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I'm kinda disappointed with SmartSDR v.3.

Dan Mitchell
Dan Mitchell Member
edited June 2020 in New Ideas
I'm kinda disappointed with SmartSDR v.3. For a major upgrade it's appearance seems the same as v.2. There are not even band edge markers that users have been asking for for years. The release notes are even confusing; note the language in paragraph 1 which implies that defects in v.2 have been carried over to v.3. Corrections and bug fixes in v.2 should have been done in v.2, not disguised as a major release for which we had to pay for. I'm not impressed; I wish I had not shelled out the money for v.3.

Comments

  • James Kennedy-WU5E
    James Kennedy-WU5E Member ✭✭
    edited June 2020
    "There are not even band edge markers that users have been asking for for years." So move you freq to 14.247 then move a little higher and you will see that your TUNE button grays out and the MOX buttons also grays out. Why you need a marker?
    Jim WU5E

  • Mark WS7M
    Mark WS7M Member ✭✭
    edited April 2019
    There are few visual changes in 3.x.   3.x is not going to be for everyone.   There will probably be some that have no use for MULTI-Flex.

    I upgrade to support Flex and figure that for all the pleasure I get from my radios $200 is not a bad price to pay to help provide a tiny bit of income for Flex.

    Just my way of thinking.
  • Dan Trainor
    Dan Trainor Member ✭✭✭
    edited April 2019

    If you don't plan to use the Multi-Flex feature, is there any other good reason to upgrade at this time?  With 2.4.9 you can still have a friend / relative login and use the radio.  You just have to agree on a schedule.  And it simplifies everything and removes restrictions of 2 people using radio at same time.  For example, say your operating a 6400, you would have the restriction that both concurrent operators must use same RX antenna regardless of what band they are operating on.  There are adequate workarounds for this scenario but all are suboptimal. dan
  • Neil D Friedman N3DF
    Neil D Friedman N3DF Member ✭✭✭✭
    edited October 2019
    I like the new "TX Band Settings" menu.  No, it's not critical, but I find it useful. 
  • Ken Hansen
    Ken Hansen Member ✭✭
    edited April 2019
    Flex was pretty forthcoming with the new features on SmartSDR V3, I'm not sure why you are disappointed - did you review the description of V3 before purchasing? Is there something in V3 marketing literature that isn't in software? If I read your comment correctly, bugs in V2 have fixes rolled into the new V3 of SmartSDR, and that upsets you? Just as they did with V2, any fixes to problems in previous releases are backported and released as a maint. Update to previous release/release bug occurred in. Understand the backport of those fixes takes place after the new version has been released. SmartSDR V2 fixes included in V3 will be forthcoming. That, anyway, is how I understand the Flex support model, I may be wrong but I don't think so.
  • Douglas Maxwell
    Douglas Maxwell Member ✭✭
    edited July 2019
    A major bug should not pass 2 major releases, a rule like this would help Flex keep it's client base.
  • Ken Hansen
    Ken Hansen Member ✭✭
    edited April 2019
    As I read the original comment, some V2 bugs were fixed in V3, they should (and I expect will be) back ported to V2 software base. It wouldn't make sense to 'transfer' known bugs to the subsequent major release, but it is possible a bug in V2 may not be resolved in V3 (too complex to address given delivery timeline, for example). I expect flex will have st least one more V2 software release, incorporating bug fixes back ported from the V3 code base.
  • DV
    DV Member ✭✭
    edited April 2019
    Since the major update for V:3 is the Multiflex and it is described as being specifically for those ham experts who contest, I would like to hear from same as to how Multiflex will be used when the one big flaw seems to be no TX from more than one user at a time. How does one expect to coordinate this problem in the hectic ongoing of a major contest?
  • Douglas Maxwell
    Douglas Maxwell Member ✭✭
    edited April 2019
    What about a V1 bug that still hasn’t been fixed in V3? Will that get back ported to V1.12 and V2.5? This model doesn’t work.
  • Dan Trainor
    Dan Trainor Member ✭✭✭
    edited April 2019

    Good question.  For contesters, I would think they would have to have some highly coordinated means to take turns.  And how does that work?
  • Douglas Maxwell
    Douglas Maxwell Member ✭✭
    edited April 2019
    The rules for multi-single contests state only 1 tx present at any time. Having 2 tx is pointless and expensive.
  • Douglas Maxwell
    Douglas Maxwell Member ✭✭
    edited April 2019
    In a multi-multi contest 6 flex radios and 6 PGXLs can be used, each with 2 ops per radio/amp (run and s/p ops) sitting in front of 12 maestros/SSDR/Smartlink terminals all as if they have their own radio (1 tx per band in rules). An equivalent non-flex alternative to this setup would be 12 radios and 12 amps with tx inhib measures to ensure no 2 tx on any one band at the same time.
  • Pat N6PAT
    Pat N6PAT Member ✭✭
    edited April 2019
    That amount of equipment would probably cost close to $100,000

    If winning a contest meant that much you might as well just bribe the judges with $50,000 and save lots of $$$
  • Douglas Maxwell
    Douglas Maxwell Member ✭✭
    edited April 2019
    However, contesters will not accept bugs in SSDR and will not adopt en masse until these are fixed. If Flex now consolidates it's efforts into bug fixes, this should have knock on stability benefits for the normal user.
  • WX7Y
    WX7Y Member ✭✭✭✭
    edited June 2020
    So sad, I am not trying to belittle ANYONE but.
    Most of the people wanted the release of V3 to come out several months ago and now it's out people (maybe the same people) complain it wasn't debugged and fixed their old issues even after they read the release notes ???  and the Version still has most of the faults it had with V2. 

