Hi Chris. My name is Matt. I’ve only been in it for about a year and a half but I have been learning very much, mainly from this forum. A good affordable setup would be a mobile radio IMHO. Here is what I would do if I wanted something good but in my budget:

Cobra 29LTD Classic - $85
HYS TC-300 Linear Amplifier (about 150 watts on AM) - $130
Solarcon A-99 Antenna - $85
Pyramid PSV300 Power Supply - $64

These items and prices are from Amazon. This would be the starter setup that will get you going that I would recommend. I would also recommend getting the radios output power turned down to at least 1.5 watt dead key. I use a tc-300 as a driver and that’s what I’ve seen its best performance at. That would be a good yet affordable start IMHO. Let me know if you have any questions!!!