Trade in question

Rick

I'm curious if anyone who hasn't placed a deposit on s new model and asked for a trade in appraisal has gotten any information back from FRS. Not long after the introduction of the new line I decided to fill out the form and find out what my 6300 was worth on a trade in and upgrade to a new model. Shortly after I submitted the form I was invited to send in the required deposit to get in line for a new model. I decided not to do that yet and haven't yet received word back on the value of my grade in and was curious if anyone else has.

Mike-VA3MW

Email Sales@flex-radio.com and we'll let you know. Or, start here. http://www.flexradio.com/amateur-products/purchase-programs/

Al Reeves

I received an email from Matt on June 5th stating that my 6300 w/ATU would be worth $1200 trade value towards a new 6400M or 6600M unit.  Further, he stated that if I sent my radio in immediately he would give another $100 trade value.  I would suggest that if you want to get a new 6400/6600 then sell your radio outright.  I think you'll get a few more dollars more than FRS's offer.  As we (6000 owners) know we to a big loss on our radio's value since the announcement of the 6400/6600 radio.  Guess we'll just have to "**** it up".

Rick

That's what I was afraid of. I'll probably sell it myself. Not sure I'll replace it with another to be honest.

W9OY

Unless you intend to buy v2 I think trading in is a better deal unless you sell immediatey

Pat N6PAT

Did you buy your radio as an investment or to use?

If you bought it as an investment you might want to think about some other area to invest in such as real estate, stocks, bonds, bullion, etc.

If you bought your radio to use on the air then what about it has lost value? Does it still work as well as it did the day before the new products were announced?

It's funny. Many of you are screaming because new products and releases are not coming fast enough and many of you are complaining that those same new products somehow devalue your current radios.

Do you complain whenever Icom, Kenwood or Yaesu come out with new rigs? Do their new rigs reduce the resale value of your radio? If so then what's so different about FRS?

Rick WN2C

Matt sent me an email for my trade in value. It was not enough for a 2 year old radio. If the software IS the radio and it is running the latest and greatest then it should (in my opinion) be worth more than was offered. I think I will just keep it and use it for the back up. Then I can take my 746 Pro and use it for the back up to my back up. 

I do think somebody in sales should look at the prices of the used 6300s with and without the tuner.

Rich McCabe

I know its discouraging to have something devalued so much but you also have to consider the new models bring more features at a price drop. This is going to lessen the interest in the 6300/6500.

Anything they take in on trade needs to be cleaned up and checked out before its sold. Then they are battling the same thing you are trying to sell it.

Be thankful you have a direct sampling radio and not a "old" superhet you need to get rid of.  I just sold my Icom 7800 for 4 grand. There is a mint Icom 7600 with accessories on QTH right now for $1600.00.

For $1200 I agree with you. I would keep it. Its a fine radio anyway.

G8ZPX

that suggest that a circa 5-10 year old 7600 is still worth more than a 6300 that is at most 4 years old! Not good.

At least when Icom brings out a new model like the 7610 it's to replace one that has been selling very well for over 10 years.

KY6LA_Howard

Actually it's rather pathetic that Icom Legacy technology iwas so end of life that they hung on so lon that it took them 10 years to develop a modern SDR direct sampling radio model.

G8ZPX

…or their shrewd business acumen being demonstrated by deciding not to shoot their own products in the foot whilst they are selling so well, and it also shows a level of respect for the userbase. Testimony to this is the 3,600 units of Ic7610 now inbound to the EU.

Rich McCabe

"that suggest that a circa 5-10 year old 7600 is still worth more than a 6300 that is at most 4 years old! Not good." 

Wonder what would happen to the 7600 used prices if they released the 7610 at a much lower price?  I have no doubt that Flex Radios new pricing is playing a big part in the 6300/6500 used market.

Ria

Honestly, I can't see why anyone is surprised. Private party will always net more for anything. The advantage of a trade in is that it's easy and you don't have to deal with the hassle of selling things and after-sales support, buyer's remorse and other stuff. 

So is that few hundred worth your time and aggravation? 

Ria

And they kept the 36kHz IF found in the older DSP models 

Larry - WA7LZO

Apple typically introduces a new iPhone model about every 2 years, or so. The day their new iPhone model is launched, their previously current model iPhones instantly drop in value, like a lead weight.

This economic and marketplace phenomenon is simply due to technology advancements. You know, faster, better, sexier and cooler looking, and best of all, cheaper. Enter the 6400M and 6600M.

So, why can't we wrap our minds around the simple fact that Flex is launching new advanced radio servers, using more modern circuit designs and technologies? Accordingly and predictably, the value of their existing radio servers will instantly drop, whilst at the same time, their newer and better radio servers that replace their older models will be cheaper, providing more **** for the buck. This is called the beautiful free marketplace!

As someone said, when the IC-7610 soon becomes available, no one thinks the IC-7600 prices will do anything but drop.

Br,

Larry
WA7LZO

Mike VE3CKO

The 7600 already has dropped quite a bit. I know, I'm trying to sell mine with less than 15 minutes transmit time, just out of warranty. Was selling it with SP-23 and LG-7600 meter to make it more interesting but just sold off the meter separately.

