Flex releases PowerSDR v2.1.5

[WB6RQN]

Flex just released PowerSDR v2.1.5. You can download it from the Flex website.

73 de Brian, WB6RQN/J79BPL

[KE5JPP]

Flex just released PowerSDR v2.1.5. You can download it from the Flex website.

73 de Brian, WB6RQN/J79BPL

Have they finally fixed noise reduction after 7 years of promises?

Gene

[ON4AMG]

Glad to see that software development cycles are getting shorter!
It seems like the focus this time around has primarily been on developing VU5K functionality, unfortunately the VU5K option is still not available for European customers.
Granted, not everyone would necessarily step into getting the VU5K installed but since there is no public software development roadmap available, potential buyers in Europe are left in the dark.

Also, given some very interesting new developments in RF sampling ADC's, I wonder how long it'll take before some new hardware design is going to emerge?

[K0OD]

Noise reduction and auto notch work beautifully. They were "turned off" in a few betas months ago.

Latest upgrade is mostly about FM and the FlexControl.

[WB6RQN]

Noise reduction and auto notch work beautifully. They were "turned off" in a few betas months ago.

Latest upgrade is mostly about FM and the FlexControl.

I guess we have different ideas about "beautifully". Automatic notch filter seems to work pretty well (unless there are two interfering carriers) but I still don't care for the noise reduction. OTOH, I have never heard a noise-reduction I have liked.

FM works quite well. I have been using it on 6m and gotten excellent reports, both through repeaters and on simplex/input.

73 de Brian, WB6RQN/J79BPL

[K0OD]

Noise reduction and auto notch work beautifully.

Brian, I meant to say the Flex Noise BLANKERS work beautifully on many types of noise. I believe they were turned off in some betas.

Totally agree about Noise Reduction. I never use it in my Flex. Never used NR in my old Timewave. I think they're all just marketing snake oil. NR changes the tone of the audio and gives it an annoying hollow sound. But it doesn't make the weakest DX signals more copyable.

No doubt DSP NR sells (or sold) radios and outboard DSP units. I knew one guy who must have bought every outboard NR unit that came along. They never lived up to the hype.

I think Flex's NR was inoperable in some betas.   

[KE5JPP]

Noise reduction and auto notch work beautifully.

Brian, I meant to say the Flex Noise BLANKERS work beautifully on many types of noise. I believe they were turned off in some betas.

Totally agree about Noise Reduction. I never use it in my Flex. Never used NR in my old Timewave. I think they're all just marketing snake oil. NR changes the tone of the audio and gives it an annoying hollow sound. But it doesn't make the weakest DX signals more copyable.

No doubt DSP NR sells (or sold) radios and outboard DSP units. I knew one guy who must have bought every outboard NR unit that came along. They never lived up to the hype.

I think Flex's NR was inoperable in some betas.    

Ha Ha, now you are backpedaling.  It is clear you are talking out your you-know-what.   

This is a prime example of how some Flexies will lie about anything concerning their beloved Flex Radios.

The noise blankers have always worked fine in PowerSDR.

Gene

[HAMMYGUY]

NR works pretty well on 2.1.5 with my 1500.  Almost as good as my Perseus but certainly better than the TS-2000's noise reduction. Quiets the white noise effectively yet allows the audio to come through just fine.   But NONE of them work as well as my old AM-COM noise reduction speaker.  I haven't found any NR on any rig that equals it.  I do have the Clear Speech version, but nothing beats the original. 

Nice to see the FM additions to the software.  Seems to work well on 6 meters and hoping to give it a try on 10 FM next opening. 

[WE0Z]

This latest update solved most of the 10mFM problems I experienced. The software gets better every time. I have owned so many conventional radios over the years and have had 3 SDR 1000 I have both the 1500 and 3000 and will get a 5000 when I can. The naysayers can say what they want but the Flexradio is without a doubt the most innovative radio brought forth to amateur radio in 50 years hands down. There is nothing like on the market and no doubt the Japanese radio builders are jealous!

[M6GOM]

Noise reduction and auto notch work beautifully.

Brian, I meant to say the Flex Noise BLANKERS work beautifully on many types of noise. I believe they were turned off in some betas.

I think Flex's NR was inoperable in some betas.    

The noise blankers have always worked fine in PowerSDR.

Gene

Gene, how good are the NBs? I am looking at a Flex but I have a fair bit of QRM similar in type to plasma TV. My Icom 7000 does a good job of clearing it up so I can hear weaker signals under its level but my Kenwood TS590 isn't as good as the Icom in this respect.

[WB6RQN]

Gene, how good are the NBs? I am looking at a Flex but I have a fair bit of QRM similar in type to plasma TV. My Icom 7000 does a good job of clearing it up so I can hear weaker signals under its level but my Kenwood TS590 isn't as good as the Icom in this respect.

I am not Gene but I will respond anyway because I don't think Gene has a Flex radio anymore.

I find that the performance of the noise blanker depends a lot on the type of noise. As I said earlier, it works really well on some kinds of noise and not so well on others.

It provides about 20dB of suppression of the power-line noise I have at one QTH. I have a noisy light dimmer in my house and it only provides about 10dB of suppression of that noise source. I can't comment on a plasma TV as I don't have one and there doesn't seem to be one nearby. We have an LCD TV at our school and the noise blanker seems to have no effect on that, I suspect because that TV is radiating low-level broadband hash rather than a high peak-to-average ratio pulse.

I hope you don't feel like this is too much of an ambiguous answer.

73 de Brian, WB6RQN/J79BPL