Don't worry about asponsor, there's plenty of people here who will watch out for you.

Depending on your budget and spending habits, there's 3 main choices for your first radio, a) basic 4 channels, b) entry level computer radio (usually 6 channels), or c) the best you can afford at the moment. My personal recommendation for beginners is usually choice a or b.

Many people will say buy the best you can afford because you won't outgrow it. That's possibly true, but as many have discovered, it's often not. Manufacturers are constantly coming up with new features, and the prices don't really rise. I say that beginners who do not have unlimited budgets should stay away from the advanced radios. The Futaba 7C and 9C are in this class. 7C: http://www2.towerhobbies.com/cgi-bin...I=LXGAE9**&P=0

The next choice, an entry level 6 channel computer radio is pretty good. These offer things like electronic trims, end point adjustment, throttle cutoff, and a bunch of other things. For many fliers, this radio has more functions than they will ever need. A complete radio (including transmitter, receiver, batteries, servos, switch, charger, etc) in this class will be less than $200. I have a radio in this class, the Futaba 6EXA. One note, a limited number of modellers will outgrow the functions on this radio. If you are going to fly advanced aerobatics, 3D, jets, scale, or any other type of plane requiring more than 6 channels, this is not a good choice. 6EXAS: http://www2.towerhobbies.com/cgi-bin...I=LXHYK7**&P=0

And the final choice is a basic 4 channel radio. The value of these are often overlooked. These radios only include the 4 channels needed for the main controls. They usually have mechanical trims and servo reversing, and come with transmitter, receiver, batteries, charger, servos, switch, etc. These systems typically cost less than $130. For a beginner, this kind of system has everything they need. The Futaba 4YF is an example of such a system. Some people will tell you to not waste your money with this level system because you will outgrow it. However, there are a significant number of people who never actually need more than 4 channels. Of the 6 flyable planes I have right now only 1 actually needs more than 4 channels. 4YF: http://www2.towerhobbies.com/cgi-bin...I=LXEFJ4**&P=0

The parts of the radio that you install in the plane are often referred to as a flight pack. The flight pack that you get with a 4 channel system usually includes a 6 or 7 channel receiver and 4 servos. You can buy a flight pack for around $100 to $150. When you finish with your trainer and move to another plane, you can move your original flight pack to your second plane. Alternatively, you could buy another 4 channel setup, or you could decide that you like flying enough, and understand what kind of flying you want to do, to buy a more advanced computer radio.

The computer radios include something called model memory. When you begin setup for a new plane, you assign space within the computer radio for the plane. The computer radio will save all of the setup choices such as servo direction, end point adjustments, trim settings, for each of the models you have. This saves you from having to change all of these things when you want to fly a different plane. People who have computer radios usually have a seperate flight pack for each plane. Yes, the $ does add up. This allows them to leave the flight components in the plane, making it simple to switch from one to another. I could go to my shop right now and take any of my 6 planes to the field to fly.

Remember the flight pack you bought with that basic 4 channel setup? If your new computer radio is on the same channel as your original radio (a good choice), it will control that flight pack just fine. Did you lose any money by starting out with the 4 channel setup? Not really, it cost about the same price as a flight pack. Plus, if you ever have a problem with your computer transmitter, you've still got the 4 channel one to allow you to at least fly something.

Sorry for being long winded, there's more to say, but these are some of my thoughts.