http://mynodebtc.com/Bitcoin + Lightning plus all the useful necessities to become self-sovereign.
Will step you through exactly what you need to do.
I have a basic technical ability & I found it easy.
Raspberry PI 4, HDD, MicroSD card, case etc ~$200 on Amazon.
Software is FREE unless you want access to premium features (which I highly recommend).
May I ask why HDD instead of SSD?
Additionally, because MyNodeBTC comes preloaded with software, etc., how can we know for certain that it has not been tampered with or a trojan/keylogger, etc. has been installed on the device before it reaches us?
MyNode software is opensource; but yes, you are putting an element of trust into the hands on the lead developer - his reputation is on the line though - he has more of an incentive to preserve it if he wants to continue earning good money from his code.