Flex'in

[WA4JK]

For those who have experience with the Flex. For AM use would a SDR-1000 or 3000 be your choice and why?
and no i will not send you my Frickn/Frack FT-102, I'll fix it for my youngest one day.
Thanks

[flintstone mop]

Who be Flex'n??? This should be a nice thread.
I be Flex'n and there are many. At first we had to be in closets coz it was a computer and not a valve operated device.
I have the 1000 coz of the ability to go to 20kc of audio, if I so desire................BUT I limit the high freqs to 7000 hz. I use the Edirol FA66 soundcard, which is a big upgrade to TX and RX audio (DSP stuff and Sync detector. These nice things work better with the upgrade soundcard)and the amount of bandwidth you 'see' in the spectrum analyzer. No latency from the time you say something in the mic on TX and when you hear it on your monitor receiver.
And with the built-in computer processing PLENTY of modulation.
Are you considering becoming smugg??? That is a term used when you are Flex'n

Fred

[W1AEX]

Like Fred said, the 3000 does come with a bandwidth limitation (9kc on AM @ 4.5 + 4.5) that is imposed by the firmware. The SDR-1000 and the Flex 5000 are wide open and will actually do 40kc on AM (20 + 20) if you set it that way in PowerSDR. (I don't know anyone who runs them that wide, but they both have that capability.) The 3000 is very simple to set up, which can be viewed as both good and bad. The only TX audio input is the front panel modular jack, which might make interfacing with external audio gear a challenge if you intend to do that. The SDR-1000 is a bit of a project, but if you are comfortable messing with PC audio cards and the associated cabling to and from the computer, they sound great and will handle external audio components very nicely. The Flex 5000 has a patch panel on the back that allows you to interface with any external audio gear you might care to connect it to. You also get an RX antenna port and multiple RF output ports that are steerable with PowerSDR. So... it all depends on which path you intend to pursue. The 3000 is a great rig, but it has input/output limitations and is somewhat TX bandwidth limited. A few of the SDR-1000 users that I have run into are feeling kind of left behind with the newer software versions which can be a bit "glitchy" with the SDR-1000. It would be a good idea to speak to a few SDR-1000 guys to see how valid that feeling is.

In my opinion, the Flex is the only multi-mode rig that does justice to the AM mode. Just don't get smug if you end up owning one!

Rob W1AEX

[Pete, WA2CWA]

I started out with a SDR-1000 many years ago (or so it seems) and worked well as my first SDR rig. The software at the time was still been massaged very often to correct numerous issues that were popping up with all the users. My internally installed sound card (Delta 66) never seemed to work well so I migrated to the external Personus box which was a pleasure to use with the SDR-1000. I eventually migrated to the Flex 5000A (one of the first off the assembly line) and never looked back. I did have the opportunity to use the Flex 3000 for several weeks and also found it to be a great performer, much better then the SDR-1000, and with slightly less features then the Flex 5000. If I was starting out again in the SDR arena, and finances were a big consideration, the choice of the Flex 1500 (if I was interested in HF/6M QRP), or the Flex 3000 (HF/6M 100W), would be high on my choices. The Flex Product Comparison Matrix, http://www.flex-radio.com/Products.aspx?topic=SDR_Feature_Matrix is a good place to start to review at a glance all the available features. Unfortunately, the matrix doesn't include the SDR-1000, but there are many domestic and international product reviews of the FLEX-5000™, FLEX-3000™ and SDR-1000 from various Amateur Radio publications, http://www.flex-radio.com/News.aspx?topic=publications

[WA4JK]

I like the idea of having a wide choice of audio and I'm not afraid of the puter, I think I'll seek out a sdr-1000 and give this smuggniss a try...

[Todd, KA1KAQ]

Jay, N3WWL was the first station I ever heard running a Flex, some years back. I remember being absolutely amazed at the audio quality. And Jay has a voice that takes full advantage of it.

He's a member here and pops on from time to time, I bet he'd have some good input.

Fill us in on what you end up with.

[WA3VJB]

YES !  Jay, "Kia Rio" N3WWL.  Ask him about cabling and interconnection issues. Once he had them sorted out he was hi hi FB on the Flex 1K.
Another is Bill  W3DUQ. Uncle Willie hasn't been on much the past year, if at all, but he and Dave, W9AD, have spent hours with the factory refining the Flex on AM.  I think they both now are running the Flex 5K.

