Airtronics, like all the other brands, have a proprietary 2.4ghz protocol that isn't compatible with anything else.

The wire issue is well know with the RDS8000 radios. It was really bad on the early ones but a tweak to the wire length improved things considerably. A dab of hot glue or thickened epoxy on the solder joints will protect them from the repeated bending, fixing the problem for good. This should be done at the factory, but it isn't.

I agree this radio really shouldn't still be on the market. It already was behind the game when it was first released with respect to features, given that it was just a 2.4ghz version of the RD8000. But is was cheaper than most 6 channel systems at the time so it sold. The SD-10G doesn't have this problem because it uses an altogether different system for the gimbals.

The thing is though, unless you're invested pretty deeply in Airtronics receivers, it doesn't make sense to me to buy another Airtronics radio. The company hasn't done any real product development for a solid 5 years and doesn't look like it will in the foreseeable future either. While all the other brands have made telemetry, voice prompts, vibrating alerts, and a few other useful doodads standard on their radios, Airtronics is content to offer the same old stuff that we had 10 years ago. They are well made (aside from the gimbal issue), but Airtronics really isn't competitive in today's market. Have a look at what Graupner is offering; they have the best value in the hobby today IMO. And, of course, you can't go wrong with Futaba or JR either.