Dayton 2015 Report - Unofficial

KY6LA_Howard

Still catching up with the world...as we flew back late yesterday and of course, XYL and I are now rushed out of our minds as we head off for 6+ weeks back to Europe next Sunday.. 

 

Weather was the usual muggy and rainy Dayton **** weather.. glad I no longer live near the center of the continent

 

Dayton.. usual FILTHY disgusting arena with overflowing toilets.. As an American I am shamed that Foreign visitors have to see Ham Radio's Mecca as such a worse than 3rd world place..

 

FLEA MARKET
Flea market was clearly down about 25% less vendors this year and virtually everything for sale was garbage that you would not normally pull out from your own trash.  Even the usual hat embroidery places were down to one vendor.  I suspect old age plus a lousy weather forecast was a contributing factor.

 

FORUMS

I attended 2 Forums  = Ham Law.. which was terrible this year without Fred Hopengarten.. and SDR - which was excellent with a number of new ideas and concepts being shown...

 

JAPANESE

The Japanese had their usual Legacy HF radios which clearly are no longer selling very well.. Kenwood and Yaesu HF Both areas were totally dead.   Icom - who are better showmen.. had some interest in the Overpriced IC-7851 - but it still lacked a modern display capability.. they were misrepresenting the 7851 as an SDR.. which it obviously is not as it is legacy Superhetrodyne technology with a DSP.. Circa 1980 design.. albeit they have tried to address the phase noise issues they had with the 7800.   

 

It was pretty obvious that the Japanese have almost given up on selling HF equipment in the face of superior US Offerings from Elecraft and Flex Radio.  The Japanese seem to moved heavily into the VHF/UHF and various incompatible digital modes.  Talking to HRO.. they admitted that they hardly ever sell a Japanese HF radio anymore but the VHF/UHF Radios sell well...

 

CHINA

However the star of the VHF/UHF were the Baofeng Chinese Radios selling for $24.95... Hard to justify $400 for a Japanese radio that does the same thing.  Needless to say the Baofeng were selling like hot cakes.

 

STEPPIR

SteppIR introduced a portable Antenna analyzer for $389 which is visibly superior to the MFJ269@$399.  Several of us bought the SteppIR analyzers.  Rob WA3IHV and Ben N6MUF bought the CrankIR portable vertical Antennas for DXpeditions.

 

ELECRAFT

Elecraft introduced the K3S which is the old K3 with a new synthesizer board to fix the poor RMDR issues that had the K3 down on the Sherwood List.  Like the Japanese, Elecraft tried to misrepresent the K3S as an SDR but clearly it is a Legacy Superhetrodyne Radio with a DSP audio stage.. Circa 1980 design...  With the new synthesizer board the K3S still ranks second to the Flex 6700/6500 on the Sherwood list.   The sales table at Elecraft had 3 sales stations and were lined up 3-5 deep waiting to place orders.  Clearly Elecraft still make winning products.

 

FLEX RADIO

Flex Radio introduced their $999 Maestro Portable Front Panel - Contest Optimized Knobs and Display for their 6000 series.. Clearly it was the star of Dayton 2015. Flex is making a major push into the contest world.. more on that later...  Maestro's were selling spectacularly.. both over the sales counter and online.. in fact the order flow online was so heavy that the on line sales site clearly slowed down under the load.  Flex had several stations set up that each include a Maestro Front Panel - One demonstrated close integration with N1MM+ Contest Software,  One Demonstrated the Application Programming Interface where users are now connecting all sorts of interesting and cool things to the Flex 6000 series.. WITHOUT WIRES.  Since all the Flex 6000 series have 95 dB antenna isolation, Flex introduced a SO2R box to enable full duplex in all the 6000 radios.  The major benefit is that now a Single Radio can now be used to SO2R contest at about 1/2 the cost and much less complexity of the comparable two K3S that would be needed to accomplish the same result.

 

Rob WA3IHV and I put in orders for the Maestro.  

 

ITALY

Italy was very strongly represented.  Begali Morse Code Keys are definitely still the #1 CW Key.  Expert Amps had their 1.3K-FA Amp on display.. only 16lbs and 1500 Watts.. Only $4,695 Show Special...Backordered by shows end to at least January 2016.

I was particularly impressed with the $1099 Elad SDR-DUO.. (I saw it also at Friedrichshafen 2014) with is a complete Second Generation SDR 5 W Transceiver in a very portable box with Knobs..it runs stand alone or with a computer.. More impressive was when hooked up to a Expert 1.3K-FA it drove 1000W with only 5 W drive...  Charlie NN3V bought one.

 

FLEX BANQUET

We normally avoid events in Downtown Dayton...too yucky and dangerous

... But this year the draw was Ranko 4O3A and Craig K9CT - two renowned world class contesters who were the guest speakers..

