FlexRadio Systems Forums / Hardware -- New Ideas / Brainstorming / Hardware

12 Volt requirement for accessories don't exist

VE2XK Michel — Mon, 26 Dec 2011 15:31:58 GMT

Hello,

So far i hearing from my 6M band friend using a Flex 5000A a preamp is highly required to use on the RX loop on the backside of the Flex5000A.
That's very great to be able to connect a preamp but the only problem is to find the required power to connect them without to use the Flex I/O connector.

Hardware suggestion is to add a protected 12 volt output separately for low amperage device accesories inteast to use the Flex I/O DB9 connector

Thanks
Michel VE2XK

Flex 5000 mobile Hi-Q auto tuner

mmmooretx — Tue, 03 Jun 2008 20:03:02 GMT

Just a thought on taking a 5000A into the field for ECOMM (Emergency Communications) mobile support operations. It would be nice to have an "screw antenna" interface/tuner that will bridge the PC (laptop?) and Flex unit for mobile antennas.
Thanks for your time!

add new Memory feature

k4em — Wed, 24 Aug 2011 08:16:59 GMT

I would like to see, after clicking the memory tab; seperate tabs for each band and a few blank ones. This way you can add all the different memories for a single band under that bands tab; 10m, 12m, 15m, etc. The blank tabs can be set by the operator for; ex: nets, dxpeditions, etc. This would make managing memories more efficient.

Dave

k4em

FLEX-VU5K Module - why not entire UHF band?

SR-71 — Mon, 15 Aug 2011 07:00:31 GMT

I like the idea of having a do-it-all box to cover all aspects of my amateur activities. As I studied the specs on the 5000A everything looked great except the UHF band on the VHF/UHF option is limited from 430 to 450 mhz. What about UHF contesting, MS, and EME? Unless I'm missing something, current options are to use other equipment to cover this area of the UHF spectrum or I guess a transverter - not good if (like me) you'd prefer to do everything with on box. Flex - Please add 420-430mhz, or at least make it an option!

KF4HR

Power Switch?

W7PP — Sat, 14 May 2011 08:18:03 GMT

After getting my 5000 out of the box and ready to go... I found the power switch to be very hard to push and then to turn it off I had to pull it out. Seems like a $3500 radio would have just a little better quality switch. After all this is the only user interface on the radio that isn't software. After setup it's the only thing you need to touch and it's the cheapest switch I've ever seen on a factory built radio. Sure I've seen home made stuff with cheapo switches... they work, but yell "HOMEMADE"... Now I suppose someone will say "just send it back, they will fix it" ! So now the $3500 radio has to be returned for a $5 switch... I would have sooner paid another $25 for the radio and not had to pay the $25 for shipping to get a $5 switch replaced! Remember it's the little things that tick people off... :(

Expresscard Firewire Cards - Got some

AB5N-Bob — Sun, 06 Feb 2011 11:21:34 GMT

Hi guys- Sorry if this is slightly off-topic.

In getting my IMB Lenovo laptop to talk to my new 3000, I landed up with a couple
of extra Expresscard Firewire cards. I did a shotgun approach and bought three.
I got all of them with the TI chipset for compatibility as per the guidelines on the
knowledge base. I'm now fully functional and have these two more brand-new cards
extra.

If anyone is fighting a laptop firewire compatibility issue, you may need one of these.
They are really hard to find now.(with the TI chipset)

I'm glad to pass these on to other Flexers.. in trade etc.

Zap me an email if you need one. They are a "Best Connectivity" and "Rosewill" brand card.

Bob-AB5N
7000mic@gmail.com

Flex 1500 Transverter Interfacing

K3ROJ — Mon, 16 Mar 2009 10:19:28 GMT

Am hoping Flex Radio will come out with transverters that will interface easily with the 1500 and the 5000A. I understand they are working on transverters that will also have a 10 MHz reference input or tap off the existing oscillator chain. Many people have the Elecraft 20 watt transverters which can accept RF drive from -20 Db to 5 watts or more which the 1500 would work well with but of course the Elecraft transverters have no reference input. If I am correct, Downeast Microwave will be the manufacturer of these transverters?

Tayloe detection

KB3FF — Fri, 17 Sep 2010 12:19:24 GMT

I am reading (and rereading) the QEX articles. Thanks for publishing them.

