Farpoint 2" Super Collimation Kit — Laser, Cheshire, Autocollimator + Case

Product Overview

The Farpoint 2" Super Collimation Kit is the three-tool set, assembled for the highest precision Farpoint's tools reach. It combines the Farpoint 650 nm laser collimator with its 1.25"/2" combo stepped barrel, a 2" Farpoint Cheshire collimation eyepiece, and a 2" Farpoint autocollimator, in a sturdy carrying case with a fitted foam insert.

Each tool covers a different stage: the laser sets the focuser axis and the secondary, the Cheshire aligns the primary precisely, and the autocollimator refines what is left by stacking multiple reflections. A mirror center-marking template with triangle center spots is included. All three tools are precision-machined in the USA, and the laser and autocollimator carry a lifetime alignment guarantee.

Who It's For

This is a good match if you own a Newtonian or Dobsonian reflector with a 2" focuser and the alignment matters to the last fraction — a fast Newtonian astrograph where coma-free field is thin, a large Dob whose planetary performance rewards precise collimation, or an imaging rig where corner star shape is the visible measure of how square the primary is. It is also the sensible single purchase if you already know you want all three tools rather than adding an autocollimator to a two-tool kit later.

Key Features & Design

• Farpoint 650 nm laser collimator: single-piece machined body, eight-screw alignment system holding both ends of the diode, and a 0.76 mm beam aperture — the smallest Farpoint publishes for any collimator on the market.
• 1.25"/2" combo stepped barrel on the laser: fits either drawtube size.
• Farpoint 2" Cheshire eyepiece: reflective-pane design in the CATSEYE™ BlackCat style, without crosshairs, and with no batteries or electronics.
• Farpoint 2" autocollimator: precision-machined to optical-grade tolerances; Farpoint reports it as rated the finest on the market by their customers.
• Mirror center-marking template and triangle center spots: covers mirrors up to 12.5".
• Sturdy carrying case with fitted foam insert: a cutout for each tool, so nothing shifts in transport.
• Lifetime alignment guarantee on the laser and the autocollimator, with USA manufacture throughout.

How the Three Tools Divide the Work

Each tool resolves a different magnitude of error, which is why the set is a sequence rather than three ways of doing the same thing. The laser projects a beam along the focuser axis and answers the geometric question first: is the secondary centred under the focuser and correctly tilted. That is fast, it works in full darkness, and it gets the primary roughly there as well.

The Cheshire then takes over on the primary. Its reflective pane illuminates the optical path and gives you a wide, evenly lit field in which the primary's centre mark and the reflected apertures can be brought together far more finely than a bright dot on a target allows.

The autocollimator is the last step, and it works on a different principle again. Its flat mirror returns the light back through the system so you see several superimposed reflections at once. Any residual misalignment is multiplied across that stack, so an error too small to see through a Cheshire separates into visibly offset images. Alignment then proceeds iteratively — a small adjustment, another look — until the reflections stack concentrically. This is the stage that distinguishes a well-collimated scope from an exactly collimated one.

Recommended Uses

• Precise collimation of fast Newtonians: at f/4 to f/5 the tolerance for primary tilt is tight, and the autocollimator is what keeps you inside it.
• Deep-sky imaging: corner star shape across an APS-C or larger sensor is the most unforgiving test of alignment there is.
• High-resolution planetary and lunar observing: where the last of the on-axis performance depends on the primary being exactly square.
• Large Dobsonians: longer tubes and heavier mirrors move more between sessions, so a full three-tool pass earns its time.
• After transport or reassembly: laser for the fast check, Cheshire and autocollimator when you are set up for the night.

Compatibility and Accessory Notes

• Focuser fit: the Cheshire and autocollimator are 2" and need a 2" focuser drawtube. The laser's combo barrel steps to fit 1.25" or 2".
• 1.25" focusers: the 2" Cheshire and autocollimator will not seat in a 1.25" drawtube. The Farpoint 1.25" Collimation Kit is the equivalent two-tool set for those scopes.
• Telescope types: Newtonian and Dobsonian reflectors with 2" focusers. Not for SCTs, Maksutovs, refractors or other catadioptric designs.
• Mirror center mark required: all three 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.
• Autocollimator and centre-mark quality: because the autocollimator multiplies residual error across several reflections, it also makes a sloppily placed centre mark visible. A carefully applied triangle spot is worth the extra minute.

Good to Know Before You Order

• Two of the three tools are 2". This kit is sized for 2" focusers; if your drawtube is 1.25", the Farpoint 1.25" Collimation Kit is the right set and we carry it.
• Reflectors only. All three tools are 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 it is a one-time job — worth doing carefully, since the autocollimator will show how well it was placed.
• The supplied template fits mirrors up to 12.5". Larger mirrors take the LARGE template, which we also stock.
• The autocollimator is an iterative tool. It reveals small errors rather than removing them in one pass, so a full three-tool session takes longer than a laser check. Most people run the laser alone between sessions and the full sequence occasionally.
• 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?

Each tool drops into the focuser like an eyepiece, so the mechanics are simple. The autocollimator is the one that takes practice — reading a stack of superimposed reflections is a skill that arrives after a few sessions rather than on the first night. Farpoint publishes collimation guides and reference PDFs that walk through the sequence, and the laser and Cheshire stages are straightforward from the start. The one preparatory step is marking the centre of the primary, and the template and spots for that are supplied.

What does the autocollimator add over a laser and Cheshire?

Resolution. It returns the light back through the system so you see several superimposed reflections at once, and any residual error is multiplied across that stack. A misalignment too small to read through a Cheshire separates into visibly offset images, which is what lets you iterate down to an exact result.

Do I need all three tools?

Not for every scope. For casual visual observing a laser alone covers it, and a laser plus Cheshire is enough for most imaging. The autocollimator earns its place on fast Newtonians, on large Dobsonians, and where you are chasing the last of the on-axis or corner performance.

Will this fit my telescope?

If your Newtonian or Dobsonian has a 2" focuser, yes. If it has a 1.25" focuser, the 2" Cheshire and autocollimator will not seat — order the Farpoint 1.25" Collimation Kit instead. Send us the make and model if you are not sure and we will confirm it.

Does the Cheshire or autocollimator need batteries?

Neither does. Both work on reflected light, with no electronics to fail in the cold. Only the laser is powered.

How is this different from the standard 2" Collimation Kit?

Same laser and same 2" Cheshire, with a 2" Farpoint autocollimator added and a case sized for three tools. If you already own the two-tool kit, the difference is the autocollimator.

Bottom Line

In short: a USA-made 650 nm laser, a 2" reflective-pane Cheshire and a 2" autocollimator in one fitted case — the full sequence for Newtonian and Dobsonian collimation on scopes with 2" focusers. It needs a centre-marked primary, the template is included, and the autocollimator is the stage that turns good alignment into exact alignment.