Collimation and the Edge HD 8"

Paul Picazo:

Jerry Gerber:
Hello Bay Area Astrophotographers,

Is there anyone who lives in or nearby San Francisco that might be able to help me learn how to collimate the Edge 8?    It's badly out of collimation due to my own doing, and I cannot seem to get it back.  I've already spent 4 hours outside in the dark trying to do this, but my efforts have been unsuccessful.

I'd be happy to buy you lunch or dinner or barter if there's something I can help you with.

Best,

 

Paul Picazo:

Jerry Gerber:
Hello Bay Area Astrophotographers,

Is there anyone who lives in or nearby San Francisco that might be able to help me learn how to collimate the Edge 8?    It's badly out of collimation due to my own doing, and I cannot seem to get it back.  I've already spent 4 hours outside in the dark trying to do this, but my efforts have been unsuccessful.

I'd be happy to buy you lunch or dinner or barter if there's something I can help you with.

Best,
Jerry

I can't offer much assistance in the collimation process itself, but I've got a Tri-Bahtinov Mask for Celestron 8" SCT if you'd like to borrow it.

Thanks Paul, I've got a Tri-Bahtinov mask for the Edge.  It's the collimation process itself that I need to learn, focusing with the mask is pretty straightforward and though I've tried using it for collimating the Edge, I still don't have it correct...

Anirban Ray:
I can try to help? I am in South Bay.

Hi Anirban,

Thanks for responding!  Do you have an Celestron Edge telescope?

Anirban Ray:
Anirban Ray

 

Anirban Ray:
Yes, I do. I have collimated few times. Did you try with a camera?

Yes, I have the Edge sitting upon a ZWO AM5 mount with an asi2600MC camera.  I use ASIAIR Plus as my astronomical "computer", which sends and receives wireless commands from my Android tablet.  I take images of the out of focus star and one of the difficulties, besides collimation, is getting the star to stay centered.  I am never sure which direction to move the mount using the tablet's 4 arrow keys (LEFT, RIGHT, UP, DOWN) because the arrows don't correspond to the movement of the mount, particularly if I am aimed at bright star near the celestial equator.