thanks for the insight everyone...just had to ask because i have no real point of reference if i'm riding correctly or not...

reminds me of when i first started doing darkroom work, having taught myself...i started apprenticing with an expert printer and when i told her my exposure times were taking one or two minutes she had her mouth agape and told me it should be around 20-30 seconds....of course i had no idea i was doing it wrong because there was no one to ask...

so thanks again