Welcome back. Radios are a personal choice and the name brands all work.
Spektrum DX-9 is a good mix of channels, capabilities, and price. Team member Sherman Knight haunts RC Groups and is a walking encyclopedia of programming information for JR and Spektrum radios specializing in gliders.
Having never messed with telemetry its easy to say you don't care, but play with it a few times and you'll like it. I love having a vario, altitude reporting at the press of a button, and radio link quality and battery information available.