Back in 2017 we were shown a lot of new radios to be hitting the market place in late or early 2017/18. Some were European radios and some were Japanese, some made in the USA-Flex,,, As an owner of a Reuter RDR-50 SDR radio for over 4 years, my expectations and needs were set Very High,, the RDR50 is a very nice instrument, German Made, $3K receive only, 7" touch screen, very advanced SDR radio for 4 years ago. Still own it!!
I have a variety of transceivers in the shack, Yaesu FT-1000MP MarkV, Yaesu FT-991, and a brand new ICOM IC-R8600 receiver.. It is safe to say that the radio that was getting all the attention was the new ICOM IC-7610 radio.. And the Flex 6400-6600M series.. So like so many others, I placed a deposit down on a IC-7610,,, but decided when HRO called me to confirm my order, I told them to Remove me from the list.. I just wanted more time to evaluate radios once they hit the market place, and not be a beta tester.. So I had joined the 7610 and Flex groups and decided to sit back and read the emails, the Good-Bad & Ugly (Sounds like a movie)...
However something began to show up in these groups, was the level of technical understanding most Flex folks have and the LACK of technical understanding the ICOM ham radio operators had.. Don't get me wrong,, Engineers and technical savvy folks reside in both groups, as do the Yaesu and Kenwood groups,, but the emails posted, and the responses one would receive was totally different.. When folks ask how do I hook up a monitor to a 7610, how do I do this, and how do I do that,, these questions were so basic, one wonders who are these people purchasing these radios? So when the 7610 hit the marketplace my mailbox began to fill up with hundreds of emails with folks asking a lot of very bad and in some cases stupid questions.. I wanted to hear the technical aspects of the radio, and one would dig deep to find those...
Now comes the Flex Group... It made me feel that everyone who owns a FLEX radio is an Engineer, Scientist or Amateur Radio Operator who enjoys the hobby due to the engineering side of the hobby, rather then it is just a TOY to play with... As some bugs began to show up in the Flex,,, the Flex folks dived in as did the community to ask questions and most would get a polite response where to look in the manual for further information, or take the bug report for further evaluation, better know as Factory Support...
In the end my decision to go with the Flex 6600M was based on support from the community and support from the FLEX team.. Not to mention the quality of the product itself.. Spending $5K rather then $3600 for a Icom radio was not even part of my decision,, as the Icom, Kenwood and Yaesu ham community always fight over the price of any product,, expecting that somehow a radio that cost $3600 should work as great as a $10K,, then they get disappointing that some shortcuts were taken to keep the price low (No HDMI port on a Icom and no 1080P resolution)...
My 6600M is not due till May,, and I am reading the operational manuals and watching videos to better understand the radio.. One year ago I would not have thought that FLEX would be on my want list,,, but things do change when one does their homework... Thanks to the FLEX engineers who helped answer many questions I had about the radio.. BTW, I mentioned Reuter Radios, German Made,, not sold or shipped to the USA, but I know the owner and was able to get one,, this is their new POCKET radio,,, very sophisticated for a small radio .. Thanks FLEX for stepping up with a radio that meets my needs for next generation SDR with remote software that works and a M model that satisfies my knob turning requirements :-) !
Robert WA6PHN
http://ratzer.at/empfaenger/reuter-pocket
I have a variety of transceivers in the shack, Yaesu FT-1000MP MarkV, Yaesu FT-991, and a brand new ICOM IC-R8600 receiver.. It is safe to say that the radio that was getting all the attention was the new ICOM IC-7610 radio.. And the Flex 6400-6600M series.. So like so many others, I placed a deposit down on a IC-7610,,, but decided when HRO called me to confirm my order, I told them to Remove me from the list.. I just wanted more time to evaluate radios once they hit the market place, and not be a beta tester.. So I had joined the 7610 and Flex groups and decided to sit back and read the emails, the Good-Bad & Ugly (Sounds like a movie)...
However something began to show up in these groups, was the level of technical understanding most Flex folks have and the LACK of technical understanding the ICOM ham radio operators had.. Don't get me wrong,, Engineers and technical savvy folks reside in both groups, as do the Yaesu and Kenwood groups,, but the emails posted, and the responses one would receive was totally different.. When folks ask how do I hook up a monitor to a 7610, how do I do this, and how do I do that,, these questions were so basic, one wonders who are these people purchasing these radios? So when the 7610 hit the marketplace my mailbox began to fill up with hundreds of emails with folks asking a lot of very bad and in some cases stupid questions.. I wanted to hear the technical aspects of the radio, and one would dig deep to find those...
