Introducing Maestro!

elan

is there any clear picture  to see the back connection please ?
vy 73 elan g0uut

Walt - KZ1F

Excellent point, two things: 1) it might already be fully baked, just pending a ramped up production slot, in which case feature set is complete. 2) it may still have some feature leeway, in which case some of these ideas may make it into the final product. Gerald, Steve, are you showing the final product or is there still design, h or s, wiggle room?

Dan -- KC4GO

If you go to http://www.flexradio.com/amateur-products/flex-6000-signature-series/maestro/ and step thru the pictures you will find one. Also if you go to http://www.flexradio.com/downloads/maestrospecsheetv1-0-pdf/ you can down load the complete information. 

EA4GLI

@ Steve, Why not 1920x1200 resolution? With a lot of tablet manufactures using 8-9 inch with that resolution the price difference might not be significant but you get a lot of real estate...

EA4GLI

Actually, it would be cool to run digital modes directly in the maestro

EA4GLI

@Lee, I think that is exactly the point of commenting prior to the release. We are all voicing our opinion about what might be more useful or convenient to have in the final iteration of the maestro.

Gerald-K5SDR

Yes. N1MM talks directly to the radio through CAT.

Gerald-K5SDR

We are running all units on 5G in the booth. You don't want to even try 2G in Hara Arena.

Gerald-K5SDR

@Walt, we have very minor wiggle room here and there. It's pretty well baked. Don't know what you mean by "h or s" though?

GI4FZD

Think he means hardware or software...could be wrong,just a guess.
Cheers
Paul
gi4fzd

Lee - N2LEE

I guess what is disappointing is that Flex has just announced a cutting edge, game changing product and yet I see comment after comment about things like a mic connector.

I have no doubt that this is a platform that will evolve with software updates.

W4WHL

Why is this disappointing?  Customer feedback is valuable to a company.

William

DH2ID

I concur, William. Yaesu did the right thing with the MD100A8X microphone though, which I use for the Flex-3000 and the Flex-6500. It has both connectors, just turn the cable around...
Technically it should be easy to have both connectors on the maestro.
And feet to prop it up are a few $. Not including them is a bit on the
cheap side. Reminds me of my ICOM ID-5100, a mobile TRX which is great
in any other way except that they don't include a mobile mounting bracket!

Lee - N2LEE

Not sure nit picking about something like a rj-45 vs a 8 pin connector is valuable feedback. NInety Nine percent of people have not even seen or used this product. So feedback based on a brochure is not actual useful.

Every user has something they "think" is valid feedback. We all have a wish list of Features like "N" vs "AC" WIFI, POE or connector type we think a product should do or not do.

What most people forget is so many decisions in product develop are a difficult balance between what it cost to produce and engineering. If ever feature every user wanted two things would happen.

1. The product would never be finished and never see the light of day.
2. Would cost so much that the market would be too limited. There are products like this but they are designed by committee, take years to build and purchased by the government.

By the time a product is ready to demonstrate and take orders, the hardware engineering is pretty much complete.  Software feedback and suggestions would make a lot more sense once we see the final product.

WA6FXT Mike

Alex,
Exactly my point. Having to buy a different mic, than the mic that came with the radio it interfaces to seems like a bad idea.
As for the stand... I believe the unit comes with a "fixed angle" stand.

Mike

Walt - KZ1F

@Gerald Paul gets the star I meant hardware or software. And I only asked to settle question that Lee had whether or not this was fully baked in which case there's no point to asking for new features or there was some wiggle room about what sort of Mic connector or what have you.

Ross - K9COX

I would like to see it in slate or silver color (sarcasm)

Walt - KZ1F

Gerald or Steve, is it made in the US?

Dale KB5VE

With wan just mount the stand along and connect with your cell phone or hot spot to the 6390 at home. I have done 75 meter Mobil for 40 years this solves all my issues.

Walt - KZ1F

@Lee, my order was predicated on the WiFi technology. Lee, are you really upset because people arn't asking "may I have some more please sir"?

k3Tim

Idea - buy an adapter cable or make one instead of buying a new mic.

RJ-11 - likely this is a pickNplace (pNp) part that is soldered direct to PWB.  The 8-pin IF not pNp would add a fair portion to the cost of mfg.  A pNp machine is good for about 1 part per second whereas hand solder would take minutes.

The POE is a good thought but would add considerably to the BoM:

http://pdfserv.maximintegrated.com/en/an/AN5044.pdf


I recall reading the battery is lithium phosphate which I assume means  Lithium Iron Phospate (LiFePO4).  An excellent choice.  One could have 2 bats, with one in an external charger at all times, ready to go.

_..--
k3Tim

Bill -VA3WTB

I remember making cables for my Flex 3000 for different mic's. It was no big deal, easy.

Walt - KZ1F

I think whining over the fact people are asking questions before they lay down $1,000 is an unrealistic expectation. What is more unrealistic is that there, apparently, are people who will drop any amount of money on anything coming out of FRS, "Please sir, might I have another"? If this BB would hold audio, I'd do it in my very best Cockney waif accent. I am thinking the adapter for the 1500 would work but I can't find mine now. I do agree with the previous poster that for $1,000, it should work out of the box and include whatever adapters are necessary. That is a packaging issue, not a production line issue.

Ken - NM9P

I think we can all chill and enjoy the give and take of feedback. The folks at FRS are big boys and girls. I am sure they are quite adept at sorting through mounds of feedback and deciding what is valuable and what goes to File 13. You don't get this far in business if your ego is fragile or if you can't make decisions in the face of competing ideas and mounds of suggestions. These folks are professionals.

Ken - NM9P

Henry Ford said you could have his Model-T in any color you want...as long as it is black!

Steve W6SDM

No.  It's made in Texas. 

Gerald-K5SDR

Maestro has two mic connectors. One is 1/8" (3.5 mm) and the other is a RJ45 that is just like then one on the FLEX-1500 and FLEX-3000. Putting an 8-pin Foster on there would have raised the cost and price. They are very unfriendly for manufacturing. I can see from some comments here that some people have no concept of what it costs to build a quality product for the low volume by definition ham market.

Lee - N2LEE

First of all I am not the one whining, I am pointing out the fact that we are suppose to be experimenters, operators and hobbyist. There was a time when a ham could make a **** mic cable.

Asking questions before spending $1000 is of course perfectly reasonable but 90% of the post are whining not questions.

Reasonable questions are ... 
"How did the knobs feel? Screen quality? Responsiveness?"
"Does the Bluetooth allow keyboard and mouse support?"
"I wish and hope it could switch on the radio if Remote ON is enabled"

Those are reasonable but if you look at the brochure it answers almost every hardware question that has been asked.

With SO much great technology at our fingertips, my disappointment comes from complaints about mic connectors or N vs AC wifi. Really ?

We have just been handed an amazing capability that removes the need for a bug infested Windows OS or laptop. Something with a touch screen that takes up little to NO room and has Knobs !

I am by no means drinking the Flex Kool-aid.  The Maestro won't be for every one or even every Flex owner. Others have seen the potential and jumped on the band wagon. But to pick apart the product at this stage of the game in my opinion shows short sightedness and how far ham radio has devolved. This is the source of my disappointment.

Lee - N2LEE

Hmm I thought I read it was made at the North Pole by Elves.  Must been a misprint. LOL

Gerald-K5SDR

The two mic connectors are fixed. The hardware is basically baked.