Beginner Telescope with specific requirements!

[JMH]

Good morning and thank you in advance for your advice and patience! I am looking to purchase my first telescope, budget around £200. I am overwhelmed by the choice, but am looking for certain things:

Quite lightweight / easily portable

Smartphone adapter for taking iPhone pictures

Specifically interested in looking at planets, ISS, galaxies as well as the moon

Must be on a tripod and not table-top

I would be grateful for your expertise. I am in the UK (Suffolk) if that makes a difference! I look forward to learning A LOT here  

[JOC]

One of these - https://www.firstlightoptics.com/dobsonians/skywatcher-skyliner-150p-dobsonian.html

or if you want to bust your budget a little further or check SGL classifieds, one of these (which is the most quoted beginner scope and what I own)

https://www.firstlightoptics.com/dobsonians/skywatcher-skyliner-200p-dobsonian.html

[happy-kat]

Hi

The dobsonian mounted reflector does give great aperture for your money and the mount is practicale rather than fancy but it does not fit lightweight and portable but those two words are subjective.

I would normally suggest the heritage 130p but the supplied mount is not a tripod. I've got one and the optics are great.

So keeping with the lunar theme and galaxies then this is lent more towards portable and lightweight. I've not used a tripod like this but *if* it offers a future tweak of adding a motor drive it might suit.

https://www.firstlightoptics.com/beginner-telescopes/sky-watcher-starquest-102mc-f127-maksutov-cassegrain-telescope.html

Different telescope designs have different strengths and weaknesses it is finding what suits you best.

Visiting a nearby astro club would be an idea but this isn't really an option right now.

 

[JMH]

19 minutes ago, happy-kat said:

Hi

The dobsonian mounted reflector does give great aperture for your money and the mount is practicale rather than fancy but it does not fit lightweight and portable but those two words are subjective.

I would normally suggest the heritage 130p but the supplied mount is not a tripod. I've got one and the optics are great.

So keeping with the lunar theme and galaxies then this is lent more towards portable and lightweight. I've not used a tripod like this but *if* it offers a future tweak of adding a motor drive it might suit.

https://www.firstlightoptics.com/beginner-telescopes/sky-watcher-starquest-102mc-f127-maksutov-cassegrain-telescope.html

Different telescope designs have different strengths and weaknesses it is finding what suits you best.

Visiting a nearby astro club would be an idea but this isn't really an option right now.

 

Thank you for this. Forgive my ignorance but without a tripod do you just have this sitting on a table?

 

[happy-kat]

Tripod as in an extending floor mounted tripod.

The heritage comes on a dobsonian base that can be sat on a table, or it is on the floor, how I use mine, I sit on a garden chair. Sometimes I place it on an upturned bucket.