Celestron 70mm Travel Scope Review!

[@FordRasmussen]

I forgot to mention, in case it wasn't obvious, that the photo of Jupiter and its moons is edited. They are a bit hard to see with my equipment. And even harder to see through the camera without changing the brightness and contrast. Still a cool view though!

[@coolbrogaming1842]

Hi

[@coolbrogaming1842]

I have to

[@coolbrogaming1842]

Please love this comment

[@Rawkalakar]

Can you see craters in detail?

[@FordRasmussen]

Yeah, you can see the craters pretty well. Even some of the dark spots in the middle of the craters (central peaks) are visible under good conditions.

[@triciamoon6312]

This video warmed my heart lol! I just got it for xmas as a first telescope and appreciate your clear 101 type teaching style! Thank you!

[@FordRasmussen]

You're welcome! I'm glad you liked it. Wishing you clear skies ⭐

[@davidaaaa4611]

I have owned 2 of these 70mm travel scopes for over 20 years. They are very handy to take on trips. They don't take up much room in the trunk of a car. Very good for casual astronomy, bird watching or taking to a shooting range to view targets. I would not be with out one. Thanks for the video.

[@meseehut]

Very helpful. Really appreciate you taking time to review of this telescope. I recently bought the same telescope and can't wait to start using it.

[@pwincess747]

Absolute beginner here, just bought this, still in the box waiting to get home to set it up, so excited and your review made me even more excited!

[@nicholasravello5497]

Hi. After two years in, can u say if it's worth the buy

[@alexyulchiev2887]

​@@nicholasravello5497 found on Amazon for £100 debating whether or not to buy it ..

[@jericho702]

Nice video. My wife bought me this exact piece for Thanksgiving and I have not opened the box yet. Excited , especially for the Jupiter Saturn event on the 21st.

[@juonisback]

Does this exact model have the capability to see planets such as Jupiter and Saturn?

[@petset77]

A fellow newbie here. I was looking for a spotting scope for larger scopes we've gotten. ...We got a used Orion 4.5EQ from a friend moving "like new" for $100 a couple of months ago. Seeing the sky with that prompted me to look for larger aperture, thus the Orion XT8 Dobsonian I have now (three weeks, once used, $325, in original box). It's getting pretty cold outside here in the Rockies, so I take a quick look before it drops into the 20s and below, then continue my research. Mars just came over the ridge, so I'm heading out for a few minutes with the 4.5. Cheap amazon spotting scopes cost as much as this Celestron (without the quality), so I'm looking at reviews. Thanks for your enthusiasm. I feel the same way.

[@guycarrwuzright7189]

Great video my friend. I couldn’t agree more. The night sky is divinely beautiful. Just got my Celestron 70 and can’t wait to use it!

[@FordRasmussen]

This just in! I found the Pleiades star cluster, which I didn't even know existed until I spotted it tonight when I took my telescope out. It's also very cool to look at through this!

[@aannalese]

I just bought this and I'm excited. It's my first telescope.

[@omantra9250]

Very rare to find good review videos for Telescopes. Yours is excellent! Subscribed ❤ from 🇮🇳 Keep up the good work bro!

[@FordRasmussen]

Thank you. I appreciate that!

[@springbloom5940]

You can greatly improve these cheap tripods with some teflon plumbing tape, around the male bearing surfaces. Zero backlash and very low static friction.

[@davidk8677]

Nice telescope Ford. Me and your grandma enjoy looking at the night sky and have gone on a couple of night sky events put on by some amateur astronomers, which was fun. We usually think we are just here on the ground looking at the night sky, but in reality we are hurtling through space along with all the other things.

[@FordRasmussen]

Sounds like fun! Yeah, it's such a cool thing, space is.

[@jasonm1690]

I just picked this up for $20 with some promos. This video makes me feel better about that purchase, as a beginner. Thank you :)

[@jameslewis1605]

OMG! This is precious. Simply precious!

