FlexRadio Systems FLEX-1500 Quick Start Manual

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Version 2.0/12

www.flexradio.com

Flex-1500 and Excitement to go! are trademarks of FlexRadio Systems. Specifications are subject to change without notice. Personal computer and monitor required but not included.

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Introduction

Important Notice – Read Before Operating This Unit

i - Information

Δ - Caution

! – WARNING!

i - This radio has been configured to operate in your country according to your nation's

regulations. It will operate on frequencies which are not allowed for public use. You are required to possess a valid amateur radio license of an appropriate class from your government to transmit on amateur radio frequencies.

i - Except as described in this Quick Start Guide and the included FLEX-1500 Owner’s Manual,

no other operation or modification of this radio is allowed. Any other use or modification (including software changes that affect operational characteristics) will void the manufacturer’s warranty.

! – This unit is NOT A TOY. It must not be handled by children nor placed/operated within

reach of children.

! – Do not leave packing material for this unit unattended. It may be harmful to children if

misused.

! – This unit contains small parts that could be a choking hazard to small children. Do not

leave accessories unattended.

Δ - This unit must only be opened and/or serviced by a qualified technician.

! – Do not operate this unit in potentially explosive environments.

Δ - Do not operate this unit in areas of extreme humidity.

Δ - Avoid operating this radio in direct sunlight or other areas of extreme heat, excessive

vibration, or mechanical force.

i - Ensure proper ventilation around the radio.

! – Never attempt to insert wires or any tools into the interior of this unit during operation.

This may cause fire or electric shock.

! – This unit must only be operated with the electrical power described in this Quick Start

Guide. NEVER CONNECT THE +13.8VDC POWER CONNECTOR DIRECTLY TO AN AC OUTLET. This may cause a fire, injury, or electrical shock.

Δ - This unit generates Radio Frequency (RF) energy. Use caution and observe proper safety

practices regarding your system configuration.

! – Never connect or disconnect antennas while in TRANSMIT mode. This may cause electrical

shock or RF burns to your skin.

Δ - When using earphones, use caution when adjusting the volume to prevent any harm to

your hearing.

i - If you operate this unit in conjunction with an appropriate linear amplifier, always make

sure your output power is below the maximum input limits of the amplifier. Consult your amplifier owner’s manual for proper connection and operation.

Δ - If this unit is intended for use in commercial applications, special safety regulations and

cautions may apply to prevent accidents.

Δ - If any defect, abnormal result, or other observations occur that are not covered by this

Quick Start Guide or the Owner’s Manual; immediately cease operation and contact the manufacturer or local distributor for operational advice or repair of the unit.

i - Please study the complete Quick Start Guide and Owner’s Manual. These documents

contain important information regarding the safe operation of this unit. If you have any questions, please contact the manufacturer or local distributor for further information.

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Introduction

Thank you for choosing the FlexRadio Systems® FLEX-1500™ transceiver. The FLEX-1500 is a highly versatile, ultra-compact transceiver, designed to meet your demanding Amateur Radio needs. The FLEX-1500 transceiver powered by our World

Famous PowerSDR™ operating software create the perfect

Software Defined Radio Environment

Although setting up the FLEX-1500 is possibly a little different than you may have experienced with a traditional transceiver, it is not any more difficult, as this Quick Start Guide will demonstrate.

The Quick Start Guide is designed to get you on the air with minimum effort. To do this, we assume a basic HF installation and do not delve into all the FLEX-1500's and PowerSDR's many possibilities. For that, we urge you to review the FLEX-1500 Owner's Manual.

To get your FLEX-1500 on the air you will need:

The two cables and CD-ROM that came with your FLEX-

1500.

An HF-Antenna or dummy load. A good RF ground. Powered (computer type) speakers, or headphones. A stabilized 13.8V DC power supply, capable of 1.5A

continuous, 2A peak duty.

A Windows® PC, with a USB 2.0 port. A microphone/PTT and/or CW paddles/keyer/straight key.

If you run into any trouble during the set-up process, please:

Recheck your steps. Review the Owner's Manual. Check our website http://www.flexradio.com/ for our

many available support options.

Follow these 4 steps to get on the air.

Make the physical connections to your FLEX-1500.

Install the PowerSDR software.

Power-up your FLEX-1500 to complete the driver installation.

Select the correct audio input and output ports using PowerSDR's Mixer and select the correct antenna ports with the Antenna Form.

