SmartSDR - Annual Costs - ????

Lawrence Gray

I bought a 7300 to try out.  I found it to be a very good radio--really a bargain at the price.  I did not experience any front end overloading, but I don't have antennas anywhere near commercial or other loud signal sources.   It may not be a super contest radio, but it works very and there are lots of them on the air.  

I cannot really understand the continual need to run down the performance of competitive radios?  Flex radios are great, but they also have areas that need improvement.  A 7300 is not a Flex, but it is a great radio for the price.

I have no issue paying for major Flex firmware/software upgrades.  

Larry, W1IZZ

Ken Hansen

Larry, I agree - the critiques seem to be based on emotion, justified by well-known short-comings of the IC-7300. The IC-7300 was released just over three years ago, and tens of thousands of them have been sold just in the US alone. If it were truly a 'klunker' the swap boards would be flooded with them, and they'd be selling at 'fire-sale' prices. Instead, when they come up for sale they trade hands at solid prices, and rarely linger on the boards for more than a day before being sold. When put on the table at a Hamfest the first question I hear asked is 'why are you selling it', asked with a hint of surprise. For the past two years the Hamfest I run has awarded an IC-7300 as our top prize - it drives a lot of additional door prize tickets. Are there better radios available? Of course, I own several that are better than the IC-7300, but for operating "Picnic Table Portable" it can't be beat, based on cost, size, performance and portability.

Mark_WS7M

I had a 7300 for a short time and it was a fine radio.  I can't speak to the RF overload Howard experienced but I will say that we used a 6600, 7300, 6500 and Yaesu FT892 in FD and the 7300 did just fine.  Granted no strong RF.

We will be running various radios up at our WWV 100 celebration literally less than 1/2 mile from the HF antennas of WWV.  I've taken my 6300 out there and it worked fine as long as you stayed a ways away from the big sigs.

Dave - W6OVP

The IC-7300 is a lot of radio for the money, and many thousands seem to agree. I keep one here as a spare and always enjoy using it.

KY6LA_Howard

I am 2900’ from 8 TV towers and 23 FM radio towers + US Navy secret stuff. I have a big SteppIR MonstIR. It’s RF **** much of the time need a superb receiver. On The Other Hand. I own Asia in Contests.

dlwarnberg

Ken Hansen

Reminder - this is an older thread, which Was kicked back to life earlier today. My 6300 is at release 2.5.1 of SSDR - I don't need MultiFlex, yet, so no need to write a check to Flex yet I enjoy updates to the features I bought with SSDR 2.x a year or so ago.

MichaelC

Version 2.5 more than likely won't bring much as far as fixes and enhancements. People are still complaining about bugs that were in Version 1 of the software and are still not fixed in Version 3 of the software.  Version 2 and Version 3 just had feature that I would never use, so why pay for it, hopping to get a few bug fixes.  I've had a Flex 3000, 5000A and a 6500.  Software fixes were fast and frequent with PowerSDR, and the features continue to continue with PowerSDR since KE9NS started developing the the latest versions of software.  A single person, has made more improvements to the old PowerSDR then Flex has made to SmartSDR.  I keep getting weekly emails to upgrade from my 6500 to a 6600 or 6700, but like Flex Radio says, "The Software is the Radio".  Well since, they have not fixed anything, a new piece of hardware would still be the same old radio,since they haven't fixed any of the bugs.  Well I've ordered a new K4 and am looking forward to getting it, and I've stopped drinking the Flex Koolaid.

Mike Chasse
w7wrj

Bill -VA3WTB

Sounds good Mike, I hope the K4 never has any problems and it is all you want in a radio. Enjoy. From what I read the K4 will be a radio that should concern Icom, Kenwood, and Yaesu. It is the radio to watch.
But I really like my Flex and see nothing coming to pull me away.

I have know idea what bugs your talking about that go all the way back to V1?

Ken Hansen

Of course, KE9NS incrementally improving mature software is EXACTLY like charting a new software development effort on new hardware. In computer terms you are marveling at all the amazing things a lone programmer is adding to stand-alone software on an Apple ][ computer, and struggling to understand why it takes so long to develop a multi-user client-server platform. The two environments are worlds apart. The situation may not be optimal, but countless thousands of owners somehow manage to make contacts on their Signature Series 6000 radios. I hope you enjoy your K4, new radios can be very exciting - and frustrating, just ask an FTDX-101 owner.

MichaelC

Bill -VA3WTB

MichaelC

Bill,  I forgot to add one really good un-documented feature of my 6500.  At least once an hour the radio will just stop receiving.  The radio doesn't stop working, the receive signals just drop from around -130 to -150.  But the band does look totally quite when this happens.  The only way to get the receiver to start working again is to click on the Tune button, and key the radio for a few seconds and then un-key the radio, and all of the signals are back.  

Lawrence Gray

Michael.

I was thinking about going to a 6600 before I saw the K4.  I now have a K4 on order.   I'll keep the 6500 for digital work.

Larry, W1IZZ

KF4HR

Ken Hansen

If a Flex owner skipped SSDR 2.X and then bought SSDR 3.X, that SSDR 3X upgrade includes every bit of the SSDR 2.X upgrade.

Such a person would have every option offered by Flex, their radio would be 'current' if/when offered for sale.

Personally, I don't have a need to upgrade to 3.X, I'll more likely than not upgrade to a Flex 6400 before I update the software on my 6300, but that's what best suits my personal operating style and budget.

FISHULA X