Stu Phillips K6TU is pleased to announce the availability of the K6TU Remote iPad app for full control of the FlexRadio 6000 series radios. K6TU Remote is the first native iPad client for controlling the FlexRadio 6000 series radios over LAN or the Internet (via a VPN tunnel). The app supports a full pan adaptor and waterfall as well as remote audio for both transmit and receive. The current 1.3 release (available in the Apple App Store) supports transmit for AM and SSB modes with up to two slices for working split operation for DX. The app provides extensive controls for operating the radio and supports transmit audio via the built-in microphone, wired or wireless headset. Full details are available at: http://k6tu.net/ipad/k6turemote.html The app is available for free download from the App Store. The free version supports receive operation only on a single slice. Transmit and dual slice operation can be unlocked by purchasing a subscription. Subscriptions are available for 30 days or for a year. Price is dependent on your Apple Store territory - in the United States, the 30 day subscription is $9.99 and the one year subscription is $99.99. Future releases will add support for CW transmit (via on screen or Bluetooth keyboard), integration with logging software and many other features. New functionality is automatically available to subscribers at no additional cost. For best results, use an iPad Air or more recent iPad - support is included for the iPad Pro.
A subscription is completely appropriate for this, given the amount of ongoing development work needed to keep pace with Flex Radio's changes to the Signature platform. Flex could be making substantial changes to the Signature for the next 3-5 years, and Stu is going to have a significant effort to keep this working in the future.
Skip should get rewarded for his hard work and intellectual property. If he creates a software package that is worth downloading and using and then continues to make updates/changes then I see no reason why he should not use the subscription model. Then he will have to figure out how much to charge to cover his time and hopefully make a profit. It keeps software pirates at bay and hopefully keeps his product up to date as Flex makes changes.
I downloaded the free app and played with it……First off, fantastic job it works well, easy to navigate and it's a great product. That said, I am sorry to say I highly doubt I will pay and unlock the full version for the simple reason that I hate subscription software, I have no problem paying $99 for the software, then a small fee for major updates. I have been using my Macintosh logging program for close to a decade, minor upgrades are and have been free, major upgrades cost a nominal upgrade fee. I have the advantage that I am not forced to upgrade if I do not want too, and it's reasonable to pay for major upgrades to the software. I wish you would give consideration to this model. But that said, I 100% support your right to charge what you want and how you want…..just my own personal bias. I do not like RENTING anything, movies, software, etc…I purchase everything. That issue aside again, you did a fantastic job and I thank you for the efforts and time you put into this project and showed what can be done with our IPADS and the Flex 6000 Series Radio's.
Thanks for all the comments. I gave a lot of consideration of licensing versus subscription before deciding on subscription. I opted for subscription for several reasons: The app only runs with FlexRadio 6000 series radios - that constrains the market size Both Apple and FlexRadio make regular software releases that require work to keep the app current and functional Apple issues new devices - for example, the iPad Pro which folks expect to be able to use with the app Subscription seemed to be the best way to navigate these different dynamics and provide a superior user experience at a reasonable price. The older style licensing model would have folks having to make decisions between versions of SmartSDR, iOS and the K6TU Remote app in order to maintain operation. That was not something I wanted folks to have to deal with. Subscription where the updates are included in the subscription price was the preferable answer. More and more software is moving to a subscription model; for example, I use several Adobe products in the development of my apps and those are now only available on subscription. Microsoft has moved Office 365 to a yearly subscription. The trend is inexorable. Developing software costs money and there has to be a clear revenue stream to fund on-going development. Don't think about a subscription as renting, its a maintenance fee that provides for viable software with increasing functionality over time. N5XO says he purchases everything but that's really unlikely - Internet access, telephone service, utilities, insurance... these are all pay as you go (aka subscriptions) - same with news papers, magazines etc. the list is endless. At the end of the day its about how one views utility and the benefit gained for a particular price. Thanks to everyone for downloading the application and giving it a try - hopefully even the receive only free version is of utility as you move around the house away from the radio. Even further thanks to the folks who have purchased subscriptions - it is very much appreciated! Stu K6TU
