Welcome to the new FlexRadio Community! Please review the new Community Rules and other important new Community information on the Message Board.
If you are having a problem, please refer to the product documentation or check the Help Center for known solutions.
Need technical support from FlexRadio? It's as simple as Creating a HelpDesk ticket.

SSDR V3 Pros and Cons

13

Answers

  • Kari Gustafsson SM0HRP
    Kari Gustafsson SM0HRP Member ✭✭
    edited April 2019
    My "radio needs": Work remotely, in my house or from my country side house, all DX station on all band slots + enjoy demanding contests + share my radio with my son and hams with HOA restrictions.
    PRO: V3 adds more value to my radio needs. Multiple clients is great. A major step forward.
    CON: I see none expect some intial bug fixes as usual.
    I guess I am so much fascinated with the remote radio operation that Flex so easily provides compared to the competition that I do not care of all the other issues not yet being fixed as some point out. And honestly, they have never stopped me from really enjoying ham radio they way I now do.
    Yes I am spoiled with good antennas on a rural remote island with only S1-2 noise on 160-80 meters. Three towers and a fully equipped SO2R station. Guess this makes me a little bit biased.
    Keep up the good work Flex!
    Happy Easter to you all.
  • W2NER
    W2NER Member ✭✭
    edited April 2019
    The Anan upgrade process is a cake walk so, not sure what you're doing wrong.  However, Please keep your post on point to issues with V3 not tossing stones at any other manufacturer. 
  • Bill -VA3WTB
    Bill -VA3WTB Member ✭✭✭
    edited April 2019
    Yea, nothing out there as slick as the flex for updating.
  • Scott Russell - N1SER
    Scott Russell - N1SER Member ✭✭
    edited April 2019
    PRO:
    • Multi client even though I don't have a use for it I see the value and innovation which gives me hope there will be more to come.
    • Not a whole lot unless I've missed something. End of April is FL QSO Party so I'll have better experience with it after that event.
    CON:
    • Completely broke Mac OS apps.
    • Auto Save profiles needs more work and options for turning it on or off, user preference.
    • No documentation
    • I had an issue after updating the Maestro that it would connect to the 6400 and display a screen but it was as though the Maestro was not connected (no scope/waterfall/audio...etc). This is while SSDR is running on the pc. It still does this unless I disconnect the pc and restart the Maestro. Guess I need to put in a ticket for this.
    • Still lack of polish in the UI.
    That's all I can think of at this time until I get to use it more in-depth.

    Scott N1SER
  • Cal  N3CAL
    Cal N3CAL Member ✭✭
    edited April 2019
    PRO:
    •  Various Bug Fixes

    CON:
    • New issue with DSTAR / DV Waveforms no longer working.
    • New Advanced Networking Feature for MTU adjustment does not work through Smartlink.
    • New Auto Save Profiles needs work and option to turn off if desired.
    • New Band Settings Menu should have option to turn off if using with 3rd party app ie DDUTIL
    • 3rd party apps like DDUTIL, Slice Master, Dogpark are now broken and need updated.
    • Issues with Multi-Client and original 4O3A Antenna Genius while operating So2R (6600).
    • No updates/improvements to DSP, ANF, NB ETC.  No Auto AGC-T setting. 
    • No V3 Software Documentation yet. 
    I've reverted back to V 2.4.9 for now.  V3 just doesn't suit my needs. 

    Cal/N3CAL
  • Gary NC3Z
    Gary NC3Z Member ✭✭✭
    edited April 2019
    Likewise I have gone back to V2.4.9 for most of the above reasons.
  • Burt Fisher
    Burt Fisher Member ✭✭
    edited April 2019
    I was told by an Alpha team member the "haters" (which appears to me he thinks is anyone who criticizes 3.x) have stopped posting. He said:

    "Now that the haters like *****  have crawled back into their holes you might note that the Flex community has become a lot more civil And we are seeing lots of positive reports on version three."

