SmartSDR v1.4 Update Posted

DrTeeth

Try doing an upper root canal at the back of the mouth on somebody who just won't keep still! "Nurse, pass the extraction forceps please". It would be easier to split an atom with a knife and fork.

James Whiteway

Gerald, sounds like a good idea to me. Besides that, I like surprises! What better surprise than to find out there is a new, IMPROVED , update to my current favorite sdr program, SmartSDR!
And of course, when it is an incremental update to the version I currently own, it's FREE!
(I'm cheap , what can I say?? )
 But, when a new FULL version upgrade shows, up, I can decide for myself if it meets my interests or needs and be willing to pay for the upgrade. Not a bad deal at all.
  As it is, SmartSDR, with proper settings works extremely well. The functions that need attention are Ok, but not quite on the level as they are in PowerSDR. BUT, I went in to this eyes wide open and knew that from the start. And I know that it will be fixed at some point in time. And with judicious use of several things, I can get things working so close to PowerSDR that it is hardly noticeable except in severe conditions. But, then again, I'm a casual operator and rarely participate in contests or anything that might stress things too much.
And on the PLUS side, I get to play with the Flexlib API ! How cool is that ! I have messed with trying to write my own interface to other radios I've owned and none were as easy as the Flex and Flexlib.
(of course, it's been a bit tough, but, that is my fault not Flex Radio's) .
I am really looking forward to seeing what the next version of Flexlib is like, and diving head long into it.
As they say in my line of work, "keep on trucking Gerald!" You have a ton of satisfied users that support you and your company.
james
WD5GWY

Kevin J. Mahoney

I have become a loyalist because of Flex's transparency. Most technology based companies become defensive and do not communicate advances like this openly during development especially in the face of delays. I do not know but I would guess that Flex is a privately owned company which is not a **** to Wall Street. Whoever owns Flex and it's staff have a corporate philosophy that is to be admired greatly. As a consumer and purchaser I will take that openness any day.

Gerald-K5SDR

Nick, I am not planning to close this thread until Monday.  Why don't you fly down to Austin and help us do some testing and debugging.  It's a lot warmer here than it is in Hopewell Junction, NY.  We'll even take you to eat Rudy's BBQ and out to watch Austin City Limits as compensation. Maybe you can bring a few extra real time multi threaded DSP and FPGA coders from your team as well.  ;>)  

73, Gerald

W2NER

Gerald. When I first bought this radio I was told the FM kids would be coming out next month (oct). And now here it is for months later and still no release that's what annoys me the most I was told something that didn't come true and the FM mide was very important to me. Otherwise I would not have purchsed the flex.

W2NER

Sorry for the misspellings I'm doing this from my car from an iPhone

James Whiteway

To quote Larry the Cable Guy, "now that there is funny, I don't care who you are!!"

Peter K1PGV

Maybe you can bring a few extra real time multi threaded DSP and FPGA coders from your team as well

Verilog or VHDL?  It makes a difference... ;-)

(Sorry, I'll shut up now.  I promise.)

K1PGV

Richard G7EIX

Anyone else up for a GoFundMe to fly him down with his radio and give him a cash refund? :-)

Peter K1PGV

I'd be in to buy back his radio from him and donate it to the ARRL or someplace similar.  Free vacation to Austin, though?  No way.

DrTeeth

Concentrate on your driving instead.

SteveJ

Cash refund? Sure wish that was offered to me. Took a big hit on the depreciation selling a 4 month old 6500.  Took a loss of almost $900. Thought they would hold their value better.

Gerald-K5SDR

Nick, 

FM is important to you (and it is working).  LAN is important to others.  Rightly or wrongly, they have been together at the same place in the road map since we first published it over a year ago.  If we just did FM in this release and not LAN, we would have a different group griping.  

Gerald

Bill -VA3WTB

Strange, most people got what they paid for there's

Richard G7EIX

I assume you still own a model of flex as you are still here lurking and commenting.

Jay -- N0FB

SteveJ.... You might find this handy:  
http://www.thegreatcourses.com/courses/negotiating-the-best-deal.html

You might do better selling something next time.

Gerald-K5SDR

Thanks for the support.  You are talking with him.  Unfortunately, I think we may need to be less transparent with software target release dates in the future.  As someone else said, "No good deed goes unpunished."  
Gerald

SteveJ

People got what they paid for them? I don't believe that, try selling yours and see what it goes for.  When I was trying to sell mine others were selling their 6500 for $3500-$3975. There is no way that you can sell a used 6500 for what you paid for it.  Why would anyone in their right mind pay you what you paid for it when they could get a brand new one from Flex.

Why am I still here?  To keep tabs on the future software updates. For now I don't have my Flex but would consider getting another one in the future once the software matures.

Tony Hateley

yeh,but see how long it took you,but then we had no oil you wanted

Gerald-K5SDR

One more post and I think I will spend some time testing the latest alpha release for v1.4 shown below.  

