|
New to Ham Radio?
My Profile
Community
Articles
Forums
News
Reviews
Friends Remembered
Speak Out
Strays
Survey Question
Operating
Contesting
DX Cluster Spots
Propagation
Resources
Calendar
Classifieds
Ham Exams
Ham Links
List Archives
News Articles
Product Reviews
QSL Managers
Site Info
eHam Help (FAQ)
Support the site
The eHam Team
Advertising Info
Vision Statement
About eHam.net
|
| Reviews Summary for FlexRadio FLEX-3000 |
|
Reviews: 25
|
Average rating: 4.8/5
|
MSRP: $1599
|
Description: The FLEX-3000™ is the newest member of FlexRadio Systems' high performance 100% Software Defined Radio (SDR) transceiver family. The FLEX-3000 is a "direct descendant" of the FLEX-5000™; it integrates all A/D & D/A functions and control over a single FireWire (IEEE-1394a) connection to a user provided computer running FlexRadio PowerSDR. The FLEX-3000 is the perfect transceiver for hams just getting started with high performance software defined radios.
Features:
* Uses FlexRadio PowerSDR to provide all SDR capabilities and features.
* TCXO equipped for enhanced frequency stability.
* Compact size (12.25" x 12.25" x 1.75").
* Optimized band pass filters for all ham bands plus a BCB low pass filter.
* No additional roofing filters to buy. All filtering is done via DSP
* FlexWire™ peripheral interface bus.
* 100 watts RF output 160-6 meters.
* General coverage receiver.
* 48 & 96 KHz A/D and D/A sampling sate selectable.
* Single Firewire cable connection to computer for audio and hardware control.
* No external sound cards or "rat's nest" of audio and control cables are utilized.
* Built in test equipment (BITE) for convenient external equipment free calibration.
* Modular microphone input.
* ATU 160-6m a standard feature.
|
|
More info: http://www.flex-radio.com/Products.aspx?topic=F3k_features
|
|
Email Subscription
You are not subscribed to this review.
Subscribe!
My Subscriptions
Subscriptions Help
|
You can
write your own review of the FlexRadio FLEX-3000.
|
W1ASY
|
Rating: 5/5
|
Oct 30, 2009 08:17
|
Send this review to a friend
|
|
Great Radio
|
Time owned: 0 to 3 months
|
I've been looking at the Flex Radio for months, read all the pro's and con's on the F3K, was very hesitant in buying the flex, being new and all, I called flex to answer some of my questions and they did so politely. (THAT SOLD ME!!)
I recieved my new Flex 3000 about 4 weeks ago.
Been very happy with the Flex 3000 since. Took me
less than an hour to set it up with my home desktop Compaq computer. I am very impressed with it's performance and especially the panadapter. Pack up my old TS-930, since I am not using it any more, will keep the TS-930 as a back up rig (MAYBE). NICE JOB FLEX!
|
|
AB4BJ
|
Rating: 5/5
|
Oct 26, 2009 10:36
|
Send this review to a friend
|
|
Simply Amazing!
|
Time owned: 0 to 3 months
|
I received my new Flex-3000 on the Friday before the 2009 CQWW. I was not able to begin the setup of the rig until about 7 p.m. Friday night. By 7:30 I was up and running and making lots of contacts. This was a simple set up out of the box. I will admit that I had been reading about this radio for months (and had already downloaded and studied the manual), and had run the demo PowerSDR for a couple of weeks and was familiar with the software. I had also taken the time to make some of my cables ahead of time (except for the SteppIR - more on that later). Having said that, I did not know how the Flex-3000 would play with my home brew PC (Quad 2 Duo with 2 GB RAM and PCI Firewire Card), but fortunately, it has not given me any problems in two and 1/2 days of heavy use.
While not an active CQWW participant, I decided to use the 3000 to make as many contacts in the contest as possible. I found the "point and click" pandapter very easy to use and was able to make numerous contacts in the contest with ease. The receiver is astounding and much better than what I am used to from my FT-2000 (a radio I have enjoyed using). The DSP and other features work very well. I particulary like the binaural mode which sounds great when running the audio through my small Pyle stereo amplifier into a set of good (and shielded) bookshelf speakers.
On transmit, without any adjustments, my 75 meter friends told me I did not sound as good as I did on the FT-2000. After tweaking the transmit settings with the built in EQ, they told me the audio was great and that they liked it, as adjusted, better than my FT-2000 (I used the Heil Goldline with both rigs for comparison purposes). The PowerSDR program has a number of pre-programmed audio templates, and I used the "DX/Contest" template to make contacts during the CQWW. I never had a problem working a station.
The Flex-3000 interfaced well with my old Yaesu FL-7000 solid state amp, although I doubt the automatic band change feature of the amp will be supported in the future given the age of this amp. Regardless, it worked very well.
