What telescope should I buy?

[@TALLYTHER]

I'm 76 years young and haven't done any stargazing since 1966 so to say the least I have forgotten 90% of what I learned in college. Before I depart this world I thought it appropriate to review the basic issues regarding what I should buy at this late stage of the game. Oh my vision isn't all that great either! Once upon a time I was enthralled with viewing the heavens throughout the night using a 16" reflector mounted on a trailer with 13" car wheels. It was all I could do to drag it out of the school hanger located at the end of a WWII plane landing strip. I would spend 6 or 7 hours in a winter night for 3 months 2 times a week. I was given instruction one time only and left alone. Needless to say it got a bit tiring but I have longed to go back to those times and do it again with a bit less inconvenience to my much weaker body. I've looked at a number of Astronomy related channels in the last 3 months and never left a comment. Now to the point! I want to praise your channel in that you make things interesting and almost make me excited to get back into this. Your descriptions of what, how and why are second to none for this tiring engineer. Besides its time to spend some of that money on me instead of the grandkids or two great grandkids. All I can say is Thanks and you are a TRUE PROFESSIONAL in every way! But I will be doing astrophotography as the main objective.

[@MrWilsonsChannel]

Thank you so much for your kind and encouraging words. I'm glad you find the channel useful. When I was first getting into this, I found a lot of the videos out there to be confusing as a beginner. Many of them assumed a significant amount of Base knowledge. I wanted to make something more accessible. You say you're having trouble with your eyesight, so astrophotography might be a good option for you. The camera can see more than our eyes can even if you had 20/20 vision. If you do want to use the telescope for optical viewing, then getting one with a lower f-stop value will help the telescope gather more light, which will make the image brighter for the eye. My telescope, which is the one I recommend in this video, is f10. That's about as slow as it gets which means I get a darker image which is harder on the eyes. But my other telescope is f2 which captures light like a beast! Unfortunately that one is exclusively for astrophotography as there is no place to attach an eyepiece. But I can get amazing images with far less exposure time with that telescope. There is an attachment called a reducer that I can attach to my f/10 telescope which brings it down to f6. The lower the number, the brighter the image. So there are lots of options both for optical and photography. That's one of the things I like about this hobby is that it is quite flexible and you can take it in so many directions.

[@Fartmaster699]

Wish u the best

[@howlinallen7720]

This is an amazing story! For myself I am a 21 year old man who has always found the stars fascinating. I am finally getting into the hobby as I am going through college and I am loving it so far! I have started out on an extremely budget friendly travel scope, but I feel I am about ready to upgrade and increase my horizons! That’s what brought me to this video and to your comment! Have a fantastic time stargazing! I hope I get to see some of your Astrophotography one day! Clear Skies!

[@danytoob]

@TALLYTHER ... I'm in a very similar boat as you, (couple years younger & no grandkids ... yet ...🤣). My Jr. college actually had (still has I think) a small observatory. The class I was able to take only gave us 2 or 3 opportunities to use it and I never was able to continue the hobby. I'm just now trying to decide if (or what) scope I'm going to take a shot on. Best of luck and wishes to you on your quest (& to me too I guess ...lol)

[@swapshots4427]

68 same boat

[@evelynschneider1548]

This was, hands down, the best informational video I have seen on this subject. You now have one more loyal viewer.

[@Cudi-21]

Minutes 5-7 of this video made me forget I was looking for reviews on a specific telescope I'm probably going to buy, and has me instantly once again fascinated with the idea of stargazing. I got a Celestron lt 114 a few years ago for Christmas and now am looking to upgrade, but the way you describe the fact that its even so rare we can see what we see is so cool. Its an amazing hobby regardless of the equipment you have available, as long as the sky is clear, there is a story to be see.

[@jorymil]

Really awesome to hear someone talking about rods and cones. We all have them; not many people realize they have them.

[@bite-sizedshorts9635]

If only people could remember what they were taught in school.

[@fredericetienne8130]

WoW This is one of the most understandable video for a foreign beginner like me. Didn’t even need subtitles, and you just helped me to make my choice. Brilliant! MANY THANKS from France.

[@MrWilsonsChannel]

Thanks so much for your kind words. Clear skies!

[@ONLYinANTARCTICA]

Oh wow. Thank you for making this video. This video certainly provided a lot of clarity to me on telescopes. I don’t feel overwhelmed anymore. You have my subscription to your channel. Well done!

[@iMelxis]

Thanks, this is the best video so far that I watched about buying first telescope

[@bridgetoreilleymatthews1641]

I love looking at the night sky and trying to wrap my small brain around the shear enormity of the things i see at the distance they exist. I'm brand spanking new to this telescope thing and after 66 years... I'm about to purchase my first one, ever! I've only watched one of your videos thus far and have learned a great deal! I look forward to learning more!

[@MrWilsonsChannel]

Thank you for your support. Space is amazing and I'm sure you're going to love your new telescope, whichever one you choose to get ☺️

[@marciespeakmanskinner4356]

Thank you for explaining the differences to us like we are 5 years old. As sarcastic as that may sound, it's exactly what I needed.....as you mentioned, there are far too many variations to consider which makes me feel less confident that im buying the right telescope for my needs. Although I'm still just as uncertain as I was before I watched your video, you have helped me to narrow the choices down to only a few rather than countless.

