Metal detecting is my other geeky-dad hobby, and the longstanding advice especially for beginners is to buy the best equipment you can afford at the time. I'm a Motorola/Kenwood fan, but right now, I was interested in a U/V unit (both handheld and mobile), and the XPR6550 is certainly affordable, but it's UHF-only. This is great if you're in an area with a lot of GMRS users, but if you're not, you're going to be listening to a lot of radio silence. Hence, I think, the popularity of U/V CCRs both handheld and mobile. Yes, CCRs probably deserve the derision they get, but if even tossing a CCR in the dumpster because you find out amateur radio isn't your thing and nobody wantsto buy your CCR, you won't take a massive hit inasfar as what big boy toys can cost. But if your starting point furthers your interest, you can then invest in better stuff and gain some respect among your peers But if a CCR is all you're willing to afford for now that gets the job done, at least get a well-built one with really good customer support.