MultiFlex Demo at Orlando HamCation 2019

Reggie

K3SF

N6OIL

mikeatthebeach .

I think Contesters like K9CT use SO2R ( Single Operator Two Radio’s ) category but Think MultiFlex would be a new Category 2O1R ( Two Operators One Radio ) Never heard of that new Category before !!! Count the number of Transmitters in a Contest Unless your redefine the meaning of SO2R to mean ( Single Operator Two Receivers ) Now that would cause some confusion!! Hi ! Hi! Well it more about sharing your radio with A buddy that has no ham station !!! 73 Mike

Matt-KD5FGE

It was a lot of fun demonstrating multiFLEX at HamCation as we came across several applications we had not previously thought of. One example was that I had several husband/wife duos that found it to be perfect for them. Historically one of them would be stuck with a lower performance radio on a lower performance antenna. With multiFLEX they can share a Flex and both utilize the good antenna at the same time.

Larry _ NY8T

Will two connections be able to operate on the same band and frequency? For instance a friend logs in and joins your rag chew being able to hear each others transmissions but just having to share transmit times.

mikeatthebeach .

Yes

Tonno Vahk

Bill -VA3WTB

Joe N3HEE

I want to see some videos of MF in action !   

K3SF

Ted VE3TRQ

All of the descriptions so far appear to reference a two-client limit :-(

Steve-N5AC

Steve-N5AC

Just out of curiosity, what would you do with more?

Ted VE3TRQ

I only made that comment because someone above mentioned a scenario with three radios. I barely need two GUI connections myself, and for the occasional time I might be using GUIs on both a computer and the front panel of the 6600M, as long as I can disconnect whichever one I choose, I'd be happy. I use a mix of Windows, MacOS, and iOS. I do often run three devices to the 6600, but only one is a GUI, the rest are CAT / xCat and DAX / xDax plus an iPad running in control mode. It will be nice to have the M front panel and the iPad both connected :-)

Gene Duprey

I guess you could have 3 if the radio was a 6700 which has 8 receivers.

Tonno Vahk

ok, thanks Steve. Yes, another antenna (e.g. RX A or ANT2 for that matter) defined as "backup receive antenna" sounds exactly what is needed.

As for operation with 2 computers with SmartSDR and one radio and 2 ops sitting next to each other I think it has to be worked out in practice who gets which inputs/outputs. For example paddle can't be connected to computer so they would need to either share a paddle connected to the radio or have two in parallel I suppose.

Also I don't exactly imagine how assignment will work if one op is using radio inputs/outputs say phones connected to radio. How does radio know to which client he has to assign the inputs/outputs, etc... We'll see.

As for number of clients. As 6600M has 4 receivers, then optimally of course I would like to connect 4 clients to it for a MS operation for example. Our MS means 6-7 stations/operating positions at least and having 4 guys operating 1 radio would be cool. But for now of course starting with 2 clients is very fine:)

Steve-N5AC

There is a setup panel in both SmartSDR and Maestro that allow specification of which client has the radio inputs/outputs.  One client is selected and will have all of the associated inputs/outputs on the radio itself (in addition to any it has direct access to).

If you have two operators with paddles, today you would need to have at least one Maestro I believe -- you could assign one client to the radio (where one set of paddles would connect) and the other would have a Maestro.  Nothing precludes a paddle interface on other clients, but that has not been implemented yet.

As of v3.0, multiFLEX will support two simultaneous clients.

Steve-N5AC

@Gene Duprey, multiFLEX only supports two graphical interface clients in v3.0, independent of the radio model.  You can show more panadapters and use more receivers on radios with more, however.  For example, with a FLEX-6700, multiFLEX and a Maestro, you could operate with one band on the Maestro and seven additional panadapters on a PC to show band conditions.

Steve K9ZW

I'd find additional RX-only multiFLEX sharing useful.

While my primary two GUI clients would have both RX/TX capabilities, my RX-multiFLEX clients would basically allow use of a slice from remote stations to be combined into band condition monitoring or even wide-geographic diversity schemes.

73

Steve
K9ZW

Tonno Vahk

ok, clear, sounds good.

Is it also possible to use 6600M with front panel and SmartSDR on computer in parallel so that front panel knobs and buttons and VFO could be used alongside the SmartSDR to control the same slice, etc? Like FlexControl I believe (have not tried it).

Steve

Well, MultiFlex seems to have captured every ones imaginations.  Lots of possible uses now and as it matures in the future.  It occurs to me that V3 will be released soon.  The question is what else is in V3 for us mere mortals??  Hopefully some of that imformation will be forth coming.  Also. will there be "fix it" release for V2??  Inquiring minds need to know this stuff.

Joe N3HEE

FRED W9TB

I would like to know when ver 2.5 is going to be out ? We were told soon about 2 weeks ago. What is soon to FRS ?

I will buy V 3 when it comes out but for now I just wont what was broke in 2.3.9 fixed like dax and vox not working at the same time.

Matt-KD5FGE

Hey Fred, we will be working on a subsequent v2 release following the v3 release. V3 is targeted for release in March so it will be after that

Steve

Joe,
Thanks for the link to questions and answers.  It occurs to me that V2.5 should have been released before now, but certainly before V3????  We who have been loyal Flexers deserve to have bug fixes addressed in a timely manner.

FRED W9TB

Matt, are you telling me vox and dax will not be fixed in V3 ?

Bill -VA3WTB

Ok so now we know, v2.5 is going to be out after V3 is released, sounds good Matt.

Mike VE3CKO

Joe N3HEE

Existing customers should never have to wait 6 months for break fixes at the expense of a feature release.  Break fixes should be dealt with quickly to keep us happy with a fully functioning radio while we wait for the next feature release.  This community is full of complaints about broken stuff going back years. I get it that FR has limited resources but it feels like we are being put on the bottom of the list when it comes to fixes.  I sure hope I'm wrong about that.  Perhaps FR is a bit too ambitious about rolling out new products and software ?  I'm a new customer (Sept. 2018) and like where FR is trying to take the techology but I probably wont stick around too long if things dont change.  I would be willing to wait a year for a feature release but I am not willing to wait 6 months for bug fixes.  I will say that customer service has been excellent when I had issues with the radio or had questions. Let's get the bugs fixed first FR ! 

Johan _ SE3X

Makes sense to me. When THE last and final release of V2 comes around, as much as possibel will be taken care of. With possibel experience from early V3. I can wait for V2.5.