happy-kat

Welcome. I'd take a step back and put your 25mm in the focuser, remove the telescope end cap, aim the telescope at a distant target like the Moon, slowly wind the focuser all the way in, and then out to find focus and enjoy the Moon. Next swap the eyepiece for the 10mm, repeat with slowly winding the focuser in then out finding the focus spot. For general observing with your telescope and an eyepiece I wouldn't expect an extension tube to be needed

I find these interesting and in the Astro images taken I've been thinking they were cosmic rays, I've also found the all sky camera more likely to pick them up and get a nice colourful steak.

with a ZWOASI astro camera you can use ASIPCAP mobile phone app to capture the planet as the planet drifts across the field of view and create the videos on your phone, then process later on the laptop, no external power supply would be required.

They're is a member taking really super planetary images using a 10" manual dob they have worked out a process for manual tracking to getting reliable results (seeing conditions dependant) check out the planetary section

look like two recycle bins, not sure what I'm looking at, hope it's clear so you can test your filters

I hadn't been able to find the Star quest on Amazon as that would have been the suggestion I would have made as a motor can be fitted. To the OP to see what's in the sky stellarium is a great planetarium for your PC free. Looking north right now I think the double cluster NGC884 would be good start and learning to pick out the constellations by eye The Moon and planets are in the South right now Enjoy your telescope

Or you can use the synscan mobile app either flavor in emulator mode

Can practice inside with your mount when it's cloudy or daytime I do it often

Sharpcap Pro sharpsolve is what I'm using for my hands free alignment

There's the GSO Revelation eyepieces too

Nice to read your rig is working out well for you, sounds similar to my semi remote setup. Mine hangs off wifi and a 10m USB cable to the camera. The game changer for me was sharpsolve in sharpcap.

What do you intend to use the dongle on? I like the mobile app it's ok to use and do what I need

I'd the finder scope alignment with the telescope? What you see in the finder should be what you see in your telescope with the lowest magnification eyepiece

With the startravel why not try observing planets)Moon with just the centre cap removed on the full cap, might be fun to try and see if you can push magnification and hopefully there will be less/no chromatic aberration. (I've assumed there's a centre cap my ST80 has one)

There's a strong sense of looking through a window into further space

I have a heritage 130p the eyepieces I bought extra are 16mm maxvision - love this magnification in the scope great for lots of use 30mm vixen NPL - the lower powered one picked up SH 32mm GSO - the other lower powered one both are good either would do 6mm William Optics SPL - love it saw a Jupiter moon shadow transit, sadly discontinued but the stellalyra reads/looks very similar 1.6 AE shorty barlow - useful I like how the heritage with it's long dove bar can be instead used on a tripod edit - 10mm Vixen SLV - picked up SH

I find the second application too strong, looks over sharpened

You can add synscan dongle to the virtuoso mount mentioned above.

do you already own a heavy duty tripod and ball head ? I feel a refractor might be an idea with the closed tube on a beach, no idea about the sellers and I've not used any of the telescopes mentioned directly Celestron starsense is a manual push to technology using a smartphone guiding you to the selected object, this is in budget there is a bigger aperture 102mm one just over in amazon wharehouse a return maybe and there's the Celestron 22065 AstroMaster 102AZ https://www.amazon.co.uk/StarSense-Explorer-LT-70AZ-CelestronTelescope/dp/B088PPBC5Z/ref=sr_1_29_sspa?crid=CISU4HDQ28F2&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.VhJHn7ToRlyS8XD9x9pPOdYOq4xi0lHWKtleLLQ_4PVfVuErhNpb-16Aam8ZCBuk08E4GDkSYuwZ1ZAmgWP10q-cXFS2WkK2uGLI-jXg66mFn80w7jzUTuQXCCKu_8-KOwF4AUt_eeof5P5zkKuZmg.cX69lzwYTSdoEoZ7bpWyh_OsKhNiaSr-kH2s2TixnqI&dib_tag=se&keywords=celestron&qid=1705265112&sprefix=celestron%2Caps%2C74&sr=8-29-spons&sp_csd=d2lkZ2V0TmFtZT1zcF9tdGY&psc=1 If you are thinking of distant terrestrial objects as well maybe a skywatcher skymax 90 as another idea as perhaps can push to higher magnifications Bresser do similar telescopes but I have not used or seen any, such as BRESSER NANO AR-80/640 AZ which is within budget perhaps an ongoing grab and go If the return credit has a long date plenty of time for continued reading taking your time Edit I forgot the skywatcher heritage 130p, lots of reviews, the truss means the OTA length can be shorten for occasional photo, static mount generally need table. I saw a Jupiter moon transit shadow with my Heritage130p

I use one, I have used it successfully with a virtuoso v1 and I use the dongle now with a az-gti as I find the signal stronger from the dongle.

I'd start with learning to do alignment and visual observing. Then with the camera start with imaging the Moon. There's plenty to learn there, then build on it.

welcome do you see your self doing visual observing with the telescope?

Sounds a wonderful trip to come. Maybe there is an astro club there you could visit or arrange to loan something from while there was an idea. I personally would prefer to travel with a small short refractor or if really space tight binoculars I use 8x42

Is the telescope f5 or something else?

The IMX462 has really low read noise. Do we know what ISO the seestar generally uses?