Ok, I've watched this thread progress and I thought I would jump in and add my 2¢ worth. I've been in the hobby for close to 14 years now and I've never needed more than 6 channels on a radio until I started doing reviews. I needed more channels for some of the planes I was reviewing. So what's my point here? It's that not everybody is going to need to buy a 8, 9, or higher channel radio to fly with. Yes, I totally understand for some that are flying giant scale, pattern, warbirds, or other specialty type planes where having higher channel radios is almost mandatory. But for the MAJORITY of people that would be classified as "sport flyers" those types of radios are a waste of money. Not trying to point fingers here but to drop a few names like Minnflyer, CGRetired, Bruce88123, and myself all consider ourselves to be sport flyers and are perfectly happy with a 6-7ish channel radio. These radios offer more than enough features for what we need to do in our everyday flying.

Like I said, I have higher channel count radios for reviews. I have a JR X9303, and Futaba 9C (with 2.4 FASST module), and now the new Airtronics SD-10G 2.4 radio, but when I am out flying my own planes I have all of them on my good old Airtronics RDS 8000 2.4 radio. For my sport flying I don't need anything more than "basics" that a computer radio offers and higher end radios would be a waste of money for that type of flying. So what kind of planes am I talking about that I have on this radio that are "sport" planes? Great Planes Slow Poke, Great Planes Cherokee, Great Planes Escapade, planes built 60 size Kaos, Model Tech Mach Racer, and a Great Planes Cub. And with the new 6 channel receivers that Airtronics is putting out I'll be adding two park flyers to this list as well.

My point here is that I'm just trying to show that it's not automatic that every pilot needs a high channel count radio. For many that will fly they may find that they NEVER need over 7 channels to fly with. For those that do advance to other planes that need the high channel count radios there is absolutely nothing wrong with getting what you need, but for those of us that just like "lazy sunday flying" spending that kind of money is a waste. Oh, and if you ask my opinion on what is the best right now in this category for us "sport flyers"? Right now it would have to be the Airtronics RDS 8000, it's currently priced at $139 with one receiver (no servos). This is an 8 channel 2.4 radio priced at an entry level price. However, the Futaba 7 channel FASST radio, and the Spektrum DX7 are both great radios for those of us at this level as well.

Ok, that's my 2¢ worth here. Just throwing out a bit of reality to show both sides of the issue.

Ken

I know most people don't need more than what a 7-channel radio can handle. In fact, I won't for a while. 2 ailerons, 2 elevators, 1 rudder, 1 throttle for a 50cc plane. That's only 6 channels. In fact, some 100cc planes can use those same six channels. I have yet to see a 6-channel radio that allows you to run dual elevator servos. Nor have I seen one that can handle good knife-edge mixing capabilities. They also normally have ONE programmable-mix, and that's just not enough for me. I have a 10CAP (more than enough), but am using 3 p-mixes and a ton of pre-programmed mixes. I don't really fly big planes (biggest I've got is a 60" Aeroworks Extra 60-90), but I like playing around with the programming. I enjoy getting my planes to fly differently using different mixes. I used almost half of my transmitter's programming capabilities on a Pulse 40. It's a VERY simple plane, but I had it flying like a 2M pattern plane before I was done with it. That thing had NO bad habits that I didn't program out. It would KE hands-off out of sight, vertical rolls wouldn't go off track, I had spoilerons and flaperons programmed in for when I need them, aileron differential, EVERY bad habit (of the few it had) were non-existent by the time I was done. So, as has been said before, programming capabilities are normally a bigger deal than actual number of channels.

The 14MZ automatically programs multi-point mixes with the push of a button. It will also play an audio track when you do certain things, like you can get it to tell you when your gear is up or down, you can get it to tell you what percentage of flaps you're currently at, low/mid/high rates announcements, announcements of time left, etc. You can also put a picture of your actual plane on your screen for each model, helping you identify them. It's also the coolest radio out there (touch screen, color screen, etc) so a lot of people get it simply for the cool factor.

However, 14 channels can be used quicker than you'd think.

3 per aileron
2 per elevator
4 on rudder
throttle
choke
ignition kill
smoke

That's 18 channels. You can (or could, anyways) add up to two MPDX-1 Multi-Channel Proportional Decoder and expand your stock 14-channel Rx to 28 fully proportional channels. Now THAT'S a lot...but I'm sure Mac Hodges (for example) could find a use for all 28 channels. Plus, in scale planes, there are functions you'd never think of. Someone here on RCU built an F-14 with a functional mid-air refueling valve.

lol.....well their is a difference between justifying and overdoing.
overdoing requires no justification


but on the topic, the only reason i could see a everyday sports flyer needing more than a 8ch radio is to expand the amount of models it can hold so you dont have to carry around more than 1 tx. also for the module capability to switch between 2.4 and 72, and possibly for more 3 position switches (not really needed but good to have)

Jim, this is exactly when I went from my Hitec 7 to my Futaba 9. The HT could only program 3 planes so I went to the 9. I got it cheaper then most 7s at the time, on sale at Bruckners without the servos. Best modeling deal I ever ran into. About that time I started flying bigger planes too so the 9 fell right into everything I was doing at the time and even today.
If someone wants to give me a nice new 14 I'm sure I would start growing into it too, just no way I would ever buy one.