Digital BW, The Print

Hi all

I have read with interest the recent posts about Tri-X 400 and would like to ask for 
guidance on a few things.  I have next to no wet darkroom experience (no space for 
the equipment) and have simply taken my film to a lab for development without ever 
asking them how they develop it.  Perhaps partially as a result of this, I have always 
been very unimpressed with my contact sheets from the lab and until moving to the 
_digital darkroom_ have not even bothered to pursue many of the captures further, 
instead focusing on my colour slide film captures and, more recently, converting them 
to B&W with PS and some of the various techniques discussed here.

And so I would like to ask for guidance so that I can explore once again shooting with 
B&W negative film.  In the past I have used T-Max 100 and 400, Tri-X 400 Pro. 
Neopan Acros 100 and, recently as a result of this forum, Technical Pan ISO 25.  I use 
both 35mm and medium format.

My questions:

Is this a good selection to start with or should I, say, abandon T-Max 400 and just use  
the Tri-X?  Are there others that should be _top of list_ ?  (I would like to keep the 
number small at least at first.)

How should each ideally be exposed?  (I think I have read enough on Tri-X 400  -  rate 
it at 320 - but what of the others?)

What direction should I give to a lab for processing?  (Is this even possible/practible?)

I hope this doesn't start a spurious debate on any issue - I am just looking for a few 
pointers to get restarted here.  FYI, I intend to scan the film with my Epson 2450 
initially  but would then rescan my favs on an Imacon which I can rent hourly at a local 
lab (later I hope to purchase the new Nikon MF scanner).

Thanks in advance

Steve