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| Reviews Summary for FlexRadio FLEX-5000 |
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Reviews: 43
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Average rating: 4.9/5
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MSRP: $2499
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Description: The FLEX-5000 is the next generation of software defined radios which now integrates all A/D & D/A functions and control over a single FireWire (IEEE-1394a) connection to a user provided computer running PowerSDR. A separate sound card is not required.
Features:
* Greater than 105 dB two-tone 3rd order dynamic range at 2 kHz spacing
* Frequency Stability: 0.5 ppm, TCXO equipped
* Individual optimized bandpass filters for all Ham Bands
* Receiver can monitor transmitter spectrum
* SO2R ready with optional second receiver
* FlexWire™ for external control of rotator, antenna, and much more.
* 100 watts output 160-6 meters
* General coverage receiver
* Separate RX antenna connectors for optimal reception
* Optional full performance second receiver (dual watch is standard)
* Single cable connection to computer
* Full Duplex transverter ready
* Fully automatic internal test/calibration. No external calibration equipment necessary
* Standard input/output jacks. Internal antenna switching for up to 3 antennas plus receive only antenna
* Balanced TRS line/microphone input
* Full QSK
* Quiet high volume fan keeps unit cool
* Optional full featured ATU 160-6m
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More info: http://support.flex-radio.com/Downloads.aspx?id=148
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N2QQF
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Rating: 5/5
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Nov 1, 2009 09:57
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Knobs...Is that the hang up?
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Time owned: 0 to 3 months
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I was seeking out another radio, amplifier etc.. to purchase, what recession? So I presently have an FT-2000 which I absolutely love as it is a great radio from an ESSB perspective as well as receive and filtering compared to most radios on the market. So, I mentioned to my friend that I was interested in either a Pro III or a 7600 as I always wanted one. I wanted to replace my Kenwood TS-2000 that I sold when I purchased my Cubical quad and tower. My friend mentioned the flex radio and I was not really ready to go the SDR route just yet as I was afraid I would not like it as much as a regular transceiver although I knew the receiver was very good. I was like most that were unsure I could really make the transition to a box with no knobs, so I thought!
My friend delivered the radio to me and told me I could hang on to it for a few days which I may add was one of the nicest things I could possibly imagine. He brought the radio over and helped me set it up. I must admit I was a little overwhelmed at first with all the features as well as just operating a new radio that was unlike any other I have used before. Everything is a GUI interface which was certainly different but after a few hours I really didn't notice it much. If you are like me and I think most of us are similar in certain ways, we are usually surfing the web or on a computer while on the radio.Well guess what, it is exactly the same thing. It is like having all the conveniences of that but wrapped into one simple package.
We got everything running off my dual core laptop without any real issue. In fact it took almost as long if not longer to get my Yaesu setup. I took my antennas beams loops etc... and connected them to a splitter so the radio would receive the same signals without losses and measured the signals and they were the same. The S-9 on the Yaesu was an S-9 on the flex but you could pre-amplify the Flex without distorting the actual carrier signal readings which was not possible on any other radio to my knowledge. Most of the receivers today are pretty even from a receiver perspective on a strong signal but the real difference came when I had to pull out a weak signal or a signal with heavy adjacent QRM. I could do it on the Yaesu but not as easily and certainly not as effective as the Flex 5000 can do it. I could not believe how easily this was achieved and this did not distort the incoming audio like most receivers did.
The term brick wall filtering is a term thrown around and guess what, THE ONLY RADIO THAT TRULY HAS BRICK WALL FILTERING IS THE FLEX! The Icom 7800, FT-9000 etc...does not have brick wall filtering they have filters with very sharp roll-offs but no where near the capability the flex 5000 has. The Flex has unlimited filtering options that can be tuned in 1 micro hertz steps. I can absolutely say without reservation that this radio is the best radio out on the market today. The approx ($2,500) price tag certainly puts this radio on or above the class of these high end $10K plus radios out on the market.
I will admit it took about a day to get used to the operating style of the radio and it might not be for everyone but anyone who understands SDR (Software Defined Radios) and what it's capabilities are then, there is no need to convince you as the vial has been lifted from your eyes. Every time a new update comes out it is like having a New Radio. For all the Yaesu users it is like having a major PEP release all the time with unlimited hindered issues of hardware capabilities.