[@annikasoraya4322]

SUPER AWESOME MATE! YOUR VIDEO PRESENTATION IS EXCEPTIONALLY WELL ARTICULATED. AS A NEW ASTRO ENTHUSIAST I LOVED YOUR SIMPLICITY AND WONDERFUL EXPLANATIONS. THANKS FOR THE INFORMATION BUDDY! SENDING YOU BLESSINGS FROM NEWCASTLE IN AUSTRALIA, ANNIKA 🔮🔭🌎🍹💖✨

[@MrWilsonsChannel]

Thank you so much for your kind words. I'm glad you found the video helpful 😊

[@jdjones7065]

Sellers of telescopes are gonna love you. Great perspectives you share.

[@nocturnalmayhem0]

the best advice i can give anyone gettin into this is do your reaearch and see if theirs any clubs you can visit to look through a telescope before you pay a single dime. once you know you like it buy the best gear you can afford you get what you pay for especially in mounts. my 250 dollar f6 6in reflector works amazing but ive got 6500 dollars in my mount and eyepieces. so buy the best you can and only buy what youll use.

[@ark-astrophotography915]

05:10 beautiful thing to consider every time you look up at the stars - a nice thing to mention to other people who are interested (disappointed) in astronomy or losing interest in astronomy - a nice reminder...

[@ZachPetch]

I like your take on this. Thanks for sharing!

[@thomasweickgenant4823]

I’m new to telescopes and got one because not only do I want to see what’s out there, but I also want to get into astrophotography. A guy at a local hobby shop got me into the NexStar 8SE. So far I’ve purchased the adapters needed to connect my Olympus E-M5MarkII camera. I’m looking forward to watching and learning from your videos!

[@MrWilsonsChannel]

Thanks for the support! I did a video called "I'm new to astrophotography and don't know what to do" which you may want to check out. I'll walk you through the entire process in that video. I have lots of other videos about different Astro photography related topics as well. Taking the actual pictures is just half the task. You'll also need to stack and edit them. When I first got into astrophotography I thought it was like regular photography in the sense that once I took the shot at an amazing picture. That's not how it works with this. When you take the shot, you usually have what looks like nothing at all. Just black. Once you process it, that's when all of the amazing stuff appears. I have videos on stacking and processing as well if you want to check those out

[@ntldr2005]

Even though I'm 6 months down the rabbit hole, I enjoyed this video. I jumped straight to astrophotography but have recently taken an interest in visual, which is another rabbit hole in itself. Purchased an EdgeHD8 last week to compliment my Redcat 51. It seems to be such a versatile OTA.

[@properwaffles]

Astronomy mixed with a little physiology always actives my rods. Fantastic, sir. And the astrophotography rabbit hole is such a cool one to go down. Fun learning process, and seems like you can get some decent results if you do some reading🙌🏻

[@Msmelina220]

Thank you, I’ve learned a lot!

[@flpirate4565]

This has been the best video on telescope 's great information at its best. Thank You

[@MrWilsonsChannel]

Thanks so much for you kind words 😊

[@Richardisonline]

Awesome... so much information and you just made it a whole lot easier to decide on a first telescope purchase

[@adamtaylor3352]

very informative, thanks. I'm learning new things every day before i purchase my first telescope.

[@OmJpkb]

Finally got a clear explanation of equatorial vs altazi mount and I’ve watched a lot of telescope videos.

[@MrWilsonsChannel]

Glad I could help. A lot of astrophotography videos out there assume you have a lot of experience already. I'm trying to keep my channel accessible to the masses, especially for those just getting into the hobby

[@Drvelvil]

Perfect explanation! Thank you very much!

[@Shadow_kit4903]

very good introduction to astronomy for newbies

[@joearmstrong2899]

I really enjoyed this introduction as I'm researching this topic and possibly following down this "rabbit hole". Thanks again for all of the knowledge!

[@MrWilsonsChannel]

If you're interrested in astrophotography, I have several other videos on that subject if you're just beginning I recommend. It's easy to buy a bunch of things you don't know you don't need in the beginning... I'll navigate you through that and hopefully save you some time and money. Clear skies!

[@Claudia-ve9vp]

Wow I did learn Easy the difference between those two. Thank you for sharing with us.

[@fikumikudeone9792]

Thanks man I like that compressed version some other channels talk for hours and is challenging to focus

[@MrWilsonsChannel]

Thanks for your kind review. I had the same problem with videos I was watching. I just want them to get to the point. At the same time, there are a lot of details that, if missed, will jam you up. So I try to get in all the info without the dilly dally.

[@frankypc]

I really appreciate this video. My daughter has one of those ToyBeee Telescopes 300F70 and the handicap instead of turning me off just made me want to get something better!

[@hobbeeswe7472]

Looking at MANY videos about astro photography and equipment for the last week and I must say that from an ease-of-understanding perspective, this video is superior (no other word big enough). Thanks! Contemplating an HEQ5 Pro + 200-250 mm reflector telescope, selecting the rest of the gear is a puzzle. I will look through your videos for info about photoequipment, powerbanks, lenses, etc etc etc.... :)

[@MrWilsonsChannel]

I'm so glad this helped. Good luck piecing it all together. I have a video called "I'm new to astrophotography and don't know what to do" that walks you through the whole process including the parts you need. It might be a good place to start.

