[Lowfer] Flex radio Model 5000

[Jordan]

Thus far, I have to say that I have issues with my Flex5KA outside of the 
amateur bands, where it is simply the best receiver I've ever used.

>From 7Mhz down, there are visible 'transients' that tend to show up as a 
function of mixing with local AM stations, and perhaps other signals and 
submixing, re-mixing or what have you.

It does an outstanding job visually if you're a 'het-seeker' , but be 
advised that without preselection, and sometimes even with preselection, 
those 2-6 Mhz grave-yard bands will actually be haunted by ghosts.

It does a good job of splitting off the TP AM stations on the BCB, and 
providing an astonishingly stable SAM lock that responds very quickly and 
stays locked right down to the noise floor.

It falls apart completely , on it's own, from about 600khz down, where even 
semi-local stations are usually washed out or not there even on the display.

There are AM/SAM mode AGC issues that makes listening to those 90 and 60M 
regionals difficult as it tends to overshoot and kills the gain until it 
decides to recover, or you change from these modes and change back again.
I think also, that it could do a little better job of audio recovery in 
AM/SAM modes, but does an outstanding job for all the other modes and with a 
fast powerful computer, it will split the hairs on a CW signal while you get 
to watch...and listen...!

So, like everything else, it's a compromise.....


Now this is only my opinion, and many of the concerns are apparently being 
worked on, but it is what it is....for now anyway... YMMV...73...Jordan 
VE6ZT




----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Rick Kunath" <k9ao at charter.net>
To: "Discussion of the Lowfer (US, European, &amp; UK) and MedFer bands" 
<lowfer at mailman.qth.net>
Sent: Friday, February 12, 2010 8:34 AM
Subject: Re: [Lowfer] Flex radio Model 5000


> Dick Goodman wrote:
>>  I
>> would also need a new computer to use with the Flex. I could stick 
>> together
>> a bare bones kit from Tiger Direct for about $400, but then I'm going to 
>> hit
>> $3K to get everything working.
>
> I'm not sure that you'd be happy with a bare bones lower end machine.
>
> Eventually if you want to run other applications on the machine such as
> decoding apps, spectrum display apps, etc. using VAC (virtual audio
> cables) you'll need some extra CPU horsepower to keep from having
> dropouts in the Flex software.
>
> I don't think I'd go too low on the CPU speed and memory bus speeds if I
> were building a machine to run PowerSDR on.
>
> I can see myself running everything from Fldigi, logging software,
> Spectran or Argo, Jason, Spectrum Lab, MMSSTV, DX cluster software, CAT
> control, and who knows what else on the box.
>
> I'd rather have the CPU horsepower to spare than run out later.
>
> Rick Kunath
> ______________________________________________________________
> Lowfer mailing list
> Home: http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/lowfer
> Help: http://mailman.qth.net/mmfaq.htm
> Post: mailto:Lowfer at mailman.qth.net
>
> This list hosted by: http://www.qsl.net
> Please help support this email list: http://www.qsl.net/donate.html