Hi Dutch
Having started out as an eager newbie like you, one other piece of advice I can add is to steer clear of anything that's marketed as "high power" or "super sharp views" etc. The only super sharp things about these scopes is the packaging!! My first scope was one from a well known auction site, but after spending numerous hours trying to come to terms with the cheap and unsuitable equatorial mount I soon passed it on.
In terms of a first purchase, heed the advice of others here and try and check out a couple of different models before you decide, as each has their strengths. My suggestion would be to start out visually (ie, don't even THINK about astrophotography yet!!), and get yourself familiar with the common terms like RA and DEC, as well as a good star map (I use a program called Stellarium which is free and great at locating and identifying objects. Aim to familiarise yourself with the "main" stars and constellations, as these will help you greatly when trying to locate other objects such as star clusters and nebulas.
Eventually, you will however want to drop some coin on a shiny new scope, so remember that the BEST scope is the one which gets the most use. No point dropping a few grand (which is far too easy to do sometimes!!
) on that you-beaut refractor with that kickin' super accurate mount if a few hundred dollar Dobsonian-style scope will get much more use.
The best thing you've done is join these forums. There are world-class amatuers on here with an absolute wealth of knowledge, ask away and you'll receive many a wonderful response.
All the best!!
Benno
