G day Lynton n
great first light! that's gotta have you hooked, n i reckon you are on the right track re Expl Scientific and larger fov for longer views between 'scope nudges
i find around 200x is the most used magnification at my usual sites, your site may permit higher - the best way is to 'suck n see' and getting with a group is the best way to do that. Try not to rush n waste $$, the planets n DSOs are hanging around for a while yet.
Enjoy, L