Question about Dayton

Walt - KZ1F

I did not go. I heard about Maestro, likely the same way everybody heard about it. The day before (or of) Dayton. I applaud releasing the information to all the Flex customers simultaneously. That is a really good way to make every customer feel they are equally important in the eyes of Flex Management.

Flex Insider - aptly named I think. Stuff there is more internal than an open press announcement in QST and CW, and is information pertinent to the customer base. It provides a timely dissemination of information to (all) customers.

From looking at the threads since Dayton it appears there is a whole series of 'announcements' and plans disseminated to a very small subset of the Flex customer base, those either presenting or selling at Dayton as well as those who take the annual pilgrimage to Dayton that happen to have been invited to the dinner.

I've seen Tim mention, regarding some topic(s) discussed at Dayton, that the information was proprietary and/or copyrighted  such that it couldn't be disclosed to anyone not in the room at the time it was discussed. So if it was so privileged you couldn't put it in a Flex Insider, why was it disclosed at all, to an subset of the customer base?

While I cannot speak for others, as someone with a lot of skin in the game, so to speak, I actually feel slighted by FRS. And that is a disappointment with FlexRadioSystems.

Jon_KF2E

I was wondering about this as well. I read in this thread about a brochure handed out at Dayton but deemed proprietary info that can't be distributed. I didn't go to Dayton either and would like to be read in on all of the info presented. Is that really so much to ask?

Jon...kf2e

Bill -VA3WTB

Strange Flex is very slow to respond to the question.

Burt Fisher

It would take time away from working on 1.5. If Flex were like Comcast one might have cause for complaint. I am recently reminded of one thing they have, class

k3Tim

Agreed...

k3Tim

"that happen to have been invited to the dinner. "

I believe all were invited to dinner, one had to RSVP via those funny looking 'green' slips of paper. I was invited but due to work can't attend.

I didn't see any posts with proprietary or copyright info, can you provide a link?

Dan Zimmerman

I think most of us who could not make it to Dayton feel a little left out of the "in the know loop".  I was really hoping that Flex would have at least posted some further information for those of us who would like to have been there but couldn't......for whatever reason.  Kind of a PR gaff to tease well over half of your customer base and then not follow up with at least a lead to where we could find additional material and information to see if these devices would interest us.

Stan VA7NF

I am reading this more of an oops at Dayton.  I have the patience now to wait for the final edition rather than a draft that may change, especially after seeing what happens here if something isn't exactly as previously said.  Let Flex run their business.

Gerald-K5SDR

Maestro was the only formal product announcement we made in Dayton.  At the dinner, we talked about our strategic direction regarding contest/DX workflow, SO2R in one radio, seamless station integration, and remote operation.  Our guest speakers were forward looking and visionary with their remarks.  When we have more specifics and formal announcements to make we will do so.  In the meantime we are focused on v1.5 and Maestro.

Lee - N2LEE

I think you guys are reading too much into this. All companies bounce ideas off of a certain set of customers who use their products in unusual ways.

I was not at Dayton but my guess is it went something like this ...

• "IF we were to bring a SO2R product to market what features would you want to see for DX contesting?"
• "What capability do we need to bring to market for basic Remote Operation?"
• "As a successful contester and member of a number of DX Expeditions what features are we missing that would prefer you from being able to use the current line of Flex products?"

Rarely have I seen a company come right out and say "We are developing xyz in the next release, but its a secret so keep it to yourself."

I suspect Gerald and the team were asking open ended questions to take the temperature of those at the dinner. This information is the used to decide if projects in development are in the right priority.

The reason you can't ask these types of questions in public on the forum is ...

1. You have no idea of the background or experience and therefore validity of the data you are receiving.
2. Statistically you can ask a room full of hams at Dayton and get about the same sampling and results as posting in public.
3. Open forum polls and freeform questions and feedback are generally all over the map.

I think its safe to say, Flex gets Plenty of feedback, (whether they want it or not) and when you hear the same suggestions over and over you get a sense of your market.

Finally I have to remind everyone of a quote by Steve Jobs.

“It's really hard to design products by focus groups. A lot of times, people don't know what they want until you show it to them.”

Walt - KZ1F

@Lee - you, and others, missed my point.

Burt Fisher

Why do you think that could be?

Alan C

FRS has stated before that they will not release 'everything' they are planning. This make good business sense. You wouldn't want your competitors to know too much...

My. 02

Burt Fisher

Who would be their competitors? Is there some other manufacturer  that makes equipment that allows you to virtually see the entire HF spectrum at once?

