It's been 3 years now!...Where is my Automatic Tuner that was supposed to come with my Genius Amp?

DrJ

I, like many others, ordered my PGXL amplifier over 3 years ago. I did receive it after a nearly 2 year wait. However, I ordered it after a prepay of $1,000 (and have long since paid the entire balance to get the amp this year), and still have not received my promised (and ordered) Flexradio Automatic Tuner!!!???

This is now over 3 years ago! Now I understand unexpected slowdowns, supply chain problems, manufacturing issues,.... even now Covid! But to be well over 3 years and now Flexradio doesn't even mention anything about the Automatic Tuning Unit that was promised to me and many others ("if we prepay our $1000" with our order by a certain date").

Well that was far over 3 years ago (3 years and 3 months I believe! No mention of my Autotuner, no emails on it, where it is, etc.

Please can someone from Flexradio let me know, "where is my ATU?"

THanks!

Keith Javery

KJ8DO

Mack W4AX

Just to give you confidence in my statements that they are coming in Q1 here are a couple of pictures of Santa's Elves building them as we speak. Of course we have many already built and have been extensively testing and improving them.

The first pic is one of the sub assemblies. The second picture is the die that is used for forming the front panel (similar to the PGXL).

Merry Christmas!

Mack

W4AX

Program Manager TGXL

aa3ssradio

It's VAPORWARE

Mack W4AX

Have you bothered to read the Tuner Genius thread (section)? I’ve answered every question and provided a shipment update. Merry Christmas

Mack

W4AX

TG Program Manager

DrJ

Mack

Yes I have and the answers are far from concrete. Having started and run a large sub speciality medical-surgical enterprise for years, I am no expert in the “we are first and foremost a software software company”...(Flexradio-“About us”), Thus I may be ignorant of the challenges of this particular type of business endeavor. But ‘business being business’, I can recognize when i am being fed a line of 💩.

Having purchases brand new Flexradio equipment from the factory for over a dozen years now, with a private expenditure of at least $60,000 for my own personal Flexradio purchases over those years, while it may pale in comparison to either other purchases and certainly other larger commercial purchases, I’m going out on a limb and stating that it’s likely toward the upper 1/3 of the bell curve of individual purchase/dollar range is per capita. My point is that it shouldn’t matter how much anyone spends, my point is that I am not the only one asking about this and the typical line of either “logistical challenges“, “supply chain problems“, etc, or wearing thin at least on my end.

I would ask that flex radio not distribute this type of “information“ via the occasional discussion board but in regular email or other official press release is on at least a quarterly basis to fill in there customers, loyal or otherwise. The fact that I’m having to write this shows that whatever they’re doing now is not effective.

with all due respect and appreciation, as I know you have helped me personally and scores of others in our hobby and particularly with Flexradio systems.

Keith

DrJ

@Mack W4AX

for further delineation, yes I did review the community boards regarding the Tuner Genius. And yes I saw your two posts/responses and the one Flex radio employees response from August.

if you could perhaps appointment me too any “official“ explanation from kept Flexradio administrative/production managerial staff, I would appreciate it. While the boards can be helpful, as you know better than I, there are more than enough innuendo, misinformation, disinformation and frankly a fair amount of BS on the messaging boards. While community advisers are very helpful and rarely the companies monitors do help, beyond that there’s very little “official“ information that is of concrete value.

finally, I have also heard from other “company advisors“ off the board, that the main issue is 403a. But since that is none of my business, I just ask that kept Flexradio have a better system in place to give official and more frequent estimates and specific descriptions of problems they’re having for promises and incomplete sales arrangements and contracts that they have made that are still yet pending.

I remember flex radio and Mr. Youngblood talking about how “our small and intimate family it’s going to skyrocket to the forefront of amateur radio because of our transparency and innovation that will be shared directly with our special relationships with our ham radio colleagues“ (his speech mentioned several years ago at Dayton Flexradio dinner). As and end-user and consumer, it used to feel like that…

bahillen

Mack and Keith,

Like Keith, I was surprised that there was no mention of the antenna tuner in the Christmas newsletter.

I operate everyday with higher VSWR than I would like. The PGXL has been like a tank in its robust design and has handled 2.5:1 with ease. Mack, your communication has been very helpful but not seen by all.

I think it was Gerald two or three years ago at Dayton said that work on the tuner was delayed because of PGXL work efforts. He added that an antenna tuner design was pretty easy compared to other products they have developed and should be available soon. His commitment to performance and quality in the PGXL has delivered an unrivaled amplifier.

