ALE Waveform Module (2G ALE MIL-STD-188-141C & FED-1045)

Chuck - KJ6HT

Integrating an ALE Waveform Module into the 6000 line seems like a natural fit. Because of the nature of ALE, integration as a waveform module would be a far better method then utilizing an external software approach. It could be a hybrid design, The "modem" could be integrated and the user interface could be external software. This would open up some Military / Federal market opportunities for FRS as well as amateur operators involved with MARS,ARES,RACES etc.

Doug Hall

Chuck,
I developed one of the first FED-STD-1045 ALE modems back in the 80s on a processor 100X slower than the one in the Flex, so given the capabilities of the FLEX platform I'm sure it would not be too difficult to integrate.

With all due respect to your suggestion, however, I've never been a fan of ALE use on the amateur bands, for a number of reasons. But even putting that personal bias aside there are quite a few features I would prefer to see Flex working on ahead of stuff like ALE. The radio has a finite amount of CPU horsepower, and Flex has a finite amount of engineering bandwidth, and I'd rather see these finite resources brought to bear on features that would benefit a greater percentage of Flex users. As an ALE user you may have statistics to refute this, but I'm betting not one ham in a thousand knows or cares what ALE is.
73,
Doug K4DSP

Chuck - KJ6HT

Doug,

I agree that not many amateurs are familiar with ALE and I concur with your assessment regarding amateur use. My use case is MARS and SHARES. I think it would give FRS more opportunity to market to Military / Federal markets. I believe the profit from large Federal contracts would benefit all FRS customers.

73'

Chuck 

Andrew O'Brien

I have operated ALE via PC-ALE and Multipsk on Flex legacy radios as well as signature series.  I agree that operating via 3rd part software seems like such "old school" technology when you think of what a Flex radio can do. Andy K3UK