For Those That Like Their Radios Small And Blue - Flex

[WA1GFZ]

New soft rock kits are a lot cheaper and work just as well.

[Pete, WA2CWA]

Only if you want to screw around with a gaggle of loose parts that needs to be assembled into something workable, and one that covers 160 to 6 meters, has a built-in sound card, and a host of other features. The footprint of the Flex 1500 is 4X6X1.5 inches and, most likely, will run rings around the soft rock stuff for consistent high end performance and durability. However, for entry level SDR interest, the soft rock stuff can provide a limited starting point.

[WA1GFZ]

untrue Pete. Performance is the same. My homebrew QSD has the same performance as Flex. I measure it with real test gear and accepted procedures not glossy ads. Soft Rock guys evwn have a tunable source to make it tune the spectrum. yea, you need to build it but a lot cheaper.

[KF1Z]

Only if you want to screw around with a gaggle of loose parts that needs to be assembled into something workable,

Hmmm..
Home-Brew radio? 

What a concept...

Who'd want to do something like that? 

[Pete, WA2CWA]

Only if you want to screw around with a gaggle of loose parts that needs to be assembled into something workable,

Hmmm..
Home-Brew radio? 

What a concept...

Who'd want to do something like that? 

Beats me; maybe people with lots of free time; I moved away from homebrew years ago.

[WA1GFZ]

I enjoy building much more than talking

[Pete, WA2CWA]

untrue Pete. Performance is the same. My homebrew QSD has the same performance as Flex. I measure it with real test gear and accepted procedures not glossy ads. Soft Rock guys evwn have a tunable source to make it tune the spectrum. yea, you need to build it but a lot cheaper.

Wow, it great to have "real test gear and accepted procedures"
How well does it transmit AM or SSB on 15, 10, and 6 meters?
In my opinion, the soft rock stuff is a "diddle" for the bench or the "user lite". For the serious operator, and in this case the serious QRP operator, it's a waste of time and expense.

[WA1GFZ]

I don't know because I run HPSDR Penny with IMD3 better than -50 dB.
Everyone I talk to tells me it sounds good.
RX wise Flex is no better than Soft Rock......because it is same hardware and software. The tunable source may be cleaner on the Softrock. I have not been involved with that since chomping at the bit for Mercury.

[AF9J]

I enjoy building much more than talking

Fine and dandy Frank.  Building is cool.  I enjoy building too.  But, what do you do with the stuff you build?  Is it used, or does it end up like many of the QRP rigs I built - sitting on the shelf collecting dust?  I build stuff to use - not just for the sake of building.  Also, like Pete, I don't have the time and equipment to build from scratch.

73,
Ellen - AF9J

[Steve - WB3HUZ]

Good point. I'm always amused by hams who say they build and you never hear them on the air. Why have a license? One does not need one to build or listen. It's called amateur radio for a reason.

I enjoy building much more than talking

Fine and dandy Frank.  uilding is cool.  I enjoy building too.  But,  what do you do with the stuff you build?  Is it used, or does it end up like many of the QRP rigs I built - sitting on the shelf collecting dust?  I build stuff to use - not just for the sake of building.  Also, like Pete, I don't have the time and equpment to build from scratch.

73,
Ellen - AF9J

[W1EUJ]

I'm always amused by hams who say they build and you never hear them on the air. Why have a license?

Tune-up.

[WA1GFZ]

I get on at least once a week myself but prefer the beach in the summer.
I'm more active in the winter.
I do have a life....

[Steve - WB3HUZ]

I wasn't referring to you Frank. Unlike some others, you actually get on the air. But my larger point is that amateur radio is defined by two-way TRANSMISSIONS. That means getting on the air.

Dave, dummy load. No license needed. Further, what would need to be tuned up, if one was not going to get on the air?

I get on at least once a week myself but prefer the beach in the summer.
I'm more active in the winter.
I do have a life....

[KA1ZGC]

I build something when I want or need it and am able to do so.

I get on the air because I enjoy it.

Plain and simple.

[KF1Z]

3885 national tune-up frequency.  

I've got too much time and $$ into the rigs I build not to get on the air regularly.
But that's the fun of it for me.....
I may not know what I'm doing, but it does feel pretty nifty getting good reports out of these piles of parts!


If one day goes by not on the air, ok..
two, start to get itchy.
three, irritated.

more than that... something must be wrong!  

[AF9J]

I get on at least once a week myself but prefer the beach in the summer.
I'm more active in the winter.
I do have a life....

Yep, I can understand that.  Moi, now that I've gotten over my bout of the guitar blahs, I've been playing my brains out.  So, I'm spending less time on the radio.  I just bought this last week (I'm waiting for it to arrive - I wanted the non- Bigsby vibrato equipped model)).  It sounds great clean, and rips your head off when played with distortion.  It's a reissue of the old Supro Coronado.



73,
Ellen - AF9J