I'm A Bit Disappointed in V2.0

Ken Hansen

"A new “skin” on the operational meters (S-Meter, Power Level, etc) and controls with colors and size that I can read. I find the current implementation poor." Might I suggest you channel your frustration into an 'idea' comment on the forum, rather than simply vent here as a 'problem' and let the issue hang? I think you make some valid points, and I would encourage you to craft a positive proposal for no more than 3 specific suggestions - it gives Flex some choices with what to focus energies on. Personally i'd like to see Flex develop a 'reduced' interface for remote operation that will allow useful operation on lower-resolution displays -for example, dropping seldom used GUI elements freeing up screen space for LARGER controls and displays. Imagine a third-party developing 'skins' that resemble classic radios from the past? It could be fun to translate the interface into, say, a TS-520 look-alike with VFO knob and controls, minus all the loading and tuning... Anyway, just a thought - trying to help you make lemonade out of your lemons.

Rhett Aultman

I guess the lesson is to not get excited just because something new is out.

Rhett Aultman

Yep.  That said, a bunch of those features are huge to me.  Good remote operation, for example, is a big deal because I travel for work quite a bit.

Rhett Aultman

To be frank, I don't understand the mentality of Flex community posters who want to discuss how disappointed they are with a set of new features.  Don't buy the update, then.  Wait until there's a feature you want.  Ask if they can consider prioritizing features that matter to you.  Be a passionate champion for what you want to see.  Speaking as an engineer with a base of customers to please, though, I can guarantee that individual customers giving the "tut tut" on a forum has never made the development team feel urged to accommodate.

Michael Aust

Well, the remote capability is one of my #1 choices and will
get V2.0

73 Mike

Joe N9VX

Paul,

I agree with you, have a 6400 on order and was hoping to see software improvements over the 6300 I sold, but nothing of interest to me on the list.

Joe  N9VX

Joe - KC2TN

I'm still looking for the list of new features being added to the next Icom, Yaesu or Kenwood line! That way, FRS can get a jump start on implementing them 1st. There is some competitive advantage to not publishing a list. I can sympathize with Paul in that we all bought into the Flex hype about getting a new radio with each release. We'll maybe for some of us but not all. So, it is your choice to buy or not. It just so happens this release caters to a specific group or two. Maybe a more balanced release that appeals to all would result in more paid upgrades and satisfied customers. WIN-WIN

Bill -VA3WTB

Interesting how so many posting here have missed the point of V.2...
there are many many performance tweeks, this is only the start point of V.2.....

Paul Burton

Ken, if you look at the post, it is shown as an IDEA not a Problem.  What I said about the GUI is not new news.  It's very difficult to read things like power levels and SWR with the colors and very small print.  I've seen SDR GUI that do a much better job of this.  

But GUI design is not my level of expertise and I sort of assumed that FRS would be on top of it.  When I bring up V 2.0, I had hoped to see something very different from v 1.10 (other than the beautiful panafall).  Now I suspect I won't see anything different.  

Wayne VK4ACN

Yes, Bill I agree, I am not so interested in remote, but am more interested in what the future of V2 brings.

Robert Karz

I agree with Paul.  First I'd say that there sure seem to be a lot of folks who like the FRS direction towards remote operation. 

However, Maestro never made much sense to me.  The attraction of the 6300 from my perspective revolves around the SDR concept, specifically the fantastic panadapter.  A tuning knob, a small screen, or even remote capability detract from the package.  Why would I want to tune when I can point and click?  Why would I want to use a small screen when I have a panadapter with resolution that virtually demands a 24 or even 27 inch monitor?  Why would I want remote operation if it detracts from these great features?

Can the original Signature Series products be improved?  Absolutely.  I'd really like to see improved RX latency for better contesting, and the user interface  could be improved by a better grouping of the controls (I find I do a lot of "mousing" from one side of the screen to the other).  Nevertheless, I'm more than satisfied with my 6300 as is. 

However, I'm still waiting for a software release that improves the radio I have and not one primarily directed towards the newer models before I fork over more cash.
 
73
Bob, K2OID

Tony Taddeo

Putting aside all the other general enhancements in V2.0, "Improved Dynamic range for 6300" seems like a core functionality improvement specifically for the 6300? Obviously, the Flexradio engineers saw and opportunity to improve the performance of the 6300 with the current hardware, probably at $000's of dollars in development costs. Sounds like commitment to the 6300 product to me. 

Harold Rosee

Tony, You make a good point as buying one now that V1 is a mature version most operators could stay with this version if they bought a radio now.  I doubt your comment would be valid when the first release of v1 came out. Most of the people bought the radios based on the reputation of FRS.  I had a 5000a before and knew what FRS could do so I was willing to work through it.

As far as dates and such, software is what this company is all about. They should be able to provide a good estimate.  Anything else is just an excuse.  At lease that's what my boss told me when my team missed estimates. 

I am not complaining, just stating fact.  Like I said I am very satisfied with my 6500 and the current software.  I just hate it when they miss a published date.  They have been doing this long enough to be able to make a realistic estimate.

Anyway, just my opinion based on being in the software business for over 30 years. I was in the mainframe world most of the time and I know this is a different platform but the development and testing processes are similar.  If you have never been in the software development business I can see where one might think differently.

Tony Taddeo

"As far as dates and such, software is what this company is all about. They should be able to provide a good estimate.  Anything else is just an excuse.  At lease that's what my boss told me when my team missed estimates"

I disagree, because I am the "boss" of a software company (software engineer, founder). Probably the wrong person to say this to.

