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No Good Deed Goes Unpunished - Any further info on the Maestro optional battery?

Roy Laufer
Roy Laufer Member ✭✭
edited June 2020 in FLEX-6000 Signature Series
I put my deposit down, now it's a "waiting game"

This hobby is not well suited to people in need of immediate gratification.  I waited 5 months for my beautiful DEMI 75 watt LDPA. I have a month or two to go for my DEMI's 70cm transverter and 6 months for Expert Linear's new 1.5K-FA Linear Amplifier!

Now I can add the Maestro to this illustrious list of delayed gratification.

Any further details regarding the LiPO optional battery? I assume that it will be available the same time that the Maestro becomes available. Any rough idea of the price point, or are you waiting to see what the wholesale price settles on by the time the Maestro ships?

The Maestro will be a great addition to any Flex 6000 series shack. I hope at some point the "A" and "B" slices will be changeable if you want to control, say, "F" and "G" instead.

Keep up the great work!

73,
Roy, AC2GS

Answers

  • Jim Gilliam
    Jim Gilliam Member ✭✭
    edited September 2018
    I have found that life is just as exciting looking forward to it as it is living it!
  • Roy Laufer
    Roy Laufer Member ✭✭
    edited June 2020
    I agree, anticipation can sometimes be more fun than actual realization. Some things we dream of are better anticipated than realized.

    Ain't life strange that way <for the "grammar police", 'ain't' has been used in a whimsical, knowingly ungrammatical way, like 'HI HI' might be>.

    I have another question regarding the Maestro's mic input (it looks like it will utilize a somewhat problematic RJ-45 connector). Is it a particular standardized version or proprietary to FRS? Will it have a powered pin for those electret mics?

    (I'm planning on buying an appropriate adapter cable for a planned Radiosport RS60CF purchase.)

    Roy, AC2GS
  • Jim Gilliam
    Jim Gilliam Member ✭✭
    edited September 2018

    It would have been wonderful had they made the unit blue tooth compatible to utilize both a Bluetooth microphone (Heil has a wonderful Bluetooth adapter) and a Bluetooth headset. However, trying to be a "crowd pleaser" to all is impossible. LIke you, I HATE RJ-45 microphone connectors.


    Jim, K6QE

  • David Decoons, wo2x
    David Decoons, wo2x Member, Super Elmer Moderator
    edited June 2020
    It does have Bluetooth 4.0
  • Jim Gilliam
    Jim Gilliam Member ✭✭
    edited September 2018
    That's wonderful!!! Wonder if it will support two devices at once.
  • Stan VA7NF
    Stan VA7NF Member ✭✭✭
    edited July 2018

    Maestro is great news, but not for the obvious.

    On the rear is a key jack.  By extrapolation that means:

    • CW keying is supported
    • Maestro is a network appliance, therefore
    • The API has a method for CW keying
    • Maestro is to support WAN with much larger jitter figures than a local network, therefore
    • The CW API client must feed jitter resistant controls
    • Real CW is not a pure mathematical ratios function, therefore
    • Each part of each character must handle variable delay and duration

    Can we assist developing a standard for CW over WAN in V1.x API and SSDR client?

    -.. .   ...- .- --... -. ..-.

    Sample coding example for the letters "de" where every character is precisely defined

    Jitter=100ms
    Speed=25

    El.Delay=0
    El.Duration=9ms
    El.Delay=3ms
    El.Duration=3ms
    El.Delay=3ms
    El.Duration=3ms
    El.End

    El.Delay=9ms
    El.Duration=3ms
    El.End

  • k3Tim
    k3Tim Member ✭✭✭
    edited May 2020
    "delayed gratification" - I must be the record holder on that one.  Waited 7 years for a telescope. At the 6'th year, it was full cash down.  A second scope (from other vendor) was 'only' a two year wait with full cash down at order.  So a wait of less then 1 year is not so much.

    This (Mistro) device would make a great setup in the mobile.  Have the Flex in the trunk of vehicle close to antenna, amps etc and WiFi to the control head (Mistro) in the passenger compartment.  A BT connection to car sound system for in/out audio would be icing on the cake.

    How about an ultra-modern man-pack version. Flex radio in back pack (with lot's of LiPo batteries). WiFi to control head and a wired headset/mic/ptt to the Flex (via ACC directly). A 100 watt 'Walkie-Talkie".

    I'm in.,,  order placed also.

    k3Tim

  • Jim Gilliam
    Jim Gilliam Member ✭✭
    edited May 2020
    In the trunk? Why not remote it from the house using the car and Verizon LTE?
  • Gerald-K5SDR
    Gerald-K5SDR FlexRadio Employee ✭✭
    edited December 2016
    It also has 1/8 inch TRS for mic and heahones. The RJ45 is there for a hand mic. Both support powered or unpowered mic. You will want 1/8 inch for the Radiosport.
  • Roy Laufer
    Roy Laufer Member ✭✭
    edited May 2015
    I was hoping to get a powered feed and built in PTT for the RS60CF with an electret mic.
  • David Decoons, wo2x
    David Decoons, wo2x Member, Super Elmer Moderator
    edited May 2016
    Hi Gerald, I believe the brochure shows 1-8" TS (unbalanced) for mic and not TRS (balanced), correct? Got mine on order
  • Gerald-K5SDR
    Gerald-K5SDR FlexRadio Employee ✭✭
    edited December 2016
    Both mic inputs will be pseudo differential.
  • k3Tim
    k3Tim Member ✭✭✭
    edited December 2016
    I guess you could but then are you really a mobile?
    On second thought if you want to use the rig whilst in vehicle your concept would be most practical.  

