| NZ5F |
Rating:  |
2017-10-10 | |
| Excellent Receiver and a Fun Challenge |
Time Owned: 0 to 3 months. |
I have owned this radio second hand for about two months getting it from someone who bought it from Gigaparts earlier this year. The radio is like new and works amazingly well. It is a challenging radio to get setup and I wouldn’t exactly classify it as the most stable platform ever but if you are patient and want to enjoy one of the finest sounding receivers ever then for what they are now on the used market (I paid $1700) you cannot go wrong. I owned earlier this year an Anan 10E which opened my eyes to a new world of ham radio. I was astonished about how amazing the audio sounded on that rig and just the amazement of the filtering in crowded band conditions operating with a $700 rig during a 160m CW contest last winter. I hate contests generally but the Anan was up to the task.
It has been well described that this isn’t the most stable platform ever. I have issues with VAC at least a few times per week. This rig is not plug and play. You need to wrestle with every windows update. It isn’t simple but to me I don’t care.
I have enjoyed the Anan 100D so much. It is part IT project and part radio. I am venturing down the SDR road starting with the 10E and now the 100D and will have soon a Flex 6400. I am looking forward comparing the two radios. Should be a blast. |
|
| WZ2Q |
Rating: |
2017-04-29 | |
| Great radio with a lot of flexibility and excellent performance |
Time Owned: 6 to 12 months. |
| This review is for the ANAN-200D, which is very similar to the ANAN-100D. I have had this radio for almost a year and I have rarely used my other "knob" HF radio since receiving the ANAN-200D. The receive performance is fantastic and the ease of operating with PowerSDR is excellent, once everything is configured. There is no need to mess around with external panadapters, sound cards, cables to work the digital modes, everything is built into the radio and software and connects with a single Ethernet cable. I have upgraded the firmware in the radio multiple times, and it is not difficult. I've been using it in conjunction with an Alpha 9500 amplifier, Palstar HF-Auto tuner, and external directional coupler for the PureSignal function to improve the linearity of the amp, and it works well. The new "Protocol 2" and "Thetis" software which are in beta look very promising to improve the functionality of this radio even more going forward. I'm going to sell this radio, but only because I recently upgraded to the new ANAN-8000DLE. |
|
| N4DCD |
Rating: |
2017-02-26 | |
| Great radio for the IT experienced |
Time Owned: more than 12 months. |
I'm an avid SDR guy among other radio types as well. I currently have a Flex 6500 (not my first Flex) and may other types of radios, too long a list to go over here. I have as well a Apache Labs 200D (I know not a 100D but they are VERY close) and its a great radio. All the features are top notch and build quality is as good as anything available today. Many of the good features have already been talked about in many reviews here so I'm not going to go over them.
I feel the performance can compete with any SDR out there (as well as any knob radio) and its a pleasure to use and I'm very impressed with it. At its price point you can't beat it. The 100D or 200D can be compared to the Flex 6700. When you look at the price of a Flex 6700 at over $7,000 and a Apache 200D (or 100D) at just under $3,000, that's a no brainer.
Bang for the buck is hands down the best deal pout there. Now if your not computer savy, the Apache Labs is NOT for you. You can quickly paint yourself into a corner and become totally frustrated and put it up on the auction block. So, my advise to anyone thinking about a Apache Labs, do it if you're IT skill's are up to the task. Otherwise go with the Flex Radio if the funds allow it. I have both the FLex 6500 and the Apache 200D and I love both of the for different reasons. The down side to the Apache is the lack of software support by Apache. They only develop hardware and you need to totally rely on the forums for support. Flex has software support because they develop both hardware and software. Flex Radio without any question is on the cutting edge of SDR technology and you can't go wrong with them.
So in short, if you're IT skills are up to the task, get the Apache and save some coin. If you're a plug and play guy and want no part of software problems you may run in to or just want to make sure you have software support via a quick phone call, stick with the Flex Radio. |
|
| G4VGO |
Rating: |
2016-10-17 | |
| Great Performance! |
Time Owned: more than 12 months. |
I have been using SDR since the SDR-1000. Now I have an ANAN 10 and an ANAN 100D. Doing a side by side comparison over about a six month period with my Flex 6300 on 160 meters I sold my Flex 6300 and needless to say have kept both my Apache Labs radios.
Receiver - the best I have ever used, both the 10 and the 100D. Magical performance on the low bands, rock solid flitering and noise reduction.
