Re: Topband: Windows 10 Update heads up
All - the windows 10 update thread is not what people are looking for on this reflector. Thanks. The Management On Sun, Aug 16, 2020 at 12:53 PM fmoeves wrote: > > It's funny/strange for me. Every time I read watch out for Windows updates > I have no problem. But when I hear nothing or I read this Windows update is > good no problems...that's when I get hit. Changes drivers... sound card > settings messes up everything. I use Bitdefender for virus software and it > is getting to be a pain in the butt..it makes harder and harder to run > software. Crazy 73 Fred KB4QZH > Original message From: Anthony Scandurra via Topband < > topband@contesting.com> Date: 8/16/20 1:51 PM (GMT-05:00) To: "Richard > (Rick) Karlquist" Cc: Rob Atkinson < > ranchoro...@gmail.com>, topband@contesting.com Subject: Re: Topband: > Windows 10 Update heads up _Searchable Archives: > http://www.contesting.com/_topband - Topband Reflector > _ > Searchable Archives: http://www.contesting.com/_topband - Topband > Reflector > _ Searchable Archives: http://www.contesting.com/_topband - Topband Reflector
Re: Topband: Windows 10 Update heads up
> > sooo. > > Just to tell the other side of the story. I have 5 computers, all Windows 10 Pro. 3 of them used on multiple Flex radios since 2013. And, as you have read, corruption does not affect 100% of the amateur install base. Nor does it affect any where near 100% of the Flex install base (I have inside data on this). I have never had any sound card (DAX) corruption or CAT corruption. NADA. While that doesn't help those that do, there is something different between these computers. On the surface, my computers have the following: - All are built by me. Not an OEM build (meaning the computer didn't come with an OS). Clean install from a Win 10 Install USB Key - All are Win 10 Pro and I have paid for all unique licenses - I think it is well worth the extra expense to Win 10 Pro. - No extra anti-virus - I use the AV windows comes with - Windows defender -- And, this would be someplace to look deeper and I wonder if some inadvertently have 2 AV programs running - this is a big no-no. There really is not need to install an AV since it has been built into Windows for some time. - The PC at my remote station has no AV installed at all - Firewalls are turned off on all NIC cards and all NIC cards are marked Private (not Public) - No programs are auto started other than stock When I see an update scheduled, I just click on it to make it happen. it would be nice if we had some more empirical data to figure out what is different between those that are impacted and those who have no issue at all. YMMV Mike va3mw _ Searchable Archives: http://www.contesting.com/_topband - Topband Reflector
Re: Topband: Windows 10 Update heads up
It's funny/strange for me. Every time I read watch out for Windows updates I have no problem. But when I hear nothing or I read this Windows update is good no problems...that's when I get hit. Changes drivers... sound card settings messes up everything. I use Bitdefender for virus software and it is getting to be a pain in the butt..it makes harder and harder to run software. Crazy 73 Fred KB4QZH Original message From: Anthony Scandurra via Topband Date: 8/16/20 1:51 PM (GMT-05:00) To: "Richard (Rick) Karlquist" Cc: Rob Atkinson , topband@contesting.com Subject: Re: Topband: Windows 10 Update heads up _Searchable Archives: http://www.contesting.com/_topband - Topband Reflector _ Searchable Archives: http://www.contesting.com/_topband - Topband Reflector
Re: Topband: Windows 10 Update heads up
Flex recently released a bug fix related to sound cards for their 1.x users even though 1.x is no longer actively getting new updates. This is above and beyond what software companies normally do. It is akin to Microsoft issuing a bug fix for Windows 95. It should also be noted that Flex provides updates to their software free of charge within the boundaries of each major revision. Thus, version 1.x users received the bug fix for free. So did users of versions 2.x and 3.x. 73, Tony K4QE Sent from my iPhone > On Aug 16, 2020, at 1:23 PM, Richard (Rick) Karlquist > wrote: > > > >> On 8/16/2020 8:21 AM, Anthony Scandurra via Topband wrote: >> There is no monthly, yearly, or ANY fee for running a Flex radio. There is >> an UPGRADE charge when going from one major revision to the next (for >> instance, from version 2.x to 3.x) which is OPTIONAL. You don’t need to >> perform the upgrade unless the added features appeal to you. >> 73, Tony Scandurra >> ARS K4QE - FM05fv > > In fairness to Flex, they continue to issue bug fixes > to version 2. You only have to switch to version 3 > if you want the new features. > > Rick N6RK _ Searchable Archives: http://www.contesting.com/_topband - Topband Reflector
Re: Topband: Windows 10 Update heads up
