Hi.
I've had a long term interest in astronomy and am just preparing to start getting some gear.
I've spent a while now doing some research, reading and watching videos.
I want to get started in visual observing, but I hope to, get into some astrophotography as well at some stage.
I will definitely always want to be able to do visual, so I can share this with my family, and also I plan to get some decent scope experience for a while doing visual, plus I was thinking in terms of cost, starting out just visual allows me to stage the cost outlay by buying the camera gear later.
I've mostly settled on the gear I'm looking at getting, but wanted to get some advice on one aspect.
I am planning on at the start getting a Celestron SCT with a CGX mount plus the SkyPortal WiFi module.
I was planning on also initially getting the Celestron StarSense.
My plan for later was to get a not-too-expensive ZWO mono camera (at least to start with), EFW, plus a ZWO mini guide camera and an OAG.
To manage all this I was planning on using either an AsiAir or Astroberry setup.
So my question mostly revolves around whether or not the StarSense is effectively a waste in the long run?
It seems to me that the functions the StarSense performs will end up also being able to be done by the cameras with the AsiAir/Astroberry.
So instead of spending the money on the StarSense, can I simply earlier on buy the OAG, guide camera and AsiAir (or Astroberry) and then attach the OAG inline with the star diagonal, and then use the guide camera and AsiAir/Astroberry for alignment and mount control, while still doing visual astronomy (i.e. before I actually buy the "proper" main camera"), and thereby obviating the need for the StarSense altogether?
Or is the idea/setup I've described completely stupid and non-functional in terms of visual observing?
Can I actually use a guide camera via AsiAir/Astroberry for alignment, or does it have to be the main camera (which I wouldn't have in the initial setup I've described)?
Hopefully I've explained myself well enough.
Thanks.