training wheels for SSDR

Stan VA7NF

We (Surrey Amateur Radio Club) have just ordered a 6700 + Maestro as "best of class" station.  Several factors led to this choice (my personal bias was hard to restrain, especially as club president).  Positive factors included:

• Safe, as in self protecting
• Part of a fully remoted station - Radio + antenna switching + rotator control + amplifier
• Contest grade

The biggest detractors were:

• Fear of computers
• No knobs (Maestro for on-site) but we aren't purchasing a Maestro for each member 

Now the idea:
Dummy down (semantics: Training-wheels, simplified, introductory, GUI knobs) the initial screen with "Standard" and "Advanced" option selects.  A screen with a hundred controls has a very steep learning curve and discourages many to even try (learning).
Perhaps a GUI simulation of the Maestro with keyboard/mouse equivalents;  it has the most important knobs well layed out.

In contesting, using N1MM+, I primarily use the panadapter to SEE out of pass-band CW stations and the RIT knob to tune them in.  Everything else is pre-set.  This applies to other brand radios as well, except to SEE out of pass-band stations.

Ernest

You will not be disappointed...
If I can learn how to set it up and use it...I would say anyone else can too.
I am not a computer guru ... just an average user with very little help from the outside.

Jerry W4UK

Back in the day. PowerSDR had a feature that allowed you to download a "virtual RF" file (I/Q data) and play it back on the freely-downloadable PowerSDR. This let a newbie actually try out all the features at his leisure. You could also record a file of your own if you had the full radio installation or one of the little SoftRock receivers.

This is how I was introduced to SDR. I ordered my first Flex (the original SDR-1000) because of this demo feature. 

 I once recorded a demo I/Q file on a CW contest weekend with my radio to take to a club meeting. As I was playing it, one of the guys at the meeting heard himself CQing ! They were impressed.

I have always thought that Flex would be selling more 6000s if they had a similar feature for SmartSDR. No simple I/Q file for the 6000, though, so it may not be practical.

Jerry W4UK