Larry - WA7LZO

Just curious, Mike, do you plan top replace your IC-7600 with a 6400M/6600M, or go with the IC-7610? I think a lot of ppl are in this boat. A fun place to be, when you think about our "problems" versus a big chunk of the rest of the world, just trying to stay alive, day to day, and scrounging for their next meal.

Rick

Couldn't agree more. I really didn't want t start another firestorm as I've more or less come to grips with the fact that every 4 years or so resale prices will on flex radios will plummet. I also own a Flex 5000A loaded so I've seen this happen before. I intend to keep that one! When I posted I merely wanted to know if anyone had received trade in offers yet as I had not. I'll likely put my 6300/atu up for sale dependently soon. I had an offer a few weeks ago but I've been away and the box was at home so will have to start all over again. Grrrrr! Curiously, I sold my old FT-847 less than a year ago for about $900.....paid about $1400 many, many years ago. Just saying.... 73

Mike VE3CKO

Bear with me, I still have 5000A RX2 ATU VUK, when I got my 6500 I got the 7600 as backup knob radio as I've sold off a TS-2000 and FT-1000MP, there was no Maestro then.Then got the first Maestro in Canada, later I sold the 6500 to get the 6700. Would have been wiser to just have gotten the 6700 but, oh well. I turn on the 7600 once in a while to reassure myself it works, it is no comparison whatsoever to either Flexradio and have zero interest in the IC-7610.
To answer your question if I did not have the 6700 I would surely go with the 6600M. Since the Maestro is rarely in the shack, I thought about getting the 6400M as my backup knob radio but then why I have the 5000A that gets little use already.

Ria

The icom 7300 shattered the market for used knob radios. Yes it's a SDR at the front end but it's a cheap decent performing radio that is good enough for most people.

Rich McCabe

7300 or 7100?

Rick

I have a flex 5000 loaded, 6300 and icom 7300. I would not say that the icom is noticeable inferior by comparison. I'm sure it is compared to the 6700 and maybe the 6500 but I wouldn't go much further. It is missing some features like the transverter port, 2nd antenna input and such, but I'm sorry to disagree, the icom 7300 does not perform like a cheap radio and some performance aspects are better than my 6300. But I'm sorry I let myself get drawn into this as all I asked was a simple innocent question about what flex was offering for a trade in value.

George KF2T

I received a very prompt and professional response from FRS concerning trading-in my 6500 for a 6600. I'd second Ria's comments - private sale will net you more, but a trade-in has less hassle. 

Will be keeping my spot in the 6600 queue. 

Gerald-K5SDR

Exactly like trading a used car to a dealer when buying a new model.

Ria

Rick, note what I said very carefully:

"It's a cheap decent performing radio."

It's a decent radio at a cheap price. Apart from the price it is cheap in some aspects - no RX antenna, 2nd receiver, I/Q out etc. But it offers decent performance and for the price it's very good. It isn't as good as my 6700 but my radio is a $7000 radio and that's a $1300 radio.

Gerald-K5SDR

@G7BCX The IC-7600 dropped $1000 overnight last September when they previewed the 7610 under glass at the Japanese ham show. The FLEX-6400M is more cost effective than the 7610 yet has an 8 inch 1920 X 1200 IPS display instead of the 7 inch 800 X 400 display in the 7610. The 6400 also has two full sets of VFO controls instead of sharing a single VFO knob. 7 MHz spectrum display instead of 1 MHz, etc. Compare side by side.

W9OY

The "private party sale" advantage is true until V2 is released.  Flex will sell refurb 6300's with V2 and some kind of warranty either 1 or 2 years according to the website.  At that point Flex owns the market and there won't be any "few hundred dollar" differential.   Given the price of the 6400, nobody's going to pay you $1800 for a V1 6300 when they can get one from Flex with V2 and a warranty for probably less, or just buy a 6400 for 2K.

I looked at swap.qth to get some idea of what ppl are thinking and I think prices are wildly over blown IMHO.  One guy is selling a 6300/Maestro for $3300, crazy.  Personally I'm very positive on this dynamic.  The market and the market competition is what it is, and getting something like a V2 6300, for someone coming from knob radio land, is a tremendous value and will only grow the brand, and its longevity.  The best deal is to buy a V2 license and keep the radio IMHO.  

73  W9OY

Rick

Yes yes I couldn't agree more. I've been licensed since 1965 but just can't justify that much money for a radio.

Steve K9ZW

Rick, in saxophone terms are you playing a student/step-up or a performer's grade horn? Kind of the same thing in ways. 73 Steve K9ZW

Rick

Pro line of course....Selmers....but I'd add that recently I hooked up with Mac Sax out of Austin. They are made in Taiwan and it's a dead copy of a vintage proline Selmer that plays its you know what off. I sometimes use it. Costs less than 1/2 the new Selmers. Of course in both cases we are comparing apples to walnuts!

Steve K9ZW

Yeah, one gets their hands on the best playing horn they can, and figures out how to cover the costs somehow. That's also kind of my radio approach. BTW a mixture of horns here, but I started on a brand new Mark-VI tenor back in the day. 73 Steve K9ZW