BTW... I am ordering mine this week because I am a believer and I also have a great antenna system that I want to use to its full potential. I will not sell my Yaesu as I like it very much and plan to keep it as a backup.
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W9OL
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Rating: 5/5
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Oct 7, 2009 15:36
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Best I've ever used
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Time owned: more than 12 months
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As a Top of the Honor Roll, CW, Digital, and occasional SSB op, who contests almost every weekend.
With minimal antennas on a Chicago high noise city lot.
You've read all the comments about fantastic filter, sensitivity, the excellent Panadaptor.
Let me review the Companies Service and Update system.
Beyond a doubt, simply the best.
Let me review the System they have for incorporating feature requests, and bug reports.
Yes, even cutting edge software sometimes doesn't work the same for all computers and all people.
But this is where Flex, and it's staff outshines the rest.
Ask for a feature that has merit for all or even just for a few.
The feature will be investigated and usually incorporated within days.
Use the Forum Bug report system, and the bug will be investigated and fixed (if indeed it was a bug) within days if not hours.
Updates of Drivers, Firmware, Software are frequent and easy.
A large group of online help experts are dedicated to making you happy.
My favorite saying about the Flex.
"It's like getting a brand new radio to play with.....ONCE A WEEK!"
If you wish to ask me direct questions...
w9ol@billnjudy.com
I will help if I can.
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N2DTS
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Rating: 5/5
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Oct 7, 2009 13:39
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Fantastic in every respect
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Time owned: 0 to 3 months
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Got my 5000a a few weeks ago, and have been using it every spare moment since.
Lots of things to play with, everything is adjustable, or you can leave it alone.
Although the demo would not work for me, once I got the radio, everything worked within 15 minutes of opening the box. And work it does, this radio is smart, click the mouse on a cw signal on the panadaptor display and its right at your pitch setting, filters work so fantastic, its wierd! Fidelity is fantastic, no grunge, very well built box with its big quiet fan, its like 6 inches big! Every in and out you want, mixer and 10 band eq built in, compander, the list is endless. And its all running on the cheapest sony laptop I could get 2 years ago, using the built in firewire port, and without glitches. I cant think of anything they could add that I would want, seems they thought of everything. The only downsides I can find is the delay with an old slow computer can be excessive (latency) and the auto notch filter does not work well in the current software, something they will fix no doubt. This is a lot of radio, and lots of fun for the money, if you have a computer (even a slow one).
If you dont have a reasonable computer, you have to add that cost in (not much these days). I do not miss knobs at all, you can operate the radio fine with just a mouse, jump around bands, click on signals and hear them, all instantly. 200KHz and 3 band stacking registers allows you to check each and every band within a minute I think....3 antenna inputs plus a receive antenna port gives you flex-ability. I cant say enough good things about the 5000a, and they say things will only get better as the software improves...
Crazy great radio...
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K9VQ
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Rating: 5/5
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Sep 20, 2009 18:31
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Great radio
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Time owned: 0 to 3 months
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I wouldn't normally do a review on a radio that I do not own yet. I'm saving up for a FLEX-5000 now, from my experience with only a few hours of use last field day. The FLEX is the most exciting and rewarding experience I had in a long time. By the way, the PC connected to the FLEX on field day was using final release candidate Windows 7 OS and everything was running FB. Hey I enjoy knobs also, when they are on my boat anchors.
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N7WX
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Rating: 3/5
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Sep 20, 2009 17:13
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OK
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Time owned: 0 to 3 months
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Ok radio after using one and a Flex 3000 for hours..Still old fashioned, like real knobs..They are the best I have used on cw..
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EA5BZ
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Rating: 5/5
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Sep 20, 2009 13:22
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The future is here
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Time owned: more than 12 months
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After i tested it i don't like another radio.
It is THE BEST receiver i have never listened.
Very GREAT selectivity.
Do you need knobs? NO after you test a FlexRadio.
