When you go to your usual field (if it has a frequency pin board), look for the pins that have the least usage. We have a couple of reallllllllly popular channels, so I made sure I was as far away from them as possible. I only have one other person on my channel, and he rarely flies that radio at the field.

I dont think I could justify the 9Z. The only reason I bought the 9C was because my 6xas found its way onto the ground off the stool it was on when my daughter's jacket sleeve caught the antenna. My wife felt soo terrible for both of us, that I received her exhaulted permission to purchase a new radio (little did she know my daughter and I had arranged that in advance JK)