User Manual
128873-3 ColliDream 3D Collimator
ColliDream is a 3D collimator for collimation of mirror and lens optical
systems.
The collimator contains a luminous crosshair (sight), the brightness of which
can be adjusted simply by holding the controller button. The collimator also
has a lens objective that forms reflected images of the sight from the optical
surfaces of the telescope. 
Reflected images of the 3D collimator
ColliDream sight give a more visual representation of the position of the
optical surface plane than just 3-4 points in point collimators. The relative
position of the reflected images of the sight makes it possible to evaluate
not only the displacement of the optical surfaces in the plane relative to the
center of the crosshair, but also their mutual skew. Collimation of the
telescope is carried out by combining (combining) all the sight images into a
single crosshair and concentric picture. You can observe the reflected images
of the collimator sight through the eyepiece or using the camera on the PC
screen. But using a camera to display an image built by a collimator on a PC
is much more convenient and the collimation process is simplified. 
To adjust the astrograph, you can install a standard light filter
with a diameter of 1.25 inches at the output of the collimator. This will
provide additional reflections to collimate the telescope’s focuser.
Collimation
Insert the eyepiece or camera into the collimator threaded focuser tube.
Connect 12V power. Loosen the threaded focuser locking ring and rotate the
eyepiece tube or move the eyepiece or camera inside the focuser tube to
achieve precise focusing. Then tighten the focuser locking ring and locking
screw to secure the camera or eyepiece.
After adjusting the collimator, adjust the brightness of the sight so that the
reflected lines of the sight are thin and the picture with the reflected lines
of the sight is not too dark or overexposed. Then, by rotating the adjustment
screws of the optical elements, carefully observe how the position of the
reflected images of the sight changes.
Next, you should combine all the sights into a single crosshair and concentric
picture. If your telescope’s optical elements are highly misaligned,
collimation will need to be done over several iterations. Once you have
achieved a uniform crosshair and a concentric image, tighten the mirror or
lens adjustment screws.
If there are no adjustment screws, as is the case, for example, in refractor
telescopes, then better alignment can be achieved by rotating the lens unit in
the frame or in the telescope tube. To do this, you need to loosen the ring
holding the lenses or unscrew the screws that secure the lens unit in the tube
so that the lens unit can be rotated in the frame or tube of the telescope
.
The image below shows the collimation
steps of a Newtonian telescope. If there is a black mark in the center of the
primary mirror, then the purpose of collimation is to move the black mark to
the center of the crosshair. If there is no black mark, then the purpose of
collimation is to obtain a completely concentric image as shown in the image
in step 3. 
Next, you can check the accuracy of the
focuser’s position relative to the optical axis throughout the entire range of
its movements. If the mechanical and optical axes of the focuser and telescope
coincide, then the reflected images of the sight will be combined throughout
the entire range of movement of the focuser and can only change their size or
brightness without losing symmetry and concentricity. Otherwise, the focuser
will need to be adjusted.