Top Contesters are like Formula One Drivers.. They push the technological envelop to achieve better and better results.. We all benefit from the technological improvements that trickle down from their competitive experience.

 

Gerald Youngblood, President of Flex, told us of his design process for the Maestro in which he visited with and listened to top contesters to try to understand what they needed to be able to perform better.  With the help of Craig K9CT they design the Maestro box .. with only the absolutely needed knobs and controls and put it in a small enough package that it could fit at  the most ergonomically optimum angle for contesting for minimum operator fatigue  He then went onto explain the rapid development process where they literally backed the molds in an oven to produce working models for the show in 4 weeks.

 

Ranko 4O3A's company is well known for making devices such as the Station Genius to integrate any and every possible peripheral device into a contest station.   Most important all the new devices are 21st Century Ethernet Speed Connected rather than 20th century slow serial ports.   He went over the joint development of the Flex SO2R box to give it the features of the Station Genius as well as enable the Flex 6000 operate as a Full Duplex SO2R station.   Ranko's contest station set the new European Record for the 2014 CQWWDX CW contest.  His plan is to use the Flex 6000 with the SO2R in the 2015 CQWWDX contest and hopes that the improvements will enable him to shatter the world record.  He then surprised us all by revealing that Flex was working with him on the design a Full Legal Amplifier (using 2 - 1400W transistors) - This will be the first totally Ethernet Connected Amplifier.. Flex gave NO PRICES or DETAIL or Delivery Dates.. but likely the main stumbling block will be the usual bureaucratic regulatory approval delays associated with Amps ..rather than engineering or production...

 

Craig, K9CT, started his talk by stating that "Elecraft should be worried that he was over at the Flex Dinner"   He explained the concepts and designs behind K9CT contest station and how the new Flex Contest Suite would not only cut his costs of a SO2R station in 1/2 but more important greatly simplify station configuration, design and contest work flow.   K9CT is committed to using the Flex Contest Station Suite in the Fall Contests.

 

 

FINALLY

Ken NN9P and I got a totally unexpected award at the Flex Radio Banquet at the Dayton Hamvention as the 2014 Top Flex Radio Elmer.

 

In case you are wondering, I am not paid by Flex nor do I own any of their stock.  All my life I have worked at the Bleeding Edge of Technology and I really enjoy working with others who also invent new things.. Flex has put fun back into Ham Radio for me by pushing me to consider new things all the time…

Ian1

Thanks Howard Great summation appreciate you taking the time to post since I don't have the luxury of free time for events such as this. Safe travels back to Europe. Ian

Oxford English

Thanks for this Howard, very interesting and informative.

Tim
G7GFW/F4VQP

Simon Lewis

Howard .. when you refer to the 'flex SO2R box' you mean the Maestro or something else??

KY6LA_Howard

The SO2R Box (No Official Name yet)is a different box.. It will be the size of a 6000 series...

KY6LA_Howard

I believe that there may be a public data sheet but I do not know where to find the Link..

Simon Lewis

Where's the info on that I must missed it?? Flex need to video these events for us overseas types

KY6LA_Howard

I am not sure where the public link is?

Simon Lewis

soooooo glad I held off buying the 7851

ctate243

Outstanding information Howard.   I an actually forwarding some of your report to N6RO where I am also testing the Flex signature series in contest conditions. He also sees the Flex as a potential platform for his station.

 I have also ordered a Maestro and had also made the cost reducing observation for SO2R. Allthough the amp sounds intriguing, I will keep my focus on the transceiver functionality and performance for now..  and just to be sure..

I agree with K9CT that Flex stands enabled to take a chunk of the Performance(Contest) Radio market.. Ironically because it simplifies and reduces cost yet produces top performance.  If 4O3A busts some records citing Flex radio SO2R(3R.. 4R.. term now obsolete  maybe Single OP 2 Pan hihi) stations.. The rest of the contest world WILL take note.  Elecraft has an extremely loyal fan base..  Because of their outstanding support and well developed ECO-System to compliment their best of class performance,   I know this aspect of the business is on Geralds radar scope further solidifying the future of the Flex radio in the Contest shack. 

K9CT and 4O3A see the future.  I assure you N6RO (who also was interviewed by Gerald) see's the future.  Others are watching.  I think its time to dial this thing in and win some contests.

Good stuff.  thanks again Howard.

