Flex withdrawal syndrome

Rick WN2C

I too had the dreaded fan problem and sent my 6300 in for repair. I was told that it might take 4 to 6 weeks for repair. So I had to hook up my Icom 746 Pro. Boy what a difference. No panadapter, waterfall and even the noise reduction doesn't sound the same. I don't have a good external speaker (without an amp) so din't hook up the Bose Companion 2 to it. Every night when a friend of mine get on 40 meters he tells me where all the activity is (or lack there of) because now I can't see it.

Man do I miss the panadapter / waterfall and all the other features of the Flex that I am having withdrawal symptoms. I can't really describe the symptoms but they are there.
Fortunately relief of those symptoms are on the way real soon as I paid the invoice for my 6400M and traded in my 6300 and now just waiting on the tracking notice. Relief will soon be here!
Oh and by the way did I say I miss my Flex.

Here is an idea...maybe Flex can have a loaner or rental program so that when one has to send a radio in for repair they can get a loaner or rent one so that you don't have to go through withdrawals. 

Jim Gilliam

Maybe Flex shouldn't buy such cheap fans. They **** (no pun intended).

Ken Hansen

You are expected to buy a spare.

Bill -VA3WTB

I have a few friends that have gone past 4 years,without problems ,who could have known?
At least they have sourced out new replacements that are made better.

Bill -VA3WTB

I have a few friends that have gone past 4 years,,without problems  who could have known?
At least they have sourced out new replacements that are made better.

K5CG

I'll upgrade at some future date and then I'll have my 6300 as a backup/spare for such occasions.

Marc Lalonde

the new 6600 / 6400 Fan design is much better  , only 1 big "standard" fan 

KB4OIF

I will have my Icom 7300 as first back up and Kenwood 590S as second.  don't have enough room on the desk for anything else once the 6400M gets here.

Delbert McCord

This is what I am doing. I have a 6400 ordered preordered (still have not received my call or invoice) I am keeping my 6300 for spare they wanted me to take a 1800$ hit on a rig less than 2 years old!

Jay - AJ6AZ

If you’re trying to find the action is you can always try websdr.org and see if that helps.

KS0CW

1.8k hit, what did that thing cost... i preordered 6600 and only took a 500ish hit on my 6300.

Ken Hansen

Yeah - I paid about $2300 for a refurb w/ 2 year warranty from Flex w/ ATU. I'd have to imagine Flex offered you north of $1,000 if not close to $1,500...

A.J. AJ2I

I waited for a 6400 because of a the 6300 fan problems. Any word on a recall for the 6300's? 

Gene - K3GC

I was told last week by a Flex sales rep. that the 6300 has a different fan than the 6500 and does not have the same problems as the 6500.  If the 6300 does in fact have the same problem it might be better for me to wait for the 6400.

I don't want to wait until April or later but i really don't want to have a lengthy wait on repairs.

I would appreciate hearing from you.  An occasional fan failure is no beg deal but a failure rate as seen with the 6500 is a very big deal,

Thanks

Bill -VA3WTB

Same fans

Bill -VA3WTB

Expected to buy a spare? I didn't see that.

Bill -VA3WTB

Gene, to be fare, there are thousands that have not had problems with fans. But as Flex stated there have been a number early fan failures according to their research. For many, they may not have any problems for many years.
We do not know the failure rate, only what we see right here on the forum.

Al_NN4ZZ

Agree, it is hard to know what the actual failure rate is.  And it might just seem to be  more on the 6500 if that model is the most popular.  I don't think we have numbers or percentages on the the 6xxx distribution. 

My 6700 is 4+ years old and fans are fine but I have spares ready to go if / when I need them.  Looks likes an easy repair job.  More details on my web page:

http://www.nn4zz.com/FLEX6700.htm#FANs_

Al / NN4ZZ  
al (at) nn4zz (dot) com
6700 & SSDR-W  V 2.1.30
Win10

Bill -VA3WTB

From all who have done this them selves say it is not easy working with the cage, it takes time to get it on correctly, but the replacement is doable.

Gene - K3GC

Is it then true that the 6300, 6500, and the 6700 all share the same fans?  The implication  from that is that they all share the same fans,

I seem to recall reading somewhere on this forum that Flex have sourced a new fan that will have higher reliability.  Anyone know if this is true or not? 

AA0KM

Less than 15 on here  on the forum talking about the (Fan issue) out of probably thousand or 2 radios working ..Jeeze. wow. Don't think its a big deal but knock on wood ....Bad thing is every radio made in last few decades almost all have fans and i have never had an issue. Clean them all and  all is well.Keep the dust bunnies out.

Bill -VA3WTB

Yes, all three of those radios use the same fans, just different numbers of them.