[@Hilux244]

Very informative, thanks! I just purchased this scope NIB at Goodwill for $20. Wish I had your knowledge on this topic

[@MrEdsTheRef]

Thanks for that informative review as i just bought a 2nd hand one for £43 and look forwards to its delivery😊

[@thej2003]

Hi Ford, useful video. Thank you! Can I ask how did you record the telescope screen? Can we take pictures using a phone?

[@FordRasmussen]

@@thej2003 you're welcome! Thanks for your comment. Actually, when I first got this telescope I put a camera on a tripod and carefully set it up next to this. It was kind of tedious but worked. Now I have bought a phone adapter that it makes it easier to take pictures but I haven't used it with this telescope ever. I have a 130 mm AstroFi now. Anyway, here's the phone mount I Iike because it's sturdy and easy to adjust the phones position to line it up with the lens: amzn.to/3C1qAEt

[@erichowry7197]

I received this telescope for Christmas and I cannot wait to use it!!

[@AeroAce_YT]

Your "remember to smile" coment actually helped me. Thanks. BTW people need to know how quick the Moon actually moves when you try look at it.

[@pss2755]

what piece you recommend to take pictures?

[@MasterTSayge]

I live in DC. The Best spot to see all the planets with my 90mm telescope is at the Lincoln Memorial around midnight. I Was easly able to see Mars, Venus, Jupiter, Saturn, and Uranus with out a problem. Plus it's the only spot in DC with less light pollution. Amazing!!! 🔭

[@mfundimkhize3137]

What's an upgrade from this one? I wanna see mars. Watching from South Africa. 🇿🇦

[@danielwarwick1039]

My grandson got me a 114 Celestron AZ for Christmas with a 26mm and 9.7 mm the could tell me where to go for information on the eyelines i would appreciate thanks . You did a great job thumb up

[@cameronwhitaker3509]

Thanks for the review! I purchased the Celestron travelscope 70 because I love stargazing, but have no room for a big telescope. All I can say is that I've been thoroughly impressed with this telescope. I've upgraded the eyepieces and added a Barlow lens to my collection. I've been able to see some really cool stuff, and the quality of the images has been amazing. My uncle purchased a 5" reflector telescope with GPS and all that fun stuff, but to be honest, I was rather underwhelmed with it. I think my little travelscope works much better and has better image quality.

[@FordRasmussen]

Nice! Thanks for the comment. How much of difference did the new eyepieces and Barlow lens make? I've been thinking of getting one, but I'm not sure. Can you get any good views of deep space, like nebula or anything?

[@linashbaita1370]

would you recommend it for a total beginner? looking to gift it to someone

[@FordRasmussen]

Yes, I would recommend it as a good beginners telescope. 👍 That's what it was for me because I had zero experience before this one.

[@linashbaita1370]

@@FordRasmussen thank you! :)

[@leticianedilskyj7060]

@@FordRasmussen Hi. I don't see a reply regarding the Barslow. I've the same interest. Will await for your reply to decide on the purchase. Thank you

[@AuthenticMage]

I got this telescope for Christmas, sadly I’m going to have to wait to continue using it as the up/down control stick broke tonight

[@TXRacing5.3]

Thanks for the video but, every time I look into my telescope I have a blurry vision of moving things.. Do you know why?

[@SLIKproductions101]

Thanks for the info. I just got the telescope and needed it.

[@FordRasmussen]

You're welcome! I'm glad it could help.

[@pauldean2824]

I have bought a new telescope the one you said I'd lots of stars and see little bit of it as I'm trying to

[@lefly]

Really helpful review! Thanks a lot and keep up the great work!

