SingAstro

Post this video here as it's useful tips for parents who are too busy to spend hours browsing internet forums.
Seen some who bought those long tube refractor on yoke mount or bird-jones on equatorial mount , when they try to sell also no takers.

Video noted to avoid these yoke+rod mount (ss explorer LT 80az) and bird-jones (powerseeker127) as they are not user-friendly.
Other bad designs mentioned are plastic 5x24 finder-scope , plastic photo tripod , 45 degree diagonal.



I don't have any specific model available locally to recommend as it's a combination of availability & price , portability if outside home , dry storage.

The yoke and rod mount mentioned in above video is this red color part in my drawing.
It's to reduce manufacturer cost and weight , design is not user-friendly.


In most product images the telescope is pointed upwards at an angle , for beginner EQ mount this may not be applicable to Singapore.
On the left Is copy of internet product photo , on the right is the mount adjusted down for Singapore latitude near the Equator.
The counterweight may collide with the tripod leg. Center of mass also shift away to concentrate on less legs.


The scope shouldn't be displayed in open air or living room bedroom. Humidity level in Singapore is too high , it will grow fungus.
You need to store it in an airtight case or sealed plastic , with dehumidifying equipment. Consider these extra cost within your overall budget.
At the very least , the rechargeable silica gel gadgets cost $15 , excluding airtight case or plastic bag.
Search keyword 'mini dehumidifier" there are older cylinder shape and newer purse shape. Bigger or heavier is better as more silica gel beads inside , don't get too small.


It's necessary to have hygrometer to estimate when you need to recharge the silica gel gadget or if electronic dry cabinet is functioning.
I'm using multiples of these $2 hygrometer , mixed success as some cannot be accurate at the required 30-50% RH range after tune the needle.
30% Relative humidity is fine , 50% is time to recharge ASAP when you have time. When your airtight case is big the single dehumidifier cannot pull it below 40%.


Many beginner Celestron telescopes have this ball shaped diagonal. It's fine for lower magnification but you should upgrade to better diagonal for 100x magnification on Moon or planets.
There will be noticeable improvement in image quality and image brightness , for very little extra cost.
Celestron included these ball shape diagonal because the image is correct for reading & viewing , to market the telescope as dual purpose for daytime nature.


This is example of proper astronomy diagonal for beginners.
Inside is a simple flat mirror or a triangle prism. Image will be inverted left-right.
In the past it cost about $20-30 online brand new. Now there are better options like the Svbony dielectric diagonal for $37 to 50.
Upgrade away from the ball shaped diagonal that bottleneck the telescope , instead of buying color filter or barlow kits.


There is no need to buy the telescope or tripod together within the same package or same brand.
You can mix different brands for best results in stability or budget savings.
To consider the different accessory options require a lot of homework reading.

The Youtuber published a new video 2 days ago on the same topic.
Better than other recommendation videos that have strong bias of only recommending amazon and svbony due to commission.

Only about half applicable in Singapore context , since our price and availability is different and long tube achromat refractor cannot be easily or affordably stored in dry box or cabinet. Plastic bag solution isn't explored yet.
For the NexYZ phone bracket mentioned , you can get it at taobao , lazada .aliexpress for slightly over SGD $30

When considering a value of a whole package , don't let the bundled "free" eyepieces affect your decision making.
They are usable for beginner's first 1-2 months or first few usage sessions. Either the user lose interest in the hobby and neglect the telescope or he/she continue the hobby and start to buy more eyepieces of medium to high quality.

Cardboard box have zero resale value , some mistakenly use the original box as the storage case or buy a fabric bag as storage.
Fungus like dark environment and stagnant humid air. These are perfect surface area for it to grow and migrate onto the telescope.
When the telescope or binocular was shipped from factory , it had a tied plastic bag and small packet of silica gel. Once the storage duration is too long or opened once in our humid air , that packet of silica gel lost it's effectiveness.

Based on second-hand ads , about 10-20% of the scopes in Singapore are these newt on EQ , 70-80% are achro refractors. Less than 15% are serious scopes.

Telescopes that you should avoid.