New 60 meter frequencies

K4QXX · March 26

When is Flex going to update the Turf file for the new 60 meter frequencies? I have already missed two new countries on 60 meters because I can't transmit. Very frustrating.

Burch

K4QXX

Geoff AB6BT · March 26

It will be difficult in any case with the 9.15 W ERP restriction…

K4QXX · March 26

I would have had no problem last night working the CY0S on 9 watts. He was 20 over. I just could not transmit.

Geoff AB6BT · March 26

More difficult from the west coast.

Ken · March 26

Why should it be up to Flex to control the power out on a band? Is that not why we are the radio operator? I mean I know how to adjust the power out on a radio!

K4QXX · March 26

Ken, not sure what you mean here. This isn't about controlling power, it's about being able to transmit in the new 60 meter allocation. Right now, you can't transmit any power until Flex updates the software.

Burch

K4QX

johnn1jm · March 26

I'm rather disappointed with SSDR+. There have been no updates since October of last year, but of course we really don't know what goes on at Flex.

aa1ffradio · March 26

That has always been the main issue at Flex. The speed at which they provide updates is horrible. I signed up for the 30 day early access in December for $300 and NOTHING whatsoever. Feel like they took the cash and can't deliver the goods in a timely manner. Even if I got an early update next week the people who didn't sign up are at least a month or so out.

Trucker · March 26

What do you consider a Timely manner? Software development takes time. I understand your frustration. But, we really need to give them time to get things right. I paid for Early Access in January after I got my AU-520M. I am hoping for more improvements to SmartSDR. I believe that they will deliver on their commitment to provide more and better improvements to SmartSDR. But, if that doesn't happen, there's going to be a lot of upset customers, including me.

James

WD5GWY

Russ Ravella · March 26

Just another two cents on this … when the new Director of Software at Flex, Hayley Boynton was interviewed when v4 was released, she described what their concept for s/w development going forward was. A major part of that was addressing long standing issues and she specifically mentioned working on "the DAX problem". She described it as a pretty large scale endeavor and was careful not to promise anything specific like when work on it would be complete because it was a big job.

So that, along with things like getting ADP completed which has been open for coming up on a year and a half (because it was announced at Dayton 2024 and promised for NLT end of that year) may be examples of a small set of unusually difficult initial tasks that are taking especially long to complete. I could believe that after they get those kinds of things under control, the rollout process will become more regular.

Flex has taken a lot of criticism for its software for many years. Looking at it from the outside (that is, I don't actually know anything) it seems like they started focusing on fixing that around the time Matt took over as CEO and the situation has been steadily improving ever since. As far as I'm concerned, we have no control over how difficult the job is at this point, but Flex actively working on it is what's needed and has been missing and now they are. So we need to let them do the work. If 4.2 is released without much having been done, that's the time to complain. Hayley described the process as iterative. Let's let them iterate.

73 Russ KR6W

K4QXX · March 26

My original message wasn't about the time it takes for new software, just a new turf file for the new 60 meter frequencies. Why do we have to wait for version 4.2 to just get the new 60 meter frequencies? These frequecines have been available since December. I don't know the SSDR code but I would think opening up the new frequencies wouldn't be a big deal since the radio can already receive, but maybe it is. Just frustrating to miss out on a Dxpedition because I can't transmit. Friends of mine using 20+ year old radios were able to work the station but I can't with software that was released 6 months ago.

aa1ffradio · March 26

They can come out with a Turf file for someone who operates Mars with the license . . . I would not think it is a big deal to come out with one for the masses so everyone could operate on 60m

Geoff AB6BT · March 26

Actually, most of the 60 meters band allocations are unchanged. It is only the new (to us) non-channelized WRC-15 portion from 5351.5 - 5366.5 that requires a new Turf file for complete access.

K4QXX · March 26

Geoff, yes and that is where CY0S was operating the last few days on 60 meter CW. Was transmitting on 5352 and listening 2-3 up. Could hear him great, but couldn't transmit as the Flex wouldn't let me. Can only run 9 watts there but he was 20 over S9 at my shack and I am sure I could have worked him. I was so frustrated!

Burch

K4QXX

Geoff AB6BT · March 26

I get it Burch, even though I couldn't hear a peep on 60 meters here.

I'm having difficulty on 40 CW as I can't bust through the east coast wall.

It's interesting to look at the live stream map and see the relatively small number of west coast stations, but hey, propagation is out of my control.

K4QXX · March 27

Geoff, yes I was lucky with Sable as I am in Florida and it's not a big deal to work that area of the world from here. At least I got them on 60 FT8 but just was SO frustrating last couple of nights as they were calling over and over on 60 cw and I couldn't call them back! Oh well, I guess the update happens when it happens.

Burch

K4QXX

Geoff AB6BT · March 27

As someome once said in a song: "Don't worry, be happy"

And accept the things you cannot change…

New 60 meter frequencies

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