dus10,
Have you thought about perhaps the pay it forward thread for your need, Use a standard 4 channel for a while, and then once you get the funds and such perhaps get computer radio, and give that radio that you got in the pay it forward thread to someone else. I think this would be good for you and i am sure someone will have a box they can give you for 30$.

Ken,
I have always thought about doing it that way, and it would be smarter, but i never knew exactly how to do it and get it right. How do you? PM me if this is off topic. I was wrong about what i said above. I was mainly saying that a new flyer with mechanical trims could bump one mistakenly right before flight, and not know it. I know if you have mechanical trims it should be part of your checklist, but thats one more thing to have to worry about and check. I already have to many (ANTENNA![:@])