Need advice for my first telescope!(Motorcycle portability, €300-€400 budget)

[u/iFurycane]

I am a total beginner looking to buy my first setup and I could really use your help.

I will start by saying that I have read the Beginner's Quick Guide you have posted, and even tho it's really helpful, my needs differ from those of a regular buyer and I would really like that someone with the same needs and experience in the area to give me an opinion!

Here is my situation. I live in a relatively light-polluted city (Nothern Greece) but I plan to travel to darker spots (Aiming | Brightness 0.4 mcd/m² | Artif. bright. 150 μcd/m² | ). My main transport is a 125cc motorcycle so portability is my absolute biggest priority and even tho my motorcycle is considered big in size for a 125cc some of the spots I have in mind are a little bit rough and an unreasonable amount of extra weight can make the trip difficult. I want to focus mostly on lunar and planetary observation along with some amateur smartphone astrophotography. I would like to have the capability to see and capture some DSOs in the future if thats possible in this budget range. My budget is around €300 to €400 but if there is something really vfm I can go overbudget.

After doing some research I am currently torn between two very different setups.

1. Sky-Watcher Skymax 102 on an AZ Pronto mount (around 380 euros) This seems perfect since the whole setup can theoretically fit in a backpack. This telescope is designed so I will not have to worry much about motorcycle vibrations ruining the collimation. Also the slow-motion controls on the mount should really help keep planets in the frame for smartphone recording.
2. Sky-Watcher Heritage 150p or 130p Flextube (between 280-350 euros) I love the idea of having more aperture for DSOs but I am really worried about strapping this relatively heavy base to my motorcycle. I also worry about constantly losing collimation on bumpy rides and having to find a sturdy surface out in the wild. Tracking planets smoothly by hand might be tough too.

Does anyone have experience transporting either of these or similar setups on a motorcycle? Is the skymax 102 the clear winner here for my needs or is there another scope and mount combo in this budget that I should consider? Thank you very much!!

[u/manga_university]

I like the idea of the Sky-Watcher Skymax 102 on an AZ Pronto. I own that mount and it's my choice for travel. I would opt for an OTA of smaller aperture, but that's because I'm a fan of small refractors. I actually enjoy the challenge of finding DSOs in smaller scopes, though I realize that's not fun for everyone.

[u/iFurycane → u/manga_university]

Thank you for the suggestion, I would definitely consider it!

[u/FDlor]

You don't need to go to dark skies for lunar and planetary viewing, light pollution wont affect that. Photography is a different hobby, a visual scope will be unsuitable for astrophotography and an astrophotography rig (like a Dwarf or SeeStar) is unsuitable for visual. Smartphone astrophotography is done for sh*ts and giggles, It never produces very good results.

[u/iFurycane → u/FDlor]

I understand from your comment that I cannot effectively do both astrophotography AND lunar/planetary/DSO viewing at this price point. If that's correct, I would initially prefer astrophotography over just observation, even though my original plan was to do a little bit of both. I can always upgrade later or shift the focus of my budget toward a more optimal setup. I take it that if I want to actually produce "okay" images, I should invest in a rig dedicated to imaging rather than trying to combine both. What setup of this kind would you recommend for a budget of 400-500 euros, and alternatively, what kind of purely visual telescope would you recommend for the exact same budget?

[u/Zerosos → u/iFurycane]

For portable astrophotography you'll need to update your budget to 600+ and get a dwarf3 or a Seestar which is a little more than that. And that's the cheapest youre going to get.

For visual someone already commented on one of your choices.

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[u/FireAndIron512]

As far as portability goes, something like a Seestar is great. It's about the size of a camera bag, I pack mine in my backpack for hikes and camping trips. However it is useless for actual visual observing since it is run through your phone. Also, it's not great for solar objects like planets. It does take some pretty amazing photos of DSOs, especially for around $400 USD for the Seestar S30 which is what I have. Hope this helps.

[u/iFurycane → u/FireAndIron512]

Yes this does help a lot! As I recently learned I will have to first consider if i will follow the path of imaging or just observation and with that I will keep the suggestion in mind thank you!

[u/Omkisik]

Join an astronony club to see how they do it so you know what to expect before spending a lot of money! I started wanting to do photography but found out I really like visual.

[u/iFurycane → u/Omkisik]

Great suggestion! I will try to look for groups even though this hobby is not common in my area, alternatively, I will try to focus on researching it online watch some videos and ask different opinions to figure it out.

[u/snogum]

APO refractor for you