6600M OR 6600/Maestro?

KF6JS

Greetings Everyone!

I just hit the lottery and I’m ready for my first SDR radio which will definitely be a Flex Radio!
(not really on the lottery but I AM ready to buy 😊 )

I’m considering the configuration of a 6600M OR a 6600/Maestro.
I’m the kind of guy who still likes tuning knobs sometimes….so I like that feature in both configurations.

Question is….
I see posts regarding issues with the Maestro sfwr versions, battery life, rugged ability, etc.
Have many of these Maestro issues been corrected?
Is the Maestro a solid performer today?

The idea of having the 6600 located away from my Ham Desk and using the Maestro for access is a plus.
Even though there will be power, LAN, and other cables on the Maestro.

Of course I’ll be using SmartSDR also….

I know the 6600 is proven and have no concerns there.

So….what do you think…..6600M OR a 6600/Maestro?

Thanks in Advance for any-n-all comments!

73’s

KF6JS - Tony

KD0RC

Hi Tony, I just have a plain 6400 and no Maestro, so this is just conjecture. For the small difference in price, it seems like the Maestro is the way to go. The flexibility of the Maestro over the M model makes it worth it. My 6400 is on a shelf that would not be convenient to operate from a front panel. With the Maestro, you have a much smaller footprint giving you more location opportunities in addition to the obvious ability to operate remotely.

Whatever you choose, I think you will enjoy this radio - I know I do!

Neil D Friedman N3DF

However, with the Maestro you lose the capability to have a large screen mirror the face of the 8 inch Maestro screen.

ka9ees

@KF6JS I have a 6400M. I also have a friends Maestro. I really like having the front panel on the rig. It also comes in handy when running the rig from the computer in "Smart Control" mode. Whereas you have the use of the controls on the rig with the panadapter on the computer.

The Maestro is great to as long as it is plugged into the network. If wireless, latency can be a problem. When wireless I use an iPad and a pair of Bose QCII wireless headphones. Believe it or not the things have a really good mic in them.

73,

Ed KA9EES

Rick N4RZ

I Have both a 6600M and a Maestro. Ed is right on the flexibility and like Neil points out with the M model you can have a monitor attached. I have a 27" display dedicated to the radio.

lwayne232

I have a 6600 and a Maestro. I have only used the Maestro a few times. The majority of my operating is on CW or digital. What I have found extremely useful is the USB tuning knob. I do a lot of contesting so I use the PC keyboard a lot. The PC along with the knob to control the 6600 seems to be easier to use than using the Maestro while contesting.

John KB4DU

The reason I didn’t get the 6400m is the amount of desk space required. The 6400/6600 is a pretty big box that’s mostly empty space. I mounted my 6400 on a shelf under the desk, but it could be in a closet or in the garage.