Can I order a SD card?

Al_NN4ZZ

My 6700 is 10 years old and on it's original SD card.

Can I order a SD card to have on hand rather than wait till it becomes defective?

I'm willing to pay for the card and it can be shipped for regular (not a rush) delivery. I'll be at Hamvention in a few weeks if that works for pickup.

Regards, Al / NN4ZZ

al (at) nn4zz (dot) com

6700 Win10 Pro V2004 -- SSDR V2.4.10

Al_NN4ZZ

GOOD NEWS --

I submitted a Help Desk request asking about purchasing a SD CARD. Here is the reply and good news.

Thank you for using the HelpDesk. Now let's get started addressing your issue.

 

We are currently working on getting our Online Store set up for the purchase of SD cards. We hope that this will be completed soon so that you can order them. Thank you for your inquiry.

 

Since your inquiry regarding this support ticket has been addressed, I am submitting your HelpDesk ticket to be closed at this time. If you need additional assistance or have any follow-up questions regarding this support incident, you can re-open this ticket simply by replying to it and we'll continue working with you on your issue.

 

Thanks for using the FlexRadio HelpDesk. We're here to help when you need us.

Tim Ellison, W4TME

Customer Experience Manager

Mike-VA3MW

I can formally say this now.

In the coming weeks, you will be able to purchase an SD Card for YOUR radio.

You will need to provide the serial number and the model number of your radio when you order so that when the SD card is shipped, you receive the one that works for your own personal radio.

Once we have all the processes and procedures in place we will let you know how you can order it.

Keep in mind, that replacing the card is trivial for some owners and complicated for others as the cards are small and a bit 'jammed in there'.

Changing the card in the 6300, 6500 and 6700 does require some radio disassembly and keeping track of the long and short screws.

More to come once we are ready to go and the documentation is complete.

73

Tim K9WX

I would also be interesting in knowing about this and my hunch is there could be a number of other takers.

I have spare fans on the shelf, just in case, for instance.

Tim K9WX

Ed Stallman

Add me to the list , I need two. one for 6500 and one for 6600

Ed

James Del Principe

What information would be needed ? Radio model, Serial number and MAC address ? I would like to have an SD in advance as my 6500 is very old and sure to crash. 73, Jim

Ted S

Ditto, I would gladly pay $30 to $40 to have spare card on hand and avoid 3 days or more of down time. As it is, I am not going to install 3.3.29 anytime soon.

Ted WR4T

Al_NN4ZZ

Ted,

Just an FYI on the SD card cost. They one that Flex uses now ( 4GB) can be purchased for around $15 in quantity from DigiKey.

Ted S

Agree they are not that expensive, but it is also the cost of Flex having to load the licenses and create the image, ship etc. Flex has to make some money, so it is a win-win for Flex and the customer.

I can always buy a card and clone the existing image, but then I void the warranty. Would rather see a supported program and buy a card as a spare part. Just like I have a spare set of 3-500Zs for the amp sitting on the shelf. I would be much less hesitant to install the new software if I knew I had a working backup on the shelf.

Ted, WR4T

Larry Benoit

I too would like to purchase a configured SD card, which could be installed at my discretion in a nearly five year old Flex 6600.

73,

Larry KB1VFU

NC4AB

Add me to the list, having a spare SD card on hand sounds like a good idea.

Andy / NC4AB

k0oks

Seems like they ought to be provided with the radio if there are going to be issues in upgrading.

Al_NN4ZZ

kOoks wrote: Seems like they ought to be provided with the radio if there are going to be issues in upgrading.

Many of us got our radio 5 or 10 years ago....the increased number of SD Card failures appears to be a recent occurrence ( last year or so). And the failures have been attributed to a software bug / issue that was damaging the cards slowly and has been corrected. (At least that is my understanding) The recent update seems to flush up the issue and has been causing the failures. So I can understand why providing spares with new radios was not standard practice.

However, now there are potentially a lot of radios in the field that may be vulnerable. Providing an option to get a card ahead of time seems to make sense. Having a week of down time may not be something you want to experience especially if it happens during a contest or when you are trying to work an ATNO for DX.

Hopefully we'll hear some good news on the request soon....

Regards, Al / NN4ZZ

al (at) nn4zz (dot) com

6700 Win10 Pro V2004 -- SSDR V2.4.10

John KB4DU

I think the issue that is just now appearing is due to the formatting and integrity check the new release performs on the SD Card. Previous releases did not do this, so the latent problem is now a real one. I understand flex not wanting to mass produce and mail the cards, but it does seem that a purchase option would be good customer service.

Don AI6RE

I would like to get a replacement SD Card as my 6600 has recently started suddenly loud buzzing audio and Red Light power down and restart. It did it yesterday but still runs ok after powering back up. Running SmartSDR 2.6.2

KD0RC

HI Don, you need to submit a help desk ticket. This forum, while and excellent information resource, is not the way to request service from Flex.

Al_NN4ZZ

Len wrote: you need to submit a help desk ticket. This forum, while and excellent information resource, is not the way to request service from Flex.

I went ahead and submitted a ticket to request a SD card also….not sure but maybe that is the way to get an answer on getting a spare card.

73…Al / NN4ZZ

WX7Y

Ted S

Yes! You can now order a backup SD Card. Mine is on the way.

https://community.flexradio.com/discussion/8026455/flexradio-sd-card-available-for-purchase#latest

Thanks Flex

Al_NN4ZZ

Is the card SSDR version specific ?? 

(Currently running V2.4.10) OR does the card support all versions ??

Will there be any issue if I upgrade SSDR versions between when I purchase the card and when I actually need to install it ??

Thanks Al / NN4ZZ

KD0RC

HI Al, from the SD card page:

A backup SD card for your FLEX-6000 Series Transceiver. 

This card is installed internally on your radio and it does require you to remove the covers of the radio (#8 Torx).  Some internal diassembly of models 6300, 6500 and 6700 is required to access the SD card as the card holder is under an RF shield within the radio.

Do not order this card if you are unsure of your ability to physically replace the card on your radio 

The card that is sent to you is specifically for your radio and is not to be shared

Cards will be shipped with the most current version of Version 3.3 (or higher)

Your Radio model number and Radio Serial number are required when ordering

The card should only be installed in your radio if advised by our technical support team.  

If your radio is in a failing state, open a Helpdesk Ticket so that we can diagnose your issue.

 I added the emphasis on the above quote.