[Maru]

I can spot Saturn/Jupiter/Venus (that one is easy) by naked eye so I watch them move year round... I had a telescope growing up and every weekend I would look for the planets. So tend to know about what time they would be visible. Particularly Jupiter... the moons move position relatively quickly so it's always a different view. Mars I haven't been able to see, I guess because the local light here is bad even though I knew exactly where it was... MD was even worse as the planetary axis was more towards horizon and being between two metros, the local light was particularly bad

I need to upgrade mine though. I think it's pretty standard aperture. You can make 'em too but not sure I want to go through the hassle... it's not easy from everything I've read and fairly expensive.

First one I ever found (by accident) was Venus. It was close to dusk so it was like a burning white crescent ball... pretty badass. I don't bother with precise calculations and using the measurements... I just load a starmap and go.