Transmitter - The Pure Signal feature is amazing. CW wave forms are perfect.
Shortly an improvement in CW performance will be released but now both are smooth and sweet and in a recent RTTY contest I could not believe the narrow filter performance on a VERY crowded band.
Remember, your PC needs to be top of the line, 3 GHz+ and dual core at least.
IMHO - forget the Flex, go with Apache Labs and you will never be disappointed. 73 de G4VGO/KH6KG/9V1GO |
|
| KD8TUT |
Rating: |
2016-04-07 | |
| Very satisfied.... |
Time Owned: 6 to 12 months. |
THE GOOD STUFF:
One of the things I like best about the radio: you can control everything. Absolutely everything. You can drill into this radio on levels most other radios do not allow. It's a tinkerers radio: assuming they have decent IT skills.
You can twist the configuration of this radio into very strange configurations which other radios will not allow.
Open HPSD PowerSDR is mature, stable, and does an incredible job. The audio on the radio is outstanding. The build quality of the radio is outstanding. And the community surrounding the radio is full of technical "over achievers"- which has been useful when I've needed clarification about something. Apache's support has been responsive the one time I needed something from them.
I run the radio with an external GPSDO, an Xtronics coupler (for Puresignal feedback), with an Elecraft KPA 500.
Puresignal: 50db IMD... or better. It's incredible.
Android App (free): I use this radio remotely via VPN with my Android smart phone.
Open Source Software: The software is open source- so you can modify it if you want to.
The radio has been completely reliable. I've had the radio completely disassembled for configuration changes (jumpers/mic/GPSDO/Curiosity). The build quality is excellent.
Since I've had the radio there has been two updates to PowerSDR and 4 firmware updates. There's been refinement of the already excellent noise reduction. The addition of an additional NR "Synchronous Noise Reduction". And a number of other things which do not apply to my type of use. So I feel the radio is supported well.
THE NOT SO GOOD STUFF:
Yes- this radio is not perfect.
One of the issues which really should not be an issue, is cooling. The outer shell of the radio is a massive heat sink. Which can get very hot. The problem is that it didn't need to be this way. It could have been engineered differently.
So the solution to that for me was to apply some adhesive heat sink compound and a small heat sink, just above the finals, with a 120mm fan blowing down in the heat sink. This alleviated my concerns about shortening the life of the radio from thermal stress. This little system keeps the case cool.
I documented this small modification in a video here:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HDj4Zej0_PU
Another issue is that the documentation for this radio, is not in one place. It's strewn over the internet in various places. Which could be a deterrent to some people. There have been a couple of times when I had to search out esoteric information on various topics by asking on the Apache Labs mail list- however I was quickly pointed in the right direction.
Related to the documentation issue: sometimes the radio requires an esoteric configuration on the computer for various reasons. One of them for me was manually changing the network metric setting in Windows to facilitate a firmware upgrade. The solution was trivial of course, but either the firmware upload utility needs to be coded without requiring a change from default- or the change needs to be plainly indicated in the Apache documentation. In this situation I needed to ask on the Apache mail list.
Lastly, I do not like the use of 1/8 inch plugs for the key and microphone. Every time I want to use a new mic it needs to be rewired. Now this isn't a problem for me, I've soldered since I was a child- but it's unneeded busy work with no educational value.
SUMMARY:
I happen to think this is one of the best performing radios on the market. The features are endless, the audio is tremendous, the receiver is amazing. I recommend this radio highly from a pure performance standpoint.
Unlike many hams, I regard the fat pipe, computer integrated, SDR radio a superior topology for amateur radio (I'm a systems engineer). It provides a flexibility and an abundance of processing power that the HPSDR programmers have exploited. The FPGA on the radio is powerful, so both a fat or thin client style are technically possible with changes to the software. Additionally there is a major upgrade in the current firmware and software which will tip the radio towards a more thin pipe approach. There is also additional third party software, rumored to soon to be available, that even leverages the GPU on your computer for signal processing.
While the radio is easy to setup and get working... be aware: THIS IS NOT AN APPLIANCE. It's not advertised as such, and should not be regarded that way. This is a radio for people who want to get into the hardware and software. You could buy this radio to ragchew on, and it would perform admirably. And you'd miss the other 80% of the possibilities this radio brings to the table.
So I recommend this radio strongly to anyone who either is computer proficient, or who is willing to become so. It will be a steep learning curve- but the rewards are worth it.
