It's not a bad radio at all. It was Futaba's top mid-market radio in the 1990s, being replaced by the 8UAPS, which was replaced by the 9C series. You wouldn't have to pay $125. http://www.rcuniverse.com/product_gu...smitter_id=172 That's what they've been selling for here. Make him an offer.

With the synthesizer, that makes the radio a bit more valuable. The other aspect of all this is you'd have two compatible radios. All you need then to have your own buddy-box setup is a cord. You've talked about how it's tough for you to connect to your instructor. Get this stuff, and anyone out at your field can give you a hand. Once you're to the point of soloing, it can still be nice to have a safety net until your experience catches up with your skills.