The FUTL8910 Synthesized RF module for the 9C is not vapor. It is a real item, due out about February, 2004.

The 9C has been out only two years. Don't look for Futaba to do anything about it soon.

As I stated above, the module will also work in the 7U-series and 8U-series of transmitters.

A synthesized module uses what's known as a "phase-locked loop" processor to determine frequency. A voltage-controlled oscillator is locked onto a specific frequency by various feedback loops and comparators. It's all done inside of a few chips. Almost any modern multi-channel transmitter uses frequency synthesis, from police radios, to military, to civilian aircraft (they have over 700 channels, crystal-controlled tranmitters would be rather large and bulky, but you can get a handheld transceiver quite inexpensively!).