Just wondering ?? After 5 months of living with a Flex 6500 and Maestro, I have gotten use to all the quirks that happen and the long learning curve. It is a great radio, and no doubt the newest versions will be even better.
I have just one issue, and maybe it is just me. The exterior case cooling fans. I fully understand that cooling is needed, but to me the noise is more than I wish to have on a constant basis. Unlike many I don’t really like headphones. The 6500 sits on a desk top about 3 feet away. Is it maybe just my fans, or are they all pretty noisy ?? Is there a replacement fan(s), that are better.
Just wondering are the new 6400 and 6600 a lot better in that regard ??
For now I have gone back to my Kenwood 590SG and an SDR play for a panadapter, and much less noise.
Thanks.
Posted 2 years ago
I have a 6300 and I don’t hear anything objectionable. My PC makes a lot more noise than the Flex. I know it’s cooling by looking at the temperatures in DDUtil. Even in Rtty at 50-60 watts in a contest it doesn’t get that hot, and when I stop transmission, the temp drops very fast.. Maybe you have a fan issue. A bearing perhaps?
Like Bill, I don't hear anything on my 6500. Only when the fan revs during RTTY at about 50 watts.
Yes sir, when I get the temps up the fan does increase but not bad. I guess this is kind of a per case deal, Some of us have more sensitive hearing than others, more ambient noise in our shacks, headphones, etc. Lots of factors make this about impossible have a one case fits all situations
I have a 6600M and so it sits on the desk in front of me
and yes....the fan noise is excessive. i was surprised
and yes....the fan noise is excessive. i was surprised
My 6600M is quiet! The huge fan inside looks to be running at quarter speed. Perhaps my hearing is worse than I thought
Ria - N2RJ, Elmer
My 6300 fan noise was low and not an issue two feet away. My 6400 is much quieter. Except for the green button and the blue waves it would difficult to tell the radio was running.
I have had a similar experience having owned a 6300 for two years and then upgrading to a 6400. The 6300 was fairly quiet unless I did a very long digital transmission. The 6400 is even better - I have, so far, never heard the fan get louder even on very long digital transmissions (4-5 minutes on Olivia - I'm a rag chewer hihi). And I monitor the temperature and it runs cooler than the 6300.
---Gary WB8ROL
---Gary WB8ROL
I'm sure they have a goal set to improve with every generation.
I guess I never realized the issue of fan noise with these radios. I have my 6700 right next to me (less than 2 feet from my ear), but I have rack-mounted it into a rack cabinet that is convenient for my shack, only about 4 feet high. With the 6700 rack mounted (no front door - the front is open) I cant hear any fan noise from my Flex. If racking it is a possibility for you, I'm sure you would be very pleased with the results.
To me the fan noise on the 6500 is not objectionable. It is about the same as my computer power supply. I think some expect the radio to be almost silent. Too bad your using a much lower performance radio because of fan noise.
And yes the 6400 and the 6600 make much less noise because of the larger fan and slower RPM.
And yes the 6400 and the 6600 make much less noise because of the larger fan and slower RPM.
KY6LA - Howard, Elmer
I can’t confirm 6500 fan noise but my 5 year old ( has it been that long already) 6700 has been running 24/7 and the fans are still quiet! Seems like with fans YMMV...
Same here.
Alex - DH2ID, Elmer
Fascinating, It sounds to be purely a matter of perception. I have, over time had three Flex 6xxxs and I think they all had the same noise level. My computer is almost totally silent. I can hear the fan on the CPU cooler - just. My 6300 is a small bit louder but far from objectionable.
No one has said anything about amplifiers which, in my experience drown out all the rest. My present amp is a Palstar LA-1K solid state rf sensing 1kw. It is the quietest Amp I have ever had blut still completely drowns out every thing else.
I think this is just as individual as your choice of radio or microphone. I use my Radiosport head set 90% of the time anyway. :)
No one has said anything about amplifiers which, in my experience drown out all the rest. My present amp is a Palstar LA-1K solid state rf sensing 1kw. It is the quietest Amp I have ever had blut still completely drowns out every thing else.
I think this is just as individual as your choice of radio or microphone. I use my Radiosport head set 90% of the time anyway. :)
I never hear anyone say, I am running bare foot because I can hear my amp fan....
People tend to forgive the huge noise amp fans make because they understand the need for cooling the amp, but when It comes to the radio cooling the PA inside, it must not make much noise at all?
When I turn on my Ameritron AL-811 I can't hear my flex anymore,,cool.
People tend to forgive the huge noise amp fans make because they understand the need for cooling the amp, but when It comes to the radio cooling the PA inside, it must not make much noise at all?
When I turn on my Ameritron AL-811 I can't hear my flex anymore,,cool.
(Edited)
Henry,
Sounds to me as though your 6500 fans are running in a speed other that just idle. Every once in a while my 6500 will suddenly go to a faster speed for no apparent reason at all and it is noticeable. It will then stay at that speed until it is turned off and then on the next time I wish to use it, but it then comes on at what I call "IDLE". Would be nice if there were something to look at to see what speed setting the rig cooling fan was running at. Ran the 6500 in a contest over the weekend and it just broke out of idle on a couple of occasions. Oh yes, on hot days without the A/C on in the house, I have come into the shack and found the 6500 working hard to cool itself. I am talking about 85 to 90 degrees "F".