An early recording with Dave on his Flex 1K shows the potential these rigs have, but you probably already know that part of it.  Good luck.  This sound file has a lot of replays, since it provides what I think is a great demonstration. Diode output, R390A, received near Annapolis from Dave's location near Chicago.

http://qth.net/wa3vjb/7285-W9AD.mp3

[N3WWL]

I love my Flex 3000.  The bandwidth limitaion on AM is 9kC, although that's plenty wide for me.  I do not use the front panel mounted mic jack.  The unit has provisions for an external audio chain at the rear by way of a 9 pin "D" connector.  I feed an Electro Voice RE-27 into a Symetrix 528E and then to a Behringer splitter / mixer, then  into the Flex.  The software allows one to choose either front panel or rear "D" connector input.  I've been using a Flex product since 2002 and couldnt be happier.  The receiver is excellent and with a nice set of speakers (I'm using a pair of satellite speakers and an 8 inch subwoofer) it sounds excellent.  I had no use for an independent second receiver and the cost difference between the 5000 and 3000 was substantial.  I still believe that the 3000 is the best bang for the buck.  The rig will easily modulate to 150% on positive peaks without closing out the carrier.  I run mine at about 125% due to the limitaion of most receivers.  The synchronous AM feature works remarkably well also.  Feel free to contact me with any questions.

[flintstone mop]

Small world......"what goes around comes around" I bought Jay's Flex 1000 and it is truly a different kind of radio. Fantastic TX audio, and the usual wonderful tricks you can do to make almost all QSO's "armchair copy" by shifting the I.F. or narrowing the BW from nearby QSO's. I know traditional plastic radios have the same controls, but you have a computer screen displaying exactly what you need to do to get that 'armchair copy' when the band is busy.
I was considering changing out my 1000 for a 5000, but I went through Holy Heck to get the upgraded soundcard connected and running. The Flex 1000 will be happy with a simple Delta 66 sound card, but gets happier with an Edirol FA 66 sound card.
The Flex 5000 does not need a sound card. I would hate to ditch all of the prep time and setup and major headaches I went through to get the proper FA 66 sound card. It had to be an Edirol FA 66 not a Roland Fa66............They look exactly the same but the Power SDR software will only recognize an Edirol FA 66. Downloading the drivers from Roland will warn you about that. The FLEX radio support was surprised when I told them my discovery.
IF I were to sell my 1000 I would have to include the FA 66 and my asking price would have to be unreasonable, at this time cuz the FA 66 sound card is $400.00. NEW/USED, they are still in high demand as a professional recording studio sound card. Difference between an FA 66 and Delta 66 is almost night and day in quality. The DSP features of the Flex perform better with the better sound card and you can see entire band that you are operating on the panadapter.
You can look in eHam.net and there are always used 1000's there for around $600.00..........check to make sure the Ham op is including the sound card. And make sure your computer has a printer port, as that is how the computer 'talks' to the Flex radio box. If it doesn't you can buy a card that plugs into the motherboard to give you an LPT1 port..........more of my headaches when I upgraded the computer to a faster CPU and motherboard.
But to start out and enjoy a different experience with SDR the Flex 1000 is a nice ride.
Fred

[KA3ZLR]

Hi,

 I have a Central Electronics 20 A coming soon I hope...But These rigs have come along way
around here local I think Brian has one Paul I can't remember his Call his soundz great man
everyone has said all that can be said pretty much. nice stuff.

73
Jack
KA3ZLR

[w1vtp]

My answer would be neither.  The SDR1000 is a discontinued unit and the 3000 has limited BW.  Now it was a FT-101 you could fix a problem but a SDR1000?  NAW.

If you don't have a problem with the 3000's BW then go for it.  Otherwise, hold out for a 5000 or deyellify a BA of your choice

Al

[WA1GFZ]

The best interface for the flex 1000 is the HPSDR Janus sound card & Ozy interface that interfaces the computer over USB2. They sit on an Atlas motherboard. HPSDR started life as the perfect interface for Flex.

[Pete, WA2CWA]

I agree with Al. Some things that make the 5000 shine over the 3000 include true phase lock diversity when using the optional 2nd independent receiver, balanced line level audio input, 192 KHz wide spectrum display vs 96 KHz for the 3000, better dynamic range, and the ability to add VHF/UHF capabilities. Both the 3000 and 5000 come with a 3 year warranty. The SDR-1000 would probably come with a "it worked the last time I turned it on" kind of warranty. If you can get a SDR-1000 for cheap, comes with a compatible sound card (or outboard sound box and associated cables), and your PC still has a parallel port, then that may be the way to go. My concern on the SDR-1000 since it's well along in its life cycle, is how much further Flex can carry on hardware and software support for it. From what I remember, no schematics or service related information were ever released on the 1000.

