Nine-Band WAS on the Flex-6500!

Ken - NM9P

I finally did it!  9-Band WAS.

I got #'49 & #50 on 10 Meters last week,

I finally got #50 on 12 Meters (WV) this afternoon

This gives me WAS on ALL Nine bands 160-10 (Except for 60 Meters).

I also polished off states #46, 47, & 48 on 6 Meters, leaving me only AK & HI on 6 for WAS.

ALl low power, almost all on the 6500, all LOTW QSL's.

Also endorsements for CW, Phone, Digital, RTTY, FT8, and some individual band-mode combinations. 
Now I can apply for the "Hardware" for 5BWAS, 5BDXCC, and Challenge award all at once. ($$$)

So thankful for my Flex 6500, and WSJT-X!

Ken - NM9P

WB0O

Congratulations Ken! … I am still looking to find MT and 12m and AK on 6M.   Done also with the 6500/6700.    I just ordered a 70cm Transverter to try Satellite operation with the 6700 

Robert Lonn

Super!!!!!

John - AI4FR

Well done!!!

Richard Adkins

Here's a HUGE congratulation to a job very well done, sir!

Sergey KN7K

Good job,
Today i finally worked ND on 10m FT8, it was my 50-th state on 10m. Total 6 bands with 50 states, 1 left on 160, few on 12m and long list on 6m.

I am staring to get afraid that it will be nothing to do when I finish 9 bands. It will be boring.
So, what's your next step in Hobby?
Sergey, KN7K

Tim VE6SH

Good work Ken. After 40 years of operating I am a shamed to admit I am still 4 states short on 10 m for 5BWAS let alone 9 bands! Tim VE6SH

Ken - NM9P

Sergey, I’ve been a ham since 1974 but never tracked any of this until I got my flex and signed up for LOTW about 4 years ago. So I started WAS clean from this new QTH, since previous two QTH’s were too far away to qualify.

Next challenges?
Finish WAS on 6M,
finish DXCC on 160 & 6 Meters,
Perhaps try DX and WAS on 60 Meters,
Begin WAS and VUCC on 2 Meters,
Satellite?
630 Meters?
Build a better contest station with more antennas,

Lots to do!

Ken - NM9P

Sergey KN7K

Good plan Ken,
i would like to have the same plan, but I have to buy a  Bigger lot first.
I leave on a 6000sf ft city lot.

But also lets be honest, you could do it with any other transceiver. 
Good luck.
Sergey, KN7K

Clay N9IO

Ahh Sergey but not with the amount of pleasure the Flex brings, the others are a laborious experience IMHO. Big Congrats Ken you've been really busy.

Ken - NM9P

Sergey, my previous rig was a TS-850, which I had for 20 years. It was a great rig, but the Flex6500 is so much better I can not describe it fully. Several things about the Flex that enticed me to even try this endeavor include:

1) it is the easiest rig for Digital modes I have ever used. CAT and DAX make it fun, rather than a chore for RTTY, FT8, JT65/9, etc.

2) it is the easiest rig to do splits I have used, especially with the panadapter. This made DX hunting more fun.

3) the filters on CW & RTTY are amazing.

4) the Mic Profiles are easier to customize than anything I have seen. My DXing audio really cut through lots of pileups, sounding louder AND cleaner than many, more powerful stations.

5) the best-in-class panadapter made the bands come alive...especially helpful on the higher bands - 15, 12, 10, 6 Meters. Keeping me from wasting my time on dead bands.

6) the excellent receiver allowed me to keep operating even with 4 other stations less than a mile away. Two of them running high power, one of them about 1/3 mile away. Other rigs would have forced me to move to another band.

7) the low noise in receive was much less tiring and kept me motivated and in the seat.

7) multiple slices allowed me to scan multiple bands at the same time.

Could I have done this with another rig?
Probably. But not nearly as easily.
And I had other rigs for 40 years and never seemed to get around to even a MIXED DXCC or WAS with them.

LOTW and my new antenna helped as well, but the Flex created a “perfect storm” of performance, ease, and enjoyment that made it happen.

Ken - NM9P

Robert Lonn

Ken, very valid points!!! I think what a lot of hams dont understand is that SDR in and of itself is nothing without the Software that stands behind the technology.. When I talk to friends what I say to them is this " You have two V6 engines, same exact cubic inch displacement yet one has 35 more horsepower then the other?? That gets into the other factors on how you deliver fuel to the engine, how you manage the power curve, and about 20 other things...

Just watch Drag Racing, and how close they are when they hit the finish line but you always have a faster drag racer... At First when I saw a demo of the Flex 6600M radio booting up, it was like 2 minutes??? I was concerned as to why it was taking so long?? After all the newly released Icom IC-7610 booted up relatively fast!!

But then I began to understand the reason it takes Flex 2 minutes to boot up, it is the level of sophistication Flex puts into how it controls the radio itself... It also has the horsepower to continue to tweak the software to make continued improvements and add more features, flexibility..

Icom, Yaesu, Kenwood will release a radio with a very basic OS installed,, they will then release Bug Fixes, as long as the fix is very Basic and Simple!! I always smile when folks on other forums post to the group, gee I hope Icom or Yaesu adds these 15 things that I think we should have in the radio.. Sorry, never happen!!!! Once that radio goes into mass worldwide distribution, they will never take a chance of releasing Upgraded Features UNLESS it was something that was promised as part of the sale!! 

My Icom IC-R8600 got and upgrade that allowed it to work with HDSDR software.. That was promised by Icom, and a reason that I purchased the radio... Had to wait for the release but it did come... Like waiting for the upgrade from Samsung, Sony, Visio to add Dolby Vision to your TV set or AV receiver...

Flex has shown it will continue to improve software both in bug fixes and Feature Set.. At some point a new Package, 3.XX.XX will be released.. Good to know that they added reserve horsepower to allow the upgrade, and yes it might cost $200, but that gets back to you get what you pay for... 

I think each ham will continue to find what works best for them,, but if you decide you only need a 4 **** and not the optional V6-8,, dont complain when you go to pass that car in front of you, and it seems for ever to get around the car in the passing lane!!! I guess you figured out by now that I like fast cars,, True...

Robert

John - AI4FR

Love them vettes!!!

Ken - NM9P

I love them, too. But I can’t fit into one these days!

Mark WS7M

Nice work Ken.  I so need to get realigned on WAS and others... I kind of got busy and lost track of where I was and what I need.

Steve K9ZW

Awesome Ken! Good show! 73 Steve K9ZW

Ron

Congats!, not easy with these conditions to finish it...