I’m planning to go to a rural spot that has a Bortle class 3 night sky around Southern California. Can anyone recommend a beginner friendly telescope with decent magnification for around $200? I’m not interested in using an accompanying smart phone app to go with it either. I’d like to see nebulae and galaxies the most. Thank you.
Looking at the prices, my cheap ass would sacrifice some portability and opt for a tripod and a lightly fabricated aluminum or oak stick (read: drill 3 holes) to make a 24-36" offset mounting plank and carry a 5lb counterweight