Telescopes

First I would get an Astronomy magazine because they have a lot of adds for different types of telescope.

I wear glasses and just take them off and focus for me. Most if not all you can buy a camera mount. The biggest decisions Is size and cost.

I bought a Meade 4 1/2 inch Reflector scope. There pretty cheap now and there have been some huge improvements over the last several years. Now you can get a GPS tracker for them that would be a must to have now. But my 4 1/2 inch is just a little small. Also you will need attachment lenses. I have at least 4 lenses and non were cheap. Plus I have one 2X multiplier so it turns my 32mm wide angle into 16mm. Usually the 32mm will come with it. Right off hand I can't remember what my favorite eye piece is but I have some cheaper and some expensive. I found one 6 inch you can read about. It's an off brand but it can show you what it looks like and there are a couple reviews on the page. Oh and also it has the camera mount...well you will see. The price isn't bad either. All it is is a tube with a mirror that reflects it to another mirror and the eye piece looks at the second mirror. Everything is upside down. Doesn't mean much unless you are looking at the moon or some planets. The crescent will be the opposite of what you see in the sky. So that's what I have. More later.

protelescope.com/index.php/catalog/product/view/id/308/s/6-gps-computer-controlled-reflector-telescope-astrophotography-package/?gclid=EAIaIQobChMImZbAqcGI2QIViLjACh2cpwxPEAYYAiABEgIe2_D_BwE

There are only 2 brands I would consider. Celestron or Meade. They might cost a little more but if you ever use binoculars there is a huge difference in brands. The last one I bought was Nikon and they are super sharp. On a telescope it's the quality of the mirrors.

After I was in Florida I planned to come home and buy a 8" or 10"scope but they are pricy.

I also bought a book about the moon and it shows all the landing areas the US landed at. One they just sot up and hit the moon and that area is pretty east to find. think it's spottable at around 1/2 moon. It's always best looking at the moon except when it's a full moon. Then it's so bright it washes out all the details. So anything but full moon is interesting. Get one that would track the moon and planets automatically would be far better than a manual one like I have. For looking at Jupiter and 4 of it's moons you use the wide angle 33mm/28mm lenses. The bigger 8 and 10 inch get kind of heavy. But you can set it up and put it on a tripod dolly with locking wheels. Then just roll it in and out of the garage. I wouldn't mind having one myself. I keep mine in the garage and just keep it covered.

On my reflector you stand up and look down into the lens. On the ones with the eye piece/lens at the back they sell and adapter that turns everything 180 degrees so looking up at the moon and looking through the lens it's the same.

Here is the one I wanted. So you can see the price is a lot higher and this one is about 1/2 off.

www.adorama.com/mdlx90acfu10.html?gclid=EAIaIQobChMIjKX82eaI2QIVTrnACh3jhQPBEAQYAiABEgIWnvD_BwE

And that's why I don't have it. Had to decide just how often I would use it. I didn't think at this house I would use it enough. But I would like to have a new one that auto tracts and can find stuff in the sky for you.

You can get the one I have for 2 to 4 hundred. But I'd still stick with Meade or Celestron because the mirrors are higher quality. I also thought about getting a Refractor Telescope (skinny long tube) but it would have to be as good or better than my reflector scope. I spend most of the time looking at the moon. Because of the craters every night looking at it is different.

Let me know what you start looking at or what direction you are headed. Not sure if we have a telescope place in town any more. Even I have questions before I would buy another one.

Hey just thought of something.  Check and see if there are any Telescope clubs in the area.  They have one here and I should probably show up at their meeting to ask questions. When ever there is something interesting to see they all get together and check it out.

Sorry, although very interested in space and celestial phenomena, I don't know anything about telescopes or have even used one, but I'd like to.