On Wed, 13 Jun 2001 jcromans@... wrote:

> I'm just curious...When you turn on the Discovery Collimator, and
> turn the on/off switch, does the beam of light move around?

Yes. The laser collimator is a round metal frame around a much smaller
interior laser barrel. It is aligned inside the barrel with at least one
set of 3 screws. The on/off screw actually comes into physical contact
with the on/off button on the side of the laser barrel. The pressure
required to turn it on and off is substantial.

Many people on this list have reported that the light beam aim changes
with the pressure applied by the on/off screw. In my case, I noticed that
the laser was out of alignment from the start. You can test this yourself
by putting the laser in the focuser and turning it on. Then rotate the
laser around, like you're turning a light bulb. If the point on the
mirror moves in a circle, the laser is out of alignment. Mine moved in a
circle diameter of about 4 times the width of the central sticker on the
mirror. Unacceptable.

Discovery makes fine telescopes, but their components - such as the laser
collimator and the finderscope - leave much to be desired!

Jason Newquist
Santa Clara, California