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I'm just going to stick with 1.25 eyepieces for now. Thanks for the link

Hadnt really thought about filters or eye relief, something for me to think about. I do wear glasses but when using binoculars usually take them off, so thinking will do the same with the telescope. Just to follow on from this, do you know of a resourse/website that lists the widest field of view at different magnifications for a given telescope? Just want to work out what the limitations are for the 6 inch SCT at different magnification for future reference.

In that case it sounds like I just need the ES 24mm for now, and a few cloud free nights. Thanks for the help with this.

Thanks, wasn't aware of the 50° limitation at 32mm. I'll definitely get the ES 24mm eyepiece, is there any point in getting a televue plossl 32mm as well, or will they just give similar performance? For planetary I think I'll stick to the zoom for the time being and try to do more research.

I recently bought the starsense DX6 and a Baader hyperion zoom lense with 8mm - 24mm range. Have set it up in the daytime to make sure it's all working correctly and everything seems fine, though not had chance to test it night due to the weather. It looks like the baader zoom will cover a good range of targets, but I'm wondering if its worthwhile getting a different lens for planetary viewing, and also a wide view lens for galaxies/dso. I'm thinking of getting the Explore Scientific 24mm 68 degree lens, but was also hoping to find something at 32mm and around 60+ degrees, but cant seem to find anything that's 1.25 inch compatible at 32mm with wide field of view. Could you please let me know any recommendations for a 32mm eyepiece and also an eyepiece for planetary viewing.

Decided to go for the DX5 in the end, thinking I'll be more likely to use it and can always buy bigger later. Will order this when FLO have it back in stock. A video where Ed Ting compared a 5 inch CST to a 6 inch CST was a game changer as the 6 inch looked much bigger than I'd thought. Also read a few comments about the tripod not being very good with the heavier scope. Have already bought the Baader zoom to go with it, and it'll do until I pick up a 32mm and a 5 or 6 mm later. If anyone's still following this thread, could you please recommend a dew Shield as I can't find a celestron branded one for the 5 inch scope.

How much difference could I expect to see between the DX5 and DX6 when using the Baader Zoom eyepiece? If it's not a significant difference, then I might go for the lighter scope.

Thanks for the reply Bosun. I'm going to go for the DX6 after more reading. Will get it with the baader hyperion zoom you suggested as it seems like a good quality piece, and the option to use it with 1.25 or 2 inch star diagonal makes it a good option for potential future upgrades if I want a larger aperture dob in future. Is there any point getting lenses beyond 40mm, not sure how to work out what max size is useful for DX6.

I think I can answer question 1 myself after watching a few video's on YouTube, it looks like the phone I have should be fine. Does anyone have anything for the other questions?

I'm looking to get a starsense telescope as I'm having difficulty finding anything with binoculars/monocular I have. So I'm hoping to get a starter scope which can show me a little of everything, and something to help guide me along the way, but not reliant on motorised mount. It sounds like a StarSense scope would be ideal, but have some concerns and also need a little advice. The first question is about phone compatibility, probably a question for someone with on of these scopes: 1. I've downloaded the StarSense app, and it tells me that the software is compatible with my phone, but the celestron site doesnt list my phone in the compatibility list. I'm not sure if this is down to the physical location of the camera, on my phone it's on the left hand side of the back of the phone. Could anyone confirm they have one of these scopes and it works for them with the camera in same position on phone? The next question is about which scope to go for. 2. Ideally I want something lightweight, easy to setup, easy to transport, but I dont want to go for a lighter option if its giving away a lot of performance. I'll be observing in bortle 4 skies for the most part. So the three scopes I'm thinking about are: StarSense Explorer DX 5 StarSense Explorer DX6 StarSense Explorer DX 102az Just want to ask if there would be a lot of difference in performance between these 3, particularly between the refractor and the SC models. I'm leaning towards getting the DX6, but if the performance between it and the other two isn't great will go with a lighter option. Final question is around accessories. 3. Is their any point in getting a zoom lens with a barlow? If I get an 8-24 zoom, then it just seems to me the barlow will only really be giving me a 4mm, and the zoom alread covers the range from 8 to 24, so wouldn't it be better to get the zoom and a 6mm lens (as 4mm seems too short for these scopes anyway). So I'm thinking of getting these(not all at once), and no need for barlow: 6mm, 8-24 zoom, 32mm, 36mm 40mm, focal reducer. Does this make sense or have I missed something?

Thanks John. Is that a limitation of the telescope - is the 5x only useful for larger aperture telescopes? Or is the 5x just for astrophotograpy?

For the barlow, is it worth spending more on a televue powermate, or will this only benefit if I then spend a lot of money on every eyepiece? I was thinking of getting a 2.5x and 5x powermate eventually, but didnt necessarily want to spend a couple of hundred pounds on each eyepiece.

I've done a little more reading around the skywatcher heritage 150, and I think you've convinced me it's exactly what I'm looking for. Not really into handicrafts, but hopefully I can get one and do the flocking / light shroud etc. Is there something I need to do with the focuser or is it just a case of getting used to it? Also wanted to ask about the eyepieces. I already have a 5mm Antares plossl eyepiece and a 20mm Meade eyepiece, plus a 10mm super and 25mm super wide eyepieces that came with the old skywatcher scope. Other than a x2 barlow, would you recommend any other eyepieces? Just not sure if there are any holes I should fill in, or maybe the 10mm and 25mm aren't very good quality and should be replaced.

Thanks for the comments. I'm not overly keen on the Heritage scopes as they just look very flimsy to me. On the other hand they do tick a lot of boxes in terms of being lightweight, portable and easy to store away. I'll do some thinking on it, as you pointed out, might be a while before we get dark skies back, so no rush.

Thanks John. I think I'll get the Zhumell in that case. Performance doesn't sound like a lot of difference, and with it being lighter and being able to get it next week from amazon it just makes more sense.