[@WiseOwl_1408]

Good review. Thanks for pros and cons

[@shiningstar_6]

Hey @Ford Rasmussen, I bought this same telescope, however when I look at Jupiter I just see a massive white circle in the middle of the telescope, so just wanted to know if you also encountered this problem or if it is just my telescope that has a problem

[@johnsyvineela1037]

Hey Ford! First off, this review was awesome. Short, crisp and exactly what a beginner would want to know! You did mention in the video that you are looking to upgrade, right? Which one are you planning to switch to? I do want to get a little crisper view of Saturn and Nebulae with something in budget. Have any recommendations for less than $200?

[@FordRasmussen]

Yes, I am looking to upgrade, however I still haven't decided which to get next, so I I don't have a clear recommendation yet. From what I've read you should be able to get a decent view of Saturn with a telescope in that price area, but I'm not sure how good a view of Nebulae would be. I'm sure you could see something. Let me know if you do find a good one! The Celestron PowerSeeker 127 EQ is one I've been potentially looking at...

[@johnsyvineela1037]

@@FordRasmussen I got the Celestron Astromaster 70AZ and it is pretty good. The only thing I wished for is having an EQ after trying to track the blue moon but it is not a setback in anyway!

[@rafaellazo5365]

I am so happy to see your emotion on what is your passion! My daughter (6 yo) wants a telescope for her birthday! What would you recommend me to buy for her ? And do we have any app to help on the searching ?

[@FordRasmussen]

That's exciting. Happy birthday wishes to her! For a beginner telescope you might check out the Gemini II 70 mm. I haven't used it yet, but a friend of mine made a great review of it: kzbin.info/www/bejne/pWOxkHZ6oLuHg6M It has a longer focal length than this one, and it seems to be overall better quality. Also, I like to use StarWalk 2 on my phone while I'm stargazing, but there are plenty of options out there. Good luck! This book is also great for beginners (I did the art in it): amzn.to/3vNhANg

[@kilnmaster]

love the blurry star lmao

[@3dfxvoodoocards6]

With a 6 mm (66x) or even 4 mm (100x) eyepiece you would be able to see a lot more details on Jupiter and Saturn.

[@christophersimm4490]

Great video! I have this scope, for getting used to the night sky it's incredible. Go to a nice place with a clear sky and you will have alot of fun. The tripod is not good, but it will do! This isn't the scope for taking pictures. It's for a person with no budget or space. The finderscope, I don't bother with I just use the 20mm eye piece and align with that. The tripod again is super light and shockingly bad, however enough time you will end up like me moving the mount to track the planets rather than adjust the mount. It's rough and ready but the views of Saturn, you can see the slight gap between the planet and it's rings on a good night. This is the scope that got me into astronomy, with a wide field of view looking at the pleadies, incredible. 20mm and a 10mm lens is all you need, don't bother with Barlow on this scope. Don't expect miracles, but don't underestimate the impact of seeing the stars and moon through this. It's well worth the money. If you have a camping chair and the right angle I wouldn't even say the 90 degree angle is needed. Love this scope!

[@FordRasmussen]

Well said. Thanks for sharing!

[@messiah3432]

Thanks for letting me know own about the barlow. I just got this scope and the Barlow doesn't really help any just makes things more blurry.

[@Catbus-Driver]

What would you recommend as a slightly better first telescope? I do a lot of backpacking and was looking at the 80mm travel scope or the Meade Adventure Scope 80

[@FordRasmussen]

Yeah, both would be a good starter scope, especially for their portability if you do backpacking. I haven't tried the Meade Adventure Scope, but it looks like it comes with a red dot finder scope, which I hear are really nice! The Celestron Finderscope has inverted optics which takes getting used to, but I don't mind it. Other than that, I'd bet they get the same views.

[@PafMedic]

I Would Go With The Mak-90,Its a Little More,But Holy Cow..Worth It

[@robertshawiv1513]

Great info! 👍🏻

[@Maideneer]

This is my first telescope and I set it up yesterday. The most annoying thing is the finderscope and the way it is situated. Whenever I try to look through it, my cheeks scrapes up against the diagonal/EP and I just can't get a good position on it so any troubleshooting tips will help, thanks!

