Scope for light polluted north Surrey

[Very Amateur]

I've been around the houses researching for my first telescope. Refractor v reflector, Goto/ wifi v manual. I had narrowed it down to 4 for my budget; SW Skymax 102/ Explorer 130PS or the Goto variants or the Celestron equivalents. I was then reading some more info and thought maybe to ditch the Goto and go with a manual 150mm for the bigger aperture. My eyes were then turned by a 8" dob (SW or Orion) or maybe 10" if i can find it at a good price. Having said that and just checking prices again I think the 10 will be out of budget. I then read that the dob might not be that good in light polluted areas so i've come full circle not knowing what to go for.

 

I'd like to do some astrophotography but think that might come later so isn't a priority at the moment. The scope will mainly be for garden use to  explore as much as possible and learn the night sky. So, with a budget of £350, living in north Surrey and the above info, what would you go for if you were buying your first telescope again?

[Alan64]

If you choose a Newtonian or Newtonian-Dobson, there will be collimation to learn and master, but not with a refractor...

https://www.firstlightoptics.com/evostar/skywatcher-evostar-102-eq3-2.html

You can get your feet wet in so far as imaging with the equatorial mount of that kit, and by adding a simple motor-drive in future.  The refractor comes with a 2" focusser.

If the prospect of collimating a Newtonian regularly, occasionally, doesn't bother, I would go with this...

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

I suppose you'll never forget your first telescope as the years and decades go by, and most certainly not if the first was a 102mm refractor.

[DaveL59]

investing in a goto version will mean the scope itself has had less of the cost used to make it, as in for the same money you can get a better scope on a manual mount. Having said that, how bad are your skies, can you see many stars or really only the bright ones?

A manual scope will mean learning to star hop and if you can't see many stars then that may give you a problem where a goto once star aligned will get you where you want to be looking with a few button presses.

An alternative perhaps are the new Celestron starsense explorer models, the LT models should be avoided as the mount is wobbly and the reflectors are the bird-jones type so won't be very sharp.

DX130 - reflector
StarSense Explorer DX 130AZ | Celestron

DX102 - refractor
StarSense Explorer DX 102AZ | Celestron

These use your smartphone to map the location by plate-solving what the camera can see and then direct where to move the scope to find your target. So in effect an assisted push-to setup. They don't have the full database that the goto systems have but seems to work quite well. Having said to avoid the LT I do have the LT70AZ which was bought for the starsense part but in fact it isn't too bad with a few mods and a motor focuser.

Worth budgeting for better eyepieces and a good star diagonal if you go for the DX102 tho. 

Edited November 24, 2020 by DaveL59

[Cosmic Geoff]

£350 is probably not enough for a GoTo outfit unless you buy second-hand.  £350 for a GoTo is barely entry level. 

I would however recommend GoTo as I have tried both Goto and manual and found that manual was a waste of time except for obvious  brighter objects, or the grab'n go role with a smaller sized scope.  The GoTo has a further advantage in a light polluted area where fewer stars are visible to the naked eye. I have been interested in finding things, not "learning the night sky".

If you prefer a more basic instrument, you could get a nice new Dobsonian for £350, assuming you can find stock.

Maybe get a smaller table-top Dob with a view to upgrading when you have had some experience.