I still prefer Windows 7 too... 73, Luke VK3HJ Windows 7 wasn't a safe harbor in the first place. Last October, I was running Win 7 for my PC with Flex installed. An update blew out the CAT driver. As a result, I missed the Stew Perry. To make a long story short: Flex and their 3rd party driver supplier told me they no longer support windows 7. I ended up using an out of date win 7 machine for the rest of the year, then in January I updated all machines to Win10. That luckily went amazingly smoothly. Now that Win 7 no longer gets auto updates, I guess it is Flex proof. Of course it is vulnerable to every other attack. I don't use my shack computer with auto updates turned off to do anything but ham radio. So I am less concerned about having the updates off. MS makes it difficult to easily turn updates on and off. You have to go about 10 levels deep in the menus and the choices are not obvious. I had to save a cheat sheet I found on line to remember the menu picks. I'm glad I paid for Pro Windows. Rick N6RK _ Searchable Archives: http://www.contesting.com/_topband - Topband Reflector
Re: Topband: Windows 10 Update heads up
On 8/16/2020 8:21 AM, Anthony Scandurra via Topband wrote: There is no monthly, yearly, or ANY fee for running a Flex radio. There is an UPGRADE charge when going from one major revision to the next (for instance, from version 2.x to 3.x) which is OPTIONAL. You don’t need to perform the upgrade unless the added features appeal to you. 73, Tony Scandurra ARS K4QE - FM05fv In fairness to Flex, they continue to issue bug fixes to version 2. You only have to switch to version 3 if you want the new features. Rick N6RK _ Searchable Archives: http://www.contesting.com/_topband - Topband Reflector
Re: Topband: Windows 10 Update heads up
There is no monthly, yearly, or ANY fee for running a Flex radio. There is an UPGRADE charge when going from one major revision to the next (for instance, from version 2.x to 3.x) which is OPTIONAL. You don’t need to perform the upgrade unless the added features appeal to you. 73, Tony Scandurra ARS K4QE - FM05fv > On Aug 16, 2020, at 7:52 AM, Rob Atkinson wrote: > > Seems to me that for the money hams pay Flex in that annual service > fee, (or is it monthly?) you ought to get professional Windows > maintenance. There are ex-MS techs out there who can be hired. > > I've had a Mac at home for the past 15 years at least. Since 2008 > it's been a mac mini. So far, Apple has set it up so that I can > choose between automatic and manual updates. I always have mine on > manual. I get a notification when updates are available and then I > pick a time when I'll install them. Macs have their share of nuisance > problems and I am not heavily invested in computerized ham radio. If > I had to depend on a computer for ham radio I'd probably find another > hobby. > > Microsoft forces these updates because if they didn't millions of > users would blow them off, and updates are vitally important for the > security of your machine against outside threats. A lot of the > updates have to do with patching vulnerabilities, many of which are > immediately getting exploited in the wild. So many windows PCs have > been hacked over the years the Company got serious about it beginning > around 10 years ago and this is part of the result. > > 73 > Rob > K5UJ > _ > Searchable Archives: http://www.contesting.com/_topband - Topband Reflector _ Searchable Archives: http://www.contesting.com/_topband - Topband Reflector
Topband: Boring report
Been active for a few mornings this week. VK6LW showed up just before sunrise and was worked easily. Dennis, ZL1AZ has been active every day that I was on this week as well. Nice to have some consistent activity from ZL that late into their night (I know ZL3IX tends to QRT a few hours before my sunrise). Thanks for all the comments about my tower feeding issue. I ended up going back to a gamma match after briefly trying an omega one. The chart in the 5th version of the ON4UN book worked very well for me. I figured my tower was around 120 degrees and put the gamma up about 20 feet from the top of the tower (the tower is 97 feet with a 40M OWA beam on top with insulated parasitic elements). Was able to get a good SWR with about 180 pf of capacitance. So far - it appears to be performing well, so looks like I am set for the upcoming season. The results from the Summer Stew are basically final. You can look them over here - https://www.kkn.net/stew/STEWSCR.TXT Congrats to K1KI, who just edged out K2AV for the top spot. Tree N6TR _ Searchable Archives: http://www.contesting.com/_topband - Topband Reflector
Re: Topband: Windows 10 Update heads up
Seems to me that for the money hams pay Flex in that annual service fee, (or is it monthly?) you ought to get professional Windows maintenance. There are ex-MS techs out there who can be hired. I've had a Mac at home for the past 15 years at least. Since 2008 it's been a mac mini. So far, Apple has set it up so that I can choose between automatic and manual updates. I always have mine on manual. I get a notification when updates are available and then I pick a time when I'll install them. Macs have their share of nuisance problems and I am not heavily invested in computerized ham radio. If I had to depend on a computer for ham radio I'd probably find another hobby. Microsoft forces these updates because if they didn't millions of users would blow them off, and updates are vitally important for the security of your machine against outside threats. A lot of the updates have to do with patching vulnerabilities, many of which are immediately getting exploited in the wild. So many windows PCs have been hacked over the years the Company got serious about it beginning around 10 years ago and this is part of the result. 73 Rob K5UJ _ Searchable Archives: http://www.contesting.com/_topband - Topband Reflector
