Robert, See my notes below --
Steve Stephen Hicks, N5AC, AAR6AM VP Engineering FlexRadio Systems™ 4616 W Howard Ln Ste 1-150 Austin, TX 78728 Phone: 512-535-4713 x205 Email: [email protected] Web: www.flexradio.com *Tune In Excitement™* PowerSDR™ is a trademark of FlexRadio Systems On Fri, May 25, 2012 at 9:06 AM, Robert Costa, KB6QXM <[email protected]>wrote: > Scott, > > Here is what I do not understand with the new radios. > > 1) Why no extended receive range now that is all digital from the antenna. > For instance low frequency receive. > Bob, there is extended receive -- the radio receives down to 30kHz which includes the 600m and 2200m bands! > 2) Why no transverters for people that want to have 1 radio does all and > no extra hardware in the shack. > There is a transverter interface in the radio -- there is a transverter port on the back of the radio that provides for either common IF or split IF operation and a nominal +0dBm output on the HF bands or on VHF (6m or 135-165MHz) > > 3) Why no 473 khz band? > The radio will transmit and receive on 473kHz. The transmit output is in the 0-10dBm range, and will require an external PA. > > Not dinging Flex for anything, as the new radios are a step in the right > direction for one that has RF ingress and appreciating having a PC be just > right or nothing works right. I understand all of this, as I am still > dealing with some of these issues. > > I wanted to do a presentation on what it took to configure the radio and > the computer, but there are so many steps that I have decided not to do it. > > What I will say is that the people at Flex are #1 in my book. The fellow > Flexers are also #1 in my book. If it was not for the helpful staff at > Flex, Neil Campbell and other fellow Flexers, I would be still be off the > air with the Flex. Is it perfect now...NO! Is it a workable game > plan....Yes! > > I look at Flex Radios as high performance high horsepower engines. Once > you get them dialed-in, they work extremely well. It just takes some effort > to get them there. It is like the high performance antenna that you and I > both share. > > Dial them in, they work great...it just takes some effort. > > In my honest opinion, they are not plug and play appliances and should not > be. Is SDR for everyone? No! I personally believe that Flex radios are for > the technically-inclined of the hobby. > > Someday I hope to take my Flex to field day, but a 5000a is not that > portable. > > My 10 cent opinion. > > 73, > Robert > KB6QXM > "Ham Radio Open Conversation" > Yahoo group owner/moderator > > > ----- Reply message ----- > From: "Scott Myers" <[email protected]> > To: <[email protected]> > Subject: [FlexEdge] The New Flex radios > Date: Fri, May 25, 2012 6:21 am > > > A couple other things that are annoyances if you have been a Flexer for a > while, as most of us have. > > -No more issues with firewire. Sometimes, the Firewire interface can flake > out, causing a reboot of the Flex to be necessary, as well as disconnecting > the firewire cable. Also, the occasional problem with RFI in the firewire > for those running QRO. Many lesser motherboards have an iffy firewire > onboard, forcing us to install another more robust firewire card with TI > chipset. > > -DPC latency. Requirement of a relatively high end motherboard in your PC > to insure your bus is bulletproof for bus clocking. No more worrying about > DPC latency when you replace your PC. No more making sure a laptop is > "just > so" when you want to run your Flex on field day. Run it on a netbook if > you > want with a 6000. > > Guys that have "abandoned" their flexes after a short time usually do so > due > to the problems with their computer not having low DPC latency or firewire > issues. And a lot of guys never buy Flex's because they have read and know > about these potential problems with computers married to a Flex. It’s a > black eye that should go away. > > A couple other issues that I will be glad are solved. > > -Latency. That is something I won't miss. Normal mode, safe 1, safe 2... > be gone foul beast. > > - QSK capable. No more clackety-clack. > > 73, > Scott AC8DE > > -----Original Message----- > From: [email protected] > [mailto:[email protected]] On Behalf Of dan edwards > Sent: Friday, May 25, 2012 7:34 AM > To: [email protected]; Burke Schlott > Subject: Re: [FlexEdge] The New Flex radios > > Burke > ( correct me where i miss the mark, guys ) i too have enjoyed my F3k for > some time. the new rigs are revolutionary in at least 3 ways, i think. > 1. no longer QSD / QSE. DDC / DUC instead. gives capability to see more > than 192 khz; no more receiver images at 3x F. should be a real treat on MF > / LF. and also the capacity to see the entire 10m band on the pan. > > 2. in the same way flex solved the soundcard problem by putting it in the > rig, the new rigs have DSP processing in the radio. with the FPGA and the > TI > processor. relieves some of the pc's processing requirements, i think. > > 3. the new rig connects to the radio through ethernet instead of firewire. > > probably much more than this, but these features alone have ME excited. It > is a VERY clever piece of gear. 73, w5xz, dan > > --- On Fri, 5/25/12, Burke Schlott <[email protected]> wrote: > > From: Burke Schlott <[email protected]> > Subject: [FlexEdge] The New Flex radios > To: [email protected] > Date: Friday, May 25, 2012, 10:47 AM > > > > I have been using a 5K for several years now and am more than satisfied > with > its performance and features. I have read the preliminary info on the Flex > web site and would really like to know just what I could expect in the way > of actual performance improvements that I could expect over the 5K. I guess > what I am saying is that I would like to see the 6K's performance specs as > compared to the 5K similar to what is now available in the product > comparason tab on the web site. > > Burke K1BJS > _______________________________________________ > Flexedge mailing list > [email protected] > http://mail.flex-radio.biz/mailman/listinfo/flexedge_flex-radio.biz > This is the FlexRadio Systems e-mail Reflector called FlexEdge. It is used > for posting topics related to SDR software development and experimentalist > who are using beta versions of the software. > _______________________________________________ > Flexedge mailing list > [email protected] > http://mail.flex-radio.biz/mailman/listinfo/flexedge_flex-radio.biz > This is the FlexRadio Systems e-mail Reflector called FlexEdge. It is used > for posting topics related to SDR software development and experimentalist > who are using beta versions of the software. > > > _______________________________________________ > Flexedge mailing list > [email protected] > http://mail.flex-radio.biz/mailman/listinfo/flexedge_flex-radio.biz > This is the FlexRadio Systems e-mail Reflector called FlexEdge. It is > used for posting topics related to SDR software development and > experimentalist who are using beta versions of the software. > _______________________________________________ > Flexedge mailing list > [email protected] > http://mail.flex-radio.biz/mailman/listinfo/flexedge_flex-radio.biz > This is the FlexRadio Systems e-mail Reflector called FlexEdge. It is > used for posting topics related to SDR software development and > experimentalist who are using beta versions of the software. > _______________________________________________ Flexedge mailing list [email protected] http://mail.flex-radio.biz/mailman/listinfo/flexedge_flex-radio.biz This is the FlexRadio Systems e-mail Reflector called FlexEdge. It is used for posting topics related to SDR software development and experimentalist who are using beta versions of the software.
