Hi Plot17B, great news about your equipment! What type of hive have you?
You can get something called a 'glass quilt' it replaces the wooden 'crown board' (the inner roof of the hive that covers the bees working area)
I find it great as you can take the outer roof of the hive and actually see the bees and what they are up to before opening them up to the world (tend to get a little airborne when you do this) Its great for the novice (me) as you can see what you are up against, just few bees or lots of bees! some people are worried when they first lift the wooden crown boards that thousands of bees will rush at them!
When I come to lift the glass quilt I still puff just a little smoke under a lifted edge, just to move on any bees and to let them know that I am there.
If there are very few bees, I don't smoke them, It cant be nice for them, all that smoke. poor girls, bad enough me opening up their home!
Also,
Its great for showing people in the hive without disturbing the bees to much, When my bees are quiet, I have shown so many people my girls like this, most people are completely drawn in and forget that they have no gear on.... me included, I seem to end up watching and then thinking, oh that looks interesting I will just lift the board and have a look at a frame....ouch! stung again should have put some gear on or better still, remembered that I was not wearing any in the first place..... ho hum! lecture from Mr HF almost inevitable

sorry for rambling on...again!