Sky-Watcher Skyhawk 1145P SynScan AZ GOTO What is the experience using the Sky-Watcher Skyhawk 1145P SynScan AZ GOTO telescope and can it be recommended for a new astronomer? Is it any good?
 A: No, I would not recommend this telescope. It has several counts against it:


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*Small aperture: 150 mm aperture is a recommended minimum.

*Short focal ratio: Good mainly for low power wide field views, not suitable for planets.

*Most of the money goes into the computer, very little into the optics.
Instead, I recommend a manual telescope with a large enough aperture to give satisfying views of both planets and deep sky objects. For the same money you can get a larger and more solidly mounted Dobsonian like Skywatcher Dobsonian Telescopes - Dobsonian Telescopes by OVL.
A: It is not very suitable for planets. Actually it's best for the Moon and large diffuse objects like nebulae, clusters and galaxies. It is suitable for backyard pleasure.
A: I don't have much personal experience of the cheaper goto mounts but I would be suspicious of any goto mount under £300 (thats just the mount!  telescope would be extra.)  I would recommend spending more on optics and solid mount rather than motorised systems for that budget.
A brief look finds this telescope of similar design but better spec, and a fairly trusty mount.
