I'm sittin' on the fence on this one. I agree with Ken about talking with whomever will be instructing you before buying, but in this case I'd be looking for someone familiar with DSSS to help train me. As fast as this is taking off (pardon the pun), Spread Spectrum is the way to go because of all its advantages regarding frequency conflict (total absence of), RF interference (total absence of), and the added cost of buying an FM system and later upgrading to DSSS, when you can start out with the latest technology. At $350USD, it's a heck of a deal. I know, it doesn't have a jack for "buddy boxing", but it isn't all that difficult to pass the Tx back and forth, as long as you follow the "three mistakes high" guideline. I've played with the system a little, it's an easy system to get used to; there are already three of the DX-7's in my club, and tomorrow there will be four. I'm not giving up my 9C Futaba or changing the planes I have, but all my planes from here on will get DSS systems.