Flex-Radio Makes Big Move
KA3DRR and K9ZW both reported yesterday on the Flex-Radio announcement of two new software defined radio products that will soon be offered.
As always, I have an opinion: I think this could be the most important new product launch in the amateur radio service in a decade. It will put software defined radio into the financial reach of almost every radio amateur. And if a significant number of us take that leap, it could be precisely the kind of paradigm shift that will usher in a new age of amateur radio.
Sound like too much hype?
Perhaps, but the future of the hobby is already intrinsically tied to software.
It’s the engine that drives all of our new radio equipment, from handhelds to top-of-the-line HF transceivers. It’s all about software, and until Flex-Radio came along, it was pretty much the exclusive domain of the uber geeks.
Flex-Radio shattered that ceiling with their popular and fully featured SDR-1000. As the SDR community evolved around that equipment, the geeks and the non-geeks worked together to develop more software and to refine the methods being used with the eventual result being the FLEX-5000 – another software defined radio that competes equally with HF equipment that sells for three or four times its cost.
Even so, the roughly $3000 base price for the FLEX-5000 has kept it out of reach of those whose discretionary hobby spending remains solidly below the $2K threshold.
The just announced FLEX-3000 will hit the market at $1599 (save $100 by pre-ordering).
The just announced FLEX-1500, a QRP version (1 watt) will hit the market sometime next year at $499.
The relatively small SDR community has managed to do some pretty amazing things and has literally reshaped the way modern HF communication is practiced in the short time it has been in play.
I find it difficult to even imagine where we will be with this technology in five years if SDR suddenly goes “mainstream” – but I have a feeling that we are about to find out.
I’m pre-ordering an FLEX-3000 – how about you?
Have a blog post for the morning on what I’ve ordered…..
73
Steve
K9ZW
Steve K9ZW
5 Oct 08 at 12:50 pm
Interesting. Since it seems that at any given time one or both of my TS-930’s has one foot in the grave, I might be looking for a new radio or two. For the operating I do, I’d still be leaning toward a hybrid analog/SDR like the K3. But, the pricing of the Flex 3000 is attractive and they claim to hit 100+ dB on the IMD at 2 kHz (with the 5000). That’s pretty remarkable for their architecture.
Eight bucks for new power supply capacitors in a ‘930 vs $1500+ for a new radio? This hobo ham will keep limping along with 25-year-old radios. I have gotten a real kick out of my $20 SoftRocks, too, though!
k8gu
5 Oct 08 at 2:44 pm