[@hobbeeswe7472]

@@MrWilsonsChannel I thought you were being ironic with that title, sorry :D .... I will watch it immediately, getting more and more emersed in astronomy as I read and watch films about it, but I am starting to dread I might have to chose between visual astronomy and astro photography... Bummer :)

[@MrWilsonsChannel]

The ultimate answer is you can do both visual and photo, unless you get a RASA telescope which can only do photos. But pretty much all other telescopes are going to let you do both. If you don't have any telescope at all yet, you can start with visual by getting a non rasa scope with some cheap eye pieces just to wet your appetite. The biggest obstacle to photography is all of the little doodads you need to make it work get pretty expensive. But you can start on the cheap by getting a little adapter to hold your phone up to the eyepiece of your telescope. Your pictures won't come out great, but it's a good way to start down the rabbit hole. I've slowly assembled my rig little by little over time as money permitted, as I think most of us do. You can see some good stuff with just your eyes. But the camera can see so much more! I had fun with my eyepieces, but it wasn't until I started doing photography that I truly realized the immensity of what is up there. The fact is our eyes just aren't sensitive enough to see but 5% of what's really in the sky, even through a telescope. The camera sees all.

[@hobbeeswe7472]

@@MrWilsonsChannel Fabulous reply, thanks! If you don't mind a question, do you consider a goto/tracking Dobsonian "heading down the wrong path", i.e. is it better to start with a good EQ mount and either a DSLR or a simple but good telescope that can be expanded later on?

[@MrWilsonsChannel]

In the interest of transparency I must admit I've never used a dob firsthand myself. The ones I've seen however have been quite large. Storage and portability are issues to consider. If the telescope is too big, heavy, or difficult to set up, it will impact how often you use it. The telescope I have is relatively small in the mount doesn't take up too much space. So I'm able to keep everything in a closet which makes it convenient to store and set up

[@pilotstiles]

Good video, I have been using my Orion XT10 as my second telescope I have ever owned to start taking pictures. I have a Sony NEX 5R and told myself why not it’s just sitting collecting dust. I went out and bought a camera adapter and hocked up my camera and BOoM! I got nothing but blur it wouldn’t focus. I kept messing with it and eventually told myself let me add a Barlow and try it then. It worked and was able to get some decent/so-so pics with a 1/2 sec exposure. After looking around I found out that my camera mount is too long. Eventually want to upgrade to a Meade lx200 with EQ mount but I am in no hurry.

[@marysed9191]

Thanks so much. I am looking to buy my first telescope. So far, everything is leading to the Celestron 8SE. Thanks for the EQ mount precious advice. You have a new subscriber😃

[@legacysearches4481]

I'm an avid astrophotographer. I agree with what he says. At 1st it seemed like SOOOOO much to learn and buy but over time I have been able to get the right gear and capture some images I am VERY proud of. There is a deep and lasting feeling of accomplishment with each new image or improvement on my last attempt.

[@ElectronicElevation]

Great advise thank you! Will definitely watch your other videos👍

[@GamesCooky]

I would love to try the Celestron Nexstar. I just need to figure out whether i want to spend so much money for a telescope.

[@jimwaller5465]

Just found your station. Excellent video and you have a new Subscriber. Looking forward to catching up on your content and growing my interest in Astronomy. Thanks!

[@danytoob]

Just learning about scopes, spending more hours than I care to admit to watching KZbin, checking prices. I did find out about the Edge HD options but those are way over my budget for now, though still good to file away in my memory bank. Thanks for the tips (some old ... but some new!).

[@scottdallon1544]

I really enjoyed your explanations. Thanks for making these videos.

[@sandipkamath7311]

thanks for the amazing summary, answers a lot of my questions.

[@MrWilsonsChannel]

Glad to help! 😊

[@johnbarron1494]

Thank you , you did good with this. Very informative.

[@AlexGarcia-cr5st]

Just discovered you channel man! great job explaining

[@Siletzia]

My favorite new KZbin channel. Fantastic content and narration. Great advice as I am planning to purchase a telescope soon. Thank you.

[@MrWilsonsChannel]

@@Siletzia Thank you very much for your kind words and encouragement. 😀

[@CHRIS-f2m7f]

Thank you !

[@dwhip49]

Excellent stuff, wish I had seen it when I began poking around couple years ago. That is the footstomper I tell people who ask...it does not look like the pictures you see on line and in magazines! Same for astro photography...quite a surprise to find astro photos are computer compilations...NOT a picture of what you are looking at. Truth to tell I do most of my sky watching with tripod mounted binoculars (70x40 something like that). I like the field of view and they are powerful enough to see moons and moon shadow of Jupiter. And I tell people to start that way if they are interested (I did not!). I have been tempted by those Celestrons but the calibration intimidated me and I have a limited sky frame from my back yard. Your video makes it seem simple...I will check your library to see if you do a walk through... Anyway good stuff.

[@MrWilsonsChannel]

A walkthrough video is a good idea... I'll add that to my to do list 👍

[@insaneAlchemyOfeviI]

Thanks Dr. Wilson, clear and informative presentation. I will buy one of these, maybe even better, because of you. - subbed & liked

[@IceIceBurg]

Excellent video - I'm a beginner trying to decide on 8SE or the Evoluton 8.

[@MrWilsonsChannel]

They appear to be essentially the same telescope. The main difference is in the mount. The evolution has a built in battery, which is nice, but for the $400 price difference, you could get a jackery portable power station 300 and save $100. That's nice because you could power other things in addition to the scope, but it's also another thing to lug around. The evolution has some other nice features to make setup and travel a little easier, which is nice. Either way, you'll be happy and get the same image quality.

[@Davefitz04]

You are very good at explaining these things to a beginner. I’ve always been interested and use those star tracking apps on my phone for years when camping, but i think I’m going to start with the orange telescope you described and go from there. I’m excited :)

[@MrWilsonsChannel]

Glad to hear this was helpful. Telescope stuff can be intimidating at first because most people don't have a base knowledge to draw from like they may have with other hobbies. So there is this initial feeling of "where do I even start?". What's more, it's difficult to even know what to ask. My approach to these videos is to remind myself what that felt like and think about what advice I would have given myself when I was first starting. Have fun with the new scope!

