SteveJR73

I decided that instead of a big chunk of money on something that may not suit me, I am getting something a bit cheaper, but after speaking to a couple of people, I’m fairly sure it is the right choice. I will buy extras for it, such as eyepieces and filters. When I have got to grips with the scope and am fairly confident with it, I may consider upgrading. Below is the link to the scope I chose. thank you to everyone that commented, your input was valuable and much appreciated. https://www.firstlightoptics.com/beginner-telescopes/sky-watcher-skymax-102s-az-pronto.html

I must admit, I’m quickly realising that astrophotography will have to wait. I need to get used to the basics before chasing those “perfect” images.

@Cosmic Geoff Thank you for the reply, I’ll be using it in my garden, there is a little light pollution but I live right on the edge of town and my garden faces quite an amount of open countryside, about. 2-3 miles from the next town. At the moment, I want something to view what is currently in the night sky facing SE, Jupiter, Saturn, the moon, Orion etc…I also need it to be able to hold an adaptor for my phone so I can try and capture images. I’ve seen an adaptor that somebody in the previous reply sent a link to. I just need recommendations of a scope that may be suitable for a beginner with those requirements.

Thank you for your reply @RT65CB-SWL, I love to observe, the moon, planets….anything I can see basically. The amount of equipment out there is staggering, and I need to be certain that what I get is going to be right for me and also within my budget.

Apart from looking through my brothers telescope 35-40 years ago, I have no experience with telescopes. I spend quite a bit of time observing the night sky but now, I want to see with more detail. At the moment, I get a good view of Jupiter, Saturn, the Moon, Orion, weather permitting of course, but I want to see closer and deeper. I have a budget of £500gbp to £750gbp, I want something that I can attach my mobile phone to, to get photographs. I don’t need anything that tracks objects as I’m sure that adds to the cost, I can find things with an app I use. there are so many choices out there it’s confusing. I’d love advice on a good set up based on my needs set out earlier. Any help is greatly appreciated.