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Collimators

Jadeshay Collimating eyepiece with crosshair

An aluminium collimating eyepiece with a red crosshair and a long tube, working without any power source at all.

Jadeshay collimating eyepiece with red crosshair

Jadeshay Collimating eyepiece with crosshair

An aluminium collimating eyepiece with a red crosshair and a long tube, working without any power source at all.

Method
Optical collimating eyepiece — not a laser, and it needs no battery
Self-collimation ability
Not published by the maker.
Barrel fit
1.25 in
Play
Not published by the maker.
Brightness control
Not published by the maker.
Target visibility
Red crosshair · Described by the maker as unusually long for better accuracy · Treated to reduce reflections, per the maker
Build
Aluminium alloy
Suitable telescopes
Newtonian, per the maker
Amazon reference
B07KBXNRNH (same reference on 5 Amazon marketplaces)
EAN
0788051500754
  • No battery to go flat, which is the failure mode of every laser on this shelf
  • A long tube genuinely improves the accuracy of a sighting collimator
  • It needs enough light to see the reticle, which means a torch in the dark

Best for: Anyone who would rather have a tool with nothing in it to fail

≈ £21 / €23
Check price on Amazon

Specifications

Method
Optical collimating eyepiece — not a laser, and it needs no battery
Self-collimation ability
Not published by the maker.
Barrel fit
1.25 in
Play
Not published by the maker.
Brightness control
Not published by the maker.
Target visibility
Red crosshair · Described by the maker as unusually long for better accuracy · Treated to reduce reflections, per the maker
Build
Aluminium alloy
Suitable telescopes
Newtonian, per the maker
Amazon reference
B07KBXNRNH (same reference on 5 Amazon marketplaces)
EAN
0788051500754

The tool with nothing to fail

No battery, no beam, no adjustment screws that can drift. An optical collimator is a tube with a crosshair, and it works by lining up reflections against that crosshair. It is slower than a laser and it cannot lie to you in the way a laser out of true can.

Why the length is the whole specification

The maker makes a point of an unusually long tube, and the point is sound: length constrains where the eye can sit. A short sight tube lets the eye move off axis and the alignment move with it. No figure is given, which is a pity for a listing that leads on it.

The red crosshair

Something to align against. Whether it is genuinely visible against a dark primary depends on the light available, and a dim red torch down the tube is the usual accompaniment.

Where it sits against a laser

A laser is faster, works alone in the dark, and has to be checked for squareness. An optical collimator is slower, needs light, and has nothing to check. Many experienced observers keep both and finish on a star.

Availability

German, French, Italian and Spanish Amazon stores ran from 23 € to 28 € on the day of the survey.

British Amazon store lists it in local currency, which the euro range above sets aside.

American Amazon store gave no result whatever, so the buy button there opens a search rather than an empty page.

Figures as Keepa reported them on the day this page was last updated. Stock and pricing shift without warning.

Prices quoted in this text were read on 17 September 2026. The live price is at the top of the page.

What this fits

More collimators

  • POFET metal collimator with 2 inch adapter

    POFET Metal collimating eyepiece with 2 in adapter

    A metal collimator with a triple-cemented lens and a built-in battery offering seven brightness levels, supplied with a 2 in adapter.

    Method
    Triple-cemented lens, per the maker
    Self-collimation ability
    Not published by the maker.
    Barrel fit
    1.25 in, with a 2 in adapter
    Play
    Not published by the maker.
    Brightness control
    Seven · Neither is published
    Target visibility
    Not published by the maker.
    Build
    Built-in battery, described as power-saving
    Suitable telescopes
    Newtonian, per the maker
    Amazon reference
    B08M9FRYXP (same reference on 5 Amazon marketplaces)
    EAN
    0703355530023
    • The maker describes the actual procedure rather than only the product
    • A built-in battery removes the CR2032 problem on a cold night
    • A built-in battery cannot be replaced when it eventually fails

    Best for: A Newtonian owner who would rather charge a tool than keep spare cells

    ≈ £23 / €26
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  • Seben LK1 laser collimator with metal housing

    Seben LK1 laser collimator

    A 1.25 in laser collimator in a metal housing for aligning Newtonian reflectors, with no wavelength, power or adjustment detail published.

