mil5nov

Thank you. I am looking as well on refractor telescopes as suggested by Trikeflyer however combined with goto mount they seem to be a bit outside of my price range. The goto/ push to is a feature that I cannot budge on. I know there will be a learning curve to align it properly as well but I guess it's still easier than star hopping to see what we want to see So based on your explanation do you think, the MAK would be the best for our needs based on the 3? This is somewhat my primary choice but the narrow FOV is bit off putting (as the collimation is off putting in the other 2). I seriously never knew there is so many factors to consider when buying a telescope.

It's probably a stupid question but what the heck, can any telescope be used with goto mount? Not based on weight as you mentioned, but are all scopes attached in the same way? If I would consider this option, I don't want to buy a scope and mount separately and then not being able to attach it. Also, when converted to EUR it comes a bit above my budget so would have to research if I can get it somewhere bit cheaper. I live in a town approx 20km from Dublin so the light pollution is not as bad as in Dublin (that's just my observation on how is see sky with naked eye vs what I saw when lived in Dublin) .

His Birthday is on the 27th so I guess I should order it next week at the latest. The photo astronomy would be an added bonus and not really a requirement. So if my choice would be a scope that has photos of not great quality and mediocre viewing quality vs scope without photo option but the viewing quality is better, I would go with the viewing quality. How hard is the collmination though? This scares me as obviously I don't want to break the new and expensive to my budget scope.

Hi All, My husband's birthday is coming up and I decided to give him a telescope - something he's always been dreaming of. I have narrowed down my research to the 3 below: Celestron Nexstar 127MAK Celestron Nexstar 130SLT Orion Starblast 6i I am looking for a scope that would be "best of both worlds" - to be able to watch planets and DSO's (since I cannot ask my husband which one he prefers and there is only few planets and many DSOs). A bit of thinking behind my choices: Celestron Nexstar 127MAK - best magnification from all 3 choices which will be great for planets but the narrow FOV can be an issue for DOS. It's a MAK so no collination, which we would have no idea how to do. Apparently this scope is a bit sturdier on the mount and tripod than 130 and it's possible to watch stars in zenith which I read is an issue with 130. Celestron Nexstar 130SLT - wider FOV which is better for DOS, but will this badly affect planet view? Also, the collination scares me. Orion Starblast 6i - the obvious advantage is the 6" aperture vs 5" in the other 2. This is a dob with pushto, compared to goto in the other 2. The advantage of this is that it can be operated manually so it can still be used even if power dies, which will be an issue in the other 2. On the other hand the other 2 are tracking the objects where this one does not. Also, it's a tabletop scope so no tripod - not sure if this is a pro or a con. And again - collination. Also, in a lot of posts that I read, dobsonians are recommended as a beginner scopes as apparently you get more scope for your money. As you can see, all 3 have their pros and cons, which makes it a really hard choice for somebody who has no clue about any of it. Both of us are total novices so a goto or pushto is a must in order to find what we want to look at. Additionally, my husband loves photography, so if any of them would be suitable for any photos, it would be a bonus (but it is not a mandatory requirement as I know neither of them is really designed for astrophotography). Which one of them would you recommend or do you know of any other better scopes that would fit our needs (within budget EUR 550)? I will appreciate any suggestions.