Flex 6600 Hamvention 2017 [ Video Demonstration ]

K5SRD talks about the new Flex 6600 on Amateur Radio Roundtable.

FLEX-6600 A Real SDR for Every Operator

Both the FLEX-6600™ and FLEX-6600M™ offer the ultimate performance direct sampling SDR technology and the best value for the serious HF/6m operator. The FLEX-6600 model is designed for the Ham who wants to operate the radio exclusively as a server from PC, laptop, Maestro, Mac, or iOS clients – whether local or remote. Both models share the same game changing band awareness, industry leading phase noise performance/ receiver dynamic range, and brick wall filters to give you the advantage in the most competitive DXing or contesting activities while maximizing your fun in casual operations. With a PC, laptop, or Mac client, you can utilize up to four 14 MHz spectrum/waterfall displays and independent band/ mode receivers to revolutionize your view of the bands, especially on digital modes.

Contest grade filters, ultra low spurious emissions, and the ability to operate full duplex cross band on two antennas let you transmit on one band while receiving on another – no external equipment required. Even switch to synchronous diversity reception when needed to help you pick out the weak ones in the midst of QRM. By adding FlexRadio’s new PowerGenius XL LDMOS solid state amplifier a complete legal limit, all mode SO2R station is now practical with one radio, one amp and only three interconnect cables – half the cost and none of the complexity.

The FLEX-6600M places the most used controls right at your fingertips. Controls are labeled for intuitive operation and designed to minimize hand motion for the most common operations. Occasionally used controls are easily accessible on the large touch screen display bypassing the complexity of multi-function buttons and multi-level menus found on other transceivers. Like modern smartphones and tablets, capacitive touch control is provided on the large LCD display for intuitive pan, zoom, tune, and menu operation. The FLEX-6600M controls are designed to provide maximum tempo in the most demanding applications including SO2R, Run, S&P, and Multi-op contesting.

FLEX-6600 Feature Highlights

Native Remote Operation: Using Maestro, PC, Laptop, iPad or iPhone
SDR Architecture: Direct Sampling
Independent High Performance Receivers: Four (4)
Reciprocal Mixing Dynamic Range (RMDR): 116dB
Spectral Capture Units (digitizers): Two (2)
Diversity Reception Capable using Seperate Antennas: Yes
Single Operator Two Radios (SO2R) using one FLEX-6600: Yes
Contest Grade Preselectors: 7th Order on contest bands; 3rd order on remaining bands
Maximum Panadapter Bandwidth: 14 MHz
Radio Control Surfaces: Ergonomic tactile controls with touch screen interface
Integrated Display: 8-inch 1920×1200 IPS Display
External Display: 1920×1200 WUXGA via HDMI interface
Antenna Connectors: SO-239×2; XVTR-BNCx2, RX-IN-BNCx2
Wideband Frequency Coverage: 30 kHz – 54 MHz
Transmit Frequency Coverage: 160-6m amateur bands, 100W nominal output
Transverter IF Frequency Coverage: 100 kHz – 54 MHz
Full Duplex Operation: Yes
Digital Audio Exchange (DAX) Channels: Four (4)
DAX IQ Channels/Bandwidth per Channel (DAXIQ): Four (4)

Feature	FLEX-6400	FLEX-6400M	FLEX-6600	FLEX-6600M	FLEX-6700

8-inch Integrated 1920 x 1200 IPS Touch Display
Dual VFO Front Panel Control Sets
External HDMI Compatible Display Support
Internal 2W Front Speaker
2 kHz Reciprocal Mixing Dynamic Range¹	116 dB	116 dB	116 dB	116 dB	116 dB
Independent Receivers	2	2	4	4	8
Panafall Displays (Max)	2	2	4	4	8
Cableless Digital Audio Channels (DAX/DAXIQ)	2/2	2/2	4/4	4/4	8/4
Receive Only Ports (Base / Including XVTR Ports)	1/2	1/2	2/4	2/4	2/3
Transverter Ports	1	1	2	2	1
ADC Sampling Rate	122.88 Msps	122.88 Msps	245.76 Msps	245.76 Msps	245.76 Msps
Frequency Coverage	0.03-54MHz	0.03-54MHz	0.03-54MHz	0.03-54MHz	0.03-72MHz, 135-165MHz
Spectrum Dynamic Range (Max Zoom)	>145 dB	>145 dB	>155 dB	>155 dB	>155 dB
100W Output HF – 6m
Ultra Low Transmitter Phase Noise & Harmonics
Full Duplex RX/TX Operation
Full Break-in QSK
Integrated Remote Operation
Maestro, PC, MAC, iPhone & iPad Clients²
630m and 2200m IF Coverage
D-STAR with Optional ThumbDV
GPS Disciplined Oscillator Option
External 10MHz Reference Input
Integrated Automatic Antenna Tuner	Optional	Optional
Continuous MARS/CAP TX Coverage	Optional	Optional	Optional	Optional
3rd Order Ham Band Preselectors
Enhanced 7th Order Contest Band Preselectors
Simultaneously Receive on Two Antennas ( e. g. 20m & 6m)
Synchronous Diversity Reception
Enhanced Panadapter Zoom (1.6 Hz RBW)
HD Zoom View Eight Bands
4m and 2m IF Coverage
Ultra High Stability Oven Controlled Oscillator (OCXO)
Dedicated TRS / XLR Balanced Input
Simultaneous Receive on 2m and HF

SmartSDR Software Users Guide	6.5 MiB	1993
SmartSDR V1.10.16 Installer	49.9 MiB	6081
SmartSDR V1.10.16 Release Notes	620.4 KiB	1260

News

The K7RA Solar Update

September 25, 2020 in: News No comments

Tad Cook, K7RA, Seattle, reports: Up until September 23, we saw 32 consecutive days with no sunspots. Then new sunspot group AR2773 appeared, which has a magnetic signature indicating it’s part of new Solar Cycle 25. Spaceweather.com noted... Read more