[@Davefitz04]

Thank you!!

[@ricksiegfried3725]

Yes, I learned a whole lot from you. Thank you very much cause I am a beginner and I just bought the Celestone next-door evolution 9.25 telescope and don't even know how to set it up but I am so excited to buy all the extra stuff to look at my Jupiter Venus MarsSaturn and the moon

[@MrWilsonsChannel]

That's a great scope. You're going to enjoy it 👍

[@FLHTdriver]

As a newbie at 76 your video gave the best overview of what I need and what I want! Many thanks and keep up the great work. Now to check out more of your videos.

[@MrWilsonsChannel]

Thank you for your kind words and support 😊

[@jasullyo1]

Just ran across your channel. just wanted to let you know that your video was very helpul to me. Thanks

[@MrWilsonsChannel]

Glad it helped. Clear skies!

[@lm707]

This was a really great and honest video. Thanks so much.

[@MrWilsonsChannel]

Glad you enjoyed it..clear skies! ☺️

[@travismiller4690]

Very informative thank you.....

[@optiplexpavel]

Today I started the quest for my first telescope. I started 2 hours ago watching video after video about best beginer telescope. the thing is that I was starting to get more confuzed about this thing and started to lose my patience :)) But I watched your video and I felt like I was at school and before me I had the best teacher that you cand have about astrology. I loved your video and you now have a constant viewer and subscriber. looking forward to buy my new telescope and learn more things from you about this hobby that I had since I was young. I hope by watching your videos I can make up my mind about what telescope will be the best for me as a noobye. Thank you agin! Regards from Romania :)

[@MrWilsonsChannel]

Thank you so much for your kind words and support! It really means a lot. I hope you find the scope you're looking for and have lots of clear skies to use it under.

[@mypublicchannel3884]

Didn't listen to this but I have your answer. The Celestron 8se. Perfect size, weight, and ability. A scope with any larger mirror will cost a lot more AND be heavy as shit to carry in and out of the house at night as I do. Only weighs 35 lbs. Anything larger will weigh closer to 100 lbs. This is a very good go to scope. You will not be sorry. (8 inch mirror)

[@Cakebattered]

Great video. I base my recommendations primarily on the dark skies of the one asking. I'd recommend a Celestron 6se to someone in a city or suburb of a major city For someone living in a more rural area, I'm more likely to recommend an 8" dobsonian. For a large portion of the US population live in areas where star hopping isn't probable.

[@tuunaes]

In cities and heavy light pollution there's hardly anything else than Moon and planets visible. Neither of those are hard to to find. Also GoTo telescope needs good alignment for electronics to accurately find and track targets.

[@MrWilsonsChannel]

An equatorial goto mount does require polar alignment which would be difficult in an area where you can't see Polaris. But an alt az goto mount like the one included with the Celestron SE line only needs to be pointed at 3 bright things. You can even use planets for alignment, although it won't be as accurate as compared to if you used stars. Once you dial in the three things, it will know where everything else is making it a great choice for bright locations. Most people buying their first scope are going to start with their eyes as opposed to a camera. One thing I like to do at star parties under our light polluted skies is to point at a random place in the sky, especially the Milky way which is not visible. I point my laser where we're looking so people can see nothing there. Then they look in the scope and are amazed to see lots of stars. So you can still see things through the scope that you won't be able to see with your eyes alone. When you make the jump to photography, using narrow band filters will let you completely cut through the light pollution. I've seen amazing narrow band images from people in white zones. 🤩

[@LooknLooks]

I liked this video for its simplicity and advices that make so much sense. I will be watching more of your video

[@technocore1591]

Great video, but I'd like to add a couple of points.. Without disagreeing at all with your recommendations, I'd also suggest reaching out to a local astronomy club and hang out with them and see what scopes they're using so you can actually see what's what. It's a great way to get started. They LOVE to show off their gear! Secondly with regards to people who get frustrated, if you're dipping your toe into the water, give craigslist or the used market a try and maybe get something someone else gave up on. You can get something probably not awesome but at a price point where you can justify "I just wanted to see." before your standing in front of 5000 dollars of astrophotography gear at 2am freezing your patooties off! 🤣

[@MrWilsonsChannel]

All excellent suggestions! Thanks 😊👍

[@victorl.mercado5838]

Great suggestions. Thanks.

[@TheArtistFormerlyKnownAsKnut]

Great video. Very informative. Looks like I´ll be getting a new expensive hobby

[@MrWilsonsChannel]

You won't be sorry... Although your wallet will be 😉

[@perry92964]

im about to go down that astro photography rabbit hole on the 14th of august, i will be using my 45 year old tasco 5.5 inch reflector to take a picture of jupiter and mars right next to each other....as long as its not cloudy. i got a cheap gadget to hold my phone over the eye piece. i have been waiting 45 years for this.

[@ameetjayawant4114]

Thank you for the simple, clean and concise explanation of the Goto technology. Just what I was looking for.