Martin AA6E

This was my first FRS dinner at Dayton.  It was a good event, though some of us remarked on the iffy hotel facility, complete with non-functional bathrooms and running out of food.  (Reminds you of Hara, somehow!)  Still, it was well worthwhile to chat with other users and staff and get their perspectives and sense of what is possible down the road.

The informal sharing of experiences and discussion of future product options is one of the reasons people go to trade shows.  Some of this can happen in this forum on-line, but it is really better face to face. The dinner was public and not exclusive -- no NDAs.  Anyone could attend.

Lee - N2LEE

Walt. Sorry if I miss understood your point. Not always easy using text only.
Please clarify so we can understand your point.

Alan C

ANAN for one

Alan C

and RFSpace is another

Walt

and the Winradio Excalibur series

Martin AA6E

Competitive 100W SDR transceivers? Not many!

W9OY

Walt,

If you want to be "In the loop" go to Dayton.  Personally I'd rather eat a cherry pit so I'll never be in the loop

73  W9OY

Walt - KZ1F

@Lee, after the 'you missed the point' stmt, I was done with this conversation. I have zero desire to go spend $1000 to be in a moldy room breathing contagions, where the toilets don't flush, eating bad food, just to sit with those in rapped awe of a vendor talking about their futures. Again, that wasn't the point. To those who still don't know, I can't help you...well I could but won't.

When I go to RedHat Summit, there are vendors who will wine and dine, with freely flowing  $150/bottle wines and $60/Fillet Mignons and Cuban cigars that I haven't spent a dime with. That wasn't the point either, but a really good counterpoise to bad rooms, unsanitary conditions, bad food etc. </sk> :-)

Bill -VA3WTB

As It looks as Gerald pointed out in his reply above, we did not miss much. At least nothing that needs disclosure here. I noticed very little has been posted buy folks that was there, giving a play by play on what was talked about, can't be anything too important.

W9OY

hehehe  Walt, I think you need some well aged processed American cheese food and a Swisher Sweet to go with that freely flowing whine of yours.  This is a freakin hamfest in Dayton we are talking about, not a corporate conclave in Boston.  

I've always come away feeling very good after spending time hanging out with the Flex boys in Orlando.  I never feel very good when I come away from the Yaesu booth or the Elecraft booth.  I go for the fellowship and to see what's up and they are always kind and friendly to me.  I've even met some of the people in this community there, makes my day.   I don't expect to get let in on some corporate super secrets, but I do get a smile, a handshake, and a fine Texas "Hey Lee, how ya doin' ".   They are a very interesting and accomplished crew, very much worthy of my time and "rapt attention" because generally what they talk about is very interesting.  I find it to be a quintessential American business story.  They tend to have a deliberate plan regards marketing and protecting their brand and that's how it should be.  Seems to be working pretty well.  

I bet you look really dapper in that RedHat with a Cuban stogie stuck in your mug

73  W9OY

Jon_KF2E

Swisher Sweet's...that's pretty funny. I remember smoking a few of them when I was young and reckless.

Jon...kf2e

Burt Fisher

Everyone should go to Dayton once. I went in 2007. Once was enough.

Walt - KZ1F

Sigh...Lee, I thought you were better than that. Good to know the truth.

Burt Fisher

@Lee you make a lot of sense. Flex is what every business should be. Hams are by definition, amateurs, hobbyists, we can't expect them to be connoisseurs, rather hot dogs, hamburgers, fries, ****. 

Al_NN4ZZ

The Flex dinner is a great place to hear about the company from employees, special guests and other users.  I really enjoyed it and hearing about some of the plans for the new products.

FWIW, the SO2R brochure really did look like another product announcement.  I brought home a copy and this is the lead sentence in the third paragraph.

Introducing the FLEX-6000 FDC (Full Duplex Controller) with Band Pass Filters for the Flex-6000 series.

I can see where that has caused some of the confusion and why others would like to see the rest of the brochure.  

Regards, Al / NN4ZZ  
al (at) nn4zz (dot) com

Jon_KF2E

This is exactly what I was referring to in my post. If they were willing to hand them around with no NDA why are they all of a sudden proprietary and can't be shown to other forum members.

Jon...kf2e

W9OY

Simple. The product is not completely designed to the standard of a finished product, as was stated by Tim in another post, and they are not interested in limitimg their design freedom by publishing specifications prematurely to give the bitchers ammo to ****, and competitors ammo to work against the company's interest. IS THIS NOT OBVIOUS? Since bitchers gonna ****, better to let them **** about not being in the loop. Nobody is getting gypped.

73 W9OY