RE: Spektrum DX8 vs. Futaba vs. Airtronics
Well written - my first radio was an 8 channel Heathkit that I built myself from the kit. I can remember at one point, while looking for the model in the cornfield after the crash, that if it wasn't for the engine on the front of the plane I would have left the whole darned thing out there.
My next radio was an MRC 5 channel. It worked, was pretty reliable for the most part. The sticks were sure crappy by today's standards, though. I still have that radio, but it's no longer legal to use - an old , wideband transmitter and not very selective receiver on a frequency that is no longer legal for model use.
Next - an Ace pulse rudder only. Fun! Rudder only is fun if you've never done it.
Since then a variety of Ace AM radios (Silver Seven single stick and Micropro two-stick) and a variety of Futaba and JR stuff. I've ended up using mostly the JR's because I find the transmitters more comfortable in my hands. They've all been better than that heathkit and MRC that I started with...