[@MrWilsonsChannel]

Glad to help! 😁

[@markrichardson5321]

Thanks for the advice. I have a celestron 6SE but have been thinking of upgrading for the purpose of taking photos but might hold off and watch more of your videos first. 👍🏼

[@MrWilsonsChannel]

Your 6se is a great scope to start your astrophotography journey with. If you are using the alt AZ mount it came with, you would be better served putting the money you have for a scope toward an equatorial mount instead. That is the most crucial part of astrophotography. I did a video about starting this Hobbie you might want to check out before buying anything kzbin.info/www/bejne/iX-YnXmqZ6pgfqM

[@medicgrrl123]

Dude, you rock. Idk how you dont have more subscribers. Your zest is awesome!

[@MrWilsonsChannel]

Thank you for your kind words and support ☺️

[@medicgrrl123]

@@MrWilsonsChannel anytime!

[@johndaley9188]

I'm retired and started thinking about a telescope. I stumbled on to a few videos for education, and this evening, I found yours. I recently discovered the advantages to equatorial mounts, and as you said, this hobby/adventure can be expensive. I don't even have a camera. That's another rabit hole. The 8se has impressed me so far. There's plenty more work to do before I take the leap. Maybe Santa can help.

[@MrWilsonsChannel]

Santa is the best! He's left me more then a few astro goodies 🎅

[@petelopez5826]

I’m about to trade my 8se for a celestron cgem 11 to be able to further my astrophotography journey. Right now I’m running a svbony 90mm with Zwo eco system. My current mount is a skywatcher eqm-35 pro that I’m not happy with and only had it for one month. I wish I could afford the am5.

[@MrWilsonsChannel]

That's going to be an awesome rig! Nice choice 👍😊

[@kevincherry2215]

Thank you for a well thought out video. I am looking to purchase a telescope for my daughter and me to use and I didn’t fully understand the importance of the mount…until now.

[@MrWilsonsChannel]

Glad to help. Ive got lots of other astronomy videos, including one called "how to see the constellations" which is a great skill to have when getting started with all things space. Clear skies 😊

[@daveherron]

Tuition for the Astronomy Do It Yourselfer is high and Im still paying it 10 years later. I started with a Nexstar 4S then went to a Celestron 130 goto refractor for visual. Went the whole EAA route which plunged me down the astrophotography rabbit hole. Went for the CGEM II with EdgeHD 8 next and found all the complications with long focal length. Added a Hyperstar and guider. Recently I purchased a 72mm Askar FRA400, dedicated MeLE 3Q astro PC and plopped it on the CGEM II and am learning NINA. The CGEM II is also currently in pieces while I finish the HyperTune. Its been a fun yet expensive trip thats not over. If I had to do it all over again knowing what I know now, Id have started with the small refractor like the FRA400 on a ~ $1200 equatorial mount with a decent CMOS camera. The weight of the CGEM II / EdgeHD has kept it in the closet most of the time. Im already looking at the newer Harmonic Drive mounts as the entire setup with scope/guider weighs less than just mount head of the CGEM.

[@MountainFisher]

🤣🤣🤣 I'm not laughing at you, but with you. Fortunately my retirement income kept me from jumping off as high a cliff as you. I'm mostly visual and my primary is a reflector with refigured primary mirror and a reflectivity of 96-97%. The refigure literally has brought my mirror to near perfect focus with a Strehl ratio of .986 with 1.000 being perfect. I had to put a $400 JMI dual speed focuser on it so I could fine tune my view. I couldn't afford an electronic mount so I bought the strongest manual mount available, the Celestron CG-4 EQ. So now my $125 pawn shop C6-N Newtonian reached $1200 all for visual, not adding in ED glass eyepieces and Fujiyama Orthos. Oh, and one Zoom EP. I still had the shaky for a longer scope Explore Scientific Twilight One AZ mount I'd bought for the 6" reflector so I bought a 127mm Sky Watcher Maksutov Cassegrain for it. It isn't shaky with a short scope, but was for the much longer reflector. Hard to focus when the scope is shaking at 80x. It all started when I bought a 114mm reflector from Kohls online, but after looking through it I knew I couldn't live with the mount which was a yoke with that bar on the side. I returned it and was looking for another when I walked into a pawn shop.... Was it worth it? Yes, I live near Bortle 4 to Bortle 2 with only a 10 minute to 30 minute drive. Also my back porch is pretty dark as a 3 story building blocks most all the city lights so I spend a lot of time looking Northeast to Northwest to West. Man I know my way around the Big Dipper.

[@ronaldvanveen7666]

Thanks for your knowledge , great v .I learned some new stuff today.

[@ID_runnr]

Probably the best video I have seen so far on getting into Star gazing, so thanks a lot for that! I’m considering buying CPC 9.25 HD as my first telescope in order to shorten the learning curve as you’ve mentioned, nevertheless I will probably go fast into astrophotography, and I will probably need an EQ mount. Any advice will be highly appreciated! Thanks,

[@MrWilsonsChannel]

I started with the EQ6-R pro which is a great mount. But it's super heavy which made it difficult to transport and setup. There were more than a few clear nights where I opted to stay in rather than go thought the setup effort. I sold it and bought the AM5 and love it! Small, light, easier to setup, flawless integration with the asi air. They have an upgraded version now too, AM5N. I highly recommend it. I did a video recently on first impressions you might want to check out.

[@KarlPerera]

A great little video which I liked so much I added a link to it from my website. I think it really lays everything out clearly.

[@MrWilsonsChannel]

Thank you for your kind words and support. Clear skies!

[@curtisjohnson8030]

16:02 I personally have 2500 viewing time hrs. Accumulated and looking to share this passion of mine to my great nephew and curious of a base start for him on selecting a scope,mount for 19 yr old please.