[@FordRasmussen]

Hmm I can't say I've had that problem. You can rotate the diagonal, but other than that I'm not sure.

[@evertonporter7887]

​@@FordRasmussen The 20mm eyepiece supplied with this scope works really well with a 0.5x focal reducer, giving 10x magnification, which means the Celestron can be used as its own finder.

[@stromfitz5724]

Hi can you please tell which is the best telescope under 110 dollars And can you please tell which is better celestron travel scope or f70060 And say I'd I buy f70060 will I have to buy another barks lens?

[@FordRasmussen]

It looks like the f70060 comes with more accessories, so it might be worth it. The Barlow lens can be very helpful! I haven't used the f70060 though, so I can't say for certain if it's better than this one.

[@Moe_Dirty_Killa]

I saw Saturn with this one amazing just saw it today

[@joaomatinho7019]

with deitail?

[@PafMedic]

@@joaomatinho7019 ,Im Going To Say No,Seeing Its Much Farther Away,and You Can Barely Make Jupiters Out,The Cassini Div Would Be a Bit Much For This

[@wildeerrumbos4390]

Thanks for explaining

[@stevenrobertson5982]

I have almost identical telescope and I can get it to work perfectly during the day but I can't see anything at night and I've tried different scopes, lenses and with and without the night lense please help

[@RonPiggott]

What about taking this telescope to a bay near you and look at animals. I found this telescope and adapter for my DSLR camera on Amazon. I am wondering if it will work for nature photography. The challenge is that a lens this size would be about $2,000. I was wondering if this would get me by for a year of two. Ron

[@tommyknox854]

Hi ford great review can you recommend what barlow lens to purchase please to accompany this telescope thanks

[@FordRasmussen]

Hey and thank you. I've only tried one Barlow lens so far. It was one that came with another telescope. You probably can't go too wrong though. They're quite useful!

[@tommyknox854]

@@FordRasmussen thanks for the quick reply dose the brand of the Barlow matter im a total noob and is it a 3x Barlow you would recommend for the celestron travelscope 70

[@FordRasmussen]

3x is the one I used, and I liked it. I'm not sure about the brand. I still need to do more research on that. I hope you find something you like!

[@shivamrane916]

I have the same telescope , but when i point it at moon, i can only see a giant white blurred ball, i cant see anything beside moon , i then used 20 mm lens , but it was no use , it was like the telescope was zooming into the moon, idk what to do

[@dirtytreerat14]

Is the finder scope needed? I can’t find any sellers under 140 dollars. And the only place I found was Best Buy but it doesnt come with the finder scope

[@FordRasmussen]

Hmmm, I always use the Finderscope, and I think it would be pretty tricky to find small objects without one. You can always buy a Finderscope separately.

[@CM-xi1nh]

a visual example would be excellent -- like Jupiter or something what would I see using this telescope?

[@FordRasmussen]

At 4:38 are my pictures of the moon and Jupiter which are the main things I've been able to see with this scope so far. Anything else will be very small and hard to capture on camera with this equipment.

[@irinbon6207]

Wait, why and how do you align the finder scope? And why is the image in it upside down. What purpose does the finderscope serve?

[@FordRasmussen]

The finderscope makes it easier to point your telescope at the right things because it has a wider field of view. You make sure it's aligned so that when you find something through it you can be confident you'll be able to see the same thing when you look through the telescope's eyepiece. You can align it by centering an object in the telescope's eyepiece (this is easiest during the day), then looking through the finderscope and matching the crosshairs with the same object. Use the small adjustment nobs on the finderscope to tweak it. A standard finderscope is upsidedown just because of how it's built and how optics work. If it bothers you, though, they make RACI finderscope's which aren't that way. Good questions.