    His comment (crawled back into their hole) shows the psyche of the privileged.
    I have read the community and virtually everyone has behaved with dignity. 
  • Scott Russell - N1SER
    Scott Russell - N1SER Member ✭✭
    edited April 2019
    SMH...
  • W2NER
    W2NER Member ✭✭
    edited April 2019
    I think feedback is of great value if things are not what they should be for the general community (not just one group).  Otherwise it will be the beginning of the end for flex if they don't listen. 
  • Robert-KP4Y
    Robert-KP4Y Member
    edited April 2019
    Yeah, look at Elecraft! I was big fan and had almost every major piece of equipment they sold, K3, KX3, KPA500, etc. Definitely great products! At some point I started to point out the lack of innovation in their reflector. The kool aid drinkers hated me for supposedly criticizing their god. Instead of developing a new radio with more modern features, they decided to spend precious R&D money on a HP amp. Some people in this country love capitalism but then don’t promote the accompany competition that drives innovation. I even heard some folks were upgrading to V3 just to help Flex financially. What is that, the equivalent of a subsidy in a socialist country! Competition is great for consumers! 73, Robert-KP4Y
  • NA5RF
    NA5RF Member ✭✭
    edited April 2019
    W2NER, the point is, in answer to the original poster on Pros and Cons of upgrading to V3, the upgrade process going from 2.4.9 to V3 on my new Flex 6600, Windows workstations (7 and 10), and Maestro V2, was significantly easier than "other" manufacturers, and it doesn't come with multiple bootloader versions, bricked radios, unhandled exception errors, and locked up HPSDR apps.

    The fact that Flex adds the radio firmware payload automatically in the SSDR installation application to force software configuration management between the radio and SSDR app and also warns you if they are different versions makes for a much more reliable installation. 
  • Dave AA6YQ
    Dave AA6YQ Member ✭✭
    edited April 2019
    The thread I initiated -- "Some Advice for Flex Management" -- was frozen immediately after Gerald K5SDR responded.


  • W2NER
    W2NER Member ✭✭
    edited May 2020
    update.... i moved back to 2.4.9 and now not even that will keep TX profiles. now i think the update did something to the 6600. i’m going to test the 2.4.9 on my laptop. just for information when i went back to V2 i removed everything including going through the registry to be sure there was nothing left behind. will update later today.
  • KI4P
    KI4P Member ✭✭
    edited April 2019
    just remember, when you down grade you need to do a cold restart! done same thing and radio was acting crazy and wouldnt save any profiles, several told me and even factory rep said to do that, i did and everything came right back to where it was before, saving profiles and all. hope that helps! 
  • W2NER
    W2NER Member ✭✭
    edited April 2019
    Done that, no good.  Went back to the V3 and set the max output to 40w (which is what I use for my amp)..  Flex please fix this and make this profile saving thing a option, not the default.....
  • Burt Fisher
    Burt Fisher Member ✭✭
    edited April 2019
    There are some that praise that are even handed and there are some that are as Robert said, "Kool aid drinkers" whose mission is to gain favor. Expose them, challenge them and one becomes dead to them. Flex is a great company, one of the best in any category but they are not perfect. All one can ask Flex to do is listen. One has to remember those in this community are not the average Flex owners, here in the community are the most involved. Flex customers are more than this community. I like their ads in QST, simple unlike HRO who defines boredom in their QST ads.
  • W2NER
    W2NER Member ✭✭
    edited April 2019
    Well I did a full reset (push the power button till it turns white on power up) and that seems to have fixed the problem with profile savings in version 2.4.9....  If thats what you were referring too AB4RW, thanks for the tip.  I have known about that but totally forgot about it.  Five reboots and profiles are fine so far.
  • KI4P
    KI4P Member ✭✭
    edited April 2019
    That's what I was referring too. Glad it worked, I was getting frustrated also
  • Mike VE3CKO
    Mike VE3CKO Member ✭✭✭
    edited April 2019
    I interrupt this thread for a brief fact check. I do not wish to hijack this thread but I have to point out an incorrect statement Dave AA6YQ made.
    The thread I initiated -- "Some Advice for Flex Management" -- was frozen immediately after Gerald K5SDR responded.
    I followed the thread, sorry Dave but your are wrong. There were several posts after Gerald posted. Following his post I think Joe went over the line and was disrespectful with his comment. It was rightly frozen as it was again becoming another "trial period", bla bla bla that has been dealt with recently in other threads. 

    Ok, back to the regular programing, v3 Pro and Cons.


