1.4 opinions, heres mine.

Jay Nation

I'm still acquiring  experience with 1.4. Adapting my methods to the changes, and new features. It's too soon, for me to criticize, first I have to eliminate pilot error. To me it' a new radio, time to figure out what this new radio can, and can't do. Waterfall tweaking has changed, So I adapt my methods, I haven't decided if the changes are better or worse. I need more experience with this new radio before I can decide. 1.38 was pretty good, 1.4 added features, more features == great idea in my opinion. I haven't discovered any problems that can't been solved by adapting my methods. Give it a month maybe I'll find something. Give it 3 months  and I will learn how to work around any issues that came with the changes. Give it much longer and I suspect I'll be learning 1.4.2 or 1.5.0 and have new concerns with them. More is better, new is better, change is going to happen, It's up to me to make learning the changes fun for me, thats my responsibility. What it used to do, is in the past, what it does now I'm learning, What it does tomorrow, will be the reason I'm learning.  

Doris Day sang,

"Que sera, sera
Whatever will be, will be
The future's not ours to see
Que sera, sera"

I think Eddie Money sang it better...

"Hey-ey baby
You know the future's lookin' brighter
Every morning' when I get up
Don't be thinkin' 'bout what's not enough,now baby
Just be thinkin' 'bout what we got
think of all my love, now
I'm gonna give you all I got

So baby hold on to me
Whatever will be, will be
the future is our to see
When you hold on to me"

The future IS mine to see, I'm not afraid to look.

Hopefully you'll be able to get these two mindworm songs out of your thoughts soon.

Keepin it even weirder! 
73, Jay - NO5J

Carl K5HK

Now that's why I bought my 6500 - to enjoy the adventure!

Jim Bryce W5HFS

I totally concur in Jay's post. It is a fitting response to those few who are inclined to fault the efforts of the Flex team. I for one, and I expect for most Flex owners, made the substantial investment in my 6700 knowing the only route to the most advanced radio in the world would involve delays and changes along the way. That's what has interested me in amateur radio for the sixty years I've been licensed and what has kept me in it. Were it to become so easy and predictable as a household appliance, I would not be interested. Ours is a hobby of pushing the frontiers. I was at the ARRL Centennial last year where our more than one hundred year history showed the constant advances we have made at the forefront of technology. It is a privilege to engage in this continuing effort. Thank you hard working and brilliant FlexRadio folks for making this possible.

Thom Baxter

I concur wholeheartedly with both comments. I was an early adopter of smart SDR an the 6500. Boy there were some problems in those early days. Not so much these days. Each release becomes better and better and more stable. Thank you FlexRadio for continuing to push the envelope. This release seems quieter than the previous. I'm picking up less noise. 73 d WI4USA Thom

Carl Young

Well money can't buy everything. I'm a very satisfied Flexer though!

Ken - NM9P

Economic terminology notwithstanding...in a sense my "investment" in amateur radio is an investment in myself via my hobbies and recreation.  Without this investment, I would be less well rested (except for after a long night of operating), more stressed, and would have less sense of accomplishment.  I invest in my creativity, renewal, rejuvenation  and stimulation, which may make me financially poorer, but emotionally and physically richer.  My investment in SDR has stimulated a great deal of learning, experimentation, mind-stretching, etc.  My choice of "lab equipment" is a Flex-6500, which may not appreciate in value, but I certainly appreciate it!  and it has added value to my life experience.

Yes, Amateur Radio is "just a hobby" in one sense. But in another sense, Amateur radio has helped build my career by teaching me to talk to other people in different lands, listen carefully when it is difficult, persevere when times are tough, creatively solve technical and personnel problems, research solutions to difficult problems, and deal with the "jammers" and "QRMers" that want to interfere with my life.  Not a bad investment.

Thanks to the FLEX team for making this latest addition to my learning laboratory so much fun!

Ken - NM9P

Steve W6SDM

Singing Que sera, sera in response to new radio software, Jay?  Two words:  Drug test. 

Jay Nation

Just so long as, we test everybody, I'll go first. The drugs are supposed to work but I still hear voices. You should hear what they say.   Be glad you don't have to.

