Panadapter Color

SIINC

Is it possible to change the panadaptor trace line on my 8400M? Looks like the only option is white.
I want to make it look like an oscilloscope tarce. (I can do this with my IC 7300)
If not, how can I change the background fill color? I can't seem to find any display settings on the radio.

Trucker

In the lower left of the front panel display is a selection for display. Touch it and you can set several different colors for Fill color. But, there isn't a setting that allows you to change the color of the trace itself. Download the 6400M/6600M manual( it's the same for the new radios). There is a section that gives details on all the adjustments available for the waterfall display and spectrum display.

James

WD5GWY

SIINC

Thanks for the reply, only have the radio for a few weeks, forgot the display setting were accessible right there from the front panel!
A shame you can't change the trace color, even the fill colors are limited in choice.
Al
W6AAX

Trucker

I too wish that the display colors could be adjusted and have a wider choice of colors. I guess I am a bit spoiled in that department from using Thetis with my Anan radios. What I am really hoping for is better Noise Reduction, a Automatic Notch Filter that works and for the radios with two SCU's, phase Cancelation in Diversity Reception. ( PowerSDR has it for the 5000A radios with dual receivers)

One can dream!

James

WD5GWY

Russ Ravella

Shouldn't BE a dream. Flex said they'd produce better software by abandoning PowerSDR and starting over with SmartSDR back around 2010. No more "spaghetti code" would be best for everybody. Fifteen years later they're still so far behind in so many ways. Based on many posts over the years complaining about it, PSDR already HAD very good phase cancelation capable diversity reception back then. And Flex explicitly promised the improved noise reduction features you mention "within the year" when they announced the 8XXX at Dayton last year, along with adaptive pre-distortion. Check the many announcement and interview videos on YouTube from that time. They've gone totally quiet on that since and still haven't even released the ADP they still DO occasionally talk about.

I'm a Flex fanboy through and through but their strength is definitely not software. And the specious argument fanboys like me often give is this is what should be expected from a small company. Tell Warren Pratt that.

73 Russ KR6W

Trucker

Oh,I know that they have repeated the same comments on planned improvements to SmartSDR. Especially for the new 8000 radios. I have taken a gamble and put a deposit on a new 8600M. I sent in my 6600M for trade-in earlier this week. It will be sometime next week before I get a value evaluation from them. If it is around what I expect they will offer, I will continue on and when the 8600M finally arrives, I will give it a complete test before the 30 days return period ends. If I cannot tell a noticeable improvement overall, and the improved noise reduction doesn't show up before the return period is up, back it will go. At least with the 6600M I am aware of it's limitations. Plus, I picked up a ELAD SP-1B powered speaker with built-in DSP right before I shipped off the 6600M. That little speaker's DSP completely gets rid of the background noise and hiss that I find so annoying with the noise reduction in SmartSDR. Carefully combining it with the SmartSDR's noise reduction ( very little) makes it like listening to full quieting FM. And it doesn't cover up weak signals like the noise reduction in SmartSDR does if adjusted enough to make the background noise bearable.

James

WD5GWY

Russ Ravella

Yeah, sounds good. I’m planning my own version of that. I’m going to wait and see if they eventually release an 8-slice version of the 8XXX. If they do, I’ll buy it. If not, I’ll settle for an 8600 if they’ve really come through with real useful improvements by the time my 6700 goes to radio heaven. If not I don’t know what. The only other radio I’d consider is an Anan running Thetis but that company Apache Labs is so dishonest I don’t want anything to do with them.

I hope you get a great price for your 6600M and the 8600M works out great for you. Sounds like you’ve got solid plans. I keep hoping Flex is finally turning the corner on software but it never seems to actually happen. Maybe after they get over the APD **** ? Anyway, best of luck James !

73 Russ KR6W

SIINC

I think my 30 days is up, so it looks like I'm keeping the radio, for now. So many cool things with this 8400M but then again, a lot of quirks (too many to go into here) that are tough to live with. Had I known, I probably wouldn't have purchased the radio. I waited almost a year to receive a radio from Flex and now, a bit disappointed with some of these "features". A lot of new items were promised last year (analog looking S-Meters) but looks like not much has changed from the 6000 series. I'm got even going to go into the Fan noise issue which Flex supposedly fixed on my radio. Still not happy!
73,
Al
W6AAX

km9r.mike

 even the fill colors are limited in choice.

Sounds like you are sad but you can customize the fill if you look hard enough but I suspect you will continue to be sad. Perhaps the 7300 is a better fit for you and you will be happy.

km9r.mike

Tell Warren Pratt that.

Well I guess FRS could continue with SSDR and at the same time make the radio compatible with a interface by an independent software developer that they claim to have no connection with so they can incorporate already proven open source software saving FRS a huge cost in software development. At a minimum, all FRS would have to do is make radios that could handle the requirements of the independent software developer. That way they could incorporate developed not for profit open source software into their for profit radio. Hmmm sounds familiar.

I guess FRS could also pay Dr Pratt to tweak his open source code to be compatible with SSDR. Why reinvent the wheel right ? Then again I do not own FRS and who am I to suggest how they run their business especially since I do not have to suffer any consequences of a bad decision.

SIINC

I'm a bit disappointed but not sad about my purchase. My Flex 8400M is so bch better than my IC7300 in so many ways but the Icom is lot more user friendly in my opinion. The more I use the radio the more I'm impressed. I can certainly live with the pan adaptor, I'm sure in time Flex will eventually improve on the firmware, I feel this radio is a work in progress but that's what the hobby is all about!

