Dave: I have a Dell Vostro 420 that runs PSDR without issue. The F5K works quite well with CW. The Flex 1500, does not work well with CW, due to USB delays. However, with the F1500, an external Keyer (using the sidetone from the keyer, the Flex sidetone off) seems to solve the problem with CW (I too am an avid CW operator). An easy solution to a USB latency issue.
I have a dual core laptop that I also use with the Flex radios....probably has the same power as a gaming computer. No issues with the laptop and the F5K either. Over the weekend, I tried to use my "backup" rig, an FT857, for the WWDX CW contest. I got heavy "blocking" from strong stations 5-10KHZ away from the frequency that I was working. Then when I tried to use the DSP to narrow the bandwidth, I got "ringing". It was a terrible experience. I put the F1500 on the air with the Vostro and worked about 25-30 DX stations on QRP over a couple hour period. Nice! No blocking, no ringing....just darn good copy! Worked a couple of "rare" ones too! George K2CM ________________________________________ From: [email protected] [[email protected]] on behalf of David Goodwin [[email protected]] Sent: Monday, November 28, 2011 1:47 PM To: [email protected] Subject: Re: [FlexEdge] Flexedge Digest, Vol 29, Issue 21 Hi All, I'm not a Flex owner, YET, so please forgive me if I'm out of line here, however, I've read just about every comment that Flex users have made concerning CW and other questionable operations. Being that I have built a very capable all Solid State (PCI Express) gaming computer (I only play one game though, Counter-Strike, occasionally), I've noticed that most of the comments about CW, and have mentioned what computer platform is being used, are very similar in nature. If I attempted to play your typical graphics heavy game on the platforms mentioned by the majority of those users, I would see a significant degredation of the gaming experience - and would not even play on some of those computers. I also edit HD video on the same computer and anything less would not be a very good and productive editing experience either. Could it be that the computers being used are just not powerful enough to run real time data over a Firewire cable? I know that I have an extremely fast desktop and laptop and feel confident that I can more than handle the bandwidth. As a matter of fact, I feel certain, if it's possible with additional Flex hardware, that my desktop could run three or four Flex 5000s with plenty of overhead to spare. I remember that the first thing I looked for on the Flex site, after I read all that the Flex is to offer, was the PC Requirements. Again, I was confident that my two machines could surpas thee specs, but there were significant enough to be sure. Any external peripheral that does what Flex does - and real time in duplex, has got to be a machine that's not just your garden variety office computer. It must be beefy and up to the task. I have a sneaky suspicion that if some of those that have CW side tone delay issues, had a bit faster computer, some of those issues would not crop up. However, not having actually owned a Flex, I may be wrong - but am I? Your thoughts? dave :) WB4LCN San Diego, CA _______________________________________________ Flexedge mailing list [email protected] http://mail.flex-radio.biz/mailman/listinfo/flexedge_flex-radio.biz This is the FlexRadio Systems e-mail Reflector called FlexEdge. It is used for posting topics related to SDR software development and experimentalist who are using beta versions of the software. _______________________________________________ Flexedge mailing list [email protected] http://mail.flex-radio.biz/mailman/listinfo/flexedge_flex-radio.biz This is the FlexRadio Systems e-mail Reflector called FlexEdge. It is used for posting topics related to SDR software development and experimentalist who are using beta versions of the software.
