FLEX-5000 & SmartSDR version(s) compatibility?

jim.k6xwx

I will be getting a FLEX-5000 in the next few weeks. I've looked around the discussions and the FlexRadio documentation & release notes for the three SmartSDR versions (1.12.1, 2.6.2 & 3.2.31), but I cannot find a compatibility matrix/table that indicates which version(s) of SmartSDR will work with the FLEX-5000.

What version(s) can I use for this radio?

Thanks & 73,
Jim - K6XWX

WX7Y

the Flex 5000 series is a GREAT RADIO but the computer interface is FireWire and NOT Ethernet.

PowerSDR is the software you need for the 5000 series of Radios.

There is a 3rd party working on PowerSDR that BUILDS A now FAR superior in features version then is SmartSDR,

Your computer will need a compatible FireWire port installed and a fairly robust computer to operate it.

Other then the lack of FireWire cards that will work on the market the Radios are a SUPER Radio in my book

Mike VE3CKO

To elaborate, SmartSDR is for the FlexRadio 6000 series of radios only. Legacy Flex radios such as the 5000, 3000 and 1500 use PowerSDR that Flex developed until version 2.72 and is available on their website. With the assistance of FlexRadio, Ken KE9NS has continued to develop from the open source code and has added some really great features and enhancements to PowerSDR. See Ken's website for all that you need, tutorials and links to other software you will need. https://www.ke9ns.com/flexpage.html

jim.k6xwx

Bret WX7Y & Mike VE3CKO
Thank you both for your answers - combined they gave me all the information I needed. All of this SDR stuff is totally new to me, but I am a technology manager, so it's really the marrying of computers with radios SDR-style that is new territory.

When I get the system here I'll be sure to share some pix and keep y'all up to date on my progress.

Thank you & 73,
Jim - K6XWX

Mike VE3CKO

Jim, I sold my 5000A that had VHF/UHF only to help pay for the upgrade to the 6700. I wish I didn't have to sell it, there are things in the 5000 I just plain miss. Sure setting up the audio in the 6000 series is greatly simplified, but in PowerSDR you have much more access to various stages to really get the sweet sound. If you know what your doing it's great but on the flipside you can really mess things up. Also the noise mitigation is very good. KE9NS added so many features too numerous to mention but parametric EQ and eye candy like the greyline in the panadapter background would be nice to have in SmartSDR.

On my QRZ page I have links to some videos besides KE9NS that will be very helpful to you setting up your transmit audio. FlexRadio Tutorials.

John KB4DU

There is a major conceptual difference between the 5000 and the 6000. The 5000 is open source, with the computer doing most of the processing, hence FireWire. The 6000 is proprietary software, with most of the processing in the radio and SmartSDR is the graphical front end. However, the 6000 series has an accessible API that exposes almost all of the internal events to external applications. There are a lot of external apps for the 6000.

Neil D Friedman N3DF

None of them.

jim.k6xwx

Mike VE3CKO - it's definitely new territory for me, and I'm sure I will mess things up, but that's OK. I really appreciate the links!! I have a Yaesu FT-857D available, so if I **** up the 5000, I can use the 857 until I figure out what I did and get it corrected. And I also have a Yaesu FT-2980 for basic VHF.

I don't know what exactly this 5000 has, does not have in it, so I'm expecting a base 5000, but who knows? I'm getting it from a radio room that was setup for a hospital, but through various construction projects, etc. the antenna was removed instead of MOVED. Whoops... so the radio has sat idle for 5 or 6 years now. They really don't need HF capability since they are a single hospital and they also have SAT-PHONES that can be used.

Chris Tucker

A Possible reason as to why a FLEX 5000a Owner would want SmartSDR is because it has CESSB, and PowerSDR does not!

CESSB is a true advance in SSB Talk Power, that gives a 3db increase over Non CESSB. PowerSDR from the HPSDR People has both Pure Signal and CESSB built into it, but that software only works on ANAN and Hermes Radios. I messaged Darren KE9NS to ask him if he could integrate CESSB and or Pure Signal into his software, but as yet he has not responded https://ke9ns.com/phpBB3/viewtopic.php?f=5&t=194&p=779#p779