[@cedarhillschoppers35]

What does the bottom mount look like, where it attaches to it's tripod? If I wanted to use it at home, will it mount on a flat plate of a normal camera or video tripod that has the external 1/4-20 thread for cameras?

[@FordRasmussen]

Yes, it's a normal thread mount. I've used it with my camera tripod. If you have a nice tripod, I definitely recommend using it.

[@hasinthanawod5656]

Did you brought a new one?

[@FordRasmussen]

@@hasinthanawod5656 Yes. Check it out here: kzbin.info/www/bejne/kGPTXpWNdpmarcUsi=sP8JgnvPqRd5y7xx

[@Stereophonicsobsessed]

Can you use it without tripod? Says online you cannot x🎉

[@FordRasmussen]

I wouldn't. It needs to be perfectly still to get a clear view.

[@hellothere7532]

I purchased this telescope lately but I can’t figure out how to focus it, i have glasses does that change the effect?

[@FordRasmussen]

No, that wouldn't affect the focus, but I do find it more comfortable to look through without my glasses on. Maybe start by focusing on something big like the Moon.

[@ruggugglan]

I got the Skywatcher Evostar 120/1000. It is a gem 👍👍

[@PafMedic]

He’s Reviewing An Easy Set Up,Travel Scope,Not An Imaging Set Up

[@RosefrmVenus]

Great video, I just bought one as a beginner. 😁 Looking forward to upgrading, so I’ll look out for more vids.

[@leticianedilskyj7060]

Which telescope did you upgrade to?

[@lucianosoemanta9386]

What would be the next better telescope? looking to buy one for my son :)

[@FordRasmussen]

Good question. I'm still looking for a better one myself, so I'm not sure. I've been recommended the Meade Polaris 130. It might be worth checking out.

[@lucianosoemanta9386]

@@FordRasmussen thanx alot. I will check it out!

[@zteburner5882]

Have you upgraded your telescope? If so, which one?

[@FordRasmussen]

I have yes! I currently have a Astro Fi 130mm, and I'll do make a review video on it once I've thoroughly tested it.

[@zteburner5882]

@@FordRasmussen Thank you for the quick response. Looking forward to your review.

[@simpjournaal6854]

I got somekind of trash telescope made in China but everything is blurry and yt doesn't really help can you give some advies? I really need it cuz it was 150 euros and I'm starting to think I should destroy the thing with my hands

[@aniruddhaghosh4035]

Hey! Just got this one. Do you have any tips for the December 21st event where saturn and Jupiter would be super close ?

[@FordRasmussen]

Definitely check it out! You might consider getting a Barlow lens get a closer look. But just make sure you know when and where to look. It'll be pretty low in the west horizon already by the time it gets dark. Clear skies!

[@firefly6172]

Which telescope is best in the rang ko 10k

[@samanthabusch750]

Thanks for the review!!! You are so handsome!!

[@kmorris5838]

Excellent review video! Thank you!!

[@lisabaker8847]

How do I turn it on so that I can connect the app?

[@HardWorkingFamilyMan]

Hey, my telescope does not stay still. That part that rotates the telescope doesn't hold it up properly, why does your stay still? I legit have to hold it in place to view the moon.

[@FordRasmussen]

That's not good! Either you need to twist the knob to tighten it, or you got a faulty tripod. I don't know for sure 🤔

[@HardWorkingFamilyMan]

@@FordRasmussen thanks I got it from the library for a few weeks and I think the lever is not inserting properly into the mount. Someone probably busted it before I got it. Not fixable, I think.

[@waynegarrett1614]

hay, what did you upgrade to in the end?

[@FordRasmussen]

This is my current one: kzbin.info/www/bejne/kGPTXpWNdpmarcU

[@soccertastic10]

Great vid. Appreciate your information and astronomical enthusiasm.

[@FordRasmussen]

Thanks!

