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SmartSDR Mouse Wheel Tuning

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Comments

  • W9OY
    W9OY Member ✭✭
    edited May 2016
    You want an apology you got it.  I am very proud, and impressed with the work that has been done on this product and the small part I have played.  I have zero interest in your judgement.  

    You notice I used the word innuendo.  So while you may not be guilty of direct accusation, you are guilty engaging in FUD Fear Uncertainty and Doubt.  FUD is a technique developed by IBM to instill doubt in the products of their competitors.  It is innuendo.  Because the GUI does not possess your particular desired feature set does not mean Flex is at fault.  So why do I have to put up with your innuendo?  Am I owed an apology?  Take a chill pill?

    73  W9OY
  • KY6LA_Howard
    KY6LA_Howard Member ✭✭✭
    edited May 2016

    @Guy...

    No you would not be happy with the 5000.. it is totally outperformed by the 6000

    So much so that the missing eye candy would not be an issue

  • Brian - K6BPM
    Brian - K6BPM Member ✭✭
    edited May 2016
    From a programmer's perspective I can see how some of the missing goodies can be explained. The programmers at Flex are not using straight ot of the box Windows controls (buttons, sliders, checkboxes etc). They have created nicer looking custom controls that better suit the design scheme they are are using. When you create a custom control (or class) you "derive" that from a standard control. When you do that you can inherit specific capabilities of the original control or override them and make them operate or look differently. In this case, my guess might be that they are not done with their custom control class library. They have not defined the methods for "hover" or "wheel" as well as they could have or maybe not at all.

    So, for example, take a slider control. If they are not handling the "hover" + "wheel" events that fire when the mouse is hovering over the control and the mouse wheel is spun, all they need to do write a "method" for the slider event handling code and it will allow ALL slider controls to be responsive.

    I DO understand how this could happen this way. Their custom classes may still be under development. But that would be nice to know if they are, or if we're stuck with what we've got.

    There is a LOT of work involved in the UI that we can see now. That is not trivial stuff. All that pretty UI stuff is custom work. But I would have thought they would be addressing that much more quickly. Typically, you would try to get your custom library UI related stuff off the table sooner rather than later.
  • KY6LA_Howard
    KY6LA_Howard Member ✭✭✭
    edited May 2016

    @Brian

    I think you are correct in that they likely have not developed the custom class library yet.  Due to the custom programming requirements of the FPGA, there also may not yet be code written inside the FPGA to accept the custom class calls issued by the GUI.

  • Lee Maisel
    Lee Maisel Member
    edited April 2020
    OK.. I don't know where the whole idiotic "eye-candy" thing came up.  People just want some basic functionality that is missing.   I'm sure it will go into the next major release, and I'm sure nobody minds paying for a major upgrade if it addresses the missing functions.
    Sheesh.
  • Jon_KF2E
    Jon_KF2E Member ✭✭
    edited May 2016
    Bottom Line;  No one is going to sell their Flex for lack of Eye Candy and few if any will make a decision not to buy a Flex because it lacks minor eye candy found in PowerSDR. 

    Howard,

    I would have agreed with this six months ago. When you are the pioneer of a technology, people flock to you and are eager to overlook any minor issues. Make no mistake, most of these things being discussed are minor issues. Unfortunately, like a burr under a saddle with time it starts to irritate. But, if you are the best game in town it still probably doesn't matter. The change comes when you start to have competition. That still hasn't happened to Flex but it likely won't stay that way.

    Icom's first entry into the SDR market, the IC-7300 seems to be a worthy little radio. It's not in the performance league of Flex but it is almost half the price of a 6300 with tuner. Look on Eham at the reviews. After just one month it has 66 reviews and a rating of 4.9. The only Flex radio to accumulate that many reviews is the 5000 which has 102 reviews and an admirable rating of 4.8 in nine years. Oh, about eye candy, if you take the time to read some of the reviews of the 7300 you will see that most users are raving about is it's ease of use and ergonomics.

    My point is, your assumption that not having eye candy won't effect sales is wrong. It is exactly what will be used by a regular hams who don't have a clue what 2db of phase noise means. 

    Maybe Flex is happy being a niche provider of high end radios. If so they can continue on their course. If they want to provide mainstream ham radios, they need to address the items that are important to most hams.

