Gibbous Mars

Thanks for the great advice! I just have a quick update - and new query! I've taken the advice above and bought a second hand HEQ5 Pro GoTo Mount which should future proof any future visual and AP aspirations. However, I just need to sort a power supply for the mount. Any advice or recommendations for a mains-fed power supply for the HEQ5 mount? I mainly plan to observe from my garden so I can power it from a mains and I understand it needs a ~12V power supply. I was thinking something along these lines should do the trick but any advise would be appreciated! https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B0BLHGZ4QP/?coliid=I2DZJTHMYLTU2A&colid=174HHE3IM73KU&psc=1&ref_=list_c_wl_lv_ov_lig_dp_it https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B08NCLCWFB/?coliid=I1EG3L6Q5AYQEX&colid=174HHE3IM73KU&psc=1&ref_=list_c_wl_lv_ov_lig_dp_it

Thanks both for the friendly advice and quick responses too! While I love the idea of the 200DPS setup, I don't think I can currently justify the cost of a HEQ5 or EQ6. I think the 150 f5 on an EQ5 with motor drives is probably the best of both worlds to get going for both visual observing and first steps into photography. As a quick aside, is there such a thing as a decent all-rounder camera suitable for general astrophotography and also 'regular'/daytime outdoors photography? Ideally something I can share the use of with my better half and justify the expense of a buying a quality camera in due course?

Hi there, Apologies in advance for the long post. Looking for some advise about buying my first serious telescope - ideally something that will keep me busy for several years at least! I recently dusted off a small 3" reflector which has served me well for several years but this is overdue an upgrade. I particularly like reflectors and note Skywatcher have some high-quality (and more importantly very positively reviewed) scopes on the market. I am looking to take up this wonderful hobby more seriously and as such from my research online, I'm torn between the Skywatcher Explorer 150/750 PDS (6") or the 200/1000 PDS (8") telescope OTA (links below), with an EQ-5 mount which could accommodate either. . I would be leaning towards the 200/1000 PDS due to the bigger 8" aperture, however my concern would be it would be limited in terms of getting into astrophotography down the line due to the weight of the OTA (c. 9kg) vs the max load of the EQ5 mount (10kg). Unfortunately, a higher load capacity mount (EQ-6) will be out of my budget for several years I suspect. If there are workarounds to this limitation I'm all ears! On the other hand the 150/750 PDS OTA weighs in at 5.5kg so the mounting has capacity take the weight of a camera, coma corrector, etc.. I note the price difference between these OTAs is not huge, so my key considerations are quality of viewing, option of taking up astrophotography & portability. Is there a significant difference in terms quality of the viewing between the 150mm and 200mm apertures? Additionally, any advice on whether I need a Go-To setup on the mount to target DSOs, etc., or if I should just get a dual-axis motor and use manual targeting and/or the RA/DEC guiding on the mount to start off? I'm having a lot of fun manually finding stars, planets, Messier objects, etc. Finally any recommendations for a decent camera that would suit either OTA (both have the same Crayford DS focuser) would be very much appreciated. 150/750 P-DS (6"): https://www.astroshop.eu/telescopes/skywatcher-telescope-n-150-750-pds-explorer-bd-ota/p,19163 200/1000 P-DS (8"): https://www.astroshop.eu/telescopes/skywatcher-telescope-n-200-1000-pds-explorer-bd-ota/p,19166 EQ-5 Mount: https://www.astroshop.eu/equatorial-without-goto/skywatcher-mount-eq5/p,16081 Many thanks in advance!