For some reason I'm having a lot of problems responding. Seems my posts get put in a queue to be moderated, and then get lost in the ether...
Thanks for the responses everyone. I'll look around and see what's available in terms of used transmitters. I looked at the Sanwa mt44 and no way I can justify that kind of money.
Is the SMC stuff any good? Seems it gets talked about less on here, and the prices seem almost too good to be true. The batteries in particular seem like a killer deal. I'd go the "premium" route rather than the "extreme" option as I'd want something that lasts over many charge cycles.
Big Ted where are you racing in Canada? Do they run carpet all year? If not what do they run in the summer? Where I'm located we don't run 13.5t class in the summer It's all mod. That Justock won't handle below 11.5t and depending upon the track that might not be very fast.
I'm in Vancouver. I'm going to try and get out and check out the Outlaw RC guys later this week. The local Summer outdoor venue is in nearby Coquitlam. Looks like you're right in that they just run open buggy classes for 2WD and 4WD, so you make a good point. Plus, I like the idea of being able to play around with timing, even if only on non-race days.