Flex-1500/3000 Is there a successor in sight?

DH2ID

Hi all,

although my main radio is a Flex-6500, I use my trusty legacy radios for QRP, portable and EMCOMM work. The Flex-1500 with it's USB connection is still a very good radio and the Flex-3000 sits under my Getac S400 notebook and works fine with firewire. I know the limits of these radios, of course: bandwidth and CPU power needed. KE9NS gave these radios a whole new life with his continued development of PowerSDR.

I know that this is nothing new, but what I really would like, are new radios with the form factor of the Flex-3000, but with a FPGA and the CPU power of the new Flex radios and Ethernet connection, of course. A new small QRP radio would also be a very nice addition :-)

BTW I bought the Flex-3000 used 10 years ago and the Flex-1500 - also in a very good used condition - 8 years ago. I use these radios daily and the Flex-3000 did run almost continuously for a long time as a PACTOR mailbox and at full power.

Vy 73, Alex - DH2ID

Neil D Friedman N3DF

Doesn’t the 6700 have roughly the form factor of the 3000?

VE7ATJ_Don

Unfortunately, due to 'problems' way in the past with discussing their future plans, Flex doesn't talk about what they have on the drawing board. They may have a lower power rig on the horizon, but they won't discuss it here. They've pretty well carved out their 'niche' in the low power (100W) range and are using accessories (Tuner Genius, etc.) to meet the needs of contesting hams. The QRP world has a lot of competitors (and more coming every day), so I'm not sure that's an area that Flex will want to re-enter.

DH2ID

Thank you for your comments, which I really appreciate!

@N3DF: No, the 6700 is much bigger than the 3000 and the price is much higher.

@VE7ATJ: I just thought because FlexRadio already was there with the Flex-1500, maybe... :-)

Vy 73, Alex - DH2ID