Thought everyone would like to see the new radios loaded with final software. These units are ready for covers, final pack out, and shipping.
The engineering team installed automated software today at the factory to load a complete rack at a time with SmartSDR v2.1.30. This will dramatically speed the flow of radios.
We are working hard to get them out the door to you as fast as possible. Watch your email.
73,
Gerald
The engineering team installed automated software today at the factory to load a complete rack at a time with SmartSDR v2.1.30. This will dramatically speed the flow of radios.
We are working hard to get them out the door to you as fast as possible. Watch your email.
73,
Gerald
Gerald - K5SDR, Employee
Posted 1 year ago
Who will be first to order an entire rack?
Ria - N2RJ, Elmer
Like a rack of ribs!
I'll have the rack-of-M's with spicy sauce please. Maybe a side of amplifier and a headset.
I'll take a half rack please... Have to watch my rack weight these days! :-)
Tim - W4TME, Customer Experience Manager
I am sure Michael can work you a deal on a half rack.
Thank you for sharing this and your comments, it helps a lot to hear from you. I have a 6400M on order and it will be my 1st Flex. I got to tell you it's been a love-hate relationship here trying to understand everything that goes into bringing a new product to market and the wait and missed dates. I have read as much as I can find on you and your company in other words the history trying to understand. I listened to a podcast you did and this helped a lot. Anyway enough of all this Gerald again it's helpful to hear again and often from you and the team.
K9CRT Doug Decatur, IL
K9CRT Doug Decatur, IL
I don't think we are dealing with a Ford Motor Company assembly line here at Flex. And unlike Legacy Radios these have complicated software to install and test on each one.
Soon Doug, very soon!
Neal - K3NC, Elmer
"Flex buyers are getting a superlative radio instead of a radio that Rob Sherwood has described as little more than a IC-7300 with two antenna jacks." Did Sherwood really say that?? I'd love to see it in print. I heard it was two 7300's in one box. $3,800 for the capability of $2200.00 worth of 7300's.
Ria - N2RJ, Elmer
I don't think that is accurate and I would be surprised if Rob actually said that. The architecture has been modified somewhat. Still not up to the level of Flex radios but better than 7300.
(Edited)
Well, I don't want to get Mr. Sherwood in trouble and I certainly don't want ME to get in trouble with Mr. Sherwood. Rob did not explicitly say that.
I based my comment on his interview in Ham Radio Live, episode 99 during which he essentially said there was no such thing as one "right" radio. The buyer has to weigh his/her operating preferences and radio performance with the cost of the radio. If a person doesn't need a lot of bells and whistles, one would be hard pressed to justify spending three times as much money for a radio. I believe this was said in the context of comparing the 7300 to the 7610.
So, while my comment may have had a sarcastic edge to it, I stand by what I took away from Mr. Sherwood's interview.
Frank N1UW
I based my comment on his interview in Ham Radio Live, episode 99 during which he essentially said there was no such thing as one "right" radio. The buyer has to weigh his/her operating preferences and radio performance with the cost of the radio. If a person doesn't need a lot of bells and whistles, one would be hard pressed to justify spending three times as much money for a radio. I believe this was said in the context of comparing the 7300 to the 7610.
So, while my comment may have had a sarcastic edge to it, I stand by what I took away from Mr. Sherwood's interview.
Frank N1UW
You may want to see the IC-7610 review (13 Dec 2017, NC0B/Sherwood) located at Eham where he gave it a very solid 4 out of 5 rating.
Ria - N2RJ, Elmer
Yep, and he did that because he said the defaults were "wrong."
However he did say he could be talked into a 5.
I am surprised that Jarrad VK3BL gave it a 4 though. I thought he was thoroughly in love with the radio.
However he did say he could be talked into a 5.
I am surprised that Jarrad VK3BL gave it a 4 though. I thought he was thoroughly in love with the radio.
I saw the same post and also listened to Rob's presentation live. As a recognized industry professional and perceived subject matter expert, It didn't get a "5" for the same reason it didn't make it into the top 10. Rob has to be very careful about what he says and how he says it. What he might say to you or me candidly over adult beverages (with no recorders present) likely bears more finite details than what you'll read in the sanitized public version. Also the 7300 literally took the industry by complete surprise and QST even correctly called it a "game changer". In 2 years they've sold close to 20,000 of them. By comparison and somewhat metaphorically speaking, the 7610 simply builds upon and expands that platform except it's 3.5x the price. No it's not two 7300s in a common box, though such a configuration would likely give you at least 85% of the 7610's functionality (plus SO2R) for USD 1600 less while also giving you the missing second VFO knob. Alas, we have digressed...