[@ericaroundtheworld]

Hi I wonder anyone would share experience in getting a telescope for an amateur enthusiastist . I have read so much about it with different types of telescopes. I cannot decide which one will be the one can be most useful when observing for stars. And nebula. I think u need to pick the object u want to observe then pick the right telescope if I am not wrong .and if that's not a telescope can be set in one place that adds the concerns. Travel telescope seems to have low aperture but low aperture won't allow u to see much or clear . If anyone can help me with picking one would be greatly appreciated.

[@richakuckreja3269]

Do u recommend getting a Barlow with this ?

[@FordRasmussen]

Yeah, for sure. Coincidentally, I just tried it out last night with a Barlow lens for the first time and was able to identify Saturn's ring. It was still small, but definitely a cooler view!

[@richakuckreja3269]

Ok thanks! I assume it was a 3x Barlow?

[@richakuckreja3269]

The nob on the sides of the scope, that is for focusing right? So when viewing planets do u put the nob where the planets look very bright and small or do you make then big and dull?

[@FordRasmussen]

Yes it was a 3x Barlow. You want to focus in so they're small. This gives enough clarity to make out Jupiter's moons and, if you use the Barlow, Saturn's ring.

[@attackhelicopter8969]

I’ve learned the hard way cause I got a celestron seeker and I had no idea where the sky was

[@vintagegirl1961]

Thanks for the info/ I just got a 70 mm telescope and Onion has been visible right outside my bedroom window the past 2 days and hope again tonight. I have to pray the annoying neighbors don't leave their annoying patio lights on.

[@FordRasmussen]

Neat. I was just looking at Orion through this telescope the other night. Look near the stars in his sword for the Orion Nebula. A fun view! You can see a cluster and some of it's cloudiness through this scope. Clear skies!

[@vintagegirl1961]

@@FordRasmussen Thanks! I am new at this. My sister and I plan to check out the sky this weekend.

[@johnromero4784]

You saw an onion in the sky ?

[@296jacqi]

This helped so much. Thank you.

[@FordRasmussen]

Oh good, you're welcome!

[@PafMedic]

Great Review,I Was Going To Get This,But It Wasnt Going To Do For Me,lol..I Have The Mak-90 For My Grab and Go

[@CJ-mr8dn]

The price of this telescope is 100$ + 100$ shipping charges in my country And it isnt even available in my state :(

[@Stereophonicsobsessed]

Thanks

[@vaibhav0333]

Can we use it for terrestial objects as well??

[@FordRasmussen]

Yeah, for sure

[@jimleffler7976]

Ha, you've given me more faith in it, I was using the eyepieces wrong, thinking the 20mm would bring in a better view, and yes you get what you pay for with these things , I just expected better with Celestron and Nat Geo on it😅

[@filoparro2883]

Good job man! Bye from italy 😉

[@abdisalaamhassannor878]

thanks dude

[@manpro3538]

I can see cralters of moon with my naked eye with full concentration

[@Novaheart1998]

I have one and its almost as good as my old 4.5 inch Celestron.

[@ronysetiawan7184]

telescopes like this can turn off hobbies, recommended telescopes with a minimum aperture of 130mm, there's no such thing as a beginner telescope, or you'll regret buying it

[@youknowwho7896]

how to capture their pics

[@hpproductions2416]

Found a good review

[@carlthornton3076]

Very Good!...

[@DABSST]

I have the exact same telescope

[@StargateMax]

Thank you for this video! Now I won't buy this toy. My 400mm telephoto lens on my Sony a7R II takes drastically better photos of the Moon. Totally sharp and clear. Even my Sony RX10 III bridge camera (600mm f4, Zeiss lens) does it a lot better than this toy telescope. Oh, and the aforementioned 400mm lens on the a7R II was also able to take photos of Jupiter and Saturn much better than this toy. The 4 brightest Jupiter moons were also visible.

[@enrico0110]

I think that you miss the price. It's an entry level telescope (not a toy). Your 2 system sony cost 1500 usd each (new)?

