. Looks like some good info in this forum.

You mean like a non-vex receiver so you wouldn't have to deal with the multiplexed output? Hmm. Might work; but transmitters tend to be "legal" only with a qualified set of crystals. In addition to the cheap Vex radio sets, there are also ebay sellers selling crystal sets for the radios (so you can operate more than one, you know.) It'd be interesting to see if you could put the receiver crystal from one of those sets into someone else's receiver! (and they look to be standard crystal cans, so you're talking about a mere mechanical fitting...)

EEEK I wouldn't do that