W2NER

Send me that alpha release and I'll be happy

James Whiteway

Tease!!!

8P6SH

I do not own any of the Flex transceivers. I have an interest as an avid contester in the overall development of SDR and at some stage would love to be convinced that there is something in SDR for the contest community.

I joined this community therefore to be able to learn and to keep a pulse on the developments - with the intention to buy a 6300 to start experimenting with in the months ahead. 

This thread has not done anything positive for the Flex image - IN MY EYES.

I respect those who own the rigs but I don't think getting personal with dissenting voices will help either their problems or Flex's in terms of getting enough owners to continue the development of the software for the Flex 6000 series. Put another way without new buyers the early adopters will likely be stuck without the kind of development which would have been promised.

Just FYI - I actually visited one of the UK websites that offers the Flex for sale and their advertising copy DOES say the Flex 6000 series does FM. Gerald and company - while I didn't check I take you at your word that your advertising material doesn't say "Al-mode" BUT in the UK the copy does include the words FM - http://www.radioworld.co.uk/flex-6700r . Somebody may wish to whisper into an ear so the copy can be adjusted to correctly reflect the current reality or the promised reality.

My enthusiasm for the new flex 6000 series has been negatively impacted by this thread. I am saying it out loud for the benefit of the folk at Flex who could stand to lose out if there are others like me who may choose to keep quiet and continue to buy "inferior" radios.

Anyway I have turned down/off the email notifications so I can focus on other things of lesser importance.

73, Dean - 8P6SH
 



 

Richard McClelland, AA5S

Welcome aboard.  This particular thread seems a bit more contentious than normal, if that is of any use.

Gerald-K5SDR

Nick, contact me offline.  If you will come to my office personally, I will let you sign a NDA and will give you a copy of the latest alpha release.  I will show you around the shop and let you meet our development team.  I will even take you to lunch for real Texas BBQ at Rudy's as I said earlier.  This is not a joke and is open to anyone willing to make the trip.

http://www.rudysbbq.com/page/location/name/bbq-austin%20-%20183

Gerald

8P6SH

On the Flex site as well it does say quite clearly that the Flex 6300 does FM. http://www.flexradio.com/amateur-products/flex-6000-signature-series/flex-6300/ What makes it a reasonable conclusion that FM is currently supported is the footnote that points out the RTTY is dependent on third party software. Maybe a footnote saying that FM is dependent on a future software release would protect Flex from some of the claims made.

Dean - 8P6SH

Gerald-K5SDR

Dean,

I appreciate your candor.  I am curious if FM or LAN remote is on your requirements list for contesting?  Please contact me by offline by email because I would love to know more about what you feel you are missing for contesting in our current software.  We have some very serious contesters using our products with current software and more coming on line. 

Note that I did check all of our official FlexRadio literature including that posted on the website and it says that FM is coming in a future release, which is true.  We don't always police every word of our international distributors say, which may need to change.  Thanks for pointing that out.  I will let our EU representative know.

Sincerely,
Gerald

Bill -VA3WTB

Over time there has been many threads with descenting comments with little problems. The comments are ones for info and understanding. The problem is there are a few who post here with clear agendas and just wait for an opportunity to stir things up. You get to know who they are. With this release being late it comes as no surprise some of these people jumped on Flex very fast.

EA4GLI

<irony_on>

Oh my god!! I totally dislike that green color! I was never informed of that specific choice when I purchased my flex. I better get 150% of the money I paid for the radio when I sell it (which will be very soon, of course).

I cannot believe I wasn't given very specific Pantone numbers on everything that will be in my display! It is incredible the audacity to actually use Green Pantone 365 when this application on the picture you published 2 years ago was clearly Green Pantone 345...
From now on just publish Black and White pictures, therefore I won't be disappointed and offended by the colors....

</irony_off>

sigh!

In all seriousness Gerald and Team, don't let the voice of the few dictate what you do, when the majority agrees that how you are doing things now is for the benefit of the many.

Gerald-K5SDR

Dean, 

We first published a public software roadmap for SmartSDR over 18 months ago.  The roadmap has always shown FM to be in version 1.4.  After publishing that first roadmap, we met our dates to the day for v1.0, v1.1, and v1.2.  We missed our date for v1.3 by only two weeks.  We did a lot pre-work on v1.4 LAN during v1.3 development.  

As of this weekend, are three months behind the estimated date for v1.4 that we published over 18 months ago.  FM was easy, remote was hard when you are running many receivers/panadapters/waterfalls.  We are very close (using it at home today) to release of v1.4 but I won't give any more projected dates until its done.  That is not too bad for a date that we estimated a year and a half ago.

Dean, I am still confused as to why FM would be important for contesting.  I am not aware of many contests where FM is used.

Gerald