    Jon...kf2e

  • [Deleted User]
    edited April 2020
    Any official response from Flex on this thread ? ? ?
  • James Whiteway
    edited May 2016
    What may be eye candy to some, is a useful feature to others. My definition of "eye candy" is some thing that looks neat, but serves no useful purpose. I can see where mousewheel tuning of the freq directly (which can be quite fast) would be useful. I liked it in PSDR. And, it works in my home made app. James WDTGWY
  • VK7WH Winston
    VK7WH Winston Member ✭✭✭
    edited December 2016
    I think we could give Flex a leave pass if they have yet to comment. They are probably pretty busy endeavouring to get the Maestros, or should I say Maestri, out the door and preparing for Dayton
  • Brian - K6BPM
    Brian - K6BPM Member ✭✭
    edited December 2018
    I just discovered this thread when I checked in tonight. Very disappointing response from K5SDR. It sounds like we're not very valuable as customers unless we're buying a Maestro. 

    https://community.flexradio.com/flexradio/topics/powersdr-2-7-2-ke9ns-revision-t4

    We may be waiting for awhile for our software requests to be considered. I am not encouraged by this at all. I was thinking about taking advantage of Flex's upgrade offer and also getting a Maestro. I think I'll wait now and see what shakes out. 
  • Lee Maisel
    Lee Maisel Member
    edited May 2016
    Wow.  yeah, I can certainly understand making a profit, as that's what its all about really, employees need to be paid, etc.   however, the whole situation seems like this:
    You pay a contractor to build you a house.  the contractor built your previous house, and you were very happy, but now he's building nicer houses, so you go for it. he and his crew do a great job of building said house except, they leave a few things unfinished, and then try to sell you a shed or garage to go with the house.  they then focus all their efforts on the shed/garage, meanwhile, you're sitting in your almost finished house, wondering what the **** happened...
  • G8ZPX
    G8ZPX Member
    edited July 2016
    Howard,

    Whilst your heart may be in the right place, you won't get far by treating the user base with such contempt and trying to suppress their freedom of expression.

    Many people who buy Flex are themselves exceedingly skilled hardware/software developers. Some have delivered multi-£m projects to NATO and global FMCG businesses, so actually they do know what it's like to get high-end system right first-time to discerning user-base.

    Some of the stuff missing is certainly not eye candy, but important features that have been missed / postponed without a timeline. These things lead to irritation and frustration which will get vocalized, on here and on the bands. A disgruntled user-base is not a good place for such a small firm as FRS. They must listen to their customers more, as our loyalty is not endless nor blind to other market developments.

    Actually, I think people will happily pay for V2 provided that it isn't just another staging post along the way to a still unfinished product. We need to get a comprehensive feature list out in the open so that we can all see what V2 will actually deliver on. Only then can we gauge its worth (time and money) in real terms versus our assumed loyalty.

    BTW: PSDR was developed by a small team of part-time developers over many years. If as you say, FRS now has the benefit of millions of dollars worth of dedicated developers and testers on SSDR then why is it taking so long to add the polish?  Yet at the same time Darrin KE9NS makes massive leaps on PSDR all by himself.

  • km9r.mike
    km9r.mike Member ✭✭
    edited May 2016
    It appears to be a logical business move by Flex. Since the inception of the 5k , I have heard the pining of those stuck in the past with knob obsession (more of a psychological conundrum imho than a true need ) to have Flex bend to their desires. While the ic7300 is at a cheaper price, the biggest fascination is sdr with knobs for those who appear have a fear of PCs. Regardless, the lesser performing ic7300 has sold well proving that there is a big market for sdr w/ knobs sans PC. 

    From what I have heard, the maestro was initially developed for the lucrative contest market but it can quite possibly have a huge appeal to those that fear the PC. Either way it should be a big revenue generater for FRS. Either business grow or they die. 

    I suspect, when the ic7300 wears thin the new sdr users will be left looking for more and FRS will be in a prime position to do that. A growing lucrative FRS means a greater potential to provide future advancements to existing systems.