After making a number of contacts Friday night, I decided to see if I could get my logger (AC Log) and my SteppIR controller to interface with the Flex-3000 (I use the SteppIR Big IR Mark III vertical). Using the DDUtil program, I was able to get AC Log, the SteppIR, my LD-100A wattmeter and (as an experiment) Ham Radio Deluxe to all connect to the Flex-3000 at the same time. This was really fantastic! For you SteppIR users, please note that the Y-cable provided by SteppIR will not work with the Flex-3000. A quick trip to Radio Shack on Saturday morning for parts led to the creation of a new DB9 cable to connect the SteppIR controller to the computer. The new cable had the SteppIR controller and the Flex-3000 working flawlessly together with DDUtil. So, with the DX spotting function of AC Log, I was able to click on a spot in the logger and the radio and SteppIR would change to the correct frequency.
At this point, I have not used the Flex-3000 for any digital mode operation, but that will be my next project. I plan to interface my Signalink USB to the Flex-3000.
I am so impressed with this radio (my first SDR radio) I will probably sell the FT-2000 station and purchase a Flex-5000a. Having said that, I realize that many hams want a conventional and traditional knob or switch in front of them. This has not been a problem for me so far, and quite frankly, with practice I have become very proficient at tuning the Flex-3000 with the mouse. Everyone is different, so before you take the SDR plunge you may want to run the PowerSDR demo like I did. It will help you better understand how the panadapter works for tuning with the mouse/keyboard instead of the traditional tuning knob. Like everything, practice makes perfect!
My favorite feature of the Flex-3000 so far is the panadapter. This blows away the DMU-2000 that is mated to my FT-2000 and provides amazing functionality.
Cons? So far, very few, but I am a little disapointed that the PowerSDR software will not allow the recording of a SSB announcement for contests for voice saving playback. The good news is that this should be a problem that can be easily fixed with software revisions in the future.
As many others here have written, this really represents the future of radio. I'm very pleased so far with the quality and functionality of this forward thinking technology.
As a postscript, Kudos to the Flex team for getting this radio to me as quickly as they did. When I called to order, they told my it would be a week or so (this was on Tuesday before the CQWW). I mentioned that I was hoping to have the radio before the weekend, and was again told they would try, but with other orders, etc., it was likely not possible. I was therefore very pleased that the radio was shipped to me and received on Friday. This is great customer service, and from I have read, very typical of how the Flex team treats all of their customers.
|
|
VK3FAJM
|
Rating: 5/5
|
Oct 8, 2009 22:45
|
Send this review to a friend
|
|
WOW what a radio
|
Time owned: 0 to 3 months
|
Ive had the radio for a week or so at the time of writing this review.
Things i love:
TX Audio (After tweaked) is EXCELLENT - best yet, and ive used quite a lot of radios! I am also running studio rack mount audio processing and a studio mic.
The panadapter is great, its an awsome experience to SEE the band as well as hear it.
Ability to record a signal, and play it back to them. You cannot give a better signal report than letting the other party hear themself!
The receiver in this radio is something special. Ive had some very high end rigs in the past and this audio is in a field of its own. wow.
Previous radios owned: Icom 746, Icom 703, Icom 7000, Yaesu 897D, Yaesu Ft7, IC2500 receiver, AOR5000 receiver - they are all RUBBISH in comparison!
Things that *** me off:
RF!! Ive never had RF issues before, but this rig seems to be much more sensitive to it. A buttload of ferrite and an overkill RF choke right at the BNC socket - AND some air wound chokes near the antenna seemed to fix it right up.
At the time of writing there was no working SWR meter in the software - this is a software bug and is probably fixed already.
Honestly thats about it. The radio rocks.
I may introduce a big beefy ATU - but hey most ATU's in radios tend to suck in comparison to a propper one.. no biggie.
With the aussie dollar so high against the greenback its an absolute steal at $2000AUD
BUY ONE! DO NOT UMM AND ARRRR ABOUT IT, JUMP IN AND ENJOY THE NEXT GENERATION OF RADIO.
See my website for a more detailed review: http://www.radiogeeks.net
73
VK3FAJM
|
|
RFEXPERT
|
Rating: 3/5
|
Sep 8, 2009 04:55
|
Send this review to a friend
|
|
Good Nearly There
|
Time owned: 0 to 3 months
|
Wonderful package overall. However I realized early on that it was not my cup of tea. I was planning on buying a 5K just to try out this technology when the 3k was announced.
What I dont like about the 3K:
Poor audio, it sounds rather anemic and weak. I connected a Datong RF processor up and it started to sound decent like my FT1000D. I am not into the ESSB audio that so many flexers are into. A Heil HC4 is hifi audio for me Hi! It also takes a lot of messing around to get Communications quality audio.
