SmartSDR™ FlexRadio Systems‪®‬ 4+

It Just Works ... Seamlessly

Steve Jobs said, “It Just Works.. Seamlessly.” The same applies to SmartSDR for Mac. This is what Flex users with Macs have been waiting for, and it is well worth the money. I downloaded the app just a few minutes past midnight on the launch day. I fired up my Flex 6700 and 16” MacBook Pro, and I was off to the races. It literally took just a few minutes after downloading to get on the air. The app worked the first time with the settings in the same state that I had left the Flex in when I last used SmartSDR for Windows. A Mac version of FT8 is integral to the program via a drop-down from Tools on the menu bar. The functionality is very close to the WSJT-X standalone version for Windows. Other Tools include a Midi Controller (to replace the USB FlexControl dial which does not work with Mac), a helpful Network Stats pop-up, a Band Plan chart, a call sign lookup function, DX Cluster (your choice of a dozen), and a log book. So far, everything is working just as it should. I have not done any remote operating, however, due to coronavirus travel restrictions, but the SmartLink log-in is part of the app and always available. 73 de NV4NV

FANTASTIC!

I was skeptical about paying $160 for another program for my Flex 6400, but after trying the iOS version of the program I figured I'd give it a try. I recently purchased the radio and have been using the Win software and kept running into "driver" issues w/ DAX which further prompted me to try the MAC version. I must say that this software should be the default app for Flex radios. It just works with NO drama, all the built in features worked with no issues. The GUI is nicer than the Win version and FT8 app is perfect. Well done and highly recommended!

Nice, but not great for digital users

I've been using SSDR for iOS since it's introduction, and found the software to be intuitive, easy to use, and performs well. All of this has translated into the macOS version. It's a very visually appealing app on my aging 7 year old Macbook Air, and runs without issue. A testimant to the programmer's capabliities.

My issue is that this is a $160 desktop class app that provides mostly iOS levels of functionality. Firstly, the lack of a native DAX solution, of which the reccomendation to fix is an additional $100 piece of software from Rogue Amoeba. Keep in mind that this is just traditional DAX audio channels, and does not inlude any ability to get IQ audio from the radio. CAT solutions are limited to two connections at once.

After tax, we're near $300 in to get something close, but not near the same level as SSDR for Windows. It's a hard sell. If you're an SSB or CW kinda guy, it's a wonderful soloution. If you're more into digital stuff, and want to do someting/anything other than the built-in FT8 solution, just be aware of the lack of IQ and CAT limitations and added cost for external software to make it happen.

Developer Response ,

This is not fully correct. There are several other "free of charge" drivers (one is mentioned in the App's manual) so there is no need to pay extra $100. DAX IQ is also supported but at the moment, I am not aware of any Mac App which would support it. Saying that the App mostly provides iOS level is also not fair as the Mac Version allows multiple FT8 sessions, has a built in RTTY, HF-Fax decoder, a CW Keyer, a full features Logbook and an integrated Alert feature for various types of Alerts just to name a few features. 73s, Marcus, DL8MRE