well.. after reading all the glowing recommedations here I decided to take the plunge and order the AN system for my 10" GSO DOB
I really think this will be the way to go for a newbie like me since I can only locate 3 or 4 objects at the moment and when I have found new things (clusters, nebulae) I've had no idea what I was looking at
Even with planispheres, and lots of software I had the feeling it would take me years to learn to starhop effectively on my own (I'm pretty isolated out here), especially when searching for DSOs that are not readily visible to the naked eye, seems to me that AN will be like having an experienced astronomer by my side
Anyway, fwiw, I'll keep you informed of progress once I receive and install it..
Cheers!
Bruce