SDR for Apple

Nick - W2NER

I would love to see support for Apple, porting SDR over to Apple (OS X) would be great...

Jay -- N0FB

From your lips to the developer Gods ears!  Amen!

Jon_KF2E

Lots of us would like to have SSDR native on OSX. That said, I think we are going to have to wait for a third party developer to do it. Hopefully soon...

Jon...kf2e

Jim Gilliam

I think K6TU would get rich if he would write and app for the iPhone. I would buy it in a New York minute!

Nick - W2NER

If some developer would do it, it would sell in a big way for sure.

Stu Phillips - K6TU

Right... get rich?  'scuse me while I ROTLFLMAO...

I charge for the K6TU Control app to make a point - software isn't free.

In the almost 12 months the app has been available I've sold a princely total of 84 units - thats 30% for Apple (pure profit - lucky them) and 70% for me.

I won't be quitting the day job anytime soon.
Stu K6TU

Stu Phillips - K6TU

What do you think would be a reasonable price?

Just asking...
Stu K6TU

Jim Gilliam

I think your current price is well worth the money. Relatively speaking, it's a pricey app, but it's worth it to a died-in-the-wool ham.

Jim Gilliam

I wonder if you plan to enhance your iPad app when SDR goes WAN? It would be a joy if you could pass the audio in both directions. It would make it a marvelous remote. I would pay double the price...even triple.

Jim, K6QE

George KF2T

I'd pay a premium to get the SSDR suite OSX native. After all, I'm paying for Parallels now, paid for Fusion, too.

Nick - W2NER

What he said ^^^, me too.

Bob G W1GLV

George, I just converted to a Mac Mini and I found that Windows perform better as a VM . I too would love to see an OSX SSDR. I would bet that FRS's sales could possibly double.

Nick - W2NER

I just did that as well but I did find any mini less then a 2011 model will run a bit slower then for example an IMAC 27.  I just sold my Mac Mini 2009 model and got a Mini Mac 2011 model.  Much better plus boot camp will run in 64 bit mode for windows on 2011's and newer.

KY6LA_Howard

i just want to remote via my iPad'
The heck with schlepping Macbooks and Laptops

To me that is "Priceless"

Steve W6SDM

Only 84 units?  Anyone with SSDR should have one of these - especially if you're going to contest.  There is nothing slicker than sliding your finger across the screen, every so slightly, and watching the panadapter on the monitor respond.  It's a smooth, easy way to scan frequencies.  I have the the iPad app and the FlexControl.  The tuning dial is always in focus and always just a reach away.

Jim Gilliam

One hardly would be schlepping with a Surface Pro 3, however.

DrTeeth

Any chance of an Android app Stu?

Stu Phillips - K6TU

Guy,

Sorry but not from me.    Others are certainly welcome to do additional apps for any OS they like including Android but there is no portability between iOS and Android.

Stu K6TU

Patrick

This is the biggest thing on my wish list for SmartSDR a port to OSX.  I would be willing and ready to pay for a license.  I really would like to get away from Windows and its instability issues.  My Mac that I use for all my other needs runs day in day out solid as a rock.  I know that I can use bootcamp or other SW to run Windows apps, but would rather do it natively.  Would like to see this before v2 SmartSDR. 

By the way I had to move back to SmartSDR v1.3 due to SW issues with v1.38.  Hope you figure these problems soon.  Not a good situation for a $5k radio.  I'll be honest and tell you that I am not Happy with the issues that have not been resolved. 

Pat   WR1Z

Stu Phillips - K6TU

Let's be clear - its not a port... its a wholesale new development.

I totally understand the need - WIndows 7 is end of support in January next year and I have no intention of running Windows Vista 8 (one of the biggest POC I've ever seen from Redmond).  I would like nothing better but its a huge amount of work.

From a marketing perspective, I doubt anyone would pay a reasonable license fee that would in turn under write the cost of development.

This community claims 1306 members as I type this... maybe that is 50% of the FlexRadio 6000 series customers?  I don't have a feel for that....  Now think about the percentage with Macs (market stats would say likely around 20% given ham demographics)... so that's a potential market of maybe 450 users.

My guess given Hams (and ignoring the "it should be free" crowd) is that a reasonable license would be considered at $100 - so that's a huge $45K market opportunity.

