Thinking of buying a Flex 6400M

Ken - NM9P

Eric, One thing I would suggest, now that you have decided to go with the 6400 non-M version, is to order the FlexControl Knob. It is a solid little accessory that gives you a single large Knob and three buttons, all programmable, so that you can control a few functions easily. I have mine set up to control the main frequency tuning, and the. Shift to a few other functions with the buttons. It is worth its weight in gold. I have had one on my 6500 for six years and wouldn’t be without it. It would be really handy until you can afford the Maestro. Good luck on your exams Friday. If you have time, take a shot at the extra. It doesn’t cost any more, and you might get lucky! If you don’t have time, enjoy your General! When I took my General back in 1978, I also took the Advanced test just for fun. I missed it by one question! But the experience was very useful. I went back the next time the FCC examiners were back in Indianapolis and crushed it. Ken - NM9P

Eric-K0ELB

I'll look into that, but it won't be long before I get the Maestro as well, just have to get through the holiday season, priorities, ya know. As for going for the Extra, I plan on it, as long as I have time to. Worst case scenario I'll just have to take it again in October.

KL4QG

Well have done great news I been using RadioSport Headset with M350 -ADJ wide range electret Mic the setting on DX profile The -6400M auto set EQ setting for me getting best every reports from about 30 people on AK HF SSB nets I had about 4 HF Radios before- For hearing impaired I use two behind ear hearing aids works with hearing aids and without my aids has lots volume I have 90 percent lost I left ear and 80 in right ear - best sounding headsets also I had in 30 years - no RFI feed back when running 1500 watts like I had with Heil’s

KL4QG

Eric here my email conover1956@gmail.com
When u get setup email me I’m new also we can share information - I been blessed with good area in AK I talk on 14292 SSB net 7 days week from 830am-9am and night net Tripe H net 7190 SSB let’s try making a contact
Joe KL4QG
Come up see us in AK

Neil D Friedman N3DF

Might want to get to work putting up your tower and antennas.

Eric-K0ELB

Joe, I'd be happy to!

Eric-K0ELB

Neil, I still have to go get the tower, it's 130 miles one way from me.

KL4QG

Anyone try a hex beam on 20 meters

KL4QG

We talking antenna
I have question I’m using Endfeed muiti band
10-80 it’s at coax feed end height is 30 feet at end of 133 wire it about 18 feet on pile caribou horns I getting my 50 foot push up mast next week
What difference will I see with Ant 30 feet and now 50 high will extra height help my receive and transmit
No trees here just Tundra I’ll be on 14292 in few mins net till 9am AK time KL4QG

Roger_W6VZV

I would definitely go with the 6400M.  You will not grow out of it anytime soon.  Having the knobs will get you off to a faster start; eventually you will likely use the SDR computer inferface more and the knobs less.  Nothing wrong with the 6400M as a first rig, that's for sure.

Neil D Friedman N3DF

Eric,

Without a halfway decent antenna (even an outdoor dipole), you are unlikely to have much fun with a Flex radio.  Without a computer, you will not be able to work the digital modes, which are often buzzing with activity during the many stretches in which the bands appear dead during the current phase of the sunspot cycle.  

Eric-K0ELB

Where are people getting the idea that I don't have a computer? I've stated several times that I have a Mac Mini that will be dedicated to this radio. The antenna is no big deal either.

Ted VE3TRQ

Neil, I must respectfully take exception to your remark above: “Without a halfway decent antenna (even an outdoor dipole), you are unlikely to have much fun with a Flex radio”. In fact, I think the opposite is true. With an exceptional radio, a compromise antenna is likely to provide a better experience than with a poorer radio - it does make up for some of the deficiencies. Granted, to make the best of a great radio requires a great antenna (or rather, antennas). I (and many others) live in HOA-controlled areas and are required to make do with compromise antennas (if not having the benefit of a remote radio location). My receive antenna is 60 ft of wire buried under the sod, and I hear quite well - the signal level is low, but the noise level is lower, and anything that intrudes is well taken care of by the WNB. Even the antenna in my attic, which is in proximity to the electrical wiring of my house, is usable only with the Flex and its WNB - it is totally unusable as a receive antenna on 80m with my K3. If someone wants to buy a Flex radio, do not discourage them because they do not have a great antenna!

Neil D Friedman N3DF

Ted, going to have newcomers with MFJ indoor antennas and $3K radios who wonder why they hear nothing (or next to nothing).  

Michael N3LI

So is the Cheap radio going to be better than the Flex? Sounds like the bad antenna advice that I got when first starting out that almost had me giving up on Ham Radio. I was told so many different best antennas, and each person had a reason why all the others were bad. GOtta be a resonant dipole for each band at a particular height. 

