Farpoint 1.25" Collimation Kit — Laser + Cheshire + Carrying Case

Product Overview

The Farpoint 1.25" Collimation Kit is the two-tool solution for Newtonian and Dobsonian reflectors with 1.25" focusers. It pairs the Farpoint 650 nm laser collimator, in its 1.25" barrel, with a 1.25" Farpoint Cheshire collimation eyepiece, and supplies both in a carrying case together with a mirror center-marking template and triangle center spots.

The two tools split the alignment sequence between them: the laser sets the focuser axis and positions the secondary in seconds, and the Cheshire refines the primary using reflected light. Both are precision-machined in the USA, and the laser carries a lifetime alignment guarantee.

Who It's For

This is a good match if your reflector has a 1.25" focuser — typical of smaller Newtonians, tabletop Dobsonians and many imported reflectors — and you want the complete collimation workflow in a single purchase. It suits a visual observer who wants alignment to be consistent from night to night, and an imager who needs the primary genuinely square rather than approximately so, since long exposures put any residual error straight into the corners of the frame.

Key Features & Design

• Farpoint 650 nm laser collimator (1.25" barrel): single-piece machined body with an eight-screw alignment system that locks both ends of the diode using directly opposing screws.
• 0.76 mm beam aperture: the smallest Farpoint publishes for any collimator on the market, which tightens the return spot and reduces speckle.
• Farpoint 1.25" Cheshire eyepiece: reflective-pane design in the CATSEYE™ BlackCat style, without crosshairs.
• No batteries in the Cheshire: it runs on reflected light, with no electronics to fail in cold weather.
• Mirror center-marking template and triangle center spots: covers mirrors up to 12.5".
• Carrying case: keeps both tools together and protected between sessions.
• Precision-machined in the USA, with a lifetime alignment guarantee on the laser.

How the Two Tools Divide the Work

A laser and a Cheshire are complementary rather than redundant, because they read different things well. The laser projects a beam along the focuser axis, so it answers a geometric question — is the secondary centred under the focuser and tilted correctly — immediately, in the dark, without your eye at the eyepiece. What it resolves less finely is the last of the primary tilt, since you are judging a small bright dot against a mark.

The Cheshire reverses that. Its reflective pane illuminates the optical path and presents a wide, evenly lit field, so the primary's centre mark and the reflected apertures can be aligned with much finer visual resolution than a spot on a target allows. It needs some ambient light on the pane and it is not the tool for secondary geometry. Run in order — laser for the secondary and a rough primary, Cheshire to finish the primary — the sequence takes about five minutes.

Recommended Uses

• Full collimation of a 1.25" Newtonian or Dobsonian: secondary alignment through to precise primary alignment.
• Pre-imaging setup: where corner star shape follows directly from how square the primary actually is.
• After transport: a tabletop Dob or a small Newtonian that has just travelled is worth a laser check, and a Cheshire pass if you are settling in for the night.
• Seasonal alignment: a full pass on a scope coming out of storage.
• Field use: the case keeps both tools together in an observing bag.

Compatibility and Accessory Notes

• Focuser fit: both tools are 1.25" and seat in standard 1.25" focuser drawtubes.
• 2" focusers: these barrels do not fill a 2" drawtube. The Farpoint 2" Collimation Kit is the equivalent for those scopes, and we stock it.
• Telescope types: Newtonian and Dobsonian reflectors. Not for refractors, catadioptric or SCT designs.
• Mirror center mark required: both tools align to a mark on the primary. The supplied template covers mirrors up to 12.5".
• Mirrors over 12.5": the LARGE center-marking template covers 12" to 26" and is sold separately.
• Going further: an autocollimator refines alignment past what a laser and Cheshire resolve. Farpoint supplies one in the 2" Super Collimation Kit.

Good to Know Before You Order

• Both tools are 1.25". This kit is sized for 1.25" drawtubes; if your focuser is 2", the Farpoint 2" Collimation Kit is the one to order and we carry it.
• Reflectors only. Built for Newtonian and Dobsonian optics. For a refractor, SCT or Maksutov, get in touch and we will point you at the right approach.
• Your primary needs a center mark. The template and spots are in the box, and marking a mirror is a one-time job of a few minutes.
• The supplied template fits mirrors up to 12.5". Larger mirrors take the LARGE template, which we also stock.
• The Cheshire wants some ambient light. Its pane is illuminated by the sky or a red light, which is why the laser is the tool for a check in full darkness.
• It includes a laser. The beam is bright by design, and the usual care about not looking into it applies.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is it difficult to set up?

No. Each tool drops into the focuser like an eyepiece. The order is laser first for the secondary, Cheshire second for the primary, and a full pass runs about five minutes once you have done it once or twice. The one preparatory step is marking the centre of your primary mirror, and the template and spots for that are supplied.

Why both tools rather than just the laser?

Each is better at one half of the job. The laser is fast and geometric, so it handles the secondary and works in the dark. The Cheshire reads the primary's final tilt far more finely, because you are judging a wide illuminated field instead of a bright dot. For casual visual observing the laser alone will often do; for imaging, the Cheshire is what keeps the corners clean.

Will this fit my telescope?

If your Newtonian or Dobsonian has a 1.25" focuser, yes. If it has a 2" focuser, order the Farpoint 2" Collimation Kit instead. Not sure which yours is? Send us the make and model and we will confirm it.

Does the Cheshire need batteries?

No. It is a reflective-pane design with no electronics — nothing to charge, and nothing that changes behaviour in the cold.

What is a CATSEYE™ BlackCat style Cheshire?

A reflective-pane sight tube without crosshairs. The pane illuminates the optical path, so you align against the reflected apertures and the primary's centre mark rather than against a crosshair.

How does this compare with buying the laser on its own?

The kit is the same laser plus a matching 1.25" Cheshire and a case. If you only ever check the secondary before a visual session, the laser alone covers it. If you image, or you want the primary aligned as precisely as the optics allow, the Cheshire is the tool that gets you there.

Bottom Line

In short: a USA-made 650 nm laser and a 1.25" reflective-pane Cheshire in one case, covering both halves of Newtonian and Dobsonian collimation for scopes with 1.25" focusers. It needs a centre-marked primary — the template is included — and a full pass takes about five minutes.