I have personally had nothing but good experiences with Hobbyking but that is another argument completely.. I would also steer clear of the cheaper "non brand names" but Hobbyking also sell some good radios, EG, Futaba, JR, etc...

One thing I can say from experience, the Hobbyking Orange Brand Receivers for Spektrum and Futaba radios are excellent and have proven just as reliable for me as the genuine product at a fraction of the cost..

For a budget of $150, if you can stretch that to around $200 you can get a Futaba 6EX or a Spektrum DX6i.. I have owned both.. In terms of quality and reliability they are on par.. I think the DX6i has the edge in terms of ease of programability because the dispay is more intuitive, but that is just personal opinion.

One benefit of Spektrum is that it also has model match, so if you end up with several aircraft it will be impossible to take off with the wrong model selected.. This is a great safety feature..

I have only ever had 3 crashes with RC helicopters, in 3 years and about 6000 flights, One was outright pilot error but two were from taking off with the wrong model selected (both on a Futaba 6EX) The controls were reversed and the crashed occurred seconds after take off..

My point is the spektrum will protect you from this..

Another feature I like about Spektrum is that they are compatible with the Eflite and Parkzone range of Bind and Fly aircraft and these work really well, I have a whole stable of Helis and Aircraft that are BNF to Spektrum

If you buy a DX6i you will be very happy with it.. Make sure it is a newer model with an X on the front.. Don't think you are getting a bargain if you find a cheap DX6i that does NOT have the X...

The X means it uses the DSMX protocol which is much better than the original DSM2 versions.. See my vid below and you see the X...

Now, I respect you have a budget.. but if there is any way you can stretch it a little further, I can very strongly recommend a Spektrum DX7s..

This is a beautiful radio for about 30% more cost than a DX6i.. The biggest benefit in my opinion is the Quad Ball Bearing Gimbals..

You have to fly with them for a while before you fully appreciate the difference.. I had a DX6i for a year and flew with it regularly and was blissfully (and ignorantly) happy with it..

After upgrading to the DX7s it immediately felt silky smoother and much more refined.. the response of all aircraft is exponentially better also in my opinion, perhaps because of better resolution and quality in the Gimbals..

After flying Helis and aircraft on the DX7s going back to a DX6i feels completely agricultural, It actually feels like there is sand in the gimbals, they feel scratchy compared to ball bearing gimbals on higher end radios..

Again, the DX6i is a good radio and if you never upgrade you will never miss the difference.. but that extra 30% buys a lot of extra radio..

If you only plan to be a sport flyer and perhaps try Helicopters, the DX7s will be all the radio you will ever need. It will take a long time to grow out of.

All radios come with a receiver these days so that is not an issue..

So try for the DX7s..

If budget is really strict, then the DX6i would be a winner.

Hope that helps.

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4_Tbes9f1_c[/youtube]