[@MrWilsonsChannel]

This video outlines my recommendations for that scenario. The Celestron nexstar line comes in 4 in, 6 in, and 8-inch varients to suit a variety 9f bidges, any of which would be acceptable for a beginner. The go to mount makes it easy to find the things you're looking for. The mount on each version is the same. Which size you get is dependent on how deep into space you want to be able to see (the bigger the scope, the fainter objects you'll be able to see and the more zoom you'll get) This would be a great start for optical viewing (looking through the telescope with your eye rather than using a camera).

[@woodswalker88]

Thanks! We can't see many stars where I live (southeast PA). Last month I visited Cherry Springs Dark Sky Park and I haven't been the same since. I'm captivated by the night sky! I've thought about getting a telescope or maybe just some powerful binocs. Not sure which would be better...I don't want to find specific 'targets", so much as just gaze at all the stars in their glory. Afraid of spending a lot of $$ because I tend to get into hobbies and get bored later. Thanks for your video!

[@MrWilsonsChannel]

If you know specifically that you want to admire without looking at specific targets and dont desire to get into astrophotography, then binoculars may be best. Why pay for features you won't use? Plus, you will be able to use them in the day time for terrestrial observation as well, so you get a 2 for 1.

[@RobertGarveyATL]

Very interesting! My old Tasco needs replacement! This modern gear and "go to" equatorial mount seems to be the thing! But ... I live in Atlanta. Light pollution. Heavy sigh. Well ... I have a big car ... ;)

[@MrWilsonsChannel]

You'd be surprised that you can still see more stuff with a telescope even under light polluted skies than you can with the naked eye. But ultimately, the big car taking you to a darker sky is always the better option 😉

[@SparksandBubbles]

Talking about mounts.... What about the one who wants to do Astro (so I guess it takes a motorized equatorial go to ?) but also wants the freedom to unlock and go alt-z manual for vision only.... Is there such a unicorn mount out there ? Bonus if doesn't weight a ton ! I saw the Hybrid Sky-Watcher AZ-EQ5 w/ Wifi Adapter but not sure it does it all.... What would you recommend in this case ?

[@MrWilsonsChannel]

To be honest with you, I can't even wrap my head around how amount could be both EQ and equatorial at the same time. But the one you mentioned sounds awfully intriguing. I definitely want to look into that. If I were going to buy a new Mount today, I would go for the zwo AM3. It has the same payload capacity as the skywatcher EQ R6 I have now, but somehow manages to avoid needing counterweights. It's also much smaller. Anything to decrease the weight and footprint of your gear it's beneficial for set up and storage purposes

[@alexandre96916]

Hello. I just bought a celestron nextar 90 slt. The price was ok and it seems a good gear. Did I do a good choice? I didn’t received it yet and I am a little anxious 😂. I love your video. Thank you. Alex.

[@alexandre96916]

I’m an absolute beginner and I live in France. So the difference of price is more expensive between two different models

[@MrWilsonsChannel]

I haven't used that exact model myself, but a quick Google search shows it has a go-to mount, which is probably the most important thing for someone just getting started in this hobby. I think you'll have a lot of fun with it. Clear skies!

[@alexandre96916]

Thank you for having searching on google for the answer. That is very nice from you. I love my telescope. I use it in my backyard and it’s a lot of fun. I bought the wifi module to use it with the Celestron app on my phone. It makes the use really easy. That’s what I was looking for: fun and pleasure! Sorry for the late answer. I just saw yours. I am still on your channel now. Your accent is very clear to me for understanding and it is very important because I’m French lol 😅. Take a lot of pleasure with your gears. It really like your videos. Alex.

[@bill-88]

Very enjoyable video...new subscriber and look forward to watching more of your videos especially ones for beginners.

[@seanmurphy5427]

Thanks

[@tomkirby3281]

I have a Meade 8" SCT, but it's so bulky I rarely do anything with it. I'm buying a 4" refractor, which is far more portable. My SolarMax 40 is also reasonably portable.

[@MrWilsonsChannel]

Portability is an excellent point. I find as I'm getting older that my heavy equipment is getting heavier. 😉

[@seniorcordcutter]

I appreciate you explaining in layman's terms and the honesty of what to expect. Im almost 74 and have always been curious about deep space. Is there a way to cast from a telescope to my tv using an app of some sort? I have health issues that won't allow me to stand or bend over for longer than a few minutes.

[@MrWilsonsChannel]

I have an android phone and tablet and they can mirror their screen to TV. So anything that has an app can be displayed on your tv. So the next question is, can any telescopes stream what they're looking at to your phone or tablet. ZWO has a new device called the seestar50 which is the easiest way to do what you need. If you want to get into full scale astrophotography, I did a video called "I'm new to astrophotography and don't know what to do". In it I show a device called the ASI pro which will let you "see" through any telescope with your phone (and therefore tv). As you'll see in the video, it's quite a bit more complicated and a more expensive route to go down compared to the seestar50, but also produces superior results.

[@seniorcordcutter]

@@MrWilsonsChannel You are amazing!!.. Looking at the Seestar, because of our budget, I thought my search was over. Seestar prompted me to view the Dwarf & Vespera. More confusion. Seestar is within the cost range but I'll sacrifice looking at planets. I'm glad I found your YT channel and greatly appreciate your quick response and alternate suggestions. Now to find something reasonable with these options and to include a better view of the planets. Thanks again!

