Flex-6400M - Preview from the Dayton Hamvention 2017

Here's a preview of the Flex-6400M (M stand for Maestro , with display), Showed at the Dayton Hamvention 2017. There will be a standard version without the display Flex-6400. This was film with my cell phone, sorry for the quality. It's short as I did not bring all my video gears, preview only...

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Pascal VA2PV

 

Pretty crude looking compared to an inexpensive IC-7300. It even makes an Elecraft look sophisticated and attractive.

 

I find it interesting how many different ways that Flex is drifting towards radios with a display and a knob. They're doing a good job of making it clear they're doing it "differently," but it's still happening.

 

It would have been ground breaking...

...a year ago. Still, I wish them luck!

 

There just growing market share for people that feel they have to be able to twist something.

Even with these new Radios to take advantage of them you still need a computer hooked up so whats the point.

Experienced users in both digital and SSB that currently use Flex Radios don't really miss not having knobs to twirl.

I commend them for increasing there market share and running a dynamic organization producing quality products.

Ian
KM4CQG

 

It looks like it could kinda grow on you I suppose.....but that IC-7300 is plum sexy for sure . I use an SDR receiver here for most all listening and I don't miss knobs a bit. And to think that I was SO in love with my SX-28A!

 

People keep trying to compare a base entry level radio {7300} with real radio's. The 7300 while it is interesting, and ground breaking in many ways is at the end of the day nothing more then an entry level radio with all of the entry level radio short comings. Why you see as many for sale used as you do new.

 

This progression is like deja vu, TT's Pegasus became a Jupiter (with display/ knobs), but far less cost. The 6300/6500 owners must like having their investment become passe, as they join the realm of 1500/3K/5K owners. Wonder when they will all get left in the dust for a new Flex7000 line using XtremeSDR - just a matter of time for profit?

 

When an IC-7310 grows up, it still won't have the features of this radio.

Both are great but a comparison is not applicable.

 

Oh, you misunderstand.....I'm not comparing the two for performance nor features because I have owned neither of these fine radios.....I was actually referring to their appearance! .

 

Nothing new about the appearance differences--generally, it's related to the country of origin: Japanese designers pride themselves on making 'sexy'-looking equipment (e.g., Sony), Danes make sleek-looking equipment (think Bang & Olufsen), and American designers have a built-with-off-the-shelf-available-parts look to their goods. Going by this barometer, imagine if the rig were designed by Russians--it'd be ugly as hell but built like a tank. : )

If I were to come into a tidy sum of money I'd buy the Flex-6400M in a heartbeat--anything short of SDR technology is obsolete.

 

Just think if the Italians designed it?

This is a German design, 80 HP diesel engine, no frills, goes anywhere, and sips fuel. It is uglier than a bag of hammered hemorrhoids but I would take one in a second.

 

anything short of SDR technology is obsolete.[/QUOTE]

SDR technology certainly has it's advantages, but it also introduces a new set of problems that the "old" analog technology doesn't have. When you try to represent infinite variables (analog) with integers (digital), you lose something that cannot be recovered by dithering and randomization. Testing an SDR using criteria that were intended for analog equipment doesn't tell the whole story. "Newer" is not necessarily "better".

 

SDR technology certainly has it's advantages, but it also introduces a new set of problems that the "old" analog technology doesn't have. When you try to represent infinite variables (analog) with integers (digital), you lose something that cannot be recovered by dithering and randomization. Testing an SDR using criteria that were intended for analog equipment doesn't tell the whole story. "Newer" is not necessarily "better".[/QUOTE]

So true and there are still plenty of applications being implemented in analog for ultra critical real time stuff in the defense world. There are analog encryption systems that are, for now at least, unbreakable.

 

Now, if only the radio manufacturers would make these radio's more affordable. Outrageous prices for some of these new radio's.