As I have operated the amplifier I have seen the complexity of a product that is a piece of a computer network. I believe that Gerald and Flex have discovered that an antenna tuner in the network is not a simple task. As a customer we are expecting a robust tuner and flawless performance. So keep the focus. As a customer on the receiving end it appears the tuner has been getting put on the back burner. I have not heard any buzz about beta testing. Maybe your beta testers are not wire antenna guys like many of us. I volunteer to help. 😀

On the communications side, Flex got burned by their transparency and open communication on their product announcements. It appears that Flex had to go dark on promises of product strategy, software development and schedules. The transition from a small amateur radio shop to a larger business changes the business model.

The communications activities at Flex need some more improvements in this time of COVID. I could have face to face communications with Gerald several times a year at conventions/hamfests. It was refreshing to get Gerald’s Christmas communication. He had indicated that he would do regular updates and in these times it is more important for regular information.

On the tuner I would like to see a targeted email to people waiting for the Tuner Genius from their promotional program. Mack, your information and exchange was much appreciated and reassuring, thank you.

I would like to acknowledge the improvements in service turnaround. The Flex team answered my helpdesk ticket, I shipped, repaired and arrived at my home in 8 days. UPS had the radio for a majority of the time.

73

Bill

W9JJB

Tim - W4TME

You can take what @Mack W4AX says regarding the Tuner Genius XL as official communications from FlexRadio he is intimately involved with the project.

DrJ

Tim, and I suppose Mack, (who I didn’t know was an official spokesperson for Flex- excellent! 👍🏻. Other than the Mack’s reference to “viewing the tuner genius section, which I have done, can Mack or someone from flex radio company give us an specific updated time reference to the promotional tuner genius situation? (Because the thread section Mack referred everyone to does not give any specific information) ?? Have a happy holiday, merry Christmas and happy new year to all!

Mack W4AX

@DrJ Those who are to receive a TG as part of the PGXL promotion will be FIRST in line to receive a Tuner Genius. As I have said they will be shipped to users in Q1. Please know that EVERYONE is working hard to make that as early as possible in Q1. It will take some time to ramp up production but the software and hardware are 100% tested and ready to produce.

Please feel free to stop reading here but i thought it may help to explain my relationship with FlexRadio. I am the longest serving strategic advisor and Alpha software tester to Flex. I advise them on all aspects of the business. I leverage my 52 years of being a daily active ham radio operator and my business experience as a retired Army Colonel and running a $6B dollar global business across 152 countries. I am unpaid by FlexRadio (my choice) and I pay the same price as everyone else for products. I do this because I believe in the people at FlexRadio. They are great human beings and I'm pleased to call them friends. I offered to bring the TunerGenius to market as the program manager so that we would all have it (me included) as soon as possible.

Merry Christmas.

Patrick

Since deliveries are to be Q1, why not publish some pictures of an actual production sample.......

Mack W4AX

We have the web page built and it will go live soon.

Mack

W4AX

Justin W4JTD

Thanks for keeping us up to date Mack, especially on Christmas!!

73

Justin

KL2D

Butch

Mack those who are involved in the TGXL incentive program, will FRS be contacting us to ask whether we want the 1x3 Version for the SO2R Version? Or should we be making that known to FRS now?

By the way, reference the above photos. What is those large aluminum structures sitting on pallets?

Butch, KF4HR

Mack W4AX

@KF4HR Butch the Large items are dies for pressing the front panel of the Tuner Genius. You should have already been contacted by Lori Hicks to ask your choice of output configurations. Please send Lori an email at lori@flexradio.com.

Mack

Fernando

The large aluminum structure on the pallet look like it one of the die's that is used for forming panels.

Butch

No, I haven't been contacted by Lori yet. I'll drop her an email.

Thanks Mack

Butch

Patrick

Mack, thanks for the proof of life pictures.... hopefully we will see the completed assembly soon.

DrJ

I have made many recent attempts to try and receive my Genius Tuner I should have received up to almost 4 years ago with my Genius Amplifier I purchased. I sent emails to Lori Hicks and no response. I did hear back from Kirk Olson and was told “3 more weeks” Unfortunately that was 8 weeks ago.

I have called and left at least 3 VMs over the years So as not to be a pest but this as well as emails and all this time Wow

I am coming up to almost 4 years since I ordered my Tuner and still nothing. I do know people who have recently received theirs.

Obviously I am ok with being patient.....but really, almost 4 years?!?!

I did send another email to Kirk Olson at Flex last week and have had no response at all.

This despite I have been an original owner and buyer of my 6700, 6600M, Maestro, Genius Amp. Would really like to get my Tuner Maybe before I go silent key???? Hopefully not

Any Flexradio reps that might be reading this ....any help appreciated

Thanks!

Keith Javery

KJ8DO

David Decoons, wo2x

I suggest sending an e-mail to sales@flexradio.com. I think Kirk only handles the shipping and probably does not have an answer to your back order question. Emailing sales will probably get you the best response.

73

Dave wo2x