[Elecraft] SDR processing delays, Flex 5000

[n4lq]

The Flex 5000 has a wonderful receiver, great transmitter but those delays 
make QSK impossible. Also, it has a rather loud relay. The Flex is a hobby 
of it's own and many hours can be spent experimenting with all the settings.
Steve Ellington
N4LQ at insightbb.com
----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Mike Scott" <mike at paxsen.com>
To: <Elecraft at mailman.qth.net>
Sent: Thursday, June 19, 2008 2:21 PM
Subject: [Elecraft] SDR processing delays, Flex 5000


> Brian,
> Is the Flex 5000 any good on CW? My understanding is that the delays 
> through
> the processing chain make it impossible to use QSK.
>
> Mike Scott - AE6WA
> Tarzana, CA (DM04 / near LA)
> K3-100 #508/ KX1  #1311
>
> ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
>
> Date: Wed, 18 Jun 2008 12:30:52 -0700
> From: Brian Lloyd <brian-wb6rqn at lloyd.com>
> Subject: Re: [Elecraft] SDR Adapter
> To: David Woolley (E.L) <forums at david-woolley.me.uk>
> Cc: Elecraft Reflector <elecraft at mailman.qth.net>
> Message-ID: <3AB5479D-4913-480C-BB0D-C6067302C607 at lloyd.com>
> Content-Type: text/plain; charset=US-ASCII; format=flowed; delsp=yes
>
>> As I understand it, the difficulty is not in feeding the IF into a
>> Softrock, but in preventing the Softrock feeding its local
>> oscillator into the K3 and compromising that's performance.
>
> Two words: "buffer amp."
>>
>>
>> Incidentally, the K3 *is* an SDR!
>
> Somewhat. It may be on the inside but to those of us on the outside it
> is still a monolithic radio. It is also locked into the processing
> power that it now has. It is difficult to take advantage of Moore's
> Law the way it is currently designed.
>
> (Moore's Law says that computing power per dollar doubles every 18
> months. Anyone buying a PC understands this.)
>
> Also, we can't make changes. We are dependent on Lyle and Wayne to
> have the same interest we do in the features we want and we need them
> to do the work. This is the disadvantage of a closed environment.
>
> I have been on the fence for quite some time and have finally decided
> to go the route of a Flex 5000 instead of a K3. Even tho' I think that
> the K3 has a better receiver for traditional modes, I believe that the
> open software of the Flex and other hardware like the SoftRock will
> end up offering me more in the long run. Yes I give up some in BDR and
> IP3 but I get back huge flexibility and expandability with new
> modulation schemes. I can even hack the code if I want. So it is more
> appealing to the engineer/hacker in me.
>
> But I plan to stick with the K2 as a portable rig. I still really like
> that little radio. I would love to see Elecraft open up the code for
> the K2.
>
> --
>
> 73 de Brian, WB6RQN
> Brian Lloyd - brian HYPHEN wb6rqn AT lloyd DOT com
>
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