The TXCO is only 1PPM I wish there was a 0.5 PPM option. With Cheap Rubidium standards available everywhere now, some kind of external REF input would have been great
I had all sorts of RF feedback problems. I have enough ferrite on all my leads to sink the Titantic! Its not my RF ground system I have an elaborate single point ground system.
When you add the cost of a decent computer upgrade it starts to get expensive. I also dont like the stuttering and glitches as other programs run.
Firewire chipsets problems are a real concern, I tryed 3 computers before I got a stable firewire interface that works with the 3k
The QST review reported some very poor IMD numbers. When compared to my FT1000D you can hear the crud in my other receiver. This radio wont pass NTIA/MARS specs with such poor IMD even thought it can TX MARS. For such a high performance receiver the TX IMD is poor. It would be great if some kind of Professional option were available for MARS work. The professional version would have improved IMD that meets NTIA Redbook standards.
This computer controlled radio would be ideal for fixed channel and ALE work. I tried it on a MARS log and conical monopole and it worked very well despite having ALE sounding going off on the other channels. The receiver is close to being bullet proof.
I dont like a PC radio, end of story. I like sitting in front of a box with knobs. I dont like booting a noisy PC just to tune the band.
I might try a laptop, however I am loathed spending big dollars on a high end laptop just for a radio. By the time you done you might as
buy a Icom 7600.
What I like.
Is the technology, packaging and overall software execution. Its a slick package
The bandscope and spectrum analyzer are fantastic.
Point and click tuning is wonderful. An external tuning knob would make this even better its a shame its not standard.
The receiver is fantastic and very nice sounding, certainly sounds much better than my K3, FT1000D and other junky radios that I have in my shack.
The price makes it a bargain for the receiver performance that you get. Check the QST review, the receiver measurements look very good.
Sherwood has it high up on his list, it even has better performance that the IC-7800 so its a steal!
Support is excellent
Its a great RF diagnostic tool for testing other radios and measuring signal strength accurately.
Overall its nice radio if you like playing around. I look forward to the day when this radio is package in a box with its own CPU and some knobs. Alternatively some sort of touch screen thats combined with its own tuning knob and mouse. Having a powerful PC hang off a radio just does not seem right. I work with computers all day, and I just dont like coming home to another PC for my ham radio. Using the Flex3000 has been a rewarding experience and it makes a good SDR sampler. I will part with my Flex3k and get the Flex QRP 1500 when then that comes along. The Flex1500 will be a bargain radio especially if the receiver is as good as the 3k. Try it and make up your own mind, you wont be disappointed by the experience, you will either hate it or love it. Radios like the Flex3000 has marked the beginning of the demise of super expensive radios thats all bells and whistles and lacks performance. The Flex 3K has delivered performance that cannot be matched by any Japanese manufacturer for the price. I would have given the radio a 4 star rating if its transmitter IMD performance was better.
|
|
VK2JN
|
Rating: 5/5
|
Sep 6, 2009 21:43
|
Send this review to a friend
|
|
Everything else is now trash
|
Time owned: 3 to 6 months
|
If you want tomorrows technology today and are prepared to roll up your sleeves to understand, latency, the kernal interrupts and provided you give it the PC rescources it needs this baby is for you.... yes YOU !
If like me and you have just purchased a new suitcase radio (the ones with a handle on the side and knobs on the front) don't be embarrassed we all make mistakes simply;
a) Be honest with yourself and admit your mistake.
b) Sell it as fast as possible and cut your losses.
c) Get the credit card out immediatly take remedial action.
Only a mobile radio is there a reason for old technology.... (at the moment) One last warning, you may need to inform friends and relatives the you will be spending considerable hours with Flex and concentration levels for things outside the SDR technology will be weakened. Dont say you were not told.
|
|
DF2OF
|
Rating: 4/5
|
Aug 18, 2009 06:48
|
Send this review to a friend
|
|
Good but needs improvement
|
Time owned: 0 to 3 months
|
Hi,
just want to give my short review of the Flex-3000.
First, its a fine rig once you manage to get ur PC to work with it. I tried this for about 4 weeks with very good support from Flex Europe (tnx Klaus!), but with no success. Finally I bought a used Thinkpad X60s, which worked fine right from the beginning. But thats how it is, no blame on the F3K.
What I don't like:
- Noisy fans (you want to put the Flex under the desk, as its unbearable noisy on the shack desk.) Well, it has just one power on switch, so no real problem with that one. Just wonder why Flex does not use more silent fans. (have not yet figured out, if they use a temperature control)
- Why did Flex choose a normal old fashioned relais for TR switching? This is not state of the art and vey annoying when you like CW.
- The TCVR is not made for CW QSK freaks (TR switch) RX is very good!
