I started out with visual astronomy.  I initially struggled with mastering the Starsense auto align feature. The instructions in the manual were less than useless. After several attempts using the hand controller I downloaded the Celestron CPI software. Using SPI requires a cable attached to the hand controller and your pc. It worked perfectly making Starsense auto is align very easy to perform. 

 Starsense Just set up the accessory which captures and compares images of the night sky against its internal database. In about three minutes, it’s gathered enough information to triangulate its position and align itself.  

 My next hurdle was Polar alignment. Polar alignment is an essential first step towards a night of visual observation or astrophotography.  Why is it so important? By aligning the axis of your telescope mount with the motion of the sky, you can accurately track objects in space. It requires German equatorial mount (GEM). 

 Using the polar alignment scope provided the Celestron AVX mount requires you to get on your knees and fiddle with the polar scope until symbols etched in the glass align with the sky. Sounds easy but it is not. Again software to the rescue. Sharpcap is a terrific package for visual or astrophotography. One of it’s most useful tools is polar alignment. You simply follow the instructions provided and Polar alignment becomes easy to accomplish.

This process of learning just the basics took a little over a year.