Trucker

Most SDR radios like the Flex and Anan radios are a work in progress. Unlike the Anan radios, your Flex radio is much better supported by the manufacturer. Open source software and hardware is nice. ( I own two Anan radios and a Hermes Lite 2) But, hardware support through Apache Labs for the Anan radios can be problematic. (To put it nicely) Software support for open source based hardware can be great. But, it is subject to disappear should the developer decide he/she, is no longer interested in sharing their work. Plus, if you encounter a problem that doesn't effect or interest the developer, it may never get resolved unless you are able to write code yourself to add/fix, whatever issue or feature you need help with. No SDR radio is perfect. Nor is any SDR software perfect. But, I will say this, as an overall package, radio, software and customer support, Flex Radio is at the top of the heap. Who else will sell you a new radio and let you try it for 30 days and then if you decide you don't like it, return it for a full refund? No other Amateur radio company does that. For me, that along with the great customer service makes choosing Flex Radio a good choice. ( YMMV)

James

WD5GWY

Mike-VA3MW

I'm a bit disappointed but not sad about my purchase. My Flex 8400M is so bch better than my IC7300 in so many ways but the Icom is lot more user friendly in my opinion. The more I use the radio the more I'm impressed. I can certainly live with the pan adaptor, I'm sure in time Flex will eventually improve on the firmware, I feel this radio is a work in progress but that's what the hobby is all about!

We are always happy to hear feedback, however, in order to understand what is important to you, we really need more details.

What is it you would like improved? You'll need to expand on user friendly. I often ask people if your concern would be the same if you went from Icom to a Yaesu that you have never used before? Or, an Elecraft? Sometimes it is just getting familiar with a new user interface.

We are interested in your feedback, so don't hold back. :)

Russ Ravella

Mike,

FRS saying "We are interested in your feedback ..", and FRS actually doing something about it are two different things. Anyone with experience with Flex can justify and elaborate on that pretty endlessly and I won't do so here. But one really obvious example is the pretty constant complaints about excessive fan noise in the 8XXX. Including after Flex said they'd fixed a manufacturing issue that resulted in some fans coming loose several weeks ago, like here. Is Flex actually doing something to improve 8XXX fan noise in the near future; ie … actually doing something about it ?

73 Russ KR6W

Geoff AB6BT

I have a new, one week old, 8600. It is located less than three feet from my head. I do not find the fan noise particularly loud. I do believe it is moving more air than a 6400 or 6600 as I can feel the breeze from where I am sitting.

That's my situation, perhaps others have something different going on.

SIINC

I don't mean to go on and on here, this forum is a great exchange of info and getting thoughts from other users.

For Mike:

Fan Noise: I received my 8600M first week in February, took it out of the box, plugged it in, turned it on and was immediately floored by the fan noise. I have never owned a piece of equipment that had a fan that loud! I mentioned this to the Flex reps at the Yuma Hamfest two days after I received the radio, and it was mentioned they were working on a fix. I was asked to put in a service request. I did, I was sent a UPS shipper and once the radio was received it was updated and shipped back in one day. I was impressed. The fan is much quieter but still noticeable. I can live with it. Kudos to Flex for addressing this.

User friendliness:

Adjusting the AGCT for each band is a pain, why can't this be done by firmware?

Running WSJT-X. I have to make several mouse clicks to start FT-8 operation, start Smart SDR, click connect, select a DAX channel, Click on Slice A RX to disable, click Slice A RX to enable (this is a bug that was confirmed by Flex during a Team Viewer Session) Then start WSJT-X. That is six mouse clicks as opposed to one on my 7300. Again, not a big deal, but that's a lot to go through.

My ThinkPad Boots up quicker than the 8600M, other SDR transceivers are instant on and instant off when turned off. The radio scares me into thinking what may happen if I accidently turn off the power supply before I turn the radio off which seems to take forever.

Yes, there is a "honeymoon period with every radio I ever owned. Have to get used to operation I get it.

Hopefully all the feedback will be acted upon sooner than later. In the meantime, my disappointment is diminishing and nice to know we have a strong community of users out there.

73,

Al

W6AAX

Tom C

i have had my 8600 for just over a week and I also have a 6600. Whatever fan noise comes from the Flex radios is overshadowed by my MF and VHF, UHF transverters and amps. Just a noisy shack but I’m used to it. I also turned on both the 6600 and 8600 at the same time and the 8600 booted about 6-7 seconds faster.
73

Tom

N9RU

Geoff AB6BT

Al…You can simplify the steps you mention when trying to use WSJT-X.

First, of course, you do have to have both SSDR and WSJT-X running; there is no way around that.

You do not have to select a rario each time you start SSDR, see page 12 in the SmartSDR-Software-User-Guide. There you can see how to select "On Startup, Auto Connect Last Radio"

Next make and save a Global profile (with Transmit and Microphone profiles) with SSDR configured for the band, Frequency, mode, DAX channel, and whatever else you want to save. Then just click the the profile to recall those settings.

So aside from starting SSDR and WSJT-X you have only one mouse click, if I count correctly

SIINC

Geoff

Thanks for the tips. I'll setup a Global Profile. I'm sure that there a lot of short cuts and operational procedures I need to learn on the Flex.

Al

Geoff AB6BT

Yeah, there is a bit of a learning curve.

You'll get it!

Neil D Friedman N3DF

Or, ditch the PC and use SDR for Mac.