[@Hexxas]

Nice Video, i have a hard time alligning my finder scope with the telescope , my brain just have har time adjusting to reversal of the image i see in the finder scope and the movement of the it . any chance you have a way you can be training this ? really annoying spenting this longt time to get it allaignment to find out i cant really do it , its getting to a point when im actualy considder giving up on this , i love space , i want to take photos but i was told to get a telescope and learn it all from the ground up.

[@MrWilsonsChannel]

The purpose of the finder scope is to help you get a star into the field of view of the eyepiece. The eyepiece and finderscope do not need to be perfectly aligned with each other. I calibrate my finder by pointing the telescope at something bright, like a street light. Big and bright things are easy to find in the telescope without the help of your finder. Choosing a thing on earth helps too because if you look in the scope and see a tree or rooftop instead of the street light, you'll be able to tell easier where you are in relation to the light. Use a wide angle eyepiece, like 30mm or so. If you start too zoomed in, it's harder to find your target in the eyepiece. Once you have the light in view, adjust the finder to center the light there too. Now move to a bright star. Center the star in the finder. Now look in the eyepiece and you should see the star, albeit not perfectly centered. Make adjustments on the hand controller to center the star in the eyepiece. Now make a few final adjustments to the finder to center it there too. You're done, even if it's not perfect. Now when you're star aligning the telescope (each scope alignment process is a little different, so the rest of this is based off the alignment process for the nexstar scope I recommend in this video), you need to point at 2 or 3 bright stars. Switch to a little zoomier eyepiece like 20mm. Start by centering a star in the finder. Look in the eyepiece. Notice it isn't perfect. That's ok. Use the hand controller to center in the eyepiece. Press OK to lock that star in. Repeat for the remaining stars. The eyepiece gets you in the neighborhood for alignment. That's all you need it for. The finder that came with my nexstar was garbage and had to be adjusted everytime i used the scope. I replaced it with a telrad finder and it's been amazing. It comes with a mounting shoe you attach to the telescope tube with double sided tape. The telrad itself just slips into the shoe and tighten 2 screws to lock it in. The telrad has a massive field of view and illuminated reticle, making alignment a snap. The best part, however, is once you get it dialed in, it stays adjusted because the adjusting knobs are built into the telrad, not the mount shoe. Even if you remove it from the shoe and reinstall it the next night, it will still be spot on! Get a telrad and you'll never look back 😉

[@Hexxas]

@@MrWilsonsChannel thank you ill try that you written here :)

[@dustindebaie-hq4gm]

Cassegrain telescopes are worth the investment for beginners and give excellent images/viewing.

[@MrWilsonsChannel]

I agree. I love mine. I use it for optical viewing and outreach as well as astrophotography. It's super flexible.

[@vienna35977]

Amazing video and very clear explanation for a beginner! Might also start going down the astrophotography rabbit hole. :)

[@MrWilsonsChannel]

It's fun, but expensive. If you choose to go down the rabbit hole, make sure you watch a couple of my other videos about how to get started. It'll probably save you a little money so you don't buy things you don't end up actually needing

[@mikebennett1301]

If you already have a DSLR or mirrorless camera a star tracker is a good way to star astrophotography

[@MrWilsonsChannel]

Absolutely! I addressed this in my "I'm new to astrophotography and don't know what" video. I started with a small star tracker and it's a much more affordable way to get sharp stars and experiment with astrophotography. Plus, I like using it with really wide lenses to get composite shots with landscape elements. In my opinion, those sorts of shots can be even more beautiful than the deep space stuff because it orients the viewer in such a way so they can relate to their position in the greater galaxy.

[@Fari_Far]

Subscribed >>> Notifications full on >>> Like. Keep up the great work ✌️👍👏

[@MrWilsonsChannel]

Thanks for the support 😊

[@Tom-zt7jh]

Just starting your video is very helpful. Thank you

[@MrWilsonsChannel]

Glad you found this useful! 🙂

[@michaelpeterson2038]

excellent

[@dennydritic2628]

Awesome video. I learned so much in such a short amount of space/time.

[@MrWilsonsChannel]

I'm glad you found it useful. Thanks for the support. Clear skies!

[@dennydritic2628]

@@MrWilsonsChannel although i was a bit disappointed to see that the price for even the 4 inch telescope u showed is now well over a thousand smackers

[@MrWilsonsChannel]

In stock for $679 😊 all things telescope you will find to be expensive. If you watch it enough of my videos you'll see it's a constant complaint I have. It is an expensive hobby, but all hobbies seem to be that way. I find this particular hobby to be quite satisfying and worthwhile however. Being able to see with your own eyes things that so many don't even realize exist... It's a cathartic experience. octelescope.com/products/nexstar-4se-computerized-telescope-11049

[@1delta_10tangos]

Just want to get a closer look at the firmament 👀

[@DarrenPrice333]

Thank you so much for this video 👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻

[@MrWilsonsChannel]

Glad to help 😊

[@Baldharlow]

Great Video... First of yours I've seen and I've subscribed. Looking forward to all you have to offer.

[@solarman1238]

Really good info for me just starting to this hobby

[@MrWilsonsChannel]

Welcome! It's a really rewarding hobby to get into. I'm perpetually in awe at the magnificence of our universe.

[@PlosoPlus]

Awesome information

[@MichaelEdelman1954]

Refractors cost more because the glass is more expensive, and four surfaces need to be ground, while a reflector requires only one surface. Beginners are probably best off with a 4-1/2”, 6”, or 8” Dobsonian type reflector, depending on their budget.

