IMHO, get the best radio you can afford, and if you can't afford it, save up

Take it from a guy that did it the hard way. Started out with a Hitec Flash 4 (not the X model, the original). Bought a Prism 7, and outgrew that. Finally settled on a Futaba 8UAFS. Now I have two of those.

But, I'm hopelessly addicted. Haven't counted lately, but I probably have 30 planes in various states of repair strewn across three households. For the more normal person, a 5-6 channel computer radio with a few model memories is ideal, and probably the last radio they'll ever need. Compare the 6EXA with the Hitec Flash 5X, and the Hitec Eclipse 7.