Now comes the Flex Group... It made me feel that everyone who owns a FLEX radio is an Engineer, Scientist or Amateur Radio Operator who enjoys the hobby due to the engineering side of the hobby, rather then it is just a TOY to play with... As some bugs began to show up in the Flex,,, the Flex folks dived in as did the community to ask questions and most would get a polite response where to look in the manual for further information, or take the bug report for further evaluation, better know as Factory Support...
In the end my decision to go with the Flex 6600M was based on support from the community and support from the FLEX team.. Not to mention the quality of the product itself.. Spending $5K rather then $3600 for a Icom radio was not even part of my decision,, as the Icom, Kenwood and Yaesu ham community always fight over the price of any product,, expecting that somehow a radio that cost $3600 should work as great as a $10K,, then they get disappointing that some shortcuts were taken to keep the price low (No HDMI port on a Icom and no 1080P resolution)...
My 6600M is not due till May,, and I am reading the operational manuals and watching videos to better understand the radio.. One year ago I would not have thought that FLEX would be on my want list,,, but things do change when one does their homework... Thanks to the FLEX engineers who helped answer many questions I had about the radio.. BTW, I mentioned Reuter Radios, German Made,, not sold or shipped to the USA, but I know the owner and was able to get one,, this is their new POCKET radio,,, very sophisticated for a small radio .. Thanks FLEX for stepping up with a radio that meets my needs for next generation SDR with remote software that works and a M model that satisfies my knob turning requirements :-) !
Robert WA6PHN
http://ratzer.at/empfaenger/reuter-pocket
Posted 2 years ago
Alex - DH2ID, Elmer
Ria - N2RJ, Elmer
My father often gave my brothers and me some very sage advice "back in the day" and I pass it along here:
"The bitterness of poor quality lingers LONNNNNNNNG after the sweetness of low price is forgotten!"
That's why I am a happy owner/user of Macintosh -- and my beautiful Flex 6600M!!
Major high fives to Gerald (we both are graduates of MS State University!) and his amazing team!
--Dr. Larry S. Anderson, NN5O (ex-WB5EIN)
Tupelo, MS
Assoc. Professor (Ret.), MS State University
"The bitterness of poor quality lingers LONNNNNNNNG after the sweetness of low price is forgotten!"
That's why I am a happy owner/user of Macintosh -- and my beautiful Flex 6600M!!
Major high fives to Gerald (we both are graduates of MS State University!) and his amazing team!
--Dr. Larry S. Anderson, NN5O (ex-WB5EIN)
Tupelo, MS
Assoc. Professor (Ret.), MS State University
My son-in-law is a veterinarian and graduate of State. He likes Gerald. I am a native Texan and I love Gerald. Just waiting for my PG XL to mate with my 6700.
Glad to hear from a REAL doctor. I am just a trade schooler (plumber).
Brad A. Steffler, M.D. KE4XJ (ex WN5VYC) (Not retired but envying those who are.)
Assoc. Professor, University of South Alabama College of Medicine, Mobile, AL
Glad to hear from a REAL doctor. I am just a trade schooler (plumber).
Brad A. Steffler, M.D. KE4XJ (ex WN5VYC) (Not retired but envying those who are.)
Assoc. Professor, University of South Alabama College of Medicine, Mobile, AL
(Edited)
How very terrific, DOCTOR Brad! It's been so interesting over the years to make contact with people who attended MSU at the time I lived there, or even taught there...and sometimes, the parents or relatives of students whose paths I might have crossed.
Once, I even had a person to begin telling me about his male relative who had studied this very highly precise and complicated subject matter at MSU...and, as it turns out, that young chap was one of my advisees!! Oh, what a small world, indeed.
Thanks for tapping me on the virtual shoulder. Have fun in Mobile--a beautiful city.
--Larry Anderson NN5O
Once, I even had a person to begin telling me about his male relative who had studied this very highly precise and complicated subject matter at MSU...and, as it turns out, that young chap was one of my advisees!! Oh, what a small world, indeed.
Thanks for tapping me on the virtual shoulder. Have fun in Mobile--a beautiful city.
--Larry Anderson NN5O