[@RonLarhz]

What. It's 170bucks here. And I want to see more than moon. It's so blur even for moon...

[@AlverdeRhonald]

Are you the guy who use to post videos speaking some spanish?

[@FordRasmussen]

Hmm, I've spoken a little Spanish in maybe 1 or 2 videos, but you're probably thinking of someone else.

[@roberthunter6122]

I think I'll just stick with my PowerShot SX420 IS camera for getting pictures of the moon or Jupiter rather than use this. Thanks for the review though ^^ --- Have a sub ^^

[@jimleffler7976]

Mine looks a bit different, similar model

[@RaysAstrophotography]

Good Work Ford! nice review!

[@FordRasmussen]

Thanks! You have some neat videos too! 👍

[@coolbrogaming1842]

I have to😊

[@bluecheese86]

Wow I can only thank u saved me sum bux

[@OlSkunGun]

I need something compact that will fit into my city backpack with enuff free space left at least for a bottle of water. And yeah, I can pay if I'll be able to see Saturn rings allright. This actually blows my mind but I just don't have conditions to buy a big telescope. I live in a city, in a flat, nightskies are polluted with street lights light and I don't have a car. I can walk myself out of city into more less light polluted area with a city backpack. Well if seeing Saturn rings or other goodies like Jupiter moons is at stake I can consider something bigger that will fit into small travel bag that I can somehow carry over my shoulder without loosing too much of comfort walking [I need to do quite of a distance to get into dark areas]. Some1 help?

[@FordRasmussen]

This one is easy to carry around in a backpack. I was able to get my hands on a Barlow Lens to use with this telescope once, and I could see the ring around Saturn then. It's not that good without it though. The planets are of course much better in a bigger telescope. Since I haven't used any other portable scopes, maybe someone else can offer insight here.

[@CitizenMio]

If money isn't that much of a concern, the smallest option with the highest quality would be a triple lensed apochromatic refractor telescope. An 80mm version of good quality would cost you around $800 plus roughly the same on top of that for a good and stable mount with tracking and go-to. You could get by with less for the mount and it might be a bit easier to transport then. But it would be more flimsy or require you to manually track everything. Telescopes of this size stay relevant if they have good quality optics, as you can use them for deep space astrophotography too. That's because most of those nebulas and galaxies are actually huge and don't require much magnification at all. All you need is a dark site and enough stable exposure time. Which is why a stable tracking mount would then be essential, you don't want to spend that money twice. Obviously you'd have to spend even more on additional equipment, but you can spread that out for a future upgrade. If you want to stay in this price range or only slightly above, I'd actually ditch the refractor and go with a reflector. A dobsonian (aka a newtonian on a simple alt azimuth dobson mount) will always be cheaper at the same aperture size. Aperture is king and with a dobsonian you get more bang for your buck. Since they're reflectors with mirrors and no lenses you also avoid the colour distortions you get with cheap refractors. This will make your image feel more natural like you're actually there and is something I especially love. Dobson mounts are also extremely easy to use and very stable. In the small range there's table top versions. If that's not practical a newtonian is pretty much the same, but you'd need a stable tripod mount again. A compromise between the two would be a combined telescope like a Schmidt Cassegrain Telescope. SCT's use both mirrors and lenses and can thus fold the light in a shorter tube than a newtonian. This makes the larger ones more practical on an equatorial mount. They're also really good for astrophotography of the planets and also for the smaller deep space objects. But ofc this comes at an additional cost. Still, you can get a bigger aperture SCT telescope than if you were to spend the same amount on a proper refractor. For travel that might make them a bit too bulky tho and the apo refractor route might be more your thing. Hope this wall of text helps ;)

[@Stereophonicsobsessed]

I may buy this for my partner

[@demej00]

Or, spend twice as much and get 10x the telescope.

[@compasstrans]

Nice guy

[@Denis_sim1]

I bought that one it blurry