Will this collimator substitute versalab???

[ruilourosa]

https://www.ebay.com/itm/7-Bright-L...511226&hash=item3609098b7b:g:syIAAOSwi0RX1n7Y


will this cheap collimator substitute versalab alignment tool?

Thanks

 

[gorbas]

Interesting! How you will rest it on baseboard to shoot up laser beam? Versalab body casing has "feet' levelled for it.

 

[rpavich]

Interesting! How you will rest it on baseboard to shoot up laser beam? Versalab body casing has "feet' levelled for it.

I don't think mine does. The versalab beam box is considered to be dead vertical right? If it can change then something other than the box is the standard.
Mine is just a box with a switch that sits on the baseboard and emits a beam.

This could work if you could mount it on a plate that's 100% dead vertical, then IT could be the standard.

 

[ruilourosa]

i think the mount for the telescope could be reversed... and the laser point up resting on the circular telescope mount (that could be enough)...

 

[AllanD]

Hi ruilourosa! As I'm sure you are aware, the alignment you really need to check is between the lens mount and the negative stage. The alignment of the enlarger head to baseboard is much less important. I have one of these devices and the laser on mine is projected through a hole the is approx 4mm diameter. The size of this hole limits the resolution and will limit the usefulness of this device for checking the critical lens mount to negative stage alignment.

For what it is worth, the body and eyepiece adapter on mine are both turned "true", which I checked with V blocks and a dial gauge and the laser on mine is in alignment. Various astronomy websites carry a lot of commentary on these devices, both good and bad and it might be that there are different factories making the same thing. Apparently, a common fault is that some of them are poorly adjusted so the laser has to be aligned by the end user. The alignment of the laser is easy to check and should be adjustable via set screws. although these may not be readily accessible.

My one works well enough for what it was bought for and is an occasionally handy workshop tool. It could be a good starting point for an accurate enlarger alignment tool but, out of the box (and in my opinion), it doesn't quite make the grade.

 

[ruilourosa]

4mm??? well for the price i will try it!!!

 

[DREW WILEY]

I doubt anyone has an enlarger easel consistently flat enough to make this kind of product anything but a joke. Nor will this necessarily sit plumb. So either get something better than a toy or expect the probability of some tweaking. You're a day late for using it to launch firecrackers.

 

[ruilourosa]

Well... i borrowed a good one from a friend... all my enlargers were in an admissible condition... even my diy waal standing laborator 1000...

 

[ruilourosa]

the thing works...

 

[M Carter]

The Versalab is a pretty wonderful tool to have (though mine got some battery leakage in it, I store it without now). Trying to balance a flashlight-style form straight up seems dicey.

The book "Way Beyond Monochrome" has plans to make a Versalab knockoff, including info on getting it level. Something that could likely be done with 3D printing nowadays, or a machine shop.

I've found with the Versalab (and DIY "Besalign" style lens boards on each lens), I can get my enlarger aligned in about a minute. I've also found that my enlarger (Beseler MXT) can lose alignment when changing height dramatically, so I check it often.

 

[ruilourosa]

I had a similar problem with a Durst Lab 1000 and the ball bearings were the problem!