Chris

N6WM

(N6RO team member, K6LRG station co-owner)

ctate243

Oh and one more thing.  Maestro may be just the thing to enable Flex in a DXpedition environment(grand prix performance setting #2).  If Scott takes a few of these boxes along with him along with a Maestro, switch and laptop and the interfacing shows simplified with less cabling/hassle in the field... well as they say.. the sky is the limit. 

ctate243

Since Ranko seems to be on the design team here, my guess is the Flex FDX box is going to be something like an advanced 5B4AGN filter matrix (W4NQN quality) using 4O3A band pass filters driven by flex logic?   Flex team/Gerald I was unable to attend Dayton I could use a briefing and or data sheet on this product.

VK7WH Winston

Thanks Howard, very informative. I couldn't make it this year and after hearing about the overflowing toilets at the Hara Arena I'm glad I didn't go. The same thing happened during the first Hamvention I attended in 2012. I agree 100 percent - the facilities at the Arena are appalling. Surely there must be a more suitable location somewhere nearby. Thanks again for the wrap up. Winston

KY6LA_Howard

We have been begging the Dayton Amateur Radio Club for years to move the venue... But I suspect that inertia and the fact that they bottom line significant monies every year to spend on Junkets to nice places like Friedrichshafen destroys their motivation to **** the golden goose...

DH2ID

Great report, Howard! I look forward to the HamRadio at Friedrichshafen and hope that we'll see the Maestro there.

Alan WA4SCA

While not part of the public announcements, Gerald did confirm in a discussion at the Flex booth that the Key fixes to PowerSDR which he had promised had been cancelled for cost reasons.  Only fixes needed to accommodate new versions of Windows, if needed, will occur.  Disappointing for those of us who took Flex at their word, and something to keep in mind for the future.

Clay N9IO

Well done Howard, excellent account. Soon it will difficult to deny Flex' s spot at the top. Also wish I had met you at the dinner. As always looking forward to your next post. Clay N9IO

EA4GLI

I second all the praises Howard, great post!!
Can't wait to start seeing these products make it to the online store.
I am one of the hams waiting patiently for one of the new SPE 1.3k amps, several months still to go, but I would consider leaving that cue to get in the Flex/4O3A/Amp one.

W5XZ - dan

same thoughts...73 guys

Mark Griffin

Good post Howard. K9CT has a very nice station. I myself am a Elecraft K3 owner and I really like it because it is the only radio I have ever used for contesting as well as day to day operating. I have plans in the future of purchasing a 6500 when the budget permits.

I can understand his thoughts about reducing cost as it seems the Ham Radio market seems to be increasing in price year by year. Yet, I'm sure his hardware on the outside is far more expensive then the gear that he has on the inside.

I have always heard that it's not so much what you have in the shack as to what you have on the outside. I have a decent antenna system for where I live and what I can afford. I will not pass judgement on either Elecraft or Flexradio. I can say that I like the simplicity of operating my K3. As to whether the Flexradio is just as simple, I can't testify to that. I gather from all the responses from Flexradio and operators that Flex is trying to get over the stigma of not being what one would call a contest radio.

I believe any radio can be a contest radio as long as you have a decent antenna system connected to it. I'm sure there will be those that agree and those that disagree. Mark KB3Z

Bill -VA3WTB

Well done Howard, It makes me wonder if and when Yaesu and Kenwood will pull out of HF.

EA4GLI

My opinion on contesting from my very limited experience and from chatting with more experienced OM is the need for consistency. In order to get to the top of the world contesting Flex radios have a ways to go, and it seems they are going in the right direction. 
However, for the casual contester like myself, and casual DX hunter the Flex is difficult to beat. The amount of filtering and the visual aspect make contesting with the Flex a breeze. I can easily find a spot where to transmit just taking a quick look at the screen. I can easily "marked" worked stations with the TNF and I can peak into other bands to see ALL the activity in mere seconds.

If you are "running" then is all about blocking neighboring signals, if you are "Search & Pounce", the panadapter has no rival in the market.

Once integration in the station is figured out with connectivity to passband filters, antennas, amps, etc... and you can easily do SO2R with a single 6000, it will be interesting what the top contesters can do with it.

Ultimately, the radio is only , maybe, 5% of the equation. Location first and antennas second are king in contest scenarios.

KC8CF-Dave Grubb

From past experience as a DARA board member and Past General Chairman, I can assure you that significant effort has been expended researching potential venus.  Finding a large enough facility, with a large enough parking (fleamarket) area is a challenge.  Post your suggestions :-)

Bill W2PKY

I sat in on a presentation by Larry “Tree” Tyree, N6TR, Is Remote Contesting Ready for Prime Time?

Flex was not mentioned in the presentation. It's embarrassing that an American company is snubbed by so many.   

Ken - NM9P

Nice report, Howard. I hadn't hear about the SO2R box. I am intrigued, even though I have not yet had the courage or equipment to try SO2R style in a contest. I can think of a few other uses for it. I am disappointed that I had to miss the Hamvention, and especially the Flex banquet. Congratulations on the award. One of the things I have appreciated about Flex is that they encourage so many to become elmers. We have many, many very skilled colleagues on this board who could share it with us. It is a great bunch.

