To start, I would offer the Eagle or Omni 7 in separate units, just like the
Kenwood TS-480. Give it a new name, keep the TT brand. The units would be
divided into: 1) a sufficiently large and thin desktop control panel like the
Flex Maestro; 2) the second piece contains all hardware -- a black box that
gets tucked away. Connect the two units together with CAT5/6 cabling and
retain the Omni 7's Ethernet/LAN/WAN control. The product starts moving in the
direction of the architecture of the, Flex and ANAN but keeps much of the K3's
hybrid superhet/DSP technology. Starting out the chute with DDC/DUC would take
way too long to perfect in the current dog-eat-dog market -- unless John has
been developing it in the background. Anyway, the split configuration fits
into a futuristic product with a slick desktop thin panel, and still allows for
local operation without a bunch of networking complexity for the KISS folks.
The wheel need not be reinverted -- only the UI.
John has probably already designed 80%-90% into the exiting product to make
this happen. Build on it. It will appeal to a lot of folks since unlike the
current ANAN and Flex (changes ahead with Maestro), a PC would NOT be required
but PC connectivity would allow a more enjoyable experience for the complex
operating crowd. Make damn sure an I.F. port appears on the back so that any
number of existing PAN adapters can be easily used (e.g., SDR-IQ).
Paul, W9AC
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