- A small stereo amplifier is missing to drive speakers. Why do I need to use PC speaker boxes, which pick up hum RF etc? (Yes, I know the workaround to use the front headphone jack to drive a speaker)
If Flex solves this problems, its a perfect TCVR for me.
best dx es 73
Matthias, DF2OF
|
|
HAMMYGUY
|
Rating: 4/5
|
Aug 1, 2009 19:57
|
Send this review to a friend
|
|
A huge step from the SDR-1000, but still not plug and play.
|
Time owned: 0 to 3 months
|
After owning an SDR-1000 for a few years I finally dusted off the credit card and ordered a 3000 while at a regional hamfest. It took a couple of weeks to arrive. I was impressed with the build quality and the ease of hooking it up. The single wire to the computer is nice. But you still have several packages of software to load. The latest from Microsoft, drivers for various things, etc. To be expected. It performs as well or better in most regards as the 1000. The radio is an excellent performer. The most obvious improvements over the 1000 is mainly the single wire connection, the 100 watts available on 6 meters, the panadapter on 6 has almost no birdies, and good TX audio with little fiddling. But since I've got my 1000 running with a very clean pan-adapter (isolation cables are the secret) and works great, what did I gain? Not a whole lot after owning the 3000 for several weeks.
This radio isn't without some issues. The built in tuner is very anemic and has very little range. I ended up just disabling the tuner and went with my LDG Z-11Pro. Also the radio seems to be kind of susceptible to RF. I attached the very same computer and antenna cables as I use on the 1000, and the 3000 routinely locked up the PWRSdr software on 160 and 80 meters. Looking at the Flex reflector this lock up appears to be a fairly common problem and the fix is a 40 dollar shielded fire wire cable that another owner has recommended. Apparently the firewire cable that is supplied doesn't have enough shielding in some cases.
After having the radio several weeks I decided that the improvements from the 1000 were not that great and sold it to recoup the cost of the rig.
|
|
K4ELO
|
Rating: 5/5
|
Aug 1, 2009 17:16
|
Send this review to a friend
|
|
Excellent
|
Time owned: 0 to 3 months
|
When I ordered the Flex 3000 I told my xyl that this was my last radio order (I already have a Flex 5000A). She said it was just my latest. :))
Seriously, she is very supportive of my hobby and never fusses about radio expenditures - perfect xyl!
The 3000 is an amazing radio. After using it for a few weeks I can say that I can't really tell any difference in performance from the 5000A. It just doesn't have the options you can get on a 5000A. The 3000 is probably the biggest bargain in ham radio. It was half the price of my fully optioned Omni VII and much better performance. I get unsolicited great audio reports on it.
What a super portable rig. Just throw it in your computer bag with your laptop and away you go.
Thanks to Flex for another great radio.
73
Wayne
|
|
KI6NHY
|
Rating: 5/5
|
Jul 29, 2009 14:31
|
Send this review to a friend
|
|
A Great Rig
|
Time owned: 0 to 3 months
|
|
The Flex 3000 has been a great way for me to get involved with SDR's . Although it lacks the upgradable modularity of the 5000 it is a great mid level SDR rig offering a lot of bang for the $ . The ability to customize and tweak so many of the settings in Power SDR results in a truly remarkable experience . The more you learn about these features and apply that knowledge to your control software the better the experience becomes with the F3K ! The feature that I like the best is the panadapter display . I use the Panafall display and with that enabled I see everything i need to pick out signals , especially the weak ones ! It took me all of 5 minutes to become very comfortable with operating the F3K in this mode and using the mouse to pounce on signals is truly amazing ! I use the F3K primarily for SSB voice and get consistently great reports on my audio . When you buy a F3K you get much more than just a great cutting edge product . You are also getting involved with the Flex company and the owners and users of the great Flex Radio products . No where in amateur radio is there anything like it . Everything is first class and much more ! The people at Flex want you to have the very best experience possible and go out of their way to be accessible to their user base both by email and direct phone contact . The owners and users of Flex radios are a incredible group of people who join in on constantly refining the great software that runs our fantastic Flex rigs . When you look at the big picture what you really buy into is the " Flex Nation " . I am a very proud owner of a F3K and look forward to including a 5000 to the shack also . Long Live the Flex Nation . Best Regards , George KI6NHY
|
|
N5IFH
|
Rating: 5/5
|
Jul 15, 2009 17:59
|
Send this review to a friend
|
|
Outstanding!
|
Time owned: 0 to 3 months
|
What a concept this SDR stuff! Absolutely outstanding! I have an IC-7700 sitting on my desk in front of me and I seldom turn it on! Not to say that the 7700 isn't a fine radio itself but I am so
impressed with the Flex 3000 that it is all I use.
Won't be much longer and I'll have the 5000a in the shack also. 73...
|
|
If you have any questions, problems, or suggestions about Reviews,
please email your Reviews Manager.
|
|
|
|
|
