Who wants KE9NS PowerSDR Features in SmartSDR 2.0

James Skala

Who wants KE9NS PowerSDR Features in SmartSDR 2.0

James Kennedy-WU5E

Some of the feature I have heard other hams talk about like DX cluster ( click and shoot) or if the bands are green and no radiations storms.

Ria

A good solution for this would be if SSDR was skinnable/extensible, this way those who want those extra eye candy can have them, those who want to keep the clutter off can keep it off. 

James Skala

Sort of like plugins, I like your idea Ria

Chris DL5NAM

The question comes maybe 2 - 3 years  to late.

V 2.0 is ready and in final test.

So you can ask for V3 oder V4 :-)

73 Chris

Ria

That's exactly what I'm thinking, like how the web browsers have extensions. 

James Skala

We need to get FRS working with KE9NS with the 6000 series radios and come up with a plugin standard.  And then users could right there own to SmartSDR plugins.

John Molenda

I am in , for me it is time for a different look .  John kb2huk

K4MT

KE9NS has done wonderful things to PowerSDR. I had a 5000A and sold it and went to 6000 series and instantly missed the KE9NS features. Sold the 6000 and went back to 5000A so that I could have the comfiguration options that PowerSDR has and are missing in SmartSDR.

VE2XK .

Darrin doing a so great work and job on PSDR and add some great features i was not even able to dream to have before in the time Flex have play with it .
That's why i keep my Flex 5000A .

Marcelo Perricone

hola, compre un Flex 6300, con la esperanza de poder tener todas las opciones de PowerSDR,  lamentablemente, me encontre con SmartSDR,  gran decilusion,  voy a vender mi Flex. una Pena

Hojon Lee W1JAC

I agree 100% ,that's why I'm pondering a switch to ANAN 7000 ,the spoon feeding of upgrades is a real disappointment!  It's amazing how one man can out perform FLEX.Just sent him a donation via PayPal because I appreciate his work for Open Source!  W1JAC

Craig Williams

Everyone who has used both. Flex seems to be depending on third parties to expand features through the API which I guess is OK as long as Flex keeps improving the firmware. I am still waiting for noise reduction that works as good as my IC-7600 did. Bet that's the oldest request in the Community.

Bill -VA3WTB

At the same time I love many of the features SSDR has that PSDR does not have and can't have.
Like the great control panel with adjustments on it we all use a lot without digging through menues. A cleaner display. HD screen. AGC-T,, Pop out screens,, Dax,,, Wonderful remote with smart link. And all the 3rd party programs that round out the system. 

Thin client... SSDR PROC, Normal, DX, DX+ amazing.

When they began writing SSDR 3rd party software was expected to be a big part of things.

NM1W

right next to working dax....:)

W1MSG

I would like to have the ability to save recorded audio. That is the missing option that is most missed !

Oxford English

But you can do that with 3rd party programs, e.g. Audacity which is free and works extremely well with my 6300.

Tim

DH2ID

I also use Audacity and can only recommend it: https://www.audacityteam.org/
Mery Christmas and vy 73, Alex - DH2ID

Phill Beistel

Audacity is the answer... I use it on a completely different computer from the one running SSDR.  Save to disk and convert to .mp3 are all easily possible (and free). The DAX is the vehicle and your local internet is the carrier.  Very FLEXable!

Al_NN4ZZ

Hi Craig / W1MSG,
The idea to enhance the existing recording feature to add both a looping feature and save the recorded audio was suggested 5 years ago.  It has 27 votes and is pretty high on the user requested list.   The current recording feature is one of the ones that is 90% there but probably not used much as is.   An the button is already there on the slice.  

While there are third party tools (like Audacity) it would be nice to just have the existing feature do the whole job.  Otherwise why have the feature take up space at all.  It would be nice to just click the button instead of launching another program.  

Check it out and add a comment and vote if this would work for you too.

https://community.flexradio.com/flexradio/topics/black_box_recording_add_a_looping_option_to_the_rec...


Al / NN4ZZ  
al (at) nn4zz (dot) com
6700 & SSDR-W  V 2.4.9
Win10

Rich McCabe

Is it safe to assume the SmartSDR API is extremely limited for developers?  I have wondered as the 3rd party offerings are much more limited than I had hoped.

Not a programmer so not something I have experience with.

