How am I doing?

So, I've gotten through the first couple weeks with my new Hampton HI300. I'm wondering if the burn times and temps I'm seeing are ideal. It seems the only way to get accurate temp readings with this insert is with an IR thermometer on the glass. I keep the fan set to auto/low. If I fill the box on top of a hot bed of coals, close the air damper down slowly to almost or completely closed I get glass temps between 700 and 800 degrees for between 2 and 3 hours. After 2 hours there aren't many flames, after 3 hours I've got just coals and glass temps in the mid 600s. Temp drops slowly for the next hour or 2. i usually reload once the temps are reading in the low 500s. So, I'm basically getting about 4-5 hours on a full load. If I let it go 8 hours, there wont' be much heat but there will be enough embers to get a fire back up quickly. As I'm sure most newbies do - I've discovered that the wood I thought was well seasoned is more so-so seasoned. Does this seem about right?

The owners manual doesn't mention where the temp should be monitored - or what temp it should run at. I found a few HI300 owners on here suggested the glass. It seems to be consistent so I stick with it.

Thanks for the feedback. It's definitely a learning curve - but it's fun. I'm starting to find that sweet spot where there are enough coals to keep the heat up but not too much where I can't fill the stove. I'm looking forward to truly seasoned wood for next season...