Yes, Flex has sourced new fans and heat sinks. The new fans will not directly replace the existing fans, so the heat sink and fans must replace the existing ones.
For this, it is not field serviceable.

Delbert McCord

I purchased the Flex 6300 that failed new at Dayton. I paid 2500 for the rig and I think 300 for the tuner so 2800$ they said it would be around 1000$ if I sent it in when I ordered the 6400. 

I have a friend that has a 3000 or 5000 I do not remember for sure that he purchased at Dayton the same year (we car pool from Michigan) I tried to get him to spend the extra and get the newer one. He does not like the new software he said its not as controllable, me I like the software I am using I am a little worried about the new version that will come with the 6400. Some of all the networking stuff is over my head and its all downstairs in my old office/shack. With my knee most days I can not go down there anymore that is why I built my new man cave in the pole barn (I also reload and my Wife was not excited about me doing it in the house anyway) so I the new one will not work with my router/ normal set up I do now know what I will do. I have what I think is a good setup down there it supports our server for my business and 3 workstations that are accessed remotely. How did I get side tracked like this, I am going to offer my friend the USE of the 6300 if he wants as long as I can have it if one of my Flex rigs need to go in for service (I have 2 6300's but one is at the cabin and has never been left on for extended periods of time. OH ya I remember now the friend that had the used rig he got at Dayton had to send it in to Flex for a problem, and they said they fixed it but it still gives him the same problem. Flex says its the computer and it very well could be he simply does not know. He has a older Flex rig that works on that computer. I would feel better letting him have it than to take such a big hit on it. He helps me alot around here he helped me work on my 50 foot bridge I built a few years ago. 

Please do not get me wrong, I am not hammering Flex with their trade in program I have never heard of any other company even offering that and if they did take it in they would have to be able to guarantee it and do everything they need to do to referb it, sell it at a lower price and still make a profit to pay their overhead. The good and bad news is the 6400 is 500$ less than I paid for the 6300, good for me on the purchased of the 6400 but bad for me because that had to drive now the value of the 6300 on the used market. 

I like Flex, the receivers in my 6300's are just great.  I feel better about buying something from a American company that makes it here. I guess I was just put off when the man told me the value (I had just given them 174$ to replace the defective fans they put in it in the first place and it would have been under  warranty if I would have insisted when I first had the problem of sending it in but I did they software upgrade like they wanted and played with it a few more months and by then it was out of  warranty. 

Oh and on your purchase of the referb, thats how I got my second one for the cabin, never had a bit of problem with that rig but I made the mistake of leaving on the one here so I could use it remotely.


Jd Dupuy

When Yaesu had the 9000 debacle they fixed them on their dime. I hope my 6300's fan does not fail. Tired of paying to fix **** that only lasts a year. My Alpha had the blower failure after a year. $600.00 repair bill on an $8,000.00 amp. One day someone will stand behind the known failure issues.

Jd Dupuy

Less than 15?

Rick WN2C

I think that most of you that have responded have missed the point. It is not about the fan or the value of the trade-in. It is being with out the radio. Maybe I should have put the fan issue further down or not even in the OP. Let's not bash Flex for the choice of fans. How could they know that there might be some issues with some of them.

I started this thread about withdrawal symptoms.
Do any of you realize how hard it is going back to a traditional superhet with just a freq readout?  

Thank goodness there is a cure...a new Flex 6400M!

Joe N9VX

Rick I understand, in May I sold my 6300 and ANAN-100B and ordered a 6400, been using a IC-7100 since. I ready to see the band. 

Ken Hansen

"Do any of you realize how hard it is going back to a traditional superhet with just a freq readout? " Yes, it seems 'quaint' in comparison, and I mean the interface, not the non-SDR technology behind the interface.

Gary L. Robinson

Sept. 28 I ordered a 6400.   Used my 6300 as a trade in.  Still waiting on my new 6400 - no invoice yet.  I borrowed an analog rig off my brother but it's just not the same.  I stopped spinning dials in 2010. 

Try constantly spinning a dial on 15mtr SSB band all day looking for signals.  A 6300 Panadapter - I can see the whole BAND at a glance and have the xmtr right on the signal with a single click.

While I can identify a few digital modes with my ears - with a panadapter I can identify a whole boatload more.

It's really miserable without my 6300 or the new 6400.

The only thing I would have done different is to NOT use my 6300 as a trade in and just SELL it when I got my 6400 - but too late for that.

I haven't been this depressed since the Cincinnati Reds lost the world series against Oakland A's in 1972 - partly because of a seam in the astro turf.

Oh, well, time to buy more ice cream!  Drown myself in **** raisin.

---Gary WB8ROL

Bill -VA3WTB

flex should offer personal council.

Gary L. Robinson

Or at least a coupon for 10% off premium ice cream ...