Model K4-Model K4D-Model K4HD/VS 6400M

KL4QG

Model K4-Model K4D-Model K4HD What difference and how would this stand up to my 6400M

Gary NC3Z

Since they are not delivering them yet I guess it would be hard to give you a comparison.

IK8HCG

This is a Flex community not Elecraft

Bill -VA3WTB

Flex will hold it's own against anything out there because Flex is alone with the platform it has. The ones that need to worry is Kenwood, Yaesu, and Icom. The new Elecraft radios will make it hard for the others to compete. These radios are the ones to watch. In my opinion.

Stephen Hawkins NG0G

I don't think anyone knows yet.  As far as I know, nobody has gotten to use a K4, as least no-one I know.  And I also suspect it will depend on whether you are a serious CW op or not.  I own a 6400M, but I have used K3's at others QTH during contests.  It feels to me that Elecraft built the radio with a CW OP foremost in their mind.   There are small but important differences that I wish my 6400M had.  I believe that the K4 was designed from that same point of view.  However until I get to try one,  I won't know for sure.  The K4 will do diversity they say and has some other features our 6400M's do not have.  I suspect it will cost a lot more then the 6400M.  

KL4QG

Like reading comments. and I like asking Questions I do like my Flex 6400M How is Flex alone with platform they have?? Thanks Joe

KL4QG

**** that’s funny

Michael N3LI

There just isn't anything similar. Perhaps the Anan, but that's more of a tinkerers radio.

There are a number of people that have already christened the K4 as the unquestioned champion of Amateur radios. Which is pretty amazing considering they aren't out yet.

Then again, so was the IC-7300, and the IC-7610. Both hailed as better alternatives to a Flex. Having used both, the 7300 is cute, and inexpensive, but nowhere near any signature series radio, and the 7610 is better, but still a bit meh.

I guess that's similar to the concept that the most popular person on a football team is the second string Quarterback.

Steve K9ZW

At this time (early September 2019) the Flex-6400 will make real QSOs, where the yet to be released K4 models are not finalized - neither you nor anyone else would be able to make a QSO with one until they are released.

Your question will have some merit after the K4 in final form has been out for a bit, but no real comparison from a user's actual hands-on point of view.  

73

Steve
K9ZW

Blog: http://k9zw.wordpress.com

Bill -VA3WTB

How is Flex alone with platform they have?? 

Flex is 100% SDR, other than the Anan none of the others are. Many radios are a combination of SDR and lagacy.
As an example: the SDR radios from the big three all sport some sort of SDR technology. Their receivers are direct sampling, but the DSP are mostly hardware filters and firmware to operate them. The Flex DSP is all softare.

Also, the flexibility to intregate the entire shack with few cables sets it apart from others. The ease of remote, nothing comes close.

Michael N3LI

Steve - I completely forgot how annoying cables are until I recently had to set up a legacy radio with USB to Serial adapter recently, Sound card interface, and monkey with the adjustments. Ugh.

These Flex radios spoil us rotten!
I like being spoiled rotten. 8^)

KL4QG

I’m spoiled too lol

KL4QG

I think I’m going Flex my Muscles tonight ****

Mike VE3CKO

Oh Joe, you are being too punny now

KL4QG

Well when you own a Flex life fun I can say this it’s been great last few weeks Receiver sounds so nice and natural

FISHULA X

 Did you guys get the news that Flex has landed a huge government or military contract?  Flex is gonna always be number one in my book.
 The main reason is no other radio can come close to the RX on my 6300.
 Both of my 5000As   RX was great until I upgraded to the 6300 and the WNB can not be beat. I live in a very noisy area and with a normal radio, I see noise levels of S8 to 10 over S9, but now with the 6300  it is fantastic. S5 to S6. And when I use the WNB, it's even better. When I owned other non SDR radios on noisy evenings I would not be able to hear my friends in the surrounding states. Flex has given me back my hobby. I have low noise levels, No phase noise and the wide band noise blanker tackles the power line noise that plagues my QTH.  I know I am like a broken record but, I still cant believe the RX and It's going on a year with the 6300 and I have not looked back,       Thank you Flex Radio Systems.

