Flex Control and 6300

Rich McCabe

Is the 6000 series lacking in features compared to older versions?  I am a new flex user and see information on the flex control knob doing a lot of stuff. In my case I am using it for master control volume, slice volume, attack AGC and of course tuning. The mode, On/Off and toggle doesnt mean anything to me and the drop downs don't really have much for options.

Stu Phillips - K6TU

Rich,

The current support for the FlexControl in SmartSDR is "simple FlexControl" - the original concepts when K6TD and myself designed the FlexControl was (and is) fully implemented in DDutil by Steve, K5FR.

PowerSDR (the software for the legacy radios prior to the 6000 series) has also has a much richer support for the FlexControl with both a simple and advanced mode.

I believe FlexRadio chose to implement the "simple" approach in SmartSDR because of feedback they had received that the advanced support was too complicated for most folks to use.

If you are willing to use DDUtil, you can get extensive control over the radio including the different functions accessible via mode, on/off and toggle.

No response would be complete without a blatant sales plug for the K6TU Control iPad app - this provides you with finger tip access to all the functionality of the radio using an iPad.  Sorry but only available on the iPad.

http://k6tu.net/ipad

Stu K6TU

George O'Brien

Rich,
I use Stu's iPad app in addition to the Flex Control knob.  The combination is superb, especially when used during a contest.  N1MM contest s/w + iPad app + Flex Control lets one have a workflow that keeps the program focus on N1MM while still controlling the radio with SmartSDR.

Rich McCabe

Thanks guys. I will check out DDUtil. I am not an iPad fan and just gave mine away so wont be able to go down that path.

Steve W6SDM

I like to think of the 6000 series as re-inventing the wheel.  PowerSDR was a wooden wheel with spokes.  SmartSDR is a magnesium wheel with lug nuts.  The spoke wheel works better on a covered wagon, the mag wheel works great on an SUV.  The common factors are that they're both round and they're both wheels.

It will take some time for the engineering team to move all the bells and whistles that existed with PowerSDR to SmartSDR.  The development of the 6000 series radios wasn't an upgrade it was a whole new engineering concept that required new hardware and new software.  Watch Steve Hicks' presentation on YouTube and you will see what I mean.


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bXr0cn5ubOM

Steve W6SDM

Rich, Next time you give away an iPad, let me know.  I'm good on QRZ.com. 

Rich McCabe

 LOL. Well my daughter loves Apple stuff. So gave it to her and bought a new i7 surface Pro 3 which suites me much better!

Carl Moreschi

Also I want to add my N4PY Pegasus Plus has over 50 functions that can be done with the Flex Knob or Tmate 2 device.

Bill -VA3WTB

Hey Steve, I am still using my 3000 and to this day performs better than anything I have ever owned, and I have had some nice radios. If the 3000 still performs better than most box radios it is clear how far those radios would be behind the 6000's.