Tayloe detection does a divide by 4 and then sums samples 1 and 3 and samples 2 and 4 and achieves amazing low noise gain. Why can't that concept be taken further - Divide by 8, create sum A via op amp by combining samples (1,5), B =(2,6), C= (3,7), and D= (4,8) and then, via op amp combine (A,C) as I and (B,D) as Q? Wouldn't this yield amazing gain? Would this be too hard to control and prone to self-oscillation? Would the noise be louder than the signal gain?

In advance, thank you

BHI NR Unit

HowardZ — Tue, 25 May 2010 22:33:19 GMT

It's been years, and flex can't make a good Noise Reduction (NR).
Don't feel too bad, as Elecraft can't make a good NR function either.

I own a BHI NR unit sold in the USA by GAP.

Why not make a deal with BHI (in the UK) and include their NR unit inside the flex radios?

Embedded DSP

N7AIG — Fri, 14 May 2010 15:45:55 GMT

It is apparent that requiring Windows-based personal computers to perform the SDR functions is sometimes problematic -- PowerSDR freezing up, device driver conflicts, etc. Windows is just too busy to guarantee time-locked performance of sub-threads.

I would like to apply my vast experience with direct DSP programming to the problem, moving the most time-critical functions into a dedicated DSP (one or more), and having the PC just perform GUI display and user interactions.

The high-end guys, like Pentek et al, use embedded processors running hard-real-time OS's (VRTX, VxWorks, etc). But they need to support all kinds of advanced military-grade communication schemes. I don't think we need such elaborate support for a simple Ham radio SDR. A single DSP ought to be able to handle just about everything I have seen in the PowerSDR code.

Even something like an old SHARC or MC56309 should be able to handle these chores. We do it all the time in the audio engineering realm. And with a more modern DSP at hand, we could even push the limits to 192 kHz, 384 kHz, or higher. One application, for our professional work, requires a bandwidth of no less than 6 MHz for the ATSC-M/H protocol on digital TV.

The objection has been raised that moving the SDR code into a dedicated processor obviates the spectrum and waterfall displays, but I don't believe that. It is very simple to have a DSP generate buffers of data that can be transferred to an external control program. These buffers update at no more than 30 Hz for visual displays, which is very slow compared to SDR processing requirements. Same thing holds for user control of various functions. Simple fast-interrupt handlers in the DSP can easily accept and modify internal working variables of the DSP code. I have done this many many times in other projects.

Right now the FlexRadios must have some minimal processor running the FireWire interface, decoding the MIDI control messages, and running I/O buffers. It would be nice to see a schematic of the innards of the Flex-3000 to allow for user customization and modifications.

73 de N7AIG

Please procide a wide input voltage range.

kd6hq — Mon, 05 Oct 2009 03:56:07 GMT

Please consider a wide voltage input to the 1500. This would allow use with small lightweight batteries during portable operations. It would also allow connection to my existing home station that operates off a deep cycle battery.

Automated Preselector

Jordan — Wed, 26 Aug 2009 14:22:58 GMT

How about a preselector driven by the 5KA...?

It could be rather small as it would only be needed in the RX chain....

I'm assuming the ATU unit is designed for the ham bands mainly, or perhaps a .1-30Mhz ATU that works in both directions..?

73..Jordan VE6ZT

Suggest 5W for the Flex-1500

w7iy — Sat, 04 Oct 2008 09:19:14 GMT

While 1W is great for driving transverters, I think a 5W output would make this rig much more attractive to the market because it could be used by QRP operators out of the box. (e.g. FT 817)

If you can't provide more than a watt - then I guess there will be a market for power amplifiers. ;)

73's

Stu2

MIDI Controllers?

KD4GSL — Sun, 02 Nov 2008 22:05:21 GMT

I've searched high and low and now I am assuming that there is NO MIDI support as of yet? I've been doing music production and DJ'ing for a while and have collected a quite a few controllers that I use all the time with Abelton Live and Audition. Speaking from experience... being able to assign a MIDI control to a virtual adjustment is usually 10 times better than making the adjustment via the mouse.

Aaron

RX2 based on HPSDR 'Mercury' project?

KC4RAN — Mon, 21 Jul 2008 15:16:38 GMT

Has anyone put any thought to designing an RX2 board based on the direct sampling receiver being developed by the HPSDR 'Mercury' project? I would love to be able to add the latest in digital direct sampling receiver technology as an add-in board.

Thanks!