Ken - NM9P

LOL! That there's funny, I don't care who you are!

Ken - NM9P

Actually, when adjusted for inflation, many top-line rigs are actually less expensive now then they were 20 years ago. For example, the mid-level Kenwood TS-850SAT sold for $1850 with one add-on CW filter and ATU. In today's dollars, that is $3005. Compare with FLEX-6300. A couple years later, the high level TS-950SDX went for $3800. Today that would be $5850. Compare with FLEX-6500. That doesn't include additional extra filters, IF scopes, audio interfaces, RX/TX EQ equipment, and other accessories needed to bring things up to comparable performance for the day. Back then there was nothing comparable to the 6700. Or to even a 6300 for that matter. We live in interesting times!

Steve-N5AC

Literally anywhere else.  

Every year after Dayton, we discuss 1) can we as a company do anything to help move participants away from Dayton to other conferences, 2) can we get DARA to move -- many of us have requested very firmly to have the venue moved.  Cincinnati came up as a viable place, but DARA says their volunteers won't go to Cincinnati to help.  3) We generally have employees that come back sick from Dayton.  The combination of the high mold in the environment and the humidity is an issue.  We don't have this problem at other shows.  4) We are doing what we can to invest in other shows hoping another show will take off and take over as the big show in the states.

It's worth saying that all of the DARA people and the facility people are awesome.  They go out of their way to make sure we are taken care of.  It really is just an unmaintained facility problem.

In my opinion, the root of the problem is the economy in Dayton.  Several large companies have pulled out of Dayton and as a result many of the facilities in Dayton are struggling.  Any other large city would have other businesses that keep things like Hara and all the hotels busy and well maintained so that when we arrive, everyone is on good economic standing and we just add to the economy of the area.

I agree with Howard -- as a country it's just embarrassing.

William Hein

N6TR didn't make it to Dayton this year, FYI. "Tree" is very technically adept however I think he is still using superhets in contests. But bear in mind Tree once built a robot that operated Sweepstakes (or was it Field Day) and this was 25+ years ago so he is hardly a luddite. Tree's TR logging program was the best contest logger of the DOS era.

I enjoyed Howard's Dayton report and really liked the Formula 1 analogy. A few notes:

All of the new "Genius" products from 4O3A Signature ("Genius" being a tip of the hat to Flex's "Smart" SDR branding) are built to be network products from the ground up and to work harmoniously in the Flex ecosystem, communicating with the Flex API and so on. All the new 4O3A products are controllable from Android and Windows apps. It is our desire that SmartSDR itself is able to directly control these new devices which would be especially nice on Maestro for people operating remotely.

I am updating all the 4O3A Signature product pages on Force12inc.com this week.

The Station Genius (SSC XL) is a network device that will do advanced LAN and WAN control of antenna switches, phased vertical arrays, Yagi stacks, etc. It is available now from Force12inc.com (pardon the plug). It does a lot more - amp control, programmable PTT delay, etc.

Rotator Genius is a network based dual rotator controller that will manage any two rotators from any manufacturer. It can use legacy reed relay and potentiometer circuits for direction sensing but also has its own optional, highly precise magnetic (azimuth) and accelerometer (elevation) sensors which will always report the precise directions even if your mast slips in the wind.

Interface Genius is a universal rig interface, SO2R controller, and remote radio modem. It is likely to be more useful to non-Flex hams as Flex has built / is building a lot of this capability into the 6000 Series and SSDR.

The 4O3A amp is indeed real. The capability and modernity of Flex Radio's transceivers helped inspire its design. it will do 1500 watts full duty cycle 24/7 160m through 6m (with possible coverage of 4m at reduced power for EUs - this is under test). Note that the SPE amps cannot deliver their rated power for more than a few seconds before folding back. The SPE 1.3k, as far as I know, can only deliver something well under 1kW for a mode such as JT65. Ranko's amp is spectrally very clean and weighs under 20 lbs. There will be units in the USA for testing very soon.

73
Bill AA7XT

Richard McClelland, AA5S

On the other hand, as a Power SDR user, I find myself wanting to see Flex move even faster on the new technology:  0.01 to 256 Mhz Flex 7xxx, Maestro, Flex 1.5 KW amp, S02R, etc.  Not that I need such things at the moment but that is where the action is.  Flex has the opportunity to become a much more successful company with products such as these and I'd rather see them succeed amazingly well with my Power SDR on the sideline than see them stagnate while focusing on old technologies.

Bob G W1GLV

Huntsville come to mind.