Go to
http://www.amsat.org for more info - it'll tell you a lot of what you need to know to get started.
The two easiest satellites to work with FM gear are AO-27 and UO-14. They're both low Earth orbit (LEO) satellites that provide several passes per day, but are usually packed with stations trying to get into the same transponder. Also, since the satellite is low in orbit and moves quickly, the pass is over in 10 or 15 minutes.
To work it, you'll need either a "true" dual band radio with two VFOs, or two radios, because you need to be able to listen to your signal on one frequency while transmitting on the other. Your uplink is going to be on 2 meters, so you can use your 1/4-wave antenna. The downlink is going to be on UHF. However, you'll need a small yagi to get a good signal from the satellite.
If you don't mind spending an extra $70 or so, get something called an "Arrow Antenna". This is a portable yagi antenna with 3 elements on 2 meters and 7 (?) elements on 440 mHz. Most ham places (AES, Universal, HRO) stock them. That's all you'll need for both the uplink antenna and the downlink antenna to the satellite.
Hope this helps you get started - most of all, read the stuff on AMSAT's page. There's a lot of good background material there for someone who's just getting their feet wet in this.
73,
Jim
KG4NEL
FM06