RE: Which radio?
I'm a Futaba guy myself. That being said, I really like the DX7 radios. And the DX7 can be buddy boxed with a JR buddy box.
Do check around your club though. BTW - if your club doesn't have any JR radios, a QUATRO buddy box is very cheap. Don't let that be the reason you don't buy a JR or DX7 radio system.