    Best,

    Tim
  • Steve-N5AC
    Steve-N5AC Community Manager admin
    edited December 2016
    Stan, we wrote a LAN/WAN CW Keyer in 2009.  Just now getting around to putting it to use ;-)
  • Stan VA7NF
    Stan VA7NF Member ✭✭✭
    edited December 2016

    So much to say but no way to make it sound nice :-(  Spoken as a CW bigot with a keying wire between computer and 6700.  Thanks for the info Steve.


  • Steve-N5AC
    Steve-N5AC Community Manager admin
    edited December 2016
    If you have feedback on the internal keyer, I would like to hear it.  I also consider the problem of a keyer and the problem of remote transmission of keyer data to be two separate, but related, problems.  I believe that the keyer is a widely tackled problem with good results in the amateur community.  I cannot say the same for the latter.  As a software engineer, the former problem is not as interesting to me as the latter, but is of course required to be done correctly.  The key feedback we have received to date on the 6000 keyer has been good, but that we need weighting.
  • Charles - K5UA
    Charles - K5UA Member ✭✭
    edited July 2015
    May I also suggest dot/dash ratio control as implemented in the micro-ham keyers and the Icom and yaesu keyers. Not the same as "weight". Please consider this when upgrading the keyer.
  • Ernest - W4EG
    Ernest - W4EG Member ✭✭
    edited May 2015
    Tim,
    Don't forget that you will need a solar charger for the LiPo batteries as you go and climb mount  Everest.  LOL

  • Stan VA7NF
    Stan VA7NF Member ✭✭✭
    edited December 2016

    Steve, I don't have any problems with the internal keyer, not even the perfect ratios/weight.  Personal opinion - pushing the weight distorts the "sound" of the resulting code.

    The discussion has always been remote, which in this case goes from 10' to VPN and the only keying available was via the rear plug and a wire to the (nearby) computer com port.

    With the fine code coming out of FRS I'm confident your 2009 keying plus enhancements cover what is here plus a whole lot more.  Perhaps a thread or two on the API discussion group could be of value to the community?

    That aside, now how to best use the radio server with remote client ("nothing but net" from SSDR or other via API):

    Notes: 

    • The client must provide a real-time keying monitor as feedback from actual RF keying would be too much of a distraction
    • The server keyer is not used, actually the internal keyer (physical contacts or keyboard) may supply a 0ms jitter stream just as a remote has a n-ms delay
    • There will be a programmed delay between KEY DOWN and RF OUT that is a combination of server delay + network delay +/- jitter.  For example 0=internal, 1=local net, 100=remote operation
    • The server side must re-constitute perfect timing unless packet delay > max jitter when the time base is reset
    • The API makes the keying method into very short UDP Vita-49 packets that may be as small as single keying elements or for a TUNE/solid key down a non-ending signal
    • And of course a documented API command + data layout


    This Maestro thread is sufficiently hijacked.

    Respectfully - Stan VA7NF

  • James Kennedy-WU5E
    James Kennedy-WU5E Member ✭✭
    edited December 2016

    No one answer the original question about the Optional Battery, Cost and if will be ready in 4th QRT 2015.

    got my Maestro also ordered

  • Al_NN4ZZ
    Al_NN4ZZ Member ✭✭✭
    edited December 2016
    I Heard it uses an off the shelf battery pack at a cost of about $25. This was in responce to someone asking about it at the booth during a demo. Regards, Al / NN4ZZ
  • Steve-N5AC
    Steve-N5AC Community Manager admin
    edited December 2016
    • The client must provide a real-time keying monitor as feedback from actual RF keying would be too much of a distraction
    Of course -- this is just a requirement and our keyer does this.  We are also looking at commercial keyer solutions where we would buy the keyer and use our own transport mechanism.  No final decisions have been made here.
    • The server keyer is not used, actually the internal keyer (physical contacts or keyboard) may supply a 0ms jitter stream just as a remote has a n-ms delay
    I'm not sure I understand this comment
    • There will be a programmed delay between KEY DOWN and RF OUT that is a combination of server delay + network delay +/- jitter.  For example 0=internal, 1=local net, 100=remote operation
    Yes this is already coded except for jitter measurement and the jitter compensation algorithm.  The design of this missing piece is very important
    • The server side must re-constitute perfect timing unless packet delay > max jitter when the time base is reset
    Yes, this is already coded
    • The API makes the keying method into very short UDP Vita-49 packets that may be as small as single keying elements or for a TUNE/solid key down a non-ending signal
    The exact transport packing has not been finalized.  I think it is likely that we will encapsulate it in VITA-49.  Transmission interval rates will be contingent on the jitter compensation algorithm -- in other words, you can buffer for a short time and then are forced to emit what you have based on when it will need to be transmitted and the current jitter measurement
    • And of course a documented API command + data layout
    Sure
  • AE0MW
    AE0MW Member ✭✭
    edited December 2016
    I saw this feature in Dayton, and everyone in my Dayton party had the same reaction: This is brilliant. It solves so many problems, as you already noted, for both Flex and us!

    PLEASE keep the generic USB battery.
  • Tim - W4TME
    Tim - W4TME Administrator, FlexRadio Employee admin
    edited December 2016
    Yes
  • Martin Smith
    Martin Smith Member
    edited July 2015
    Yes, well done flex, that sounds like an excellent answer, just make sure there is enough room to suit other packs when the one offered is no longer made!

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