Gonariu

As a grab-and-go telescopes, I see very well ultrashort refractors such as 70/400, 70/300 and 50/300 (the latter would be well corrected for chromatic aberration); they are also very cheap, for a 70/300 one spends 30-40 euros, the fact that for the latter the eyepieces are 24.5 mm Huygens which are not exactly the best ... ... If you want to dedicate exclusively to Moon & planets, the Maksutov 90/1250 from what I have read are gems (clearly spending more ... .....). on principle I reject ED and apochromatics, I don't have big needs.

Hello and welcome! Binoculars are good for starting and you can use them for something else as well. If you want to buy a telescope later on, it will complement it. Unfortunately, astronomy is a passion as beautiful as it is expensive.

I think yours is a very good buy, a Schmidt - Cassegrain is a good all-rounder instrument both for the Moon and planets and for the deep sky, in the city for the first there is no problem. In particular, the 6 ”Nextar SE is not heavy, it can be moved easily; the school where I teach in Nuoro bought it a few years ago and I happened to use it for the open day in January last year.

Ringrazio ancora chi mi ha dato il benvenuto in questo forum!!! @Chandra: dove abito io, nella periferia di Orotelli (piccolo paese del centro Sardegna di 2000 abitanti) c'è un po' di inquinamento luminoso ma si può sopravvivere (dietro casa mia è tutto campagna). Un po' di anni fa sono andato a cena in una casa di campagna nei pressi di Dorgali e ti posso dire che c'era un cielo così magnifico che mi perdevo, non riuscivo a riconoscere le costellazioni tante erano le stelle che vedevo! Ad un certo punto ho riconosciuto le Pleiadi che ho puntato col mio binocolo 10X50 della Celestron (un Upclose): non ho mai visto tante stelle nelle Pleiadi con un binocolo! Se vi capita di venire in Sardegna per le vacanze (molti vengono per il mare) portatevi un telescopio da viaggio (un piccolo apocromatico da 80 mm o un acromatico 80/400 che si possono montare su un buon treppiede fotografico) e alternate i tuffi al mare all'osservazione degli oggetti deep – sky (grazie a Dio la sciagurata epidemia è in fase di regressione anche qui e speriamo tutti di fare un'estate normale e non solo!!!!).

I was advised against the achromatic refractor 150/1200 (I was eyeing the Bresser) because it is too heavy, it seems that even an EQ6 is inadequate to support it. The 150/750 refractor is certainly more manageable, on the deep sky it must be very beautiful, on the Moon and planets there are those who argue that a good filter is enough to reduce chromatism but I think many disagree. Clear skies and no wind at all (here in Sardinia the mistral is very disturbing ... .....) !!!

In 1999 I bought one of the first short refractors, the Konusuper 120 (achromatic refractor 120/1000) with which in the summer of 2003 I had made some beautiful observations of Mars. Of course, like the first chinoiseries it had something that didn't convince me. I diaphragmed it to 90 mm for a lateral chipping of the achromatic doublet and I made some beautiful observations of Mars last autumn, even on the Moon at 250 - 333X our satellite looks fabulous, when this winter or in the first part of the spring was cold (then the "cold" we have in central Sardinia will make those who live in England smile) I dressed in two sweaters and a heavy jacket (to avoid freezing) and made a quick observation of the Moon. In this month that the temperature has definitely risen (even + 30ºC), I'm waiting for the weather to stabilize, it's a bit too oceanic.

I still thank everyone who welcomed me. These days due to lack of time (the school year is ending here in Italy and I find myself several more tasks), I am having what I write translated into English By Google Translator but I propose to do without it when I find myself a little 'more than time; It is also right to make an effort to improve your English. Clear skies to all!

The glass solar filter I bought is from Orion and goes well with telescopes of 7 - 8 cm lens, you might see if you can find a filter from some other brand that works for the Travelscope 70, it doesn't necessarily have to necessarily be Celestron.

Are you teacher of math and physics?

Great review. Years ago an my uncle bought an 80/1200 refractor with Towa optics (the Konus Rigel), the mount is shaky but I read a beautiful review of the optics. I am a bit tempted to ask him if he sells it to me, except sometimes that he has used it he stays locked in his box in the closet. Ok on mirror telescopes, but a refractor is always a refractor, albeit with a short focus.

Thank you all! I am looking at the forum from time to time and it is more and more interesting, I like that we also talk about not big instruments; after all, the best telescope is the one you use the most!

I also bought the Travelscope 70 a few years ago to show my students something at school and it's a telescope that I don't mind. The tripod needs to be changed, I already had a good photographic tripod bought for 20X80 binoculars; even wanting to keep the two eyepieces and the 45 diagonal provided by Celestron to start, I think a 4 mm eyepiece would be fine to have those 100X to see the Moon and planets (even if it is more of a telescope for deep sky and panoramas ) and a nice sunscreen. I had found a solar filter sold at half price (35 euros) which is good for 70mm and 80mm lens refractors that I use either with the Travelscope or with an 80/400 refractor (the Konus Vista 80).

Hello everyone. I am an amateur from central Sardinia, I am 53 years old, I live in a small village, Orotelli, and I teach mathematics and physics in a school in Nuoro, 20 km from Orotelli. As an amateur astronomer I am a visualist, I took a few shots with the smartphone brought to the eyepiece of the telescope but nothing more; the observations I make are purely contemplative. I came across this forum by chance and it made a good impression on me. I apologize to everyone for my bad English, this time for reasons of haste I used Google translator but, having more time, I will try to do without it even if with the vocabulary it will take longer and I will make more mistakes (I studied English years ago as a self-taught with all the limitations that this method entails, I studied French at school for five years).