HIgh End Flex Users Disappointed by APD limited to 8600 Hardware

Ken D'Alessandro

Many Flex users have been patiently waiting for Flex to implement Adaptive Pre-Distortion (APD). The announcement by Flex at 2024 Hamvention that APD will be available in the 8600 series radios is considered by those I have spoken with as a betrayal by Flex of its 6000 series high end users who feel that we have long been promised that APD would be eventually introduced at some point with the implication that it would be made available on current Flex hardware. To now find out that we have to buy new hardware to get this feature is quite an unpleasant surprise as it seems that APD could have been implemented in a SmartSDR version for the 6000 series radios. I would not have bought my 6600 less than a year ago if I had known that I would have to buy an 8600 to get APD as a feature with my PGXL.

Erik Carling EI4KF

Find out how? That is contrary to the Flex announcement. Whilst certainty is not guaranteed, they clearly state their intention to provide ADP on 6000 series radios at a later date with a hardware accessory assuming that is it cost effective. So not cast in stone and maybe with patience you will get a nice surprise. We are most assuredly not at the situation 'have to buy an 8600 to get ADP'.

Ken D'Alessandro

Found out by reading FlexRadio Media Press Release email sent on 17 May announcing the 8600 series.

Mike VE3CKO

The adapter box surely can be done with a Pi but that would be too easy to reverse engineer so sounds like they will develop and build a Pi-like stand-alone box that would likely interface to the serial port on the 6xxx. Guess what they mean by cost effective, is to manufacture it and see what they would have to sell it for. They still have to determine of course which 6xxx models would be able to handle what APD would demand from the CPU. My thoughts it the "adapter" would be doing all the heavy lifting, spitting out data that SmartSDR would need do what it needs to do. What I find interesting is the two versions of APD, static (manual) and adaptive.

This has been thought out quite thoroughly so reading between the lines, this may be a method to separate, existing 6000 series users and those buying the new 8000 series. I would hope they would implement and make available at least the static APD adapter for the 6000 series , you want adaptive ADP buy an 8000 series. This would both satisfy existing user base and not deter from new sales.

Erika - KØDD

Ive been watching every video and reading every thing that pops up in regard to the new radios and what updates they plan for the older radios. I personally believe features beyond the capability of older hardware should be left for new hardware. They've already stated the older gear needs more processor power for apd Seems like the loudest critics of what flex it doing and in what order are the peeps thinking APD is an absolute necessity for any radio... oh ANAN has it. Well I've never heard an ANAN on the air that I've even liked how they sounded. I have personal needs for ssb dxing.... Ive ran my 6500s in AM groups anywhere from 6 to 10 khz bandwidth and get nothing but complements on how they sound... whether 25w carrier or into an amp... Do you guys screaming about APD even know what a radio with that feature even sounds like? As loud as the drum is getting beaten I'd think the operators of one of those radios would be gifted with golden crowns and a beautiull shining light would light on the front panel of someone receiving them. Im a DXer... I have to have number one feature... the ability to hear a dx station I desire to work. I need to be able to filter out absolutely every interfering station. Give me whats important. A receiver that receives what i need to hear. Then a clean powerful FT8 or CW and an excellently processed SSB transmitter that gives my nice girl voice the sound of a goddess capable of busting wine glasses, windows and pileups... you'd be surprised how potent my vintage 2013 and 2016 6500s can become with the correct settings on the internal EQ and a quality microphone on it can sound. K0DD

Trucker

Erika, APD is a method to clean up a transmitted signal's IMD. It does not and should not effect the transmit audio. If it is, there is something else going on with the station's audio chain. I consistently receive unsolicited compliments on my transmit audio running Thetis and Pure Signal ( aka: Adaptive Pre-Destortion) using my Anan 8000DLE. When problems like you describe occur, it is very likely not APD being the source of the problem. It's more likely sitting between the chair and microphone.

James

WD5GWY

AA1SS

So they promised APD with the 6000 series . . . vaporware . . . As it never happened. Now again they are promising APD with the 8000 series . . . Same old story to sell radios. They need to work on the software and fix some of the bugs like poor ANF, NB etc. and stop making promises they don't keep..

K5XH

A personal observation of what APD can do….

I have a very experienced local ham friend that has a lot of experience with both Flex (6700 and 6600) and the ANAN. I can tell immediately which radio he is using by looking at his signal on my 6600. The ANAN shows nothing outside the transmit bandpass. I hope that Flex can achieve the same results that the ANAN is capable of.

K5XH

Mike-VA3MW

More details in this chat:

https://community.flexradio.com/discussion/8030150/static-vs-adapative-pure-signal-vs-adaptive-pre-distortion