Too small for a third party to underwrite and unlikely to generate enough incremental radio sales to support the cost of development.

It's very rare in Ham Radio software that a group of people come together to successfully develop free software... N1MM+ and classic is perhaps the sole example.

So in the meantime, I'm stuck with Parallels (which I like), Windows 7 which I can stomach with acid reflux and the looming prospect of a fate worse than Vista - Windoze 8 or 10...  

I so wish Windows would go away...
Stu K6TU

Jon_KF2E

Stu,

It's not quite that bad. Microsoft will offer extended support which includes security updates for Windows 7 until 2020.

Jon...kf2e

Stu Phillips - K6TU

That's a comfort!  Maybe by then there'll be a MAC OS X version for the radoi ;-)

Jon_KF2E

Don't hold your breath...

Jon...kf2e

Jim Gilliam

From some preliminary comments I have read, Windows 10 should have enough flavor of Windows 7 to make it bearable. However it looks like 10 will be an all-encompassing OS to allow both mobile and standard computers. That scares me.
For the life of me I can't understand the thinking of Microsoft to think I would want to put my sweaty, greasy fingers all over my monitor to simulate a mobile device. My large monitor sits about 4 feet away and the mouse is at arm's length.

Jim

Patrick

I don't know what language Flex SW engineers are using, it could be C++ if so the appropriate compilers are available.  I know that they would have to now accomidate the OSX as it would have some differences that would have to be worked out. Which might mean some new code.  But the processor in the Mac uses the same intel processor code.  There should not be any big issues or surprises.  The bigger problem is that SmartSDR as it stands now is an incomplete code set that still needs to be worked out.  I do feel that there are a lot of issues that are part of the Windows OS could be resolved by a port to UNIX.  Also once there is a Unix version, Linux users can be made happy also.  One thing to remember only SmartSDR has to be changed the code in the Radio that runs the FPGAs does not have to change. That only changes if an actual change in features or code enhancement or bug fixes internal to the radio.   I know that Flex has a lot on it's plate, only time will work these issues out.  I think right now they need to fix some of the basic issues plaguing us. 

Pat

Reggie-k6xr

Always a problem with windows! none with OSX

Stu Phillips - K6TU

It is not a port - repeat.


SmartSDR client is written in C# and is heavily dependent both on its language features as well as WIndows graphic and UI frameworks - analogs to these do not exist on OSX or Linux.

An OSX client is a start from scratch effort.

I'm well aware of the issues of writing client code...
Stu K6TU

Patrick

I guess you don't read very well,  or understand what I wrote,  and if you did you would see that my words had the same meaning.  Although, I am a little more confident that the differences could be resolved by a good software engineer. And I do understand the effort required.  I do understand that Flex does not have the manpower at this time to do that kind of effort.  But there is always hope...

Pat 

Jay -- N0FB

There are many Amateur Radio Enthusiasts who also happen to write software.  Amongst these technically astute individuals, there are a good number who are also Macintosh aficionados (Steve - N5AC, FRS VP of Engineering is in this group.)  Some of these happen to have Flex 6000.   I understand fully that this pool equates to a niche of a niche of a niche.  We also all know of individuals like Simon Brown of Ham Radio Deluxe fame and Daniele Pistollato who wrote Log4OM.  Both of these men donated their talent and hard work to the Ham Community.  

I still have hopes that someone with love for the Flex and love of elegant and stable operating system environments such as OSX who will want to use their time and talent to marry the two technologies together for the sheer love Ham Radio. 

Who is the next titan of Amateur Radio Software developers?  Any takers?

Stu Phillips - K6TU

Pat,

Remember the ham radio code... a Radio Amateur is a Gentleman.

As one, I'll simply respond that my reading skills are just fine as are my software development skills.  

Stu K6TU

Jim Gilliam

For those who have had software problems with 1.38 and have reverted to 1.3. I have never had a problem with any version of SSDR using Windows 7. I have had problems and thought they were related to SSDR but in all cases they have been due to corruption of Windows. Due to these corruptions, I use a dedicated computer that is "clean" to run SSDR. I never get on the Internet with this computer; just use it for ham radio activities. Also I make a hard drive image and update it regularly when I add ham radio-related software or SSDR updates. I have found this method takes the blame away from Flex.  

Jim, K6QE