ORIGINAL: chemie
I think $399 for a trainer is crazy. With the 72MHz version at $299 why would upgrade to 2.4 be worth $100? Like said above, the radio itself is MRSP $99 and that is not that much different froma 5 ch 72MHz. Save the $100 and go for 2.4 after you learn on the trainer.
The Nexstar Select RTF is $399 and it comes with a Futaba 4YBF transmitter. It's also one of the best selling trainers on the market. If the Alpha .40 RTF DSM edition comes with a flight simulator, it should at least enjoy similar success to the Nexstar Select RTF at a similar price point.