This laser collimator has a cutaway body, which is small and lightweight and therefore presents very little strain on the focuser.
We appreciated Baader’s attention to small details such as the rubber sleeve, which makes it less likely to slip out of gloved fingers, and the generous shoulder, which locates the unit squarely in the focuser.
The combined battery housing and switch rotates on and off with a reassuring click – this certainly seems a well-engineered product.
Factory-set collimation of the beam was spot on and although the laser is rated at 1mW, the beam was bright and round at 5m, although a little soft.
The screen arrangement is quite different from other laser collimators we’ve tested.
It consists of a clear window, with a central hole for the beam to pass through on the way out, mounted perpendicular to the central axis.
The screen is etched with a grid of finely-ruled crosses and, as the returning beam passes through, these glow brightly to form a pinpoint of red light.
This really helped us achieve precision and, although the screen was not mounted at 45° like the others, the large cutaway section allowed us to view it easily from the far end of the telescope.
The Baader collimator also comes with a comprehensive set of instruction sheets and a dust cap, which also offers some protection against stray light from inadvertent operation of the switch, topping off what is a very well thought-through product.
Vital stats
- Price: £51.00
- Eyepieces: 1.25 inch
- Weight: 82g
- Supplier: David Hinds Ltd
- Telephone: 01525 852696
- Website:https://www.celestron.co.uk/
