Jim, I have to agree with you 100%. I would like to see our hobby take better advantage of the new technologies out there, especially when it comes to the radio side. I just hope it isn't a an extreme cost to make the transition. It may however get to a point of using a high frequencie and digital signals instead of analog. In the long run this would be a lot safer for our hobby, as it can be made that we can share channels, and set up identifiers using digital technology. It would highly reduce radio interference, and accidental use of the same channel. I am not as up on electronics as I use to be, but when you look at the cost of new electronics compared to what they were 10 years ago, we should be able to go too new updated systems, as long as there is enough demand to offset the cost for the manufacturers. Of course that is the biggest area that we can play a part in, by recruiting new people into our hobby .

I do remember when computer radios first came out, they were in excess of $600.00, and had a lot more limited capabilities than the new ones today have. I just bought a Futaba T6EXA radio system a couple months ago. I needed a new reciever and servos for my piper cub, and our local hobby shops had this radio system for $170.00, so it didnt cost much more to get a new computer transmitter along with the reciever and for servos.

I guess we are at a point that we just see what happens and pray. But in the mean time we can still try to get more people in the hobby so that there is a greater demand out there and that can help with prices of new equipment if we need to go in that direction.

Just my 2 cents worth
Hovercrafter