Gotta be  a Yagi-Uda on a Tower. Now gotta be running legal limit on each band you have the correct antenna for. Gotta be anything that I couldn't put up, and a noob gets the impression that if they don't do that, they might as well use a dummy load. 

Finally, I expressed my imminent abandonment of the hobby to my Elmer, and he told me just put up as much wire as you can, feed it with ladder line, and work the world. 

I've done that, and never looked back.

KL4QG

Here my input on cheap Ant I’m not kind that can build things with my hands - So I buy best my money
Can buy- I’m using Holland made resonant dipole Hyendantenna pricy buy never changes SWR in Alaska weather - my friend 1/2 mile made fun of me
Paying $200 and using LMI 400 coax he using MJF baluns same height as my Dipole his SWR goes nuts in rain and snow I’m getting way better signal reports on all Alaskan HF ssb Nets than him too he not laughing at me now-

Eric-K0ELB

So what would you guys recommend for a good antenna for me? I'm highly mechanically inclined, and eventually I am going to be making my own antennas.

Ha Gei

That highly depends on your property, as well as on the bands you want to use.

160/80/40  :  wires as long and high as feasible.. fan dipoles are good .
If you have a big space, go for four squares..but then you don ́t need the flex as all your time and money will sink there...hihi

20/15/10  ( and warc )  go for a cobwebb , easy to make and works fine as a horizontal omnidirectional anrtenna. Later when sunpots come back you can go for beams . If you like to build your own, moxon designs are good and easy to build. 

by the way..yes the HighEnd Fed from netherlands are perfect, I own one and have a seconed one as nat2 at the clubstations flex6k4 . Average performance with one single wire on ALL HF bands. Not SWR hassles, just a long wire that works . 

As long as you want to stay on 100Watts, you can find them as DIY projects too. Just make sure the Toroid is not to small . Legal limit is not really remakable..there is some mystery in the grey box. 






 

Ted VE3TRQ

As long as you are building it yourself, you have the luxury of trying almost endless designs, especially wire antennas. Put up, and leave up, what works for you. There are more antenna designs than you can shake a stick at out there! And most will claim one of them is “their favorite”. There are almost as many favorite antennas as there are hams. I’m mostly talking modest power here, no amps. (Edited to add this)

James Charlton

Just buy the doggone radio!  With knobs, without knobs, with a PC, without a PC, with an iPad without an iPad, good antenna, poor antenna, whatever you have, you will like it.  I have **** antennas that are wire dipoles wound in trees to hide them from HOA.  The heights range from 6 feet to about 20 feet.  Nobody would call this a good installation yet, somehow, my 6600M has managed to make over 18,000 contacts mostly CW.  

Maybe that frustrated guy in the motorhome would give you the radio he's threatening to crush.  It's worth a shot.
I love this thread you started,
Jim  AD0AB   

Eric-K0ELB

I'll be sticking to less than 100w for the time being, low power long distance communications really interest me. This is why I like the idea of an SDR as opposed to a conventional radio, the ability to see the signals before you hear them. My antenna situation is that currently I have more vertical room than horizontal room. I could just stick an inverted v antenna on the roof, but where's the fun in that? I could do an indoor antenna, but no HOA requirements so my antenna options are pretty good.

KL4QG

Eric give me email it’s getting little indifferent here I have lots know-age antennas

Eric-K0ELB

Sent ya an email!

Eric-K0ELB

I told him I'd take it, but didn't get a reply. Maybe if y'all convince him that it's a good idea for this newbie to have it he might give it up. I'd sure hate to see it destroyed because of frustration.

Bill -VA3WTB

Lol, I think if a person is willing to crush a perfectly good radio out of frustration because he can't provide a good internet connection for it, then it's time to get out of this hobby.

Eric-K0ELB

I can understand the frustration, but I've also learned that 99% of the time it's user error. Best thing is to walk away, then come back later with a fresh mind and do a step by step analysis of the problem, eliminating possible causes one at a time. Like Sir Arthur Conan Doyle said, "Once you eliminate the impossible, whatever remains, no matter how improbable, must be the truth"

Michael N3LI

Yup - almost always user error. 

Welcome to the other side of the community, Eric. On the other side we have people that get really frustrated and lash out at us who are unpaid help, or don't actually appear to like Flex Radios at all, and perhaps even enjoy trolling. 

Some times it's just bad communication. Anyhow, I doubt the guy's going to actually break his radio. Or that Flex is going to refund his money and buy him a 7610. One thing is for certain, it helps if a person has some interest/knowledge in computing and networks as well as radio. 

These are simply not legacy radios. 

KL4QG

Well than he needs buy one these -/- I love these HF Radios I wash off with hose when it gets muddy lol It’s my Alaska go any place HF radio

David Decoons, wo2x

Hello Moto

Michael N3LI

That radio doubles as a self defense weapon!