    Method
    Laser collimator
    Self-collimation ability
    Metal · Not mentioned
    Barrel fit
    31.7 mm (1.25 in)
    Play
    Not published by the maker.
    Brightness control
    Neither is published
    Target visibility
    Not published by the maker.
    Build
    Not mentioned
    Suitable telescopes
    Newtonian reflectors, per the maker
    Amazon reference
    B006FGYWM0 (same reference on 5 Amazon marketplaces)
    EAN
    4250403200408
    • A metal housing rather than plastic at a low price
    • The one job it is for is stated clearly
    • No wavelength, no output power and no battery type

    Best for: A first collimator where price decides and the tool will be checked on arrival

    ≈ £26 / €29
    Check price on Amazon
  • SVBONY collimator with 2 inch adapter

    SVBONY Collimating eyepiece with 2 in adapter (EUF9123A)

    A metal collimator supplied with a 2 in adapter so it fits both focuser sizes, with a triplet lens and seven brightness settings.

    Method
    Triplet lens, described by the maker as reducing distortion and spherical aberration
    Self-collimation ability
    Not mentioned
    Barrel fit
    1.25 in, with a 2 in adapter supplied
    Play
    Not published by the maker.
    Brightness control
    Seven, from 0 to 7 per the maker · Neither is published
    Target visibility
    Not published by the maker.
    Build
    Metal
    Suitable telescopes
    Newtonian and Schmidt-Cassegrain reflectors, 1.25 in and 2 in
    Amazon reference
    B013SMDQSY (same reference on 5 Amazon marketplaces)
    EAN
    0635266493268
    • The 2 in adapter is supplied rather than sold separately
    • A triplet lens is specified, which is unusual detail for a collimator
    • No wavelength or output figure

    Best for: An observer with both a 1.25 in and a 2 in focuser who wants one collimator for both

    ≈ £35 / €36
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The rest of this rack

  • Explore Scientific 1 kg counterweight for the iEXOS-100

    Explore Scientific 1 kg counterweight for iEXOS-100 (456101)

    A 1 kg counterweight for the iEXOS-100, published with all three of its dimensions as well as its mass.

    Mass
    1.0 kg, as the maker publishes it
    Bore diameter
    14.7 mm, as the maker publishes it
    Locking method
    Not published by the maker.
    Coating
    Not published by the maker.
    Finish
    Not published by the maker.
    Compatible mounts
    iEXOS-100
    Overall dimensions
    80 mm, as the maker publishes it · 30 mm, as the maker publishes it
    Amazon reference
    B07P7WJBVW (same reference on 5 Amazon marketplaces)
    EAN
    4007922060743
    • The only counterweight on this shelf to publish all four figures
    • An 80 mm diameter is small enough to clear most tripods
    • A 14.7 mm bore is specific and will not fit the 20 mm shafts of larger mounts

    Best for: Fine-balancing an iEXOS-100 after adding a camera or a guide scope

    ≈ £31 / €31
    Check price on Amazon
  • Sky-Watcher Star Adventurer counterweight kit in black

    Sky-Watcher Star Adventurer counterweight kit (S20540)

    A counterweight and threaded shaft kit for the Star Adventurer, explicitly excluding the GTi version, with two mutually inconsistent weight figures.

    Mass
    The listing prints 11.3 kg
    Bore diameter
    The listing gives none
    Locking method
    Not published by the maker.
    Coating
    Not published by the maker.
    Finish
    Not published by the maker.
    Compatible mounts
    A counterweight with a threaded counterweight shaft · Star Adventurer · Star Adventurer GTi, stated by the maker
    Overall dimensions
    Not published by the maker.
    Amazon reference
    B00XX646MG (same reference on 6 Amazon marketplaces)
    EAN
    0050234205405
    • The shaft is included, not just the weight
    • The incompatible model is named outright, which prevents a common mistake
    • The two published weights are inconsistent with each other

    Best for: A Star Adventurer carrying a lens heavy enough to need balancing

    ≈ $40 / £44 / €55
    Check price on Amazon
  • Omegon 2.6 kg steel counterweight with locking screw

    Omegon 2.6 kg counterweight (59253)

    A steel counterweight of 2.6 kg with a 21 mm bore and a locking screw, made for the EQ-500 X and fitting many other shafts.

    Mass
    2.6 kg, as the maker publishes it
    Bore diameter
    21 mm, as the maker publishes it
    Locking method
    A locking screw for a secure seat
    Coating
    Steel
    Finish
    Not published by the maker.
    Compatible mounts
    EQ-500 X · The maker names Skywatcher, Meade and Celestron shafts
    Overall dimensions
    Not published by the maker.
    Amazon reference
    B07JCR2XYG (same reference on 6 Amazon marketplaces)
    EAN
    4049467592532
    • Both figures that matter — mass and bore — are published
    • The maker tells you to measure your own shaft before ordering
    • A 21 mm bore will not fit a 20 mm shaft securely, nor a 14.7 mm one at all

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    ≈ £36 / €37
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All collimators