Hello all, im Phillip. Im from east Tennessee but currently located in the high desert of California. US army infantry stationed at Fort Irwin,CA. i have been grilling for a long time and have recently descided to make the plunge into smoking. Im looking to get a good starter charcoal smoker, and looking for the $250 and under price range. Ive found a lot of options and have been weighing pros and cons of them to try to get the best option to start out. I want the best out of the box in this range that will require the least mods. Ive been looking alot on this site for information and have allready started using some tips and tricks off here to improve my regular grilling. And recomendations for the best smoker to start with would be greatly appreciated and cant wait to start smoking.