Hi Michael,
welcome to IIS
Firstly, a few questions.
Do you want to just use the scope for visual, or for astrophotography as well?
Do you want mainly portable or not so important?
Do you want computerised 'goto' type operation, or are you happy to point it yourself?
Many here would say join a club first and have a look through other people's scopes. Good advice, but you're limited to ASWA or AGWA here in Perth. I'm not in either btw.
Have you thought about a decent pair of binoculars and a mount to sit them on? These are a great way to start observing the night sky. Also these would be good for both terrestrial and sky viewing.
So, you can see there are a few questions that need answering first. Once you've thought about these things, you'll find you've eliminated a whole range of options which will make it easier to choose from the remainder.
Cheers for now