For my needs, this was the best choice in radios. The radio is not perfect. But it's performance and open source philosophy mitigate it's shortcomings.
The radio receives a "4" rating based on the documentation and cooling issues mentioned.
Yes- I could write a whole lot more. But this is a review not an advertisement. |
|
| HB9ARI |
Rating: |
2015-12-07 | |
| Updating |
Time Owned: more than 12 months. |
TNX to Ahbi's help , my ANAN 100/D is now updated to the last FW and SW versions.
My error was to use HPSDRBootloader with the ANAN connected to an Ethernet Switch (CISCO) instead of directly to the PC. Very happy to "recover" my ANAN working UFB as before, but with the advantages of an updated "state" ! |
|
| N1EU |
Rating: |
2015-05-08 | |
| Review Update |
Time Owned: more than 12 months. |
| I am posting an update to my July 2014 review because there has been significant software improvements since then. Transmit latency in cw & ssb has been reduced. Diversity operation has been greatly improved with a new special diversity mode. |
|
| VK1MAT |
Rating: |
2014-06-12 | |
| A wonderful top end transceiver |
Time Owned: 0 to 3 months. |
I agree with other reviews on the ANAN-100D.
I am a first time SDR user. And I jumped head first into it. I used to consider SDR's toys, but the ANAN is not a toy, anything but.
I wanted a radio I could grow in to, and that would evolve with me. Frequent Firmware and PowerSDR updates are like getting a new radio again. The anticipation of new features that will improve the radio further is exciting.
I am pretty savvy with computers and software, and was on the air within 30mins of it coming out of the box.
On air reports are "excellent". And the signal is tight (no spurs) reported.
I have already packed up the old radios, I'm afraid they will only see the light of day again when they go out for field days or are sold.
I am very happy with the ANAN-100D and I suspect other VK1 operators will soon follow suit.
Well done Apache Labs and the software development team.
|
|
| G7CNF |
Rating: |
2014-05-19 | |
| Simply THE best of the best |
Time Owned: 6 to 12 months. |
Given there are so many of these radios in circulation, I find it a little odd to see so few reviews. It is said that no news is good news and from my observations on eHam, people are quick to bring their negative opinions to bear (I include myself in that sweeping generalisation).
I have tended to be an early adopter of mid-range or above radios. These include the ProIII, FT-2000, Flex-5000 RX2, IC-7600; indeed I seem to have got through a shocking number of radios whilst trying to find THE one. I laughed my socks off with the ProIII (good) cried my eyes out at the FT-2000 (worst radio ever) was chuffed with the IC-7600 but got tired of it quickly and thought for a while that the Flex-5000 was THE one, despite its numerous foibles.
The Apache Labs ANAN series radios (10, 100, 100D) are commercial manifestations of open source hardware; designed by some of the best minds in amateur radio - in their own time, for the sheer love of the hobby - and the sheer challenge of making something new and exciting. No-one was paid to design these radios and I believe this manifests in the superb performance we now observe.
Setting aside the PA, the radios are either HPSDR Hermes (Anan-10, Anan-100) and HPSDR Angelia (an-jel-ee-a; Anan-100D). DDC/DUC architecture, they sample 0 - 60 MHz directly into an A/D and the rest is accomplished in software (shocking oversimplification). Blocking and dynamic range are stunning, the lack of any mixers makes for an ultra-clean RX and low phase noise offers those amateurs with an exceptionally low noise floor QTH to benefit from very good sensitivity unsullied by DDS spurs or phase noise.
The heart of the beast, PowerSDR mRX PS is not the PowerSDR of FlexRadio ilk; it may look the same and continues to share some code; primarily the GUI but that's where the similarity ends. The DSP engine has been completely replaced by a much superior dsp written by Dr Warren Pratt NR0V and pales the old FlexRadio PowerSDR with completely new algorithms for NR, NB, ANF, AGC and more besides; adjustable FFT-bin width, steeper filters to name just two.
Then there's PureSignal. What's that? It means that these radios (particularly the 100 & 200D) are capable of TX IMD well beyond anything possible with ANY current generation amateur radio grade transceiver, including class A TX. Moreover this adaptive pre-distortion doesn't JUST include the radio but can include YOUR ENTIRE TX chain, including your legal limit PA (or more ;-). As far as I know this is unique the Anan. On-air full (US) legal limit IMDs of better than 50dB have been recorded. I've put a demo on YouTube of barefoot PureSignal operation showing the effect pre-distortion will have on your ham radio band neighbours - and it is not to be sneezed at.
