Welcome to the FlexRadio Community! Please review the new Community Rules and other important new Community information on the Message Board.
Need the latest SmartSDR or 4O3A Genius Product Software?
SmartSDR v4.1.3 | SmartSDR v4.1.3 Release Notes
SmartSDR v3.10.15 | SmartSDR v3.10.15 Release Notes
The latest 4O3A Genius Product Software and Firmware
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.

Satellites, Transverters, and a Flex

kf7lpu
kf7lpu Member ✭
edited September 2025 in Peripherals & Station Integration
I’ve been combing through many of the community posts and have a decent sense of what’s required for satellite operation. I think I may already know the answer, but I wanted to confirm with the community.

From what I understand, the Flex 8400 has only one XVTR port, which means it can’t operate in full-duplex mode on its own. To achieve true full-duplex cross-band operation, I’d need a Flex 8600 and two separate transverters — one for uplink and one for downlink.

Unfortunately, I overlooked this limitation when I bought my 8400. At this point, it seems like upgrading the Flex and buying transverters might not be the most cost-effective path. I’m starting to think that purchasing a second radio dedicated to satellite operation could be the better option.

I’d really appreciate hearing some thoughts or advice from others who have been down this road.
Tagged:

Answers

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

    My understanding is that, while the 8400 indeed has only one transverter jack , the radio is capable of full duplex operation. The single SCU limitation means it can only receive on one antenna at a time.

  • kf7lpu
    kf7lpu Member ✭
    Hey Neil, thank you for responding, I suppose that would not be a problem to only receive on one antenna at a time since the up and down links are typically on different bands?

    So if I use the below Q5 transverter, the 8400 will still work.


    http://q5signal.com/index.php?route=product/product&path=70&product_id=99
  • Bill_NO4ON
    Bill_NO4ON Member ✭✭

    I believe that there is a way to daisy chain Q5 transverters. You might want to check with them to see if that can solve your problem.

    73

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.

Comment As ...

Categories