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flex 3000 with new laptop

ea5iwt
ea5iwt Member ✭✭

hi

I still have the flex 3000 I wonder is any one know of external firewire that will fit the new laptop of today that do not have firewire ?

or any other way to feed the flex 3000 to new laptop ?

vy 73 elan ea5iwt /g0uut

Answers

  • Mike-VA3MW
    Mike-VA3MW Administrator, FlexRadio Employee, Community Manager, Super Elmer, Moderator admin

    No, there is no USB/FireWire adapter to adapt new Laptops

  • ea5iwt
    ea5iwt Member ✭✭

    Sad

  • Mike-VA3MW
    Mike-VA3MW Administrator, FlexRadio Employee, Community Manager, Super Elmer, Moderator admin

    Yes, it is. However, FireWire technology has lived its useful lifespan. Apple developed it almost 28 years ago (1995).

    Apple started to phase it out in 2012, 10 years ago, and that was the start of the end.

  • ea5iwt
    ea5iwt Member ✭✭

    Sad

    and it will be very soon as the 6000 tec so what ham who bought with hard cash money flex 3000 5000 etc

    So any one who still have the flex 3000 and the 5000 spouses to do bin the box since flex didn’t think at the time ?

    As I said the flex 6000 soon will come to an end as well as the 3000 5000 soon for sure 

  • Mike-VA3MW
    Mike-VA3MW Administrator, FlexRadio Employee, Community Manager, Super Elmer, Moderator admin

    The FLEX-6000 series is a very different design and uses TCP/IP (Ethernet) to communicate between the computer and the radio. It is also an open connection.

    Ethernet will not disappear in the next 10 years. Even today, WiFi is very unreliable for streaming applications and so much of what we do today is streaming-related. TCP/IP will continue to grow in user functionality.

    I see no reason why the FLEX-6000 series would not expect to have well over a 25 year life span. Even a FLEX-6300 that was built in 2013 still runs current SmartSDR Software and has all the same software features that a new FLEX-6600 has.

  • Neil D Friedman N3DF
    Neil D Friedman N3DF Member ✭✭✭✭

    Still using my Drake TR3 after nearly 60 years!

  • ea5iwt
    ea5iwt Member ✭✭

    Hello Neil

    yes I know well tr3 it was and still is a great unit the rx on this tr3 is so good

    tnx elan

  • Craig Williams
    Craig Williams Member ✭✭

    Still lots of old laptops with Firewire. Just sold one. with Rufis you can even update them to Windows 11.

  • Craig Williams
    Craig Williams Member ✭✭


  • ea5iwt
    ea5iwt Member ✭✭

    hello

    thank you since I do know this however I like better to use new laptop not old I can tell you alm this one laptop not function as good dpc issue even if I adjust many parameter in it well may be some one will do like pci extension to n my aje this great unit

  • Nick RN3KK
    Nick RN3KK Member ✭✭
    edited April 2023

    I finded resolve!

    1. Need use PC with thunderbolt 3 or 4. For example it is Intel Nuc i3 on notebook with Thubderbolt

    2. Need have cabble Apple Thunderbolt/FireWire https://www.apple.com/shop/product/MD464LL/A/apple-thunderbolt-to-firewire-adapter

    3. Need have cabble Apple Thunderbolt 2/ Thunderbolt 3 https://www.apple.com/shop/product/MMEL2AM/A/thunderbolt-3-usb-c-to-thunderbolt-2-adapter

    4. Need set other driver in windows for FireWire (see picture)

    5. Need to up priority process into settings PowerSDR 2.7.2


    And this is works!😝



  • ea5iwt
    ea5iwt Member ✭✭

    hello Nick

    well nice for sure tell me how the doc on that small  Nuc i3 on notebook ?

    elan ea5iwt/dl9fcc

  • ea5iwt
    ea5iwt Member ✭✭

    Nick

    I look on the picture what is the box next to the thunderbolt  convertor to the firewire let say from the flex there is a box then the thunderbolt 

    elan ea5iwt/dl9fcc

  • Nick RN3KK
    Nick RN3KK Member ✭✭

    1 - converter FireWire to Thunderbolt2

    2 - converter Thunderbolt 2 to Thunderbolt 3

    3 - PC IntelNuc with Thunderbolt 3 port


    On the left part you can look black firewire cable. ( 9 pin connected to converter, 6 pin connected to Flex-3000)

  • ea5iwt
    ea5iwt Member ✭✭

    hello Nick

    great job thank you so much I will look for laptop or so thank you

    where did you buy number 2 from ?

    vy 73 elan

    ea5iwt/dl9fcc

  • ea5iwt
    ea5iwt Member ✭✭

    sorry number 1

  • ea5iwt
    ea5iwt Member ✭✭

    hi Nick

    great many thanks

    vy 73

  • Nick RN3KK
    Nick RN3KK Member ✭✭

    And if you troubleshooting with listen sound from radio box, please turn on VAC. I don't understand why, but this is helped.

  • ea5iwt
    ea5iwt Member ✭✭

    all I can say it is sad since it is a great unit

    I use it with very old pc not sure why it is not possible to run it on new laptop of today with some conversion

    like usb 3 etc like the flex 1500

  • Nick RN3KK
    Nick RN3KK Member ✭✭
  • Nick RN3KK
    Nick RN3KK Member ✭✭

    Flex-5000 + intel nuc in vhf contest 03.06.2023 👍️


  • ea5iwt
    ea5iwt Member ✭✭

    hi Nick

    are you sure it work 100% with thunderbolt

    vy 73 elan ea5iwt/g0uut

  • Nick RN3KK
    Nick RN3KK Member ✭✭

    Works for me.

  • ea5iwt
    ea5iwt Member ✭✭

    Ok Nick thank you kind

    vy73 elan Ea5iwt

  • Nick RN3KK
    Nick RN3KK Member ✭✭

    All ok! https://youtube.com/shorts/t_h1xkNIwg8?feature=share

    Flex-5000 in VHF contest with Intell NUC i3

  • NY2A
    NY2A Member ✭✭
    Nice job! I looked into doing the same thing with a NUC, but ended up going with an old MacMini. Many available on eBay and elsewhere for $50-$100 range. Built in thunderbolt, more than adequate processor to run KE9NS under BootCamp. Works flawlessly.

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