Telescope for a newbie: Smart app enabled? (lemmy.ca)

submitted 1 month ago by imminent_nebula@lemmy.ca to c/astronomy@mander.xyz

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I'm starting my journey into astronomy and looking for a beginner telescope to start. I've found a few on telescopescanada.ca that fit my budget between $350 and $400 CAD but noticed a lot have "smartphone app-enabled" as a feature.

Over the last few years I've found that smart connected tech just complicates things and have been reverting my tech back, often to the point of wired over wireless. What's the consensus when it comes to telescopes?

Is app-connection a feature you use? I'm looking at the Celestron StarSense Explorer LT 114AZ but wondering if I'll be paying for smart features that aren't necessary.

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[-] Cyclist@lemmy.world 7 points 1 month ago

Not the answer your want. Start with a dumb telescope and learn to navigate the stars. You'll get better optics if you aren't paying for all that other stuff.

[-] imminent_nebula@lemmy.ca 2 points 1 month ago

Generally I would avoid any smart features if possible, just not sure if they're actually a benefit for telescopes. I'm definitely leaning dumb

this post was submitted on 30 Aug 2026

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