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WF6L
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Rating: 5/5
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Sep 20, 2009 07:17
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Excellent
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Time owned: 0 to 3 months
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It has been a rare occasion when I have been thoroughly satisfied with an Amateur Radio purchase. After much reading, research and thought, I purchased the Flex 5000A. I was impressed at the ease of the quick-start guide. Using a refurbished HP Quad Core, Vista 64 and a PR-781 mic. It has a renewed my enjoyment of the hobby! All we need now are sunspots! Looking forward to the VHF/UHF upgrade. Thanks Flex-Radio!
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K6HR
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Rating: 5/5
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Aug 20, 2009 23:00
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Fantastic!
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Time owned: 0 to 3 months
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I upgraded from an SDR-1000 to the 5000A. The 5000A is without a doubt far and away the best transceiver I have owned. My 756PRO3 is now my spare. After using the SDR technology it is very hard to step back into a legacy transceiver. There's simply no fair comparison between the two. And to think I was considering an ICOM 7700. I run PowerSDR under Windows XP on a Pentium QX9650 3 Ghz Quad Core CPU with 2GB of RAM. I am also using the recommended Firewire card with TI chipset. SDR operation is absolutely flawless! I may even replace my 756PRO3 with another 5000A as backup. I have been a dedicated ICOM user for many years, but the SDR technology from Flex-Radio is just so easy to use and so powerful, I will likely go 100% SDR in the near future. If you are considering a large investment in the hobby, you owe it to yourself to audition a Flex 5000A before spending your hard earned cash on anything else.
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K3ROJ
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Rating: 5/5
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Aug 12, 2009 05:29
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Flex 5000A is the best
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Time owned: 3 to 6 months
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This is another update and wanted to express how well a powerful computer can run a station. I found a new refurbished HP QUAD 4 computer on E-Bay for $329. Graphics are integrated onto the mother board so I bought a good G-Force series video card along with a 500 watt power supply. This was my first time installing a graphics card and disabling the integrated graphics. It worked so well that I bought a second identical 22 inch monitor (LG). Am able to run multiple programs such as Flex SDR, MixW, Vitual Audio Cable 4.9, Com0Com null modem and N3FJP logging with QRZ auto lookup using wifi. Total CPU usage is 35 per cent and have yet to have an interuption during operations. The built-in firewire 1394 works fine as is. The Vista 64 bit was a hassle at first but disabled the "Driver Signing" feature.
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AB2CD
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Rating: 5/5
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Aug 4, 2009 14:06
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No looking back!
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Time owned: 0 to 3 months
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The Flex 5000A is like no other radio I have ever owned or operated. The control panel that is located on your monitor is far superior to the buttons and knobs of a box radio. Everything is lit up and very easy to adjust and manipulate with a wireless mouse. The Panadapter blows away the band scopes on higher end radios. The control panel is uncluttered and the human interface is very intuitive. Hover over any control function and a small box pops up to explain its function; no complicated menus to navigate or manuals to read. It’s very easy to see. I am not very computer savvy; so I asked a local ham to assist me in setting everything up. Without his help, I might have had some difficulty. I believe that this radio is the future of our hobby. It’s very much a radio in development. And that’s a good thing because it’s always the latest and greatest. Evolving as it is, it is not an experimental radio. It does lend itself to experimentation if that’s something you like do to. It only took one day of getting familiar with the interface for me to feel comfortable enough to sell my 756Pro. There are a few anomalies that pop up from time to time but I feel these “blips” will be ultimately resolved. The people over at Flex are very helpful and the Flex operators (Flexers as they call themselves) are always ready to help. The camaraderie of this group of operators is like nothing I have ever seen in our hobby. Like so many of the reviewers have said, once you have operated a Flex you won’t go back to a box radio. I would recommend keeping one simple box radio as a backup because of the “all in one” nature of the traditional rig. Finally, I’ll have to admit that I was a little apprehensive about the switching to a Flex but I am very glad I did. I feel you will be too. As always, please don’t hesitate to write should you have any questions about the overall feel of the radio. For technical questions, I would suggest joining the Flex user group on their website. The Flex group meets every Sunday at 2 PM east coast time 1800 UTC on 14.329. CQ magazine did a very objective review of the radio that you might want to read.
God bless.
Jim AB2CD
Atlanta, GA
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