No apologies needed for the digression... That's one of the best parts of this forum. I love it when it stops being an echo chamber and we get to have some conversation!
So just to confirm, you are shipping all four models at once. In the beginning I heard that the "M's" were going to be shipped first, then the non "M's". I guess it doesn't really matter. The radio will get here when it gets here.
i receive mt non "M" tomorrow so all ship at same time
Gerald - K5SDR, Employee
All four models are shipping.
Can someone from Flex give a little insight for the reason behind the metal divider inside the case? Sorta reminds me of my old 3-500 amp without the glow. :-) The photo also eliminates the speculation the case was made bigger to allow room for the control panel to be mounted to the front panel. It’s actually full of parts.
Gerald - K5SDR, Employee
The metal divider is for the Faraday cage between the digital world and the analog world. It is also part of the cooling design to channel air across the FPGA and CPU using ducts that are not visible in the photo. Everything has a purpose in the design.
Yes, and it is really full of parts.
73, Gerald
Yes, and it is really full of parts.
73, Gerald
Please tell me that you have racks and racks of rigs in final test and don't just build twelve of them at a time...
Tim - W4TME, Customer Experience Manager
No, the elves we co-opted from Santa in the offseason handcraft them one at a time. ;-)
We manufacture them in large production runs. It is unreasonable from a floor space allocation standpoint to software load hundreds of radios for a one time process before the covers are installed and they are boxed up for shipping. It is a production line type process.
We manufacture them in large production runs. It is unreasonable from a floor space allocation standpoint to software load hundreds of radios for a one time process before the covers are installed and they are boxed up for shipping. It is a production line type process.
(Edited)
https://community.flexradio.com/flexradio/topics/flex-6400-m-flex-6600-m-update-dec-12-2017
Take a look at the floor here Jerry.
(Edited)
Thats fake. I dont see any elves :)
lol
Tim, if it is not too much trouble could we please see photos of how the production floor looks at this time?
(Edited)
Tim - W4TME, Customer Experience Manager
Rich, the elves are there. They are just really short and don't like to have their picture taken. ;-)
Tim - W4TME, Customer Experience Manager
The manufacturing floor looks just like it did when the picture was taken and will look the same on Monday and every day going forward until we have shipped everything. It is a production process.
Of roughly how many radios per shipment?
Tim - W4TME, Customer Experience Manager
That really isn't information we share publicly. Needless to say, we'll ship more in a day next week than we did last week as the process becomes second nature to the production crew.
Come on Tim. I bet if you called Yaesu or Icom you would get that information an more :)
LOL
LOL
Asking for a rough approximation on pace of shipments doe not touch upon anything "commercially sensitive". By way of explanation, my order was placed nearly eight months ago and the same undoubtedly is true of others in this forum, so the question is well founded.
(Edited)
Tim - W4TME, Customer Experience Manager
I am not arguing that the question is not well founded. I am saying that even though we are a lot more transparent than most companies, this is information we have chosen to keep private. If you have a question about your order, please contact Sales and inquire.
(Edited)
Thanks Tim. I have contacted the top notch folks in Sales. Unfortunately, they share your apparent reluctance in clarifying timing of shipments.
Flex ship radio , i receive my today and not yet find flaw on it even if pass the whole day testing it ;-) , so radio work , money come ,software work . at this time noting to delay production ,you must be sure flex work hard to put out as many radio as possible , so not worry and just look your mail for tracking number
Marc VE2PN
Marc VE2PN
Thanks Marc: I've no doubt they are putting out as many radios as possible. I have an empty space on my desk formerly occupied by my "trade-in". I am therefore eager to see the invoice arrive in my inbox.
I have said this before, I have no doubt that there is no one that wants to ship radios more than flex. They have had little product to sell for about 7 months.
Ria - N2RJ, Elmer
I can’t see how seeing the production floor will change that though. Just relax, find a friend to smartlink in maybe and realize that some things take time. I don’t think flex has been twiddling their thumbs! Everyone there works the hardest I’ve seen. The manufacturing facility does a LOT of stuff. I have steve and Eric and others answering questions on the weekend when I am with my family. Steve and the entire team had radios working on software making it “just right.” Their engineering team has been very busy, plus dealing with feature requests and bugs on four other models of radios. There’s only so fast a small company can do developing FIVE products everyone wants.
And as someone said - good luck getting that from another mfg.
And as someone said - good luck getting that from another mfg.
(Edited)
