If by 'bloat' you mean obsolete coding encapsulated in legacy ham applications
then I agree with you. The difficulty in maintaining this position is when you
try to do PSK31, RTTY, Olivia and all the fun modes by rolling your own
'modern' code. The amount of programming becomes undeniably impossible for any
one person, no matter how good a coder they maybe.
At some point you realize that the legacy applications, while decidedly
using obsolete coding methodology, are genuinely useful to get your ham station
on the air. Whether contesting, or rag chewing, or experimenting or just
talking, the idea is to get the rig radiating RF and receiving RF from like
minded people around the world.
Once you decide that you want to be ON THE AIR then you've got to pick the
kind of radio that will make you happy. There is no denying that fully matured
dial type radios are appealing, they are the culmination of 100 years of
evolution. They look cool and the knobs feel wonderful. But the ceiling of
their capabilities is palpable when you 'click-tune' the bands with a Flexradio
and compare the experience with a dial radio. The feature set of this new
style digital radio has approached and surpassed, in some features, the
capabilities of the older radios. But the Flex IS limited. Not the radio as it
is but the software combined with the radio.
There are so many interesting software applications that are coming on the
scene to combine with the digital Flexradio.
So, does the Flexradio NEED a faster computer? Not necessarily.
But does the new breed of software, plus the legacy software, PLUS the
Flexradio need a faster computer? My experience is yes.
To continue the automobile analogy; This is not premium gasoline in an
engine that needs regular. This is like opening up the airflow of a bored and
stroked engine. Putting a faster computer on a ham station with a Flexradio is
like adding a Blower and using an hand grinder to open up the intake manifold.
AND, with all the information we've got on performance, it's like checking the
power curves on an engine by using a Dynamometer. But unlike an expensive
Dynamometer for engine tuning, we've got all the measurements on our LCD
screens. Even the skips and jumps in the audio stream help us tune our
computers.
Sorry, I got long winded here. I do appreciate your questions and your line
of thinking. It's helping me clarify what I like about this process.
----- Original Message ----
From: Brian Lloyd <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
To: Tim Ellison <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
Cc: Ted <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>; "[email protected]"
<[email protected]>
Sent: Monday, July 21, 2008 3:29:32 PM
Subject: Re: [Flexradio] Fw: Not sure what the issue here is
On Jul 21, 2008, at 1:16 PM, Tim Ellison wrote:
> "This radio should have, NO deserves to have, the fastest computer
> that a ham can reasonably attach to it"
>
> Absolutely. Which is why you don't put bias-ply recapped tires on a
> Lamborghini. :-)
I suspect that this is like people who put premium gasoline in their
cars that are designed for regular. Sorry folks, they won't go any
faster. The '5K deserves to have a fast-enough computer. More doesn't
buy you anything ... well until bloat requires a faster computer. ;-)
Brian Lloyd
Granite Bay Montessori School 9330 Sierra College Bl
brian AT gbmontessori DOT com Roseville, CA 95661
+1.916.367.2131 (voice) +1.791.912.8170 (fax)
PGP key ID: 12095C52A32A1B6C
PGP key fingerprint: 3B1D BA11 4913 3254 B6E0 CC09 1209 5C52 A32A 1B6C
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