[madbadgalaxyman (Robert)]

[QUOTE=Cumbrian;940516]I must admit to being a little underwhelmed last night but having slept on it I'm more impressed with what I got out of it despite its restrictions."

Low power is by far the best option to start with for relative beginners. Makes finding the object easier, less vibration, and a field that is not just a narrow porthole in the sky.
Wide field eyepieces make life a lot easier, as you get less of the sense of looking through a narrow porthole.

The views in telescopes are not usually spectacular, except for the brightest objects; visual observers must also rely on 'observing with the mind' and knowing what it is that they are actually looking at. Also, visual observing is not just a matter of looking in the eyepiece......it is a skill that has to be learned. Refer to the "sticky" at the beginning of the "Observational and Visual Astronomy" forum, for numerous tips and techniques on how to get the most from your view.

PGCHunter recently observed some Quasars, which just look like faint stars in the telescope, but it was sure nice to know that the light from these objects had spent billions of years travelling 'half way across the known universe'.

There seems to be a lot of focus, in our society, on "being impressed". If 'impression' is what a person is after, then they are better off going to see the Hobbit Movie than looking through the telescope.