fifeskies

If you are using 3 amps continuously

3 amps x 12 volts is 36Wh , every hour

x 3 hours is  108Wh.

that said your mount will not be using 3 amps if it is just tracking , maybe if slewing in RA and DEC at the same time.

also leisure batteries will often be rated in Ah     (amper hours)   

at 12 v , 1 Ah is the same as 12Wh.

All comes down to how often you use your gear and for how long.

Throw into that how much sun does your location get.

Also this "20w" panel will not output anything like 20w unless it is in the Sahara with the sun directly overhead.  😜

You may need to look at a bigger panel for this to be a realistic proposition.

Since you probably use the telescopes most during winter take a look at this information about the much lower winter output levels of solar panels.

Try to estimate how many Wh you will need.

At 12v running 1 amp for an hour is 12Wh , for a 4 hour session this becomes 48Wh.

If you use dew heaters and 12v camera supplies as well as your mount then you can easily be drawing 2-3 amps.

(so 24-36Wh every hour   144Wh for a 4 hr session.)

In winter even a 150w panel does not produce 144Wh on an average day.

A leisure battery can power everything easily but you will probably need to take it indoors to recharge after a session or two unless you have a large charging solar panel.

But a trickle charge from a solar panel will help reduce how often you need to take the battery indoors for a full recharge.

Try here

(David got there just before me  🙄 )

Also as a temporary fix remember that adding in a diagonal will take up a lot of extra backfocus until you get some extenders or a reducer.

You don't want it there for serious photography , but as a get you up and running for testing its fine

(just be careful not to drop in any extender too far into the diagonal as it could scratch the mirror element)

It varies by type but my reducer/flattener screws into my DSLR then the whole lot fits into the 2inch aperture.

(I use a 2in clicklock with my Vixen, my 80 Equinox has a moonlight that holds the camera with reducer/flattener nice and secure)

Similar I expect for a ZWO , I believe there are adapters to fit ZWO to a reducer/flattener

(I have a ZWO guidescope camera but don't need a reducer with it).

what refractor to buy

I love my Equinox 80ED , gives great results, no longer available new.

It is very similar to the Evostar 80ED pro, the 72ED pro would be a good choice too and probably a better match for the AZ GTI being slightly lighter.

I use a field flattener/reducer that screws into the DSLR body , this then fits into the 80ED body.

Small imaging refractors like these are often for sale on the forum  (I got my Equinox 2nd hand).

North America Nebula from my ED80 with DSLR

You should get some good results with your DSLR on your AZ-GTI.

Once you upgrade to a telescope a small refractor would be my advice , it will just be like using a very long lens on your DSLR so will feel familiar.

I open APT and align everything from there first . (remember to click mount control ON under the gear tab).

Then when I open Stellarium it is all aligned perfectly, the Mount target exactly matching the platesolve result

(with ASCOM/APT control you no longer use the Synscan app, the handset is disconnected)

This type of telescope (An SCT) , has quite a narrow view and is often used for small targets like planets.

It will not show much unless you are close to the focus position.

It would be best to try at night with a bright easy to find target so you can find the focus position , the moon is ideal for this.

Attached is the size the moon will look using your 25mm plossl, but the moon is very small in the sky ,

(the yellow circle is the view in your viewfinder)

Are you using a finder to get close to your target.

As the view is so narrow unless you are in exactly the right spot you will miss the target which is why a finder is fairly important with this kind of scope

(but you need to align finder and scope together)

The blue circle shows the view through an average finder.

Also your telescope is not designed to focus on close objects , to look for focus during the day try to find a far off target a few miles away , like a church steeple or hilltop

If you have a GOTO mount you must polar align then do a star alignment before the GOTO will find your targets.

I use Stellarium and Ascom , but also integrate it with the free APT software  (astrophotographytool).

In APT you can platesolve from a guidecam or main cam , and then sync the mount to the platesolve solution.

It is similar to doing a manual star alignment with a GOTO control.

You dont mention if you are using any cameras , so this may not be of any help to you.

Very accurate Polar Align is only needed for astrophotography, though for visual don't neglect it , just don't waste time tweaking it.

https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.RapidoDroid.synscaninit2&hl=en_US&gl=US

this app is handy if you have a polarscope and is free   , mostly useful for skywatcher mounts

the tiny bubble level in the mount may not be true level depends it it is fitted properly , a short external spirit level is good to confirm level.

(it would help to know what telescope and what mount you have , these can be added into your digital signature and show below your posted messages)

So its the red one , the scale should (nominally) read the same as your latitude.

I am 56 North so my scale reads 56

If you use a Polar align utility (like Sharpcap) , this will help you make the final fine adjustments to get it set perfectly.

The scales are sometimes a bit rough and can read a few degrees out sometimes.

