Hello ingalls & others.
Regarding equipment selection, my personal opinion is this: Stay away from the old tube-type radios and stick with modern solid-state one-piece transceivers.
Rationale:
1. There haven't been any tube-type radios made since the 1970s.
If you do manage to find one, it will probably be in poor condition,
requiring extensive renovation. Most experienced hams, let alone
newbies, are ill-equipped to find the spare parts, tubes, and
handle the repairs.
2. Tube-type rigs require re-adjustment of the transmitting circuit
("tuning up") every time you change frequency. Failure to perform
those adjustments properly can lead to equipment damage.
3. They require radio-specific high-voltage power supplies to
operate, and are extremely energy-inefficient.
On the other hand, modern solid-state transceivers --
1. Are easier to find in good condition on the used market, and are
more reliable.
2. Are much easier to set up and operate.
3. Operate on 12 volts DC -- i.e. a car battery or any other
readily available source, and do not waste a lot of power lighting
tube filaments.
I know some people are worried about the possible damaging effects of an EMP pulse, and it is true that tube-type radios are less susceptible in that area, but in my opinion the negatives far outweigh the positives. It is possible to shield your equipment adequately (GOOGLE EMP amateur radio), or -- buy two and bury one!
As for specific model numbers, here's a list off the top of my head -- there are TONS of different models, but generally, you want a "100W SSB HF transceiver" that runs off of 12 volts DC.
Some current (new) entry-level models:
ICOM IC-718 ~US$629
YAESU FT-450AT ~US$749
YAESU FT-857D ~US$699
YAESU FT-897D ~US$799
On the used market, may of the "big 3" (ICOM, KENWOOD, YAESU) fit the bill, i.e.
ICOM IC707 IC735 IC737 IC738 IC706 etc.
KENWOOD TS430S, TS440S, TS450S, TS690S, TS850S etc.
YAESU FT747 FT757 FT840 etc.
A good place to go to *see* all these and read user reviews is:
http://www.eham.net/reviews/products/14
A couple of reputable dealers are:
http://www.hamradio.com/
http://www.aesham.com/
-scottyd