No Display?

[cyberjew]

Hello,

First, allow me to congratulate SharkRF on the unveiling of the openSPOT2! I can't even imagine the amount of time and effort that's being invested in it. I hope it's even more successful than the first generation.

That said, I'm sure you'll get a lot of questions about design decisions and features. I'm getting my first one in right away!

Given the fact that so many people are adding Nextion displays (or equivalent) to their hotspots for total autonomous use, I'm a little surprised to see the lack of incorporating any sort of visual interface on the openSPOT2.

Had there been any consideration in adding one when you were designing this new model?

In so far as what I can tell from the available information, this is the only thing I'm not happy with. Otherwise it looks great!

[HA2NON]

Thank you!
We think you already have a display on your radio where you can see what's going on in more detail. If that's not enough, you may still have your phone or computer around where you can open the web interface for real time monitoring.

[cyberjew]

I'm well aware of the displays on my radio and other browser-based devices.

In the case of DMR devices, unfortunately, it's the less expensive Chinese manufactured radios that provide more information on the display. The commercial manufacturers (Motorola, Hytera, etc.) that cater to businesses don't care much about the amateur radio community. Therefore their radios do not present as much information as you would expect to see.

Thankfully D-Star is pretty comprehensive and the standard calls for the types of displays that we see on devices that are sold expressly to amateur radio customers. Icom and Kenwood seem to be fairly consistent.

And openSPOT offers really nice remote control capabilities with both D-Star and DMR. Having not used YSF or other modes, I can't comment on the support.

I think of the openSPOT as a self-contained device. While it's incredibly simple to use with a web browser, I would love to suggest that when you design the openSPOT3 (someday I hope!), you think about putting a small touchscreen on the unit. That would allow for viewing users DMR contact information in real-time directly on the hotspot.

I use my Zumspot with Pi-Star this way and it's incredibly convenient! Obviously, Pi-Star-based hotspots make up a sizable number of users in the hotspot community. Many users opt to install a small display for this exact reason.

When you are doing market research, keep in mind that this is a feature people are looking for and I can all but guarantee I'm not alone. Not having an integrated display could become a deal-breaker.

openSPOT has paved the road of innovation that many of the competing products follow. I hope that type of forward-thinking continues.

...just my $0.02

[roger-uk]

I find these screens too small to be of any real use.

[cyberjew]

It’s always in the eye of the beholder. What one person likes, the next does not. And that’s perfectly fine. What’s important is to recognize what your competitors are doing and how well it’s received by others. Competitive intelligence is critical in every market.


I love the fact that I can see the info for the current caller (Name, callsign/license, DMR ID, D-Star info etc) without having to always have a browser session going. It’s especially great when I’m driving and have my hotspot on the dashboard or on the passenger seat.

With the new handsfree law where I live, it prevents me from always having to look at the browser on my phone or tablet. I know there’s lot of others that love having this capability as well.

Either way, I’m very happy with my Openspot2, Openspot and Pi-Star hotspots. They each have their own strengths and weaknesses.


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