[@Standby52]

im a 72 year old vet who is partially disabled. I can't hunt, golf or fish anymore, but I be damed I can look at stars so I'm watching all the videos i can find. I'm happy I found your site and trying to absorb as much as I can before I buy a telescope within the next couple weeks. Thank you very much for your no b..s. explanations. I love that. Thx again and keep the videos coming plz.

[@MrWilsonsChannel]

Thank you for your kind words and encouragement. I've had to give up some of my hobbies for various reasons too. But you're right, the stars are our constant companion. There's always something new out there to see. Clear skies!

[@johndaley9188]

Sir. I'm 76 with mobility issues and never really had a hobby. I discovered in January smart telescopes, discovering how light and easy they are to set up and use. I bought the Seestar S50 (my first) and currently have 245 saved images. This scope is so much fun. I set it up on my deck, then back inside to my recliner and enjoy the show. To the naysayers on smart scopes, I say embrace the technology. Capturing these images has been rewarding, but being able to share with family and friends is a huge bonus.

[@ericrudy2504]

Good advice! I'm in too many hobbies at one time as it is and I just bought a telescope....I'm stupid. Looking forward to this though lol.

[@angeltensey]

Strongly agree with the point that for beginner, mount is more important. When i've got my first scope back then, it was equipped with fork mount (az2 type) and it was atrocious. The only thing that kept me from abandoning astronomy because of bad first impression is that i was a cosmos crackhead for my entire life and also purposely lowered my expectations to the bottom. I quickly got an EQ mount and oh boy that was something. Also, in my opinion, go-to mounts are not for beginners. They allow you to just speedrun through the experience of discovery and will left you with nothing else to do. Discovery is joy of visual astronomy.

[@MrWilsonsChannel]

Same. My first mount was a completely manual eq. It had two knobs and no polar alignment reticle. No motors. No computer. Totally manual. Took hours for me as a kid to read a star chart and find even one of the brightest targets. But I was an astro crackhead like you, so I kept at it.

[@gee6607]

Excellent video sir

[@BruceWayne-us3kw]

I'm glad I watched this. I really want to buy a telescope but they can be really expensive. I want to make sure I'm getting my money's worth.

[@MrWilsonsChannel]

I'm so glad this was helpful! I love astronomy and it pains me when I hear of people buying a "bad" scope they end up hating and then it just sits in a closet someplace. They think the hobby stinks based off that one bad experience. But if we can get them something easy to use that also lets them see some decent things... That's a scope you'll use ☺️

[@tuunaes]

If you think visual astronomy is expensive, you better not check price of equipment, especially mounts, astrophotographers often have. Most of them usually have separate telescopes for photography and visual observing with photography telescope being rather small in aperture to get away with cheaper mount. Smaller light collecting power is simple to counter with longer/more exposures in photography. While in visual observing aperture is what decides how good everything looks: Light collecting power decides how many faint fuzzies you can see and how well you can see details in them. Same for number of stars in clusters. Aperture diameter also decides how small details telescope can distinguish and how high magnifications you can use for the Moon/planets. Big aperture also turns globular clusters from faint round fuzzy blobs to lots of individual stars. And actually good looking deep sky objects are mostly quite easy to find with some basic skills. In reasonably dark sky best of them are naked eye visible. Objects beyond that are always basically just small faint fuzzies. (free AstroHopper can help to find more of those) Images you see in printed media and online are simply extremely misleading for what you can see visually. Our Moon is really the only exception to that giving whole field of view full of details. Which can also change lot in couple hours with change in illumination angle requiring frequent observing to catch everything. If there's local/nearby astronomy club, that could give chance to see what different targets look and to "calibrate expectations".

[@tuunaes]

@@MrWilsonsChannel Unfortunately Celestron is selling sh*tload of those bad telescopes in Astromaster and PowerSeeker lines. More than couple are such scams they should get Celestron into court.

[@jdjones7065]

Dude I applaud you, you just made my star gazing just that much more enjoyable. Thank you so much for you input continued happy viewing to you, 🙂 JD

[@MrWilsonsChannel]

Great to hear! Clear skies 😊

[@Kelli.Hicks.5]

Hey, Mr. Wilson! 🙋‍♀️ I would agree with you, that when you're starting out, equipment doesn't *really* matter all that much. Sure, better equipment and set-ups are going to produce better products. BUT, when you're starting out, even that little, blurry, smudge of a photo is going to be ASTOUNDING to you because YOU took it. And that's the super cool part. Then, once you get the knack of it, you can start falling into that rabbit hole of specifics and extras, as with any hobby. 🌌🔭📸🐇🕳️

[@jtepsr]

Mr Wilson, great tips for beginners, so maybe you can give me an opinion. I have owned go to mounts, sold them many years ago and I own a televue 85 and I want a mount for Astro and visual. I have been an advanced photographer for many years and I want to try astrophotography. What mount would you recommend. I have been very interested in the AM5 setup. Thank you.

[@MrWilsonsChannel]

When it comes to astrophotography you need to look at the payload capacity of the mount. The am5 has a payload capacity of I think 44 lb. The maximum amount you would want to load any astrophotography rig would be about half of the mounts rated capacity to ensure that it can keep up and won't start lagging. I have the eqr6 pro and it has the same rated capacity as the am5. It can handle the weight of a rig far heavier than the one you'll be using with the televue 85 telescope. The am 5 is a little more expensive than the eqr6 pro, but the am5 is also lighter as well, which is a huge difference. The eq6r is so heavy that it can be discouraging to use. I haven't used the am 5 myself, but on paper it looks like an excellent choice.

[@Astronurd]

Reflectors are generally longer than imaging refractors. The telescope choice is crucial for astrophotography.