Flex Radio at the W4DXCC

Gary Wise

Many thanks to Gerald Youngblood and Lou Dietrich for hosting a Flex Radio display at this year's W4DXCC at the Main Stay Hotel and Convention Center in Pigeon Forge, TN.  Flex had their set up right at the main entrance to the convention hall. This was Flex Radio's first year to be at the W4DXCC, and I hope they will be back.



Info about the conference (just concluded) can be found here:

http://w4dxcc.com/index.html

There were many interesting presentations.  And we learned that a major DXpedition in 2018 will be using Flex Radios (I don't know if I can say more so I won't).

Thanks Gerald and Lou!  Great to see you!

73,

Gary W4EEY

Al_NN4ZZ

Bouvet -- it's official 

http://www.bouvetdx.org/3028-2/



Regards, Al / NN4ZZ  
al (at) nn4zz (dot) com
6700 - HW.................. V 1.9.7.85
SSDR / DAX / CAT...... V 1.9.7.169
Win10

Gerald-K5SDR

Gary, Lou and I really enjoyed W4DXCC and felt it was very worthwhile.  You can count on us being there next year.  

Yes, Bouvet is official.  There is another major one in the works as well but can talk about that one yet.  Foreign governments are involved so you never know.

73, Gerald

Al_NN4ZZ

I expect it is just a matter of time before one of the big DXpeditions fully leverages the remote capability of radios like the 6000 to reduce the cost and increase the safety when going to sites like Bouvet and even places like Scarborough Reef. As long as the radio and antenna is physically on land at the entity, the operators can be remote on the nearby ship. (LAN remote) or even from the comfort of their home QTH (WAN remote). Instead of setting up equipment and tents for 20 operators, there might only need to be a few hams on land to monitor the equipment and generators. Some people may not like this approach but it could save a lot of money and like other advances that technology brings, it will probably happen eventually unless the DXCC rules change. Regards, Al / NN4ZZ

Al_NN4ZZ

More here: 

http://www.arrl.org/news/the-other-heard-island-dxpedition-vk0ld


Regards, Al / NN4ZZ  
al (at) nn4zz (dot) com
6700 - HW.................. V 1.9.7.85
SSDR / DAX / CAT...... V 1.9.7.169
Win10

Ned K1NJ

        Very cool indeed!   Would Maestro need an internet connection to the
Flex server to operate from that location?  Have plans perhaps changed to
use one of the new 6600's instead?  Do these new rigs need to "phone home"
as does the Maestro?
      I would encourage folks to make a contribution to this very difficult project.
This will be a rare opportunity and deserves support from those of us at the
other end of the QSO.

         Ned,  K1NJ

Tim - W4TME

No. A connection to the Internet is only needed for software updates for the Maestro. Any 6000 would only need to access the Internet to do a one time license install for upgrading to a major version of SmartSDR. Or to operate in a remote mode using SmartLink.

Ned K1NJ

   Aha!  Got it.
    Thanks, Tim.

   Ned, K1NJ