Bob, N0IS
A moot point! My (small by US standards) linear only makes a noise when it's being provoked and soon quiets down again after the QSO is done. That's rather different to the radio, which tends to be on whenever I am in the shack, fans and all.
It's a non-issue as far as I am concerned but it is unusual - most radios don't have fans running continuously.
It's a non-issue as far as I am concerned but it is unusual - most radios don't have fans running continuously.
Good point Bob
I don't do anything with my radio to make the fans increase. The only time I have heard them ramp up was when doing an up date.
If they stayed ramped up I don't think I would like that much either.
Henry, make sure your radio is in the open and nothing blocking the fans,,it really should not be so noisy when the fans are on Idle.
I don't do anything with my radio to make the fans increase. The only time I have heard them ramp up was when doing an up date.
If they stayed ramped up I don't think I would like that much either.
Henry, make sure your radio is in the open and nothing blocking the fans,,it really should not be so noisy when the fans are on Idle.
John, it is important that the fans run all the time. Most any other radio's do not use the same processors the flex does. These processors create lots of heat that need a lot of cooling.
Much the same way as your computer processor fan, or video card fan.
Much the same way as your computer processor fan, or video card fan.
(Edited)
Thanks for all the above, see my reply below
Ria - N2RJ, Elmer
My 6500 was louder but these fans on the 6600 are still very noticeable to me,
the transceiver is on my desk in front of me.
Putting it in a remote rack is an option ...
the transceiver is on my desk in front of me.
Putting it in a remote rack is an option ...
Thanks, see my comment below
When the 6500 fan`s kick in high speed you will know it.
Sounds like a jet air plane taking off. Over all running just sounds like an older desktop computer tower to me that had no modulating fans just full on unlike the new computers do as they modulate up and down.
See my comment below, thanks
Thanks everyone for your replies and comments. I should add some more info, in reply to thoughts.
First off, having had desktop computer since the 80's, and just about every rig and amp made, I'm a good judge of cooling system noise, as well and laboratory instrumentation. The current computer is a Apple Mac Mini, and there is no noise. My Macbook Pro and Samsung laptops are noise free. I had an actual Windows Desktop here a few weeks back and it had hardly any fan noise.
My Kenwood 590SG will only cycle the cooling fan on if it is pushed hard on digital modes, and its fan is about 1/3 of the 6500. I did have a icom 7300, and sold it because on transmit ( keying of any kind ), the fan ramped up to full take off and was awful. Some people have replaced the fan with a better unit with better bearings, and better shaped blades and a better frame.
But .... some people have hit upon something I have been thinking of, but haven't seen in the Flex manual. Is/does, the 6000 series of radios have temperature controlled case fans ?? This is not new and is actually common ?? What I maybe failed to mention, but I thought it was normal, is that right from the turn on ... the fan speed to me seems to high and loud. It does not change at all ( either up or down ), depending on work load. I have run 30 min or more of FT8 station after station, and been watching the temps, and the speed stays the same. The temps go up, but never to a level that is dangerous, and if there is a 30 second break the temps will come right back to basically base line.
From what I am reading others seem to have a change in fan speed vs load.
Yes I have done the case fan and CPU fans cleaning, as recommended by Flex. Thought I had a CPU fan problem, but Tim Emailed me the outline to check the RPM's and they were fine, and yes I can hear them, and know that they will have a sound of their own.
So my question now would be, are the case fans temp controlled. If they are, then than would be my answer.
Lastly, as some people have pointed out, noise is a matter of each persons perception, as well as how good their own hearing is. To me the 6500 I have is louder than 95 % + of all other rigs I have heard, for standby mode. I have no problem with rigs that ramp up the cooling fan/blowers speeds and the temps rise.
Could I build up a special enclosure to dampen the sound, sure. But why should that be needed.
What I am seeing is that other people also feel the same way, and others don't, as well as, some people are feeling that way about the new radios.
Does any one, or has anyone done a retrofit of the fans ?? I am sure they are not the best fans that can be had.
FYI: My hearing is tested on a regular basis ( abt every 2 years ), and I have a slight fall off in the midrange, but only very, very slight, so I am probably about like most people in my age group.
The chassis fans will spin up to high when the internal temp reaches 60 deg C (140 deg F)
It is best to replace any fan with the exact fan, or at least the same air flow.
The 6500 is so well engineered everything was taken into consideration. The fans are what they are.
It is best to replace any fan with the exact fan, or at least the same air flow.
The 6500 is so well engineered everything was taken into consideration. The fans are what they are.
Don't think I have seen the temp get that high. If ..... I had the exact specs, I'm sure I could find a better fan. The Flex is well engineered, but, it was or is not a price was no object product, and yes that can be said of almost anything. I don't have a sound good sound level meter to take readings.
Henry, I just tested my 6500, tuning at 35 watts into a dummy load for a few minutes, and using Flex Meter V1.2 to measure temperature. The fan goes into high speed mode at 70C, which is about 158F. At that point it is quite loud. When the temperature came back down to about 56C, the fan speed dropped back to the normal mode. Like you, I prefer not to have extra noise, and I think the 6500 at idle is the loudest thing in my house. I think it would be a significant improvement if they had a multistep temperature control for the fan.
Have you followed the procedure for cleaning the fans? This is really important in order to lower noise and increase fan life.