  • Nick
    Nick Member ✭✭
    edited April 2019
    The whole idea of APIs is that they shield consumers from s/w modifications.  If an API has to be modified it is either versioned or written in a way to not break any current users.  
  • Mike VE3CKO
    Mike VE3CKO Member ✭✭✭
    edited April 2019
    Again my response was only to you saying the thread was closed immediately after Geralds and it wasn't. Someone reading that may have jumped to an improper conclusion, I wanted to record to be correct. You are allowed your opinion Dave, just as I am allow so I would appreciate you not calling my opinions and others a disservice. Again your are labeling people who disagree with some of your presentation, I am not defending v3.  I don't think it will serve anyone if I reveal my thoughts to some of your postings of late, so I will keep those thoughts to myself at this time. In other words, take the higher ground.
  • Mike VE3CKO
    Mike VE3CKO Member ✭✭✭
    edited April 2019
    Good intentions Dave but someone in a related thread recently said something about intentions. Please let's not hijack this thread, I just wanted to correct the record.
  • Dave AA6YQ
    Dave AA6YQ Member ✭✭
    edited April 2019
    Mike, you have yet to demonstrate that my posts have had anything but a constructive impact. After the first of my recent posts, I called Flex Engineering VP Steve N5AC to be sure he was taking them that way; he was.

    You chose to hijack this thread; don't expect me to not respond to your posts when I strongly disagree with their content.


  • Burt Fisher
    Burt Fisher Member ✭✭
    edited April 2019
    I don't see anyone taking the low ground. It looks like you think if you praise Flex you are taking the high ground, if otherwise you are taking the low ground? What does "Elmer" mean after your call, Mike?
    I have found being constructive is praising Flex. When I was critical of bugs 2.49 created,  I was told by another Mike I could be banned for not being constructive.
  • Mike VE3CKO
    Mike VE3CKO Member ✭✭✭
    edited April 2019
    Burt, regarding taking the high ground because of my praising Flex? Guess you haven't read all my posts, when I don't like something be it a feature, issue or post, I don't have any problem saying so. If I go overboard, I can admit when I make a mistake and apologize as I have done in the past. When I refer to me taking the high ground, I mean I will hold back saying what I think about the tactics of a couple of people who are relentlessly publicly targeting the management of Flexradio.
  • Dave AA6YQ
    Dave AA6YQ Member ✭✭
    edited April 2019
    In software engineering, publicly suggesting better ways of doing things is not "targeting the management"; it's a genuine attempt to help. 

    High quality software developers and managers don't just accept constructive critique, they actively solicit it. Any engineer or manager who takes offense at constructive critique from their customers, prospects, or 3rd party developers wouldn't last long in a modern software business.


  • John AE5X
    John AE5X Member
    edited April 2019
    I updated SSDR last night, going from V1 straight to V3 so I don't have the V3-V2 comparison the rest of you have. Prior to installing V3 I did a complete (Tim's procedure) uninstall of V1 and feared the worst in regard to the saving of profiles and other parameters, connectivity with WSJT-X, etc. although I had exported and saved all this info including screenshots. I had several hours set aside to get things back to normal.

    Within 20 minutes of beginning the whole process I was making contacts on the only modes I use, CW and FT8. Absolutely painless and my profiles and WSJT configs were intact - importing the exported files wasn't necessary.

    After that, I downloaded Slice Master, SDR Bridge and CW Skimmer and now see what all the (good) fuss was about. Spots on the pan display, CW Skimmer decoding calls and CQ's, click to tune to them - love it!

    If anyone else is still using V1 and is worried about skipping directly to V3, I say 'go for it'.

    John AE5X
    https://ae5x.blogspot.com


  • W2NER
    W2NER Member ✭✭
    edited April 2019
    The upgrade process was never in question, its profile thats the issue.  So, did you test all the issues that were pointed out in the post???

Leave a Comment

Rich Text Editor. To edit a paragraph's style, hit tab to get to the paragraph menu. From there you will be able to pick one style. Nothing defaults to paragraph. An inline formatting menu will show up when you select text. Hit tab to get into that menu. Some elements, such as rich link embeds, images, loading indicators, and error messages may get inserted into the editor. You may navigate to these using the arrow keys inside of the editor and delete them with the delete or backspace key.