QSO Today with Gerald Youngblood, K5SDR from FlexRadio

Gerald Youngblood, K5SDR, is the founder and CEO of FlexRadio that is now on the cutting edge of building advanced software defined radio (SDR) platforms for amateur radio, as well as for government, business, and the military. Gerald is a leader and pioneer in the development of SDR leading to the founding of FlexRadio. This episode is a newly minted version of the original interview that I had with K5SDR in 2015.

 

The 6600M is a nice looking transceiver... for some reason thats important to me.

Of all them ive seen this is the one I would love to try. I like the display and have heard some on the air... they sound good.

Its got knobs too, hi hi.

 

I just got a 6600M in Decemeber, there is a learning curve, but it is one hell of a radio!!

 

cha ching

 

wow, need to service that radio you have to send it to nasa, lol, good looking rig.

 

You don't .. But NASA have to send theirs to Flexradio in Austin for repair .. lol

 

Yes they are expensive. But I am retired and I figure this will be the last radio I buy. Look at the pre-loved list, thats where I picked up my 6600M.

It retires my IC-7600 which is a nice radio, but will moved along shortly so someone else can enjoy it.

 

I am pleased to see this podcast. I am interested in the Flex line and knowing more about the company.

My career has been in embedded software development for medical devices. I'm old enough to have started with electronics during the hollow-state era, but only recently became an amateur radio operator.

 

It looks like I may be the only one that doesn't like the look of this radio, and that's okay.

 

I also had a career in medical devices. I'm old enough to had a class on vacuum tube rectification and our lab one day was the AC/DC 5 AM Receiver. Became a ham in 1963; led me to a career in electronics. Glad there are a few of us.

 

What does the back look like?

 

https://www.flexradio.com/products/flex-6600m-signature-series-sdr-transceiver/

Picture selection on the right side.

 

12 week shipment is kinda rough!

 

Flex radios are great, drooled at them several years at Hamvention. A couple things that puzzled me though, and ultimately stopped me from buying. For the price, why no stock built in antenna tuner, like EVERYBODY ELSE does, shouldnt be an add-on. And another dumb thing, cant you find room for a mic connector and phone jack on the FRONT of the radio ? Really, is it THAT HARD ?
Bought an Icom -7600. Maybe some day.