    I thought the release notes where well written and  announced the issues and features in a satisfactory manor, maybe I read between the lines dealing with FLEX since 2008 and have seen a lot of bad and GOOD Flex has done in 11 years I've been involved with them for the Amateur radio world. 

    It really doesn't matter if your a early adopter or not to Version 3 your going to get the updates quicker that come down the pike and learn how to use the Multi-Flex which has a issue or two but it does what was promised to the early adopters of the Signature series back in 2012-2013 with MultiFlex. 

    I do know how frustrating it is to spend money on something and not have your issues fixed BUT I have patience and hope some day they will be fixed, I have 2 issues that have been there for about 1.5 years or more that BUG the **** out of me and the main one for me is with the PC MIC not working if DAX is enabled when I run remote which is about 95% of the time. 

    Thanks Flex for completing what was promised  to us and keeping our radio's ahead of the curve, now onto debugging the software which the software guys are hard at work I am sure. 

    73's guys and remember "patience is a virtue" and "a watched **** NEVER boils" 

    Bret
    WX7Y

  • Bill -VA3WTB
    Bill -VA3WTB Member ✭✭✭
    edited April 2019
    Here is a report of a contest staion using multi client lately.
    https://community.flexradio.com/flexradio/topics/cq-wpx-multiflex-use
  • Clay N9IO
    Clay N9IO Member ✭✭✭
    edited April 2019
    One of the best commentaries I've read in a while, my sentiments exactly. Another point in my mind just think had Flex not set the bar by exsisting at all NONE of the competition would be producing ANYTHING except the same old status quo read "ANALOG!". No FPGA's, nada you'll never convince me otherwise. The term "Legacy Radio" wouldn't even be on anyone's lips. AGC pumping would still be an issue you just put up with. Give Mr Youngblood and staff some well deserved credit. They ARE true trendsetters.
  • Burt Fisher
    Burt Fisher Member ✭✭
    edited April 2019
    You upgrade to support Flex? You do realize they are not a charity? 
  • Burt Fisher
    Burt Fisher Member ✭✭
    edited April 2019
    Companies tend to add features they can easily, not what s what is wanted.  Like the useless audio scope in the Icom 7300.
  • Steve G1XOW
    Steve G1XOW Member ✭✭
    edited May 2020
    Nothing worth upgrade for as far as my needs go.
  • Simon Nash
    Simon Nash Member
    edited April 2019
    Nothing here for me also, especially when you take into account none of the bugs from the previous version have been fixed.
  • Chris DL5NAM
    Chris DL5NAM Member ✭✭✭
    edited April 2020
    >> Douglas Maxwell <<
    Did you ever work as a OP in a Multi/Multi contest ? 
  • KC2QMA_John
    KC2QMA_John Member ✭✭
    edited April 2019

    Although the latest update does not seem to have any new features or fixes that would convince me to purchase v3.0 there is a long way from v3.0 to v4.0. Maybe v3.5 will have more of the features that interest me and others. In the meantime I will continue enjoying my radio just as is.

    I would just say as far as I’m concerned the 6000 series and SmartSDR is still the State Of The Art in amateur radio technology and at this point in my opinion there is no other radio platform that even comes close to features, performance and ease of use.

    I looks to me that FlexRadio’s are selling like crazy I see adds online all the time of people looking to trade or sell their legacy radios to buy a FlexRadio and that’s good news for us Flex owners because more customers means more demand for faster and feature rich software development.

    Just remember the 6000 series radio right now can do WAY MORE than TODAY that any other amateur radio on the market.

    I love my 6600M and Maestro and would not trade them for anything at this point.
  • KF4HR
    KF4HR Member ✭✭
    edited April 2019
    I'm a big confused over this post.  V3 upgrade changes and enhancements were not kept a secret (until purchase) but rather are well documented in the release notes.  Seems pretty straight forward to me.  Read the release notes and based on your wants or needs, buy or don't buy.

    Band band edge markers were never advertised as an upgrade on V3 (although they are available on SSDR iOS). 

    Some like to say a major software revision ushers in a "whole new radio."  Wishful thinking I suppose but that's not hardly the case.  Major software revisions just add certain enhancements and fixes, and I'm thankful FRS continues to do so.


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