I used to have a Futaba 7 channel years um decades ago. I lost it and all my RC stuff in a fire so am years out of date on all things technical. An add in my local paper for a plane and four channel Futaba conquest has sparked my interest in getting back into R/C flying again. For about $200 I could get started with his setup.

But since my real interest is in gliders at least to start, I was thinking of investing in a better radio to get me going and building a trainer glider for just a little more money. I was first drawn to the Futaba 6exas as a good start for flying gliders but with future potential. But reading here I hear talk of possible obsolesence, that the 2.4 ghz is the radio of the future.

So you know what I am working towards: I am going to build a training glider to start and would like to build a better performer in the future and maybe explore combat gliders. Somewhere down the line I would like an acrobatic airplane. So this is where my radio needs lie.

Can someone please explain the main advantages to the new 2.4 ghz. radios?

Will the receivers and parts for the older radios like the 6exas become hard to get?

One major concern is the cost of flight packs for future endeavors. The only receivers I can find for the 2.4 ghz are 7 channel and $99. While I can see whole flight packs for $50-80. If I am correct in assuming it will be much more expensive to add planes to a setup using a 2.4ghz radio.

Will all radios be compatible to use in a training situation? If I purchased the complete setup locally and then upgraded to the Futaba 6ex or 6exas could I use the two transmitters together for training?

Thanks for any insight.
PP