What needs to be done is this:
Ten-Tec needs to rewrite/adapt their souce code so that it can be customized
by the user. How? Perhaps by allowing the user to write various
subroutines with published interfaces, i.e., a display routine, a NR
routine, etc. These subroutines could be compiled into object code and
re-linked with Ten-Tec-supplied object code (for areas where they don't want
people dinking around because they could hurt the hardware), and then the
resultant object file could be downloaded into the radio.
How hard would this be? I don't think it would be that hard, and I also
think Ten-Tec would be justified in charging $100-$200 for an SDK including
compiler/linker, documentation, and example code. Charge less for one
radio, charge $200 for ALL radios (Jupiter/Pegasus, 350, Argonaut, 6N2).
The one area that is lacking (to me) is the display on these otherwise fine
radios. I can imagine how a display could be created that would blow the
Icom 746 Pro away on the Jupiter... and one that would be as elegant as that
on the 756 Pro. Best of all, Ten-Tec could reward outside programmers by
offering their 'skins' or other modules on the RFSquared BB as part of a
firmware download (the user could 'pick' the display and NR routines he
wanted from menus, and custom-build his firmware download for a nominal fee,
say $5, and the developer gets $1 or $2 per download). Ten-Tec might even
want to offer one of the re-designed display interfaces as a standard
download, if it was pretty enough.
This would be a revenue generator for what is now a free service (firmware
upgrades), make the radio infinitely more interesting and attractive to
consumers, and ensure that these radios would never be truly abandoned (if
the radio ever goes out of production or Ten-Tec decides to call it quits,
then release the SDK and source code to the public domain).
So, where's the downside to this? Ten-Tec makes more money, owners get more
flexibility... everyone benefits!
- jgc
John Clifford KD7KGX
Elecraft K2 #1678 /KSB2/KIO2/KBT2/KAT2/KNB2/KAF2/KPA100
Ten-Tec Omni VI/Opt1, Centaur, 238B
Alinco DR-605TQ, DJ-V5
Icom T90A
IRLP #3978
email: kd7kgx@arrl.net
P.S.: Ten-Tec, I'm available for contract programming to make this happen!
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