[WA1GFZ]

HPSDR will run at 192K

[WA4JK]

Man so many choices and good info. Having no experience with SDR's or Smug Flex I have decided to stick a toe in the water to see how it feels before diving in. I have a SDR Softrock Ensemble RX LF/HF II on the way. Now for those who use these how do you mute the receiver when transmittiing??

[WA4JK]

OK your smuggieness I need some advice. I got the softrock up and running with sdr-console calibrated and it will run with HDSDR, but I can not get it to work with powersdr. I want ot use the softrock to learn the software side of this smuggness before dumping bucks into a total Smuggy... I just can't figure out how to get the program to track freq. first. I down loaded the latest version. Thanks

[WA3VJB]

Good question !

I've been waiting for the Smug-O-Matic^® to come out in October.

Or was that the IPhone 5 ?

I get my smuggies confused.

[W2PFY]

In a world where few things stick, I think Clark's Smugness term is one that will live on forever

[WB2EMS]

I dipped a toe in the water with an SDR-receiver, the SDR-IQ. I enjoyed that a lot and was very impressed with the capabilities, so then I looked around and found an SDR-1000. I got an FA66 to run with it and ran it for a year and got totally hooked. Started looking for a 3000, and ran across a decent deal on a 5000 and took the plunge. Since then my other radios are feeling neglected.

From what I remember, no schematics or service related information were ever released on the 1000.

I'm pretty sure the seller sent me a set of schematics, maybe even on disk, when I got the 1000. Not sure where they came from, but they seemed to match up to the hardware pretty good. 

[W1AEX]

I just can't figure out how to get the program to track freq. first. I down loaded the latest version. Thanks

I'm not sure if you are referring to the pretty 2.x.x Flex versions of PowerSDR, but those do not "officially" support the Softrock platform. When they introduced that branch of PowerSDR they stated that it would only support the Flex line of products. That being said, one of the folks from Flex suggests selecting "unsupported sound card" as if you were running an SDR-1000 and it may work fine. PowerSDR version 1.18.6 which was the last of the 1.x.x versions, lists support for the Softrock 40 platform but I'm not sure if that is good to go with the SDR Softrock Ensemble RX LF/HF II. The 1.18.6 version is still available from the Flex download server.

Rob W1AEX

[WA1GFZ]

That was a dumb move by Flex. You should drive HPSDR electronic beam steering. Very cool. Open source helps everyone and they have fallen behind in one generation of hardware design.

[W1AEX]

Open source helps everyone and they have fallen behind in one generation of hardware design.

Frank,

Except for the portions that have always been proprietary and copyright protected (such as embedded firmware, drivers, DLL's, and skins), PowerSDR is still open source and distributed under the GPL Open Source License. They just aren't focusing on compatibility with anything other than their own hardware. That's kept them plenty busy for the past year, especially with the Flex 1500 and it's USB interface, but they seem to have things to the point where they are now adding features rather than trying to get it all to work.

Regarding the hardware design being a generation behind, are you referring to the 192 KHz sampling rate in the A/D and D/A converters? I'm not sure what they are planning in the hardware department for their next deployment, but judging by the number of Flex 3000's (max 96000 Khz sampling rate) and Flex 1500's (max 48000 KHz) that are flying off their shelves each day, it would appear that the vast majority of customers out there, including government agencies, are content with the performance offered by maximum sampling rates well below 192 KHz. From a marketing standpoint, my guess is that Flex is pretty content right now. That being said, it will be very interesting to see where all this stuff is 5 years from now!

Are the HPSDR releases compatible with the Flex hardware? It might be fun to play around with features specific to their software.

Rob W1AEX

[Pete, WA2CWA]

I like the Tracking RF notch filters in the new PowerSDR beta release version 2.2.2.

[W1AEX]

I like the Tracking RF notch filters in the new PowerSDR beta release version 2.2.2.

They are awesome. I set up a permanent one to notch out some baby monitor crud that is close to the 6 meter beacon frequencies. Adjustable width, depth, and locked to whatever frequency you desire, and all on the fly with a few mouse clicks. Very slick!

[Steve - K4HX]

192k sample rate is pretty much irrelevant for Amateur Radio operation. Unless you need a realtime spectral display of more than 96 kHz, the sample rate doesn't matter. Even then, the FFT might not be fast enough to display in realtime.