footix2

I went for the 8300mAh Talentcell battery should get me started at least. Thanks for the help guys

I've just got myself a Starwatcher Star Discovery with a GoTo mount. 

Looking at getting a power tank for it but the Celestron/SkyWatcher 7Ah or 17ah are out of stock everywhere (shock). 

So with that I mind are there other alternatives I can use that are actually available to buy? 

Also in terms of disposable batteries, what type am I buying? I believe rechargeables are not suitable 

22 minutes ago, popeye85 said:

This was my first scope and I still have it so here's my thoughts.

For the tech you are getting this is fantastic value for money. It is a great beginners scope and will serve as a great introduction to the night sky, not to mention Easy to set up and holds a massive database of targets you can find at the press of a button.

Compared to a dob though you will be getting less apature for your money, and aperture of king! However this rule only applies if you can see enough stars to hop to your target-if you suffer from light pollution then a goto will probably benefit you more than the extra apature.

Usually I advise against Goto's as they tend to rob you of the opportunity of learning the night sky however this is not the case with this scope due to the freedom find. However, that being said if you are going be serious about learning the night sky then why not just get a dob?? . As a side note please remember that you do need to know a few stars in order to set up the goto.

The other possibility is that it comes down to storage space and portability and by this category there is only one winner. I will attach a couple pictures to show the difference in size, however the difference in weight is also substantial!

Basically what I'm saying is that as a first scope go for a dob if you have access to fairly dark skies plus have somewhere to store it. If a dob if not suitable then yes, yes, yes. I would highly recommend this as a first scope.

 

I'm in Cumbria so I do have access to pretty dark skies (and driveable to Galloway Dark Skies Park and also Kielder) so a Dob is certainly a future co siderstion. Not sure I have the space to store it mind that's a bit of a monster. 

Looking to make my first steps into astronomy. I've always had an interest in it but never owned a scope before. 

My research has led me to 6 inch reflectors and I'd like to do planetary and DSO viewing. I've shyed away from equatorial mounts to begin with due to complexity. I want sonething that is easy so I can get the bug. 

I would eventually like to do astrophotography and I understand that this one isn't ideal for various reasons (mount, prime focus). This isn't my main reason for buying though so not a massive issue, as I don't even own a camera currently 🤣.

Any other scopes I should be considering alongside this one? Budget is £500 max.

 Thanks