73, Jay - NO5J   

MH_Flexer

Truth is someone's perception. To change their truth you just need to change their perceptions. I traded my 5K for a 6500 about two months ago, I am a total newbie to SSDR. Already, it is an awesome ride one I am happy to have jumped on. I missed a lot of the startup issues and really am quite content that I made a good choice. Ver 1.4 installed fine and the remote function works well. If I stay on my 1Gb LAN there are no issues with remote. Going wireless is still perfect within the reasonable range of my modem. Tried to remote from my work office which is right on the edge of my wireless range and stuff happens. No complaints, I am stretching the boundaries. Happy to have new things to add to my experience. My point is that the views and opinions on the community many times reflect emotional status. Folks who become frustrated push the boundaries of their perceptions, the truth becomes a bit distorted and rolls into the "blame game" arena. Once frustrations subside the perception (truth) improves. The really great experience that I am now a part of includes both the good things I read and the not so good things I read about here. For every frustration that is vented there seems to be many more positive and helpful posts. What is really amazing is the amount of overall ACTIVITY there is on this community. So my perception is Flexradio is managing to provide a healthy and active environment for amateur radio. My truth includes a rich radio experience which continues to expand on a daily basis and has a foundation of a very good company with talented, sensitive and patient employees, a great radio and the opportunity to learn something every time I log onto the website or sit at my station. Not to mention hundreds of informative posts and wealth of knowledge that is here in this community. Very glad to be able to enjoy the whole bundle. Dmr

on5po

I don't sustain all these opinions, only flat, a pity plug and play, reserve only has an aware category.  thank you the boys, thank you for the help of certain.
73
Janny

k3Tim

Hi Burt,

Not Jack Daniels but Jim Beam!  Check BEAM stock a couple months back.  :-)

Investment == slang for money tied up in equipment, etc.

Can ham gear be an investment using the dictionary definition?  YES 

When I started out in this hobby, the first rig was a Drake 1A, cost US$125.  IF (and that is a big IF!) you can find one they are worth 10x that.  Not a bad investment in the truest sense of the word.  But it gets better.  That rig and this hobby lead to a carrier as an EE.  Understanding electronics before the EE classes was a huge help.  Formulas had meaning not just memorization. Not a bad investment for US$125 I should think.  

Some parents "invest" in a telescope for the kids.  Next thing you know they grow up and become Scientists.  Not a bad 'investment' either.

Will the Flex 6K show a profit?  Not likely but I (and most others) know this going in.  Some other rigs will however.  Like old Ten Tec QRP radios.  But one never knows.

Now back to the BARTG! 

k3Tim  MSEE - PE  - PPSEL/IFR

PS - I still kick myself for selling that 1A - ****!

k3Tim

Heath VFO- Wow!   You never know what will be 'valuable' in the future.

In answer to your question about 1.38 / 1.4 I do not believe you can since the firmware in the Flex would have to match the PC version.  I yield to the experts at FRS.

Tim - W4TME

"In answer to your question about 1.38 / 1.4 I do not believe you can since the firmware in the Flex would have to match the PC version.  I yield to the experts at FRS."

You are 100% correct.

James Watts

Investment
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Investment is time, energy, or matter spent in the hope of future benefits actualized within a specified date or time frame. Investment has different meanings in economics and finance.

In economics, investment is the accumulation of newly produced physical entities, such as factories, machinery, houses, and goods inventories.

In finance, investment is buying or creating an asset with the expectation of capital appreciation, dividends (profit), interest earnings, rents or some combination of these returns. This may or may not be backed by research and analysis. Most or all forms of investment involve some form of risk, such as investment in equities, property, and even fixed interest securities which are subject, among other things, to inflation risk. It is indispensable for project investors to identify and manage the risks related to the investment.

Jay Nation

Janny 

I just used Google translate English > Dutch, then back,  Dutch > English, on my first post in this thread, Some things were mangled in the translation, maybe my opinion won't translate. Sorry for any confusion.
73, Jay - NO5J  

on5po

pfffff, small problem to copy to glue and of translator!!!  I restart, I have write that I agreed with the majority of the post only, problem for me, a pity that the configuration of the flex with the other program is not plug and play, only façile for the slip technicians  
sorry
73
Janny