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FLEX RADIO
- Thread starter TonyV225
- Start date
Read the discussion among its users:
The FlexRadio Archives
or read the reviews on eham.
One of the drawbacks is the use of windows operating system is not real-time and causes problems with hams that want full QSK break-in for CW.
The RF performance of the radio is hard to beat.
But it may not be the best choice for a somebody wanting the traditional knobs on a radio.
The FlexRadio Archives
or read the reviews on eham.
One of the drawbacks is the use of windows operating system is not real-time and causes problems with hams that want full QSK break-in for CW.
The RF performance of the radio is hard to beat.
But it may not be the best choice for a somebody wanting the traditional knobs on a radio.
I've run one at a friend's house. I'm sold, period.
The main advantages for me are the filtering and the panadapter display of the band.
You don't have knobs, but the way the interface works, you really don't need them. You can get the USB knob if you want and use that to tune and I've had that in my hands too, it's quite solid. It's just faster to run the whole thing with a mouse.
Currently they are Windows XP only and you'll want a dual-core processor at a minimum to avoid any interrupt issues and latency (skips and pops) in the audio.
However, the new development is all going on linux as the native platform. As soon as they come out with the native linux version of Power SDR I'll be buying one.
You can download and install PowerSDR for free from their site, and then find some .wav files that are band samples. When you play back those .wav files, you have the exact control of running it as an actual live receiver. Everything works as it would if you had the radio.
For phone use, AM or SSB the audio flexibility can't be beat.
The SDR-1000 requires more fiddling and more cables to deal with but you can find them used now for <$900. The trick is to get one with the Edirol FA-66 firewire soundcard and to be sure it is the 100W model and not the QRP model.
The SDR-5000 is the new one and they have put a lot of nice features into it. It's simpler to cable up and much quicker to get calibrated and on the air.
We'll have to see what the budget holds next spring when the new linux software is due out.
Would I run it as my only rig? Probably not, I'd likely always keep a 'hardware' radio around. Mostly because the computer can always break down and it introduces more variables.
The main advantages for me are the filtering and the panadapter display of the band.
You don't have knobs, but the way the interface works, you really don't need them. You can get the USB knob if you want and use that to tune and I've had that in my hands too, it's quite solid. It's just faster to run the whole thing with a mouse.
Currently they are Windows XP only and you'll want a dual-core processor at a minimum to avoid any interrupt issues and latency (skips and pops) in the audio.
However, the new development is all going on linux as the native platform. As soon as they come out with the native linux version of Power SDR I'll be buying one.
You can download and install PowerSDR for free from their site, and then find some .wav files that are band samples. When you play back those .wav files, you have the exact control of running it as an actual live receiver. Everything works as it would if you had the radio.
For phone use, AM or SSB the audio flexibility can't be beat.
The SDR-1000 requires more fiddling and more cables to deal with but you can find them used now for <$900. The trick is to get one with the Edirol FA-66 firewire soundcard and to be sure it is the 100W model and not the QRP model.
The SDR-5000 is the new one and they have put a lot of nice features into it. It's simpler to cable up and much quicker to get calibrated and on the air.
We'll have to see what the budget holds next spring when the new linux software is due out.
Would I run it as my only rig? Probably not, I'd likely always keep a 'hardware' radio around. Mostly because the computer can always break down and it introduces more variables.
WTF LMAO!!! Mack this still needs my erected antenna(s) its just a radio thats setup to run through a computer your screen is your display and control point. It still has PL259 Conector for antennas. Its kind of like my Computer Dj setup I been running its easier to run than my dual CD player and you still need your amplifiers speakers ETC to run through. Basically your computer is the radio and there is a box that Coax connects to. Ok back to the system I to am looking at them and would deffinately want the 100 watt model. I have a collection of radios so a normal HF rig is no problem . I actually am looking for a new computer so thats funny you mentioned Linux I just looked at a computer that was running that and the guy said after running that you would never go back to windows because Linux is safer and easy to run aswell.
Linux isn't 'hard' to learn, but it's a totally different OS from Windows so you do have to learn how to manage it. I won't ever go back to Windows for many reasons, but I've also been running linux full time since 1995 and have lots of time invested along the way.
For a Flex, buy at least a dual-core machine, it's very important to have the CPU power available. A single core machine doing DSP work will have too many interrupts with any other processes so a Flex will perform miserably. A dual or quad core will perform a world better for use with a Flex.
Oh yeah and for PowerSDR go XP ONLY, Vista will not work with it properly, nor will any real time audio processing...they re-wrote the device layer for licensing DRM restrictions in Vista and totally broke real time audio processing.
For a Flex, buy at least a dual-core machine, it's very important to have the CPU power available. A single core machine doing DSP work will have too many interrupts with any other processes so a Flex will perform miserably. A dual or quad core will perform a world better for use with a Flex.
Oh yeah and for PowerSDR go XP ONLY, Vista will not work with it properly, nor will any real time audio processing...they re-wrote the device layer for licensing DRM restrictions in Vista and totally broke real time audio processing.
