RE: What's your preference?
I use Spektrum but I also have two Airtronics systems that I use for electrics, until I can get the smaller DX6 RX (they just recently started shipping them to LHS's). But, I won't trash my Airtronics, I like them and prefer them to others except the DX7.
Also, you may consider adding Polk, which has the synthesized frequency selection system.. can choose all of the channels in the 72 MHz band. But, they may be going away also with the advent of the 2.4 GHz Spread Spectrum systems, and Tower. Tower has low cost systems that work just as well as the rest of the basic four channel radios.