dx6i will most likely be all you ever need unless you decide to get into giant scale, jets or serious helis and REQUIRE the extra channels. If you're just starting out, don't blow $400+ on a radio just yet. Spend the $150 on a DX6i and AR6200 RX. You can pick up a used one for less than a hundred bucks on craigslist and ebay. This radio will easily fly 99% of anything you'll ever see and is a full computer radio.