Noise Blanker Fix

Rick W7YP

http://www.westmountainradio.com/product_info.php?products_id=CLR_spkr

I have one on my 6700 and it's made a BIG difference.  Never imagined I'd have to add something like this to a $7000 SDR radio.  Sadly, my IC-7300 still does a better job at noise elimination, but the CLRspkr helped a bunch.

Happy New Year to all!

Rick, W7YP

Wayne

Maybe they need to hire KE9NS to take over their software development, he has done miracles with the PowerSDR for the 1500,3000 and 5000! Use it all the time on my 3000!

Wayne - Kd5spx

[Deleted User]

Agree

Scott N8UMW

I have to use NB and WNB together, and it works. But then people sound like they have their microphones in their mouths. Not always, but most of the time. If I attenuate and/or drop the AGC to alleviate it, often the desired signals become too week. Very strange side effects of what otherwise works. Again, I love my flex, but when i get those noises that can't be removed without the receive audio becoming distorted, I have to switch radios until it goes away.

James Teeple

Can we end this I just ask a simple question:

 " Any plans for fixing the Noise Blanker in 1. software ?  "

 I think the lack of an answer is obvious

 I joined this group yesterday just to ask and it did not work out very well .
 Sorry

Jim N8DOD

Bill -VA3WTB

Your question was asked for Flex to answer, Tim must be busy, so as a result many will chime in instead.
If I recall, I don't remember Flex mentioning that they are planning any more work on the NB.
And V1 of SSDR is frozen. Perhaps they will tackle it more in V2?

This is one area were many owners have mentioned having problems. I believe Flex does not wish to simply blanket the receiver in order to mitigate all types of noise as many other radios do.
So Flex is targeting types of noise while allowing the receiver to stay very open. The problem with this for some, the NB may not be effective on the noise they have.
As example, the WNB has been reported as not working at all by many. But that filter was made for one type of noise, electrical noise. For me as well as others, this WNB is wonderful. It takes out my noise 100%. And there are some U tubes videos showing it's amazing performance.

Rick W7YP

The principle advantage of SDR over superhet designs is the ability to pull signals "out of the mud" to a degree that is essentially impossible with the best superhet designs.  That's why we're willing to pay the big bucks for that technology.
 
Via software, it is possible to build brick-wall filters that will shut out adjacent interference from a much stronger signal when we're trying to work a weaker signal.  SDR, properly done, is a DX'ers and contesters dream-come-true.  Flex's Signature series has the test results to prove they're the leader in this area (http://www.sherweng.com/table.html).

But many of us aren't big DX'ers nor contestors.  What drew us to SDR was the ability to do sophisticated noise filtering that isn't possible in even a top-notch superhet with IF DSP.  Many of us have and continue to enjoy that level of filtering with Flex-5000's and ANAN transceivers.  But we've yet to be provided that in our Signature radios.  Many of us have a daily need for that, not just on weekends, as contesters do.

What frustrates me is that PowerSDR for my Flex-5000 and my ANAN-100D already have far more advanced filtering than my 6700.  Why doesn't Flex just pay someone to port it to SmartSDR?  Shouldn't take long nor cost much.  They might even be able to quickly do so themselves, but perhaps they don't want to deal with GPLs and other such things.

I'm not bashing Flex.  Heck, I've been a customer since the SDR-1000 days (still have that one, too!).  I even have a PowerGenius on order.  But come on, guys, noise filtering is SDR's shining area and you've only done half the job thus far.

Rick, W7YP

Craig Williams

Went from an Icom 7600 to a Flex 3000. Love it except the noise blanker is junk in PowerSDR. KE9NS says he hasent figured out how to improve the code so I use a vintage JPS NR-12 noise reducer. Works great. As to the new Flex software, they need to contract to Simon Brown author of SDR-Console V3. His noise blanking is great and the test team says he has a beta version, not yet released to the public, that is even better.

Burch - K4QXX

The noise blanker on my old 5000a using PowerSDR was the best I have ever used.  At least the type of noise at my QTH.  It's interesting how different stations have such different results using NBs in different radios.

Mark_WS7M

I am lucky to live where there is really not too much noise.  I have a neighbor with some new heating system that is making 40m look a little swirly but otherwise not much else.  Our power lines are buried which seems to help.

Because of this I don't use the NB or WNB.  I can however see them doing something but I cannot say exactly what.

Tim has talked in other threads about the NB and WNB and kinds of noise they are designed to attack.  I wonder if the kind of noise you have is just something it was not designed for?

As far as fixing it... Is there a specification it needs to meet?  I know that probably doesn't make everyone happy but I think noise by its very nature is a difficult problem to solve.

Rich McCabe

I have never had a need for NB to speak of but NR is a different story. Problem is I never have liked the sound of NR on any rig including my 6500 or the 6600M I took delivery on last week.

But after having the AGC-T that flex provides on the 6000 series,  I don't see myself going to anything else in the near future.  Its amazing. Once again, have no need for man made pulse type blankers.

73,

Rich
kd0zv

... was kidding about the delivery.

Ria

Hope you're not selling! That Drake would still play nice on SKN.

Alan C

For Bill B.

As I understand it, V1 software is not totally 'frozen' as you state. It is frozen with regard to New Features. Flex continues to work existing feature issues on V1.

mikeatthebeach .

The NR Noise Reduction on the ClearSpeech unit is amazing on my Flex6700

West Mountain CLR/SPKR 58407-948Amplified Loudspeaker with ClearSpeech® Adaptive DSP Noise Reduction for Voice and CW 58407-948

https://www.hamradio.com/detail.cfm?pid=H0-009029

Bill -VA3WTB

Thank you, correct. I noticed that later, should have said feature frozen.

Steve K9ZW

These units are pretty awesome. 

I know of hams who run the audio from every transceiver in their shack through one.

There are other add-on modules (is it bhp?) that offer a lot of the same benefits.

73

Steve K9ZW

Christian von Wechmar

I will buy a Flex as soon as their NB is confirmed to be better than the K3S, IC-7300/7610. I've been holding off for three years now, waiting for a fix. Will check again in 6 months. Please Flex, fix it. Make it the best. Urban hams will LOVE you. 73 Chris ZS1DX

Bill -VA3WTB

What you are wanting is a general NB that throws a blanket over all noise that can be heard.
I can tell you first hand, that the NB works as intended and very very good under the type of noise it is intended to attack. 
I had a very bad electrical noise last week that knocked out 160m here. I turned on the WNB and it completely went away. I posted pictures of it turned on and off, you may have seen them.

I then tried the NB, it worked amazingly as well, but it does not clean up the panadapter so you can see signals better as the WNB did.

The noise mitigation in the Flex 6xxx are meant to stop certain types of noise, not all of them in one sweep.

Scott N8UMW

It would still be nice to have that option though. Doesn't seem like it would take a total redo of the software to do it.