Welcome back to astronomy.
Old Scope
First, if the 4.5" SkyView Dob is in good shape, pull it out. It should do a pretty good job on the Sun, Moon, Jupiter, Saturn, Venus and Mars. Naturally a larger aperture will do better, but don't write this one off. You may need to add some eyepieces to get a better range of magnifications.
The bright planets are easy to find and I can give you a very easy way to find DSO targets with that scope This is my main method in my very light polluted location.
Using an angle gauge to help find targets – AltAz coordinates
https://www.cloudyni...t-polluted-sky/
AstroHopper is another tool you might want to try with your old scope.
https://www.youtube....h?v=AtArqBLWWJ8
https://www.cloudyni.../#entry12356885
https://artyom-beili...ing-astrohopper
New Scope
Based on the feel I get from your post, I think the Celestron 8" Evo would be a very good choice. If your main focus is planets and the moon, it will give you everything you need in a fairly compact package AND it will do very well on most DSOs. Finally you can put a camera on it to use for EAA.
Sky-Watcher 10" SynScan GoTo Dobsonian is a great scope but my feeling from your original post is that the EVO would be a better choice for you. The Dob will be big and heavy. It will do what you want but I think think the EVO is a better fit for you.
Smart Scopes
If you want to go all-in on EAA and give up the eyepiece experience in the new scope, then this is the way to go. These are smart/automated and fully integrated EAA/AP systems. The image comes up on your smartphone or tablet and it improves over time as the scope captures light. However, most of these scopes are not very well suited to planets. They do a good job on the Sun, Moon and DSOs. They are typically less effective for planets. However others may have a different response based on some of the newer models. I have the older Dwarf 2 and my friend has four smart scopes. My astronomy club is really getting into these.
Dwarf 3
https://dwarflab.com...F8aAqikEALw_wcB
Video Review
https://www.youtube....h?v=lpXxIlxIdJI
Dwarf vs SeeStar
https://www.youtube....h?v=DL2cckqPnbk
Seestar 50
https://www.highpoin...R0aAn7kEALw_wcB
Unistellar Equinox 2
https://shop.unistel...=40467965018135
Vespera II
https://vaonis.com/p...duct/vespera-ii
Video Review
https://www.youtube....h?v=ur80kNLX9II
There are lots of video reviews on these smartscopes on Youtube.
A combination of your current scope with one of these Smart Scopes could be exactly what you are looking for.
Edited by aeajr, 30 January 2025 - 03:54 PM.