Quick Return after PEN Upgrade trip to FRS of my Flex-6700

Steve K9ZW

UPS has let me know to be ready later today to sign for my Flex-6700, inbound after a quick trip to FRS for the PEN Upgrade process!  I don't want to quote turn-around times for FRS but let's say it was "fast!!" and that 2/3rds of the time was in the UPS travel each way.

I inquired about having my Flex-6700 benched for a "full health check" while at FRS in the hands of the techs, and was very pleased that this was actually part of the procedure as a matter of course and to check the radio post PEN Upgrade.  As my youngsters would say - "Sweet!"

At each step of the PEN Upgrade transport and return process I received informational emails.  Nicely done compared to the typical no-communication return-for-service routine I've experienced elsewhere.

Knowing the Flex-6700 was PEN Upgraded ready to ship, and with work/personal travel I didn't even get time to slot-in my backup Flex Signature Series Radio, a Flex-6300, while the Flex-6700 was away.

A volunteer commitment will keep my hands off the radio until tomorrow evening, rather than tonight, but I can say the PEN Upgrade process is about as painless of an upgrade as one would expect.

Well done FRS PEN Upgrade team,

73

Steve

K9ZW

Tim - W4TME

We aim to please! 

Larry Davis

will they send out email to each one of the us guys

Steve K9ZW

will they send out email to each one of the us guys

Larry - that is what the PEN said.  Expecting they are working through radios in the order originally shipped.  My 6700 is a very early radio (#11 I think).

The first email will be one that includes:

We are following up with you on our recently announced FLEX-6700 Product Enhancement. Your FLEX-6700 transceiver is one of the affected units and needs to be returned to FlexRadio Systems for the enhancement. We have issued you a Return Material Authorization and UPS return label. There is no charge to you for shipping for this enhancement.

As efficiently as they handled my radio and with the need for the PEN Upgrade nothing currently available outside of their internal and external Alpha-Test Team members, there is no worry about operating without the PEN Upgrade.  FRS's Phillip KD5EDI offered to reschedule my radio's PEN Upgrade to match my schedule, so again no worry if the moment arrives and you want to wait a bit.

As I am not a test team member, I expect my radio PEN Upgrade was one of the earliest to be PEN Upgraded under with their full procedure in place - and it worked slick! 

BTW UPS just sent me an email that one of my two younger college student sons (Winston KC9FVR and Victor KC9NWB) had just signed for the radio. 

73

Steve

K9ZW

rfoust

Tim - can you guys provide a new box for shipping the radio back?  I already tossed mine. :-(

Tim - W4TME

We have them for purchase.  Just call Sales.

KY6LA_Howard

I always keep ALL the Original Boxes for my Ham Gear
(Store them in the rafters of my Garage)

I found that I am usually receiving a lot more $ for the rigs with Original Boxes.when I inevitably sell them.

I guess the buyers think rigs with original boxes have more tender loving care?

Richard G7EIX

Robbie - I have my 6500 boxes in the loft - if you don't want to go to the hassle of buying a new set and waiting for them to arrive - you can borrow mine to get your 6700 back to Texas.  

I'm in Franklinton and the wife works near the Airport in the Triangle.   I can always throw them in the trunk if you can collect from her.

rfoust

Thanks for the offer Richard!  I used to keep most boxes for tech stuff I buy but just got tired of them taking up so much space in the house so got in the habit of throwing them out.  I knew it was a bad idea when I did it too.  I'll probably just buy another one and keep it (assuming the cost is reasonable).

Tim - W4TME

Robbie - I have responded to you privately about a new boxes.  Contact me directly if you have any additional questions

Jim K4JAF

You were very fortunate to get that kind of "turn around" time...  My 6300 crashed while testing 1.1 .3 and Flex says 2 weeks in the queue till repair.  So I am looking at a month I festimate without the 6300.  I hope Flex can lower their repair time as the 6000 series volume grows.  73s Jim K4JAF

Steve K9ZW

Hi Jim K4JAF

Though I am not certain how FRS is handling the PEN Upgrades in contrast to repairs of broken radios, from experience in other industries typically I saw "remanufacturing type programmed upgrades/enhancements" run differently than service/repairs.

Remember that the PEN Upgrade is really an upgrade process - sort of like a reman process - and usually would not involve much work outside of a set of pre-planned steps unless a fault was found with the radio.  Unless it is only a very small number of units to be upgraded, usually programs like FRS PEN Upgrade would typically be performed by a production person doing the reman/upgrade one radio after another as they work through the affected serial numbers.  If an additional fault was found in the process, usually the upgrade team would hand off to the service techs.

Investigative troubleshooting, as unfortunately your 6300 ended up needing, is different in resources/timing.  It is almost always an investigative bench tech digging into a troubleshooting/repair return.

FRS could be doing something quite different organizationally, but whether stateside or overseas I've seen most reman/upgrade programs organized to keep that workflow away from the service techs with an eye to not bogging down the service techs causing unreasonable delays.

FRS beat their schedule on turning my radio around on the program PEN Upgrade; hopefully they will beat their estimated schedule on your troubleshooting service.

73

Steve

K9ZW