u/jacobotrf

Hi everyone,

Sorry if this is a bit of a beginner question, I’m still pretty new to telescopes and trying to learn how to interpret seeing conditions and what is considered “normal”.

This is a short video taken through my Explore Scientific 8.5mm LER on a SkyWatcher 200/1200 Dobsonian, and I was wondering if this amount of image turbulence/distortion is expected for the reported conditions.

The image was constantly wobbling/shimmering, almost like looking through heat haze over a hot road or near the horizon. Meteoblue reported around 1.4–1.6 arcsec seeing at the time, so I’m not sure if what I’m seeing matches that or if something else could be affecting the view.

The telescope was inside the house the whole time (around 25°C) and observing through an open window. It had been acclimating to the indoor temperature for around 30 minutes before the test. I know that observing from indoors is far from ideal, but right now I mainly wanted to test the eyepiece since I can’t go outside at the moment.

Could the warm indoor air vs outside temperature difference be causing this level of distortion? Or is this kind of image movement normal for around 1.5 arcsec seeing? Maybe it’s something else entirely?

Sorry again if this is an obvious question, I’m still learning. Thanks!

I designed and 3D printed a calibration stand for telescope laser collimators and decided to share the files.

It includes:

• 2 stand versions (with and without the 2" adapter)
• 2 target styles (circular and grid)
• Designed for SVBONY laser collimators

The idea is to rotate the collimator while checking if the laser dot stays fixed on the target, making it easier to verify if the collimator itself is properly aligned.

The targets are intended for an initial short-distance adjustment (around 1–1.5m). After that, I recommend repeating the test at a longer distance for better precision, ideally at least 2x the telescope focal length, preferably 4x.

For better accuracy, I also recommend securing both the stand and the collimator with double-sided tape during calibration.

I also wanted to thank the community for helping me improve the design and for explaining the proper way to collimate a collimator. I'm still pretty new to astronomy, so the advice has been really helpful.

https://makerworld.com/es/models/2799207-telescope-laser-collimator-stand-for-svbony#profileId-3113758

Recientemente diseñé este estuche compacto para mis oculares y accesorios de telescopio y finalmente terminé de ensamblarlo.

El estuche está completamente impreso en 3D y diseñado con espuma de trama personalizable Feldherr, por lo que la distribución interior se puede adaptar fácilmente según los accesorios que uses.

Configuración actual en las fotos:

• Baader Hyperion Aspheric 31 mm 2"
• Explore Scientific 1.25"
• Dos oculares SkyWatcher
• Filtro lunar
• Colimador láser

También añadí espuma tanto en la base como en la tapa para evitar que se muevan durante el transporte y brindar protección adicional a las ópticas. La caja utiliza:

• 4 tornillos M3x25 mm
• 2 tornillos M3x30 mm
• 6 tuercas M3

Espuma utilizada:

• Espuma de trama Feldherr HS060RS
• Tapa de espuma Feldherr HS010B

Añadí "ASTROCASE" en la tapa, pero el texto se puede personalizar fácilmente.

https://www.thingiverse.com/thing:7352909

Hi, could someone help me check if my telescope collimator is properly collimated?

The distance between the laser collimator and the target is about 90 cm (34.5 inch).

I recorded a short video pointing it at a small target, and I also included a couple of photos of the target and the 3D printed support I’m using.

The laser seems fairly stable, but I’m not sure if the movement/error is within normal tolerance or if the collimator itself needs adjustment.

Telescope: SkyWatcher 200/1200 Dobsonian.

I’ll upload the download links for the 3D printed support files soon in case anyone is interested.

Thanks!