SP7IDX

hi
did anyone compare Flex 6400 to SunSDR 2 PRO? and it's not about 20W and 100W 

Thanks Waldi SP7IDX

Erik Carling EI4KF

I presume it is also not about a beautiful touchscreen versus a brick, excellent community and manufacturer support versus very little, feature rich and superb software versus staid and even backward bug ridden releases. Also I presume it is not about cost because the better of the two is more expensive. If you mean only performance, I cannot think of anything in the SunSDR 2 Pro that is better than in the Flex 6400 and in fact all performance features and operation of the 2 Pro are below that of the 6400 so that in a straight 1v1 test, leaving out all the other factors listed above, the 6400 is a clear winner. The gap then widens if those factors are included. There remains the cost difference and that relates to a potential purchaser's priorities, though I have to also add, whilst subjective, I would actually consider the 6400 to also win on value for money.

Mike-VA3MW

At a minimum, I would go cost out a any of the K4 models and then compare them to a 6400 with an ATU.   

Off the top of my head, you can buy 2  6400's for the same price. 

When talking about the SunSDR series, you also have to consider:

• Warranty - we have 2 years and you can extend that to 4 years (a great deal)
• Hardware service - we service right in Austin TX
• Software Support - we have a FRS employees who are on our staff - including our development and engineering teams
• 30 day return policy on your radio purchase.  You get  30 days to try it out in your shack.  If it isn't for you, you can return it for a refund
• You get to talk to use on the phone! 
• Built in the US 
• And, speaking as a Ham, an amazing radio.  I personally never thought I would own a radio that just worked so well to hear things.

I'm sure there are a few more things to add. 

Mike

Bill -VA3WTB

If these other companies, Elecraft for example, retail their new radios costing less then the Flex 6600M, then that would be doing something.
But as I understand things at the moment, after you add the options to the K4 witch  makes the radio really nice, the price goes up really fast. It will be interesting to watch.

Michael N3LI

Joe, your comment about the natural sound, has me reminiscing about how I came to Flex radios. A few years back, I purchased and built one of the RXTX ensemble kits. 

When I fired it up, I was struck by just how good it sounded.

I have some pretty severe hearing loss, but the little thing was a lot clearer than any of my other radios - I was big on Icom at home,  and KenWood for the car. 

I'm not for certain why. Perhaps it is less phase distortion from the superset stages, but it's been a real blessing for me. Never looked back.

Michael N3LI

When we outfitted our K3S like we wanted, the price zoomed.

And the K3 Panadapter is marginal at best. Irritating how the signals disappear while you turn the knob. 

And since I'm on Panadapters, the panafall on the 7610 looks very fuzzy. Ugh.

KL4QG

I sent a 7610 back for repairs 2 times screen than DX E refunded my money

Michael N3LI

The 7610 screen has been a real problem. I suspect they are running out of replacement screens. Ours hasn't yet, but I'm keeping a real close eye on it. 

Bringing it back to Flex, the Maestro screens are clearer and sharper, the touch screen seems much more advanced than the 7610 - which is a scratch magnet.

When our 7610 goes, I might just press for a 6600, as long as I can make certain that Windows updates are blocked on our station network. My people will not put up with that unfortunate situation.

Neil D Friedman N3DF

I have operated my 6600M nearly every day for the past 18 months.  I promptly install Windows 10 updates on my NUC i5 computer.  Only once did my DAX require readjustment.  I opened a work order on Sunday afternoon and Flex fixed it using TeamViewer on Monday morning.  During that brief interval, I could still operate CW and SSB off the radio's front panel.  Hasn't seemed like much of "an unfortunate situation" to "put up with."