Bill -VA3WTB

Because of the storage needed to save audio files as large as they become, it would not be possible to save then in the radio. And because SSDR is a thin client it can not use a external computer hard drive.

Al_NN4ZZ

Hi Bill,
Agree but the idea suggests using the PC not the radio for the multiple file storage.  So you get the best of both.  Use the existing UI on the slice and pass the audio to the PC for storage.  Some advantages are:

• use the existing record buttons on the SLICE
• add the black box looping feature ( a big plus when working a rare DXpedition)
• pass the audio over to the PC for storage instead of storing on the radio (as it does today).   In this case it would free up storage current allocated on the radio 
• or store on the radio as today and only pass a copy of the file from the radio to the PC on demand.  Can still limit the radio storage to one file as today. 

By the way, I don't see any reason why SSDR can't access the local PC drives.  Are you sure it can't?  Why?



Here is one of the posts from the idea that makes note of the PC storage option.



Idea link for reference: 

 https://community.flexradio.com/flexradio/topics/black_box_recording_add_a_looping_option_to_the_rec...


Al / NN4ZZ  
al (at) nn4zz (dot) com
6700 & SSDR-W  V 2.4.9
Win10

Bill -VA3WTB

I may never find this,,but I believe Steve talked on this some time ago and explained this. Again I may be wrong, I will look around.

Rich McCabe

I have no doubt its possible to write to the PC. Whether their design allows for it is another thing.

Bill -VA3WTB

One thing I wish for is a auto ID feature that will ID every 30 minutes or every 10 minutes.

Al_NN4ZZ

Hi Rich, My thought also. SSDR is just a Windows application with the same capabilities as any other application. The audio recording design today utilizes the audio storage on the radio so agree that using the audio stream and storing it on the PC or transferring the exiting file stored on the radio is a design change. But making design changes is possible...... FWIW, this idea has been on the list for 5 years . But like many of the other popular ideas that have been on the list for a long time , I’m not as optomistic these days that it will happen, but it never hurts to hope. Regards, Al / NN4ZZ

James Whiteway

Rich, as a "wanna be developer" I think I can give you a partial answer to your question. The API is limited in a way that a developer cannot do much of anything beyond writing their own interface/program, to access the radio. Nothing internal to the radio (firmware) can be altered via the API. (which is a good thing)
Features that SSDR currently does not have at all, that do not require direct access to SSDR itself, can be added. Until recently, Spots was on that list and there were third party apps that did add that feature. But, for me, it was difficult as it required a lot of hoops to jump thru to track each panadapter and add the spots in the correct places.
(remember the "wanna be" part :-) )
  As you probably know, there are several apps out that do fill in wanted/needed features that SSDR currently does not have. Some such as an "ALL MODE" squelch that is in FRstack, could or should, make it into SSDR itself someday. But, for the mean time, it works.
   And if someone simply does not like the SSDR interface, a third party can easily use the API to develop their own, unique interface. Then there are others like me that just enjoy the challenge of creating their own app and playing radio. What I have done would never work as a daily driver for the radio. But, it definitely a learning experience.
James
WD5GWY



W1MSG

I am aware of Audacity and have used it. However It doesnt sound nearly as good as the internal recordings. I have done A - B Comparisons with a recording saved on the radio and the same recording on Audacity. The one on the radio wins every time. I have tried all kinds of settings to get the same quality as the internal recorder but it just doesnt sound as good ! 

Thanks
Craig

Rich McCabe

Thanks James. Makes sense and I understand why Flex would want to lock it down so the base SSDR program does not become a wreck. No one wants that. 

Just would be nice if they would allow more plugin functionality like panels you can turn on for 3rd party hardware (HF-AUTO, Telepost,etc) similar to what they do for the PGXL.  Maybe even visual themes. You know serious DXing stuff. LOL

Course the next problem is hams think that all this stuff should be free and its hard to get professional 3rd party applications developed when that is the case.

Gerald-K5SDR

You can use DAX connected to audio recording software (e.g. Audacity) on the PC today.  We often record and play back on PC based audio spectrum analyzers for diagnostics.

If you are a developer, there is a full waveform API with example code for CODEC2.  The 6700s on the International Space Station use this API. 

Al, we only have a few thousand ideas/requests on the list, including several of mine.  Hey, it's just software...  ;>)  

73,
Gerald