    I have never run a business but the above make sense to me. It would also seem that KE9NS would be a good addition to the SSDR development team. He seems to be a very talented lad.
  • Paul Bradbeer
    Paul Bradbeer Member
    edited June 2016
    Mike, I don't think that someone's personal preference for knobs is necessarily a 'fear of PCs'.  I've been using my 6500 with a mouse (and a Flex Controller) but I am really looking forward to my Maestro arriving.  Why?  Because I'm a top Contester?...errr no, chance would be a fine thing!  It's because some frequent operations are just easier with a knob...change the AGCT or filter Hi cut and Lo cut?...far easier and quicker with a knob.  In my view, SDR is defined by the architecture, functionality and flexibility...whether it has knobs is a personal choice based on ergonomics.  I don't fear my PC...but thinking about it, it has been giving me some really odd looks recently ;-)...
  • km9r.mike
    km9r.mike Member ✭✭
    edited May 2016
    Paul that was mainly in jest, but for some it does appear to be a major issue while at the same time they are fine with 3rd party software CAT i.e. HRD. It baffles my mind. I see what you are saying though, however, anymore those controls are only found on higher end rigs and the less expensive rigs resort to menu driven controls and then a uniknob to change the value in that sub menu. While , I got used to my ft857d multiple sub menus, I found that I preferred point and click on SSDR.
  • [Deleted User]
    edited December 2016
    I think . . . Flex needs to hire Darrin
  • [Deleted User]
    edited December 2016
    I believe Gerald referred to it as "eye candy" in another thread
  • DrTeeth
    DrTeeth Member ✭✭
    edited August 2016
    Howard, the only way to stop this whining is to try explain why Flex did not get it better the first time around whilst making frankly **** choices. Were the alpha testers tasked with giving GUI feedback too? Flex has boxed themselves into a corner as (apparently) fixing a GUI is more difficult than getting it right the first time.

    Now for some examples. Let's take our favourite of the power/SWR meters first. Somebody must have sat down and thought, unbelievably, that the current colour scheme was a good idea and that the red fade at the lower levels was also desirable. To make the situation even more surreal, somebody more senior must have signed off on it. That is very worrying is that is the standard of GUI design we have got to look forward to from Flex.

    Then, somebody much have made a conscious decision a) not to program some of the PSDR GUI features into SSDR and b) decided to depart from standard windows convention regarding the mouseover/wheel interaction.

    It does not help when Flex just calls these silly choices 'eye candy' and says that they are not a priority. That is most certainly NOT the way to stop the whining.

    @ Steven. Actually, unbelievably, Flex is actually helping Darrin a lot...whilst insulting us for wanting the same.
  • DrTeeth
    DrTeeth Member ✭✭
    edited August 2016
    It was.
  • DrTeeth
    DrTeeth Member ✭✭
    edited August 2016
    @ Brian, re: K5SDR's comment in the thread that you referenced floored me, TBH.  Not the way a CEO should talk to some of his customer base.
  •   VE6KWA
    VE6KWA Member ✭✭
    edited May 2020
    Good Grief... I applaud people for their  concerns and opinions, but am I the only one that is sick of the griping... innuendos... and what looks and sounds like Troll Bait ? I used to really enjoy this list ! Yes I know I can leave if I don't like it...  I'm very close to doing exactly that... I suspect others are as well. It seems it's the same guys that just can't leave an issue alone, constantly steering any thread they join back to their pet gripe...  Such is life when you choose to consult &  include your customer base as Flex does. You guys at Flex must have thick skins !  (flame suit on)
  • DrTeeth
    DrTeeth Member ✭✭
    edited August 2016
    If Gerald would have made a completely different post to his frankly insulting 'eye candy' one, he would have got personal kudos, silenced the whiners for good (me included) and would have made a post that would attract customers. He did so much more harm than good.

    Nobody is going to leave this forum as it will **** over like everything else.
  • VK7WH Winston
    VK7WH Winston Member ✭✭✭
    edited December 2016
    "FRS is a small company with a lot of vision. It takes time to accomplish what they are doing. I trust them to do the right thing." Pretty well sums it up for me
  • Rick Hadley - W0FG
    Rick Hadley - W0FG Member ✭✭
    edited August 2016
    Bravo Zulu!  (That's USN vice USA,, for the uninitiated.)
  •   VE6KWA
    VE6KWA Member ✭✭
    edited July 2016
    I like it...  I'm going to make good use of that form !!   B^)
  • Tim - W4TME
    Tim - W4TME Administrator, FlexRadio Employee admin
    edited March 2017
    This post is no longer on topic so I am closing it.
  • Tim - W4TME
    Tim - W4TME Administrator, FlexRadio Employee admin
    edited March 2017
    Please refer to this post as a follow-up from Gerald 
    https://community.flexradio.com/flexradio/topics/i-think-you-deserve-an-apology

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