Then there's Diversity (100D/200D). I used to think that the Flex-5000 RX2's diversity was good but like most other aspects the Anans are like Flexes on steroids. With a little careful tweaking some truly astounding results can be had, particularly in interference mitigation (with the right second antenna). At least I call the complete removal of a local S9+20 interferer astounding, you might have other ideas?
These radios (the 10, 100, 100D, 200D all have identical RX performance, the 100D/200D have a second ADC for twice as many receivers) and this performance meets or exceeds that of FlexRadio's latest flagship, the 6000 series. Two of my more well-off friends have both and have not been able to distinguish them for me.
Now the disclaiimer!
These radios (10/100/100D) will not be for everyone. The architecture was aimed at experimenters whom were comfortable with removing panels and swapping hardware jumpers, solving network and PC performance issues.) Since hitting the "mainstream" I have seen numerous "non-technical" hams brought to their knees whilst trying to solve aspects of system (radio and/or PC) performance. If you are not PC literate then thick-client SDR is not really the best route for you to take and if you don't like poking around the PCB then the 10/100/100D will likewise not suit you the best. That said, swapping a hardware jumper is hardly technical. . . The new 200D solves that by bringing those remaining hardware 'jumpers' out to software.
Then there is the business model. This has caused quite some consternation to some who automatically think that if they buy a radio they are entitled to unbridled technical support. It is made clear from the terms at the start - with an Anan you are buying a piece of hardware. The best parallel I can offer is that you are buying a PC with no operating system. When you put your Windoze Uber on your shiny new PC and get an application repeatedly have an unrecoverable error, is the company that assembled the PC responsible? No it is not. Apache Labs have gone above and beyond the call of duty for several hardware issues I've observed on the reflectors and are to be commended. Equally they should not be held accountable for you or your PC's deficiencies - and you might be surprised how many there could be!
If however you want cutting edge SDR, superb and (improving) receiver performance, world-leading TX IMD, a chance to implement your own improvements, rather than pleading for them - and earnestly hoping they be implemented at some random point in the future, to be a part of an amateur-radio driven (not profit driven) development architecture which chooses to implement a feature because it IS hard, not because it makes commercial sense, then the Anans may, I said MAY be for you. When I purchased my 100D I had no idea that a few months later it would have pre-distortion and the notion that new and exciting features, some still not even thought of yet, are to come, keeps this radio fresh and exciting for me. At the time of writing there's a nice surprise just around the corner for CW ops, too.
Are the Anans perfect? No, of course not, no radio is (Sorry K3 owners but it is true) but the Anan-100D ticks all the right boxes for me after 9 months of ownership and daily use on just about every mode conceivable. Heck I liked it so much I bought the company (not really but I did go and buy an Anan-10 a short time later and ditched another legacy radio in the process).
I have no commercial or personal interests in Apache Labs. |
|
| W7YP |
Rating: |
2014-02-13 | |
| Best Transceiver I've ever owned |
Time Owned: 3 to 6 months. |
I first started using SDR radios beginning with FlexRadio's SDR-1000. While it was fun experimenting with that radio, it's parallel port interface and dependence upon a high quality sound card in a PC, made it difficult to defend against RFI. I later moved to the Flex-5000A with dual receivers. That radio used Firewire for its PC interface and was far more robust than the SDR-1000. It was and still is a pleasure to use. Looking to upgrade yet again, this time to a direct-conversion SDR radio, I struggled between Flex's new 6000 series and the ANAN-100D from India. Looking at the specs for the two radios, I just couldn't justify FlexRadio's high price and chose to take a chance on the ANAN-100D.
I am SO glad that I did. This radio is a top performer and handily beats every other radio I've owned. Even Icom's 7800, while stunning to look at, can't keep up with the ANAN-100D.
The version of PowerSDR software that supports this radio has been rock-solid, with updates with new features coming more frequently than was the case with the Flex-5000A. Soon, we'll have a version of cuSDR which supports transmit as well as receive and will have the ability to use multiple virtual transceivers.
This radio proved to be truly plug-and-play. I installed the PowerSDR software on my PC, connected the radio to an antenna, my LAN and a power supply, and the software immediately found the radio over my gigabit LAN.
If you want the absolute best SDR radio out there for the price, this is the one to buy. |
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