1.4.11 and FreeDV = Ham Radio Fun!

Just made my first FreeDV QSO (14.236, between FL and PA, wire antenna), with successful decoding down to about S4,
barely 15 dB above noise floor.

 Many thanks to the Flex team for making FDV as close to plug’n’play as possible.  Following the procedure in the newest software manual (version  1.4.11), it installed without a hitch, and even pre-configured the slice for proper receiving.  The only change I made was to be sure that the TX mic EQ was turned OFF…I learned from D*Star that digital voice doesn’t want low voice frequencies (cutoff below 300 Hz).

 There was some discussion here about RF power levels.  Following the manual, I left the power slider at 100%, and found that (on an external wattmeter) peaks were at 100%, and average power only about a third of that (varies quite a bit normally, with or without speech).

 When I bought my 6300 at the Hartford ARRL convention last summer, it was a leap of faith, since I really liked my ICOM 7600.  Almost a year (and several updates later), this Flex radio has been a constant source of enjoyment for this ol’ ham, licensed for 57 years.  Flex, thanks for making a fine hobby even more fun!