Steve W6SDM

Tony's right.  Hard deadlines are achievable when you're talking about production.  Things can be put on a Gant chart and made to happen.   New software involves development.    There are a number of unknowns or it would be called software production instead of software development.  

Ken Hansen

Understood, but in journalism terms, you (massively) buried your lede... There's like a dozen paragraphs of complaints, your title is negative on the upcoming software release - an engineer would have to REALLY dig to find your idea amongst the complaints and disappointments.

Ken Hansen

You don't have to design the new GUI, but you could enumerate what you'd like to see (this bigger, that smaller/optional, etc).

Harold Rosee

You guys work in a different world than I did.  I was the IT Manage for a major part of the Medicare system.  It wasn't a choice to miss a deadline. But it's a totally different kind of business than writing software for a radio.  I don't care if it new development or maintenance.  If you can't make a date then don't publish it.  Steve there are unknowns in any type of software development.  You just have to estimate for them.

I am probably talking talking apple and oranges but in our environment we did a lot of controlled alpha, beta, and regression testing.  We had a lot of staff on the testing groups probably not realistic for this type of development. 

I know in our company the mainframe world always put out a more stable product that the "PC Guys".  OK, I am getting way off the topic so I'll stop but in the end I still enjoy my 6500 better than my other radios and I have a couple.  For me it's the band scope and the ease of interfacing with digital programs.  Sure is nice not running all the interface cables and dealing with RFI!

Ken Hansen

"Be a passionate champion for what you want to see." +1 As was pointed out to me (much to my surprise), this Flex-bashing mosh-pit (arguably) started as an IDEA thread, instead it devolved into a 'nothing for me, iwon't buy' echo-chamber.

Ken Hansen

"I'm A Bit Disappointed in V2.0" Hard to find the 'idea' in the title you choose - imagine instead if your title were "3 things I was hoping for in V2.0", perhaps a more useful/productive thread would have evolved...

KY6LA_Howard

Tony is 100% correct. I too ran businesses that involved hardware and software development of. Devices and Concepts that had never been invented before. It is impossible to predict when you are starting on something that had never been invented before what all the unknowns would be until you actually invent the. Device and see what are the unknowns it causes to happen. Then u have to figure out what is causing the issue and try multiple possibilities and or device design changes to figure out solutions Highly different dealing in the real time world than in Mainframe Production or Medicare worlds. In the real time world things happen in real time, anomalies can be transient and/or impossible to reproduce such that you can actually figure out what is causing them. I have brought in. Lot or projects under time and under budget. But my software time estimators used the following criteria. If the project team is under 30, multiply their most pessimistic estimate by 4 Under 40, multiply by 3 Under 50 multiply by 2 Over 50. They are usually too smart and experienced to venture an estimate One caveat. If they are under 16, their estimates tended to be spot on because they did not know how impossible it. Wasto get even close to theestimate.

Steve G1XOW

You mean the problem that Flex kept blaming on W10 time after time spanning more than a year, now we need to pay upgrade $ to get the bug actually fixed. Not what I call an upgrade.

Steve G1XOW

we don't need more stuff to be invented. How about first implementing the hundreds of great ideas already suggested from the SDR supporters on this community.

km9r.mike

The only new feature added to an icom in some time has been sdr and it overloads. The 7610 is supposed to have a control that prevents this pesky problem, but it seems to be a band aid that does not address the core issue.

Flex's line of sdr along w/ anan truly goes into uncharted territory. For a traditional rig, sure you could customize with sharper cw filters, ssb filters but that was about it. With Flex or anan software updates could cover a wide range of options. 

I have never owned a business or ran one, but I think flex should sell their rigs with a baseline software suite and owners can customize their rigs with software add ons at an additional cost. Not everyone wants a car with four wheel drive or 700hp.

Finally, there was a time when remoting my flex was about as appealing as **** on a pig, but now the ability to remote is a key want for me and I would pay extra for that upgrade if it was available from flex as a stand alone feature. To others, it is not important and I can see why they see no value in the option, but the ability to remote has been a long time want from core flex users and FRS has kept their promise to provide it.

Steve G1XOW

Eventually Flex will come to realise that continually disappointing the large majority of users means reduced dollars and/or switching to other brands. Lets hope they can stay in business by only serving the very top 1% of the pyramid.

Tony Taddeo

Hi Steve I assume that you know that Flexradio will be releasing an update of Version 1 with any bug fixes made in Version 2 at no cost.  

If this is the case, it seem that you have already made up your mind that in some way you have been duped and have made up a false story to support this. This is called 'confirmation bias' and results in poor decision making. 


https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Confirmation_bias 

Harold Rosee

Howard, I like your way of estimating . I am in the over 60 crowd so maybe that's why I can't understand why it's ok to miss a date. For the life of me I can't understand how you guys think it's ok to miss a published date. Just add more time and then surprise us all.

Steve G1XOW

"you can now listen to 20M and 6M on 2 different antennas.  For me, that is what I need."

I did the same with an external diplexor costing just $45....and I only needed that because SSDR has no way to create logical antenna vs band mapping...now that would be a feature worthy of some $$$.

We live in hope yet with no view or commitment of what the future might hold.

G8ZPX

We get excited because FRS tells us great things are to come with v2 but wont give details. So like a kid expecting the brand new Xbox for Christmas but only get an orange and some socks. Are FRS into S+M by any chance?

Kev

v2.0?

where is it?