I have 6 computers here including my kids machines they all run XP PRO I wont use anything else that Vista I have been hearing and reading is some horseSh!+ I will only switch to that Vista when XP PRO'S time expires for usage. Maybe by then they will have Vista runing at its full potential and have the bugs worked out LOL
For whatever reasons, I have enough trouble with computers alone, much less trying to mix them with radios. At least, each stands alone without depending on the other. Don't misunderstand, I do 'mix' computers and radios to produce particular mode capability. I don't depend on a computer to 'make' the radio though (they hate each other to start with, why aggravate it further? 
).
I think you'll also find that very seldom is a 'flex' radio ever used for dependable communications with out a huge 'support system' to make sure they don't fail. If you have that 'support system' handy, sure, why not? If not, then oooo have you got a surprise coming. (Read that as military/governmental stuff.)
Still wanna try it? Great, have fun! Just off the top of my head, 'Katchina' and 'Ten-Tec' come to mind, been around for quite a while.
- 'Doc
).I think you'll also find that very seldom is a 'flex' radio ever used for dependable communications with out a huge 'support system' to make sure they don't fail. If you have that 'support system' handy, sure, why not? If not, then oooo have you got a surprise coming. (Read that as military/governmental stuff.)
Still wanna try it? Great, have fun! Just off the top of my head, 'Katchina' and 'Ten-Tec' come to mind, been around for quite a while.
- 'Doc
An important difference with the Flex radio and those predecessors though. Those two were hardware radios, as is the TS-2000B that were merely controlled with a software GUI.
With the flex, the PowerSDR software IS the radio and the hardware is merely the single conversion receive to convert the RF to a processable bitstream that the software can handle and then back again so it can be transmitted. Meaning the software allows for limitless processing options.
Ah, but those unlimited processing options also allow for about the same number of processing problems, not to mention reliability, or cost.
Certainly one way of doing it, but I'll stick with the older ways for now, already made most of those mistakes, no desire to even think of a whole new field of them.
- 'Doc
Certainly one way of doing it, but I'll stick with the older ways for now, already made most of those mistakes, no desire to even think of a whole new field of them.
- 'Doc
Oh yeah, it's definitely an 'organic' radio in that the software is under rapid development. Lots of people submitting patches and a lot of work is ongoing with optimizations etc.
I wouldn't get one without a standby yet as it is still and will remain for some time a work in progress.
I do think that SDR is the future of radio. I think we'll probably see the big three coming out with similar systems.
I wouldn't get one without a standby yet as it is still and will remain for some time a work in progress.
I do think that SDR is the future of radio. I think we'll probably see the big three coming out with similar systems.
I also would never soley use a computer because we all know computers can and do go goofy and can take hours or days for that matter to get straightened out. As I said I have plenty standard radios to use. Ill do some reading on this Flex Radio I was curious as to if it could be used on 2 meters.
They have transverter modules you can add. Down East Microwave might be the one making them, that fits right inside.
They also have transverter tap outputs to feed external transverters like the ones that elecraft sell.
The taps and transverters are meant for 2m SSB work though, not 2m FM and you need to add a power amp as well. You can use them for FM simplex, but they won't have the tones for repeater use.
They also have transverter tap outputs to feed external transverters like the ones that elecraft sell.
The taps and transverters are meant for 2m SSB work though, not 2m FM and you need to add a power amp as well. You can use them for FM simplex, but they won't have the tones for repeater use.
Yeah I dug into this for a while. The weak signal world of 50Mhz and above is a whole specialty and requires very sensitive receivers. This is why the transverters are so popular. You can use the high end HF contest rigs on the upper bands this way.
The guys that are VHF fanatics don't generally use FM on the bands they work. For FM, simple dual-band radios are so cheap relative to the other more specialized gear that they don't bother integrating tone boards into the transverters. Just more parts and cost for something they would use another 'tool' to accomplish.
I still think there is a bit of a hole in the market there, though it is a small one. I quite like 2m FM simplex and use it often when the low bands are noisy from storm activity. One of the reasons I like the TS-2000 so much is that it does a fantastic job with FM simplex. Has 100W out and outstanding audio quality.
There are very few currently produced radios that have truly nice audio for FM simplex and this is where I think the hole in the market exists.
There have been rumors of a flex 2m 440 module coming out for the Flex 5000 eventually. They built it such that they could add expansion boards for that. They are working on stabilizing the core platform first though....so we can wait and see. I'd certainly like a full function, including tones 2m/440 option. It would be particularly nice if they had full satellite ops integration as well and since that would be pretty easy to do with an SDR...I bet we see that at some point.
The guys that are VHF fanatics don't generally use FM on the bands they work. For FM, simple dual-band radios are so cheap relative to the other more specialized gear that they don't bother integrating tone boards into the transverters. Just more parts and cost for something they would use another 'tool' to accomplish.
I still think there is a bit of a hole in the market there, though it is a small one. I quite like 2m FM simplex and use it often when the low bands are noisy from storm activity. One of the reasons I like the TS-2000 so much is that it does a fantastic job with FM simplex. Has 100W out and outstanding audio quality.
There are very few currently produced radios that have truly nice audio for FM simplex and this is where I think the hole in the market exists.
There have been rumors of a flex 2m 440 module coming out for the Flex 5000 eventually. They built it such that they could add expansion boards for that. They are working on stabilizing the core platform first though....so we can wait and see. I'd certainly like a full function, including tones 2m/440 option. It would be particularly nice if they had full satellite ops integration as well and since that would be pretty easy to do with an SDR...I bet we see that at some point.
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