Make sure the mount tripod or pier is set level before you add the head, a spirit level helps.

Just another photo of a piggyback guidescope to illustrate

You can fit guidescope rings to the top of the 72ED rings and piggyback your guidescope.

Also allows far more accurate alignment between the two

Depending on spacing you may need to fit a top rail above your scope rings

The "dew filter" is an extended tube that fits over the front of your telescope. 

From previous I see you have an SCT telescope. This prevents condensation settling on the front corrector plate which ruins the view when using your telescope outside at night. 

In our damp UK they are very important if you want to get as much viewing time as possible , and perhaps even a heated one depending on where you are observing from (ie is it a very damp site).

They work very well which is why most refractors have quite long dew shields built in, and why heated bands are wrapped round the scope near the front.

They are not usually needed for Newtonian types as the long OTA should protect the main mirror from dew settling (in theory... but it still can)

They are easy to make DIY from thin cheap camping mat.

In order to use the GOTO you need to first polar align then you need to do a 1 , 2 , or 3 star alignment.

This lets the GOTO orient the OTA itself to the mount position.

A finder is needed for this unless you feel you can hit the alignment star by just looking along the tube and using a very wide eyepiece.

A Telrad can be enough rather than a full finder (or a red dot finder).

If you are starting from scratch consider a 50mm RACI finder if you feel a full finder is needed. This can then stay with you if you get a larger telescope.

I think for a 130 size Newtonian OTA a Telrad or red dot will suffice and is easier for novice users.

I have received my copy of Aston's book "The Solar System".

It is very well produced with lots of bright colourful photos inside. This is a properly printed quality item and I recommend it totally.

For those who have not heard of Aston he is 8yo and fascinated by Astronomy , he also happens to have Autism , but is not letting this hold him back.

He produced this book with a little help from his parents.

https://www.astonsmith.me.uk/?fbclid=IwAR2uwy1DpBElXgNJndwM8EhG-wfqhSW4fbUtMS5Txy-wQ8Dd2DHiUnQEvTY?fbclid=IwAR2uwy1DpBElXgNJndwM8EhG-wfqhSW4fbUtMS5Txy-wQ8Dd2DHiUnQEvTY

I would seriously consider remounting ALL your electrical installation into a large weather proof insulated box , cables can exit via cable glands to your mount.

You could use 12v low voltage connectors on the side for your astronomy equipment if you need the convenience of easy removal.

Mains cables can enter via the bottom section of the box  or the box can be mounted over where they come through the wall

(so they enter via the back of the box.)

A large box with a metal (earthed) backplate will provide adequate cooling.

Something like this would suit

Bresser scopes are more expensive but you are more likely to get a good one with Bresser.

The skywatchers can be just as good if you get a good one , but quality control from SW can be a bit erratic.

Bresser and your SCT compared on Bodes galaxy , you gain a much wider view.

Both are good options

Both are out of stock almost everywhere at the moment however, I think there are a few SW about , but the Bresser is unlikely to be in stock anywhere unless you are very lucky.

Again , for that price you can get a much nicer 2nd hand ED, bought on here from a fellow amateur you will get almost new quality.

The f10 you are considering is fairly close in performance to your SCT.  (I have guessed it might be a Skymax 127 for comparison.)

It would be better to go for a shorter tube to get a much wider FOV , there will be slightly more CA with this of course but not enough to be an issue in my opinion especially with wider DSO targets.

I have added a photo showing your existing SCT in orange , the f10 you mentioned in green , and a f5 tube scope in blue.

I would suggest the wider field is a better second scope. For photography the f5 will allow shorter exposure times as well.

Consider obtaining a second hand ED scope instead , much better performance for a similar price

(and available , new scopes are like hens teeth at the moment)

A good 80mm ED is a great photography scope. Quality of image even for visual makes the ED worth the extra effort to obtain.

Shown for Pleiades with a 10mm eyepiece.

As per rusted comments , it is not ideal to have your power supply mains connectors exposed , while RCD protected you are potentially in a wet environment so  there is still some shock risk. 

You may even get a startle jump if you touch it in the dark before the RCD trips out and knock over your telescope 😱

It would be fairly easy to get a sheet of aluminium , bend over the top edge to both prevent access to the live terminals and serve as a drip deflector for the power supply.

This could easily be fixed onto the perforated sheet to sit above the PSU with some long bolts , still allowing plenty ventilation.

When you message in the message section don't do any "return" .

 Just write it as a long single line , I had the same problem until I got this pointer on another forum.

Worked after that for me.

Good to see so many supporting Aston , actually looking forward to seeing my copy of his book.

I did try try the Canon DSLR fix for Sharpcap , and although it did connect and take frames the software always froze on me , so reverted to my guidecam.