I'll definitely do that this time around. I had been training on older Vangard radios because I had them and could preserve my own buddy-box with the dedicated pair. However, I have a new 8103 that I'm dying to use so I'll definitely make that transition now. The Vangards were pretty limited as the 4 ch. didn't even have dual rates so the control throws were pretty much set and left alone. I was starting to feel like I could use a little more deflection in the aileron and rudder, but didn't get far enough in the process to start adjusting them.

I think the biggest lesson I've learned from re-analyzing the incident is that when trying something new, you can never have too much altitude. I just have to remember that it's better to feel a little discomfort from not seeing it quite as clearly due to altitude than to feel a lot of discomfort from seeing the wreckage up close!