Step 3: Power-Up the FLEX-1500™

Step 1: Hook Up the FLEX-1500™

Step 2: Install PowerSDR™

Step 4: Configure PowerSDR™

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Step 1: Hook Up the FLEX-1500™

In Step 1 you will make all the physical connections required for basic HF operation of the FLEX-1500.

Back Panel A: Ground

Connect the terminal marked GND to your central station ground. NOTE: Make your GROUND connection FIRST!

B: Antenna Connect an HF antenna with a 50 Ohm impedance or a dummy load to the BNC antenna port marked ANTENNA.

C: Power Supply

Use the power supply cable that came with your FLEX-1500 to hook up a stabilized 13.8V DC power supply to the jack marked

13.8 VDC .

The power supply must be rated for 1.5A continuous duty, 2A max. The power cable is unterminated at one end to allow you to attach your own connector(s) if needed. Make sure the black wire with white stripe goes to the positive and the black wire to

the negative terminal of your power supply.

NOTE: If your power source is not current limited, you must add a 5amp fuse (not included) to the power supply cable.

DO NOT POWER UP THE TRANSCEIVER AT THIS TIME.

Front Panel D: Paddles/Keyer/Key

Connect your CW paddles, keyer or straight key to the jack marked KEY using a 1/8” stereo (TRS) plug.

For paddles or a keyer, connect the Tip to DOT, Ring to DASH and Sleeve to common. For a straight key, connect Tip to KEY and Sleeve to common. Do not connect the Ring.

The PowerSDR Keyer is configured for iambic paddles by default. To change this, please see the FLEX-1500 Owner's Manual.

E: Microphone/PTT

Connect your microphone/PTT to the RJ-45 MIC jack.

The pin-out of the microphone jack is as follows:

Power Cable

(included)

Power

Supply

13.8V, 1.5A

Antenna

50 Ω

Ground

Paddles, Keyer or Straight Key

Microphone/PTT

6 PTT

8 N.C.

7 Chassis Ground

MIC (-) 4

N.C. 1

N.C. 2

+5VDC 3

5 MIC (+)

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Step 1: Hook Up the FLEX-1500™

Cont i n u e d

F: Phones

Connect either headphones or powered speakers, e.g. a pair of computer speakers, to the jack marked Phones using a 1/8” stereo plug.

G: USB

Locate the USB cable that came with your transceiver. Connect the end with the ferrite core to the jack marked USB. Connect the other end to the USB 2.0 jack on your computer. The plugs should insert easily with no extra force.

Proceed to Step 2: Install PowerSDR on the next page.

1/8” Stereo

Audio Plug

Amplified Speakers

Headphones

USB Cable

(included)

Computer

USB Port

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Step 2: Install PowerSDR™

In Step 2 you will run the PowerSDR Setup application to install the software.

Insert the CD-ROM that came with your FLEX-1500 and PowerSDR Setup will automatically run. Alternatively, PowerSDR Setup can be downloaded from the FlexRadio website:

http://www.flexradio.com/

If you see a User Account Control screen (Windows Vista or Windows 7), click Yes.

The FlexRadio Systems InstallShield Wizard will start with a welcome screen:

Click Next and then click I accept twice for the two license agreements. Enter your information and click Next:

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Step 2: Install PowerSDR™

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Select FLEX-1500 as your radio type and click Next:

You can change the Installation Folder location by clicking the “CHANGE…” button. Otherwise, click NEXT.

The InstallShield Wizard will now indicate that it is ready to install. Click Install and the InstallShield Wizard will proceed to install all the software.

If any security dialog boxes appear (Windows Vista or Windows

7), click Install to proceed.

Finally click Finish to complete the installation:

Proceed to Step 3: Power-Up the FLEX-1500 on the next page.

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Step 3: Power-Up the FLEX-1500™

In Step 3 you will power-up your FLEX-1500 to complete driver installation.

Power up your FLEX-1500: press and latch the Power button (the LED will light up). What happens next depends on your operating system.

Windows® Vista® & Windows® 7®:

Windows will indicate that it recognizes the FLEX-1500 and load the drivers in the background. When completed, a notification will appear on the task bar indicating successful installation:

Proceed to Step 4: Configure PowerSDR on the next page.

Windows® XP®:

(NOTE: Depending on your PC/software, you may be asked to install up to 5 drivers. Repeat the following steps up to 5 times. Please complete every step as shown below.)

Your computer will detect the FLEX-1500 and display the Found New Hardware Wizard Welcome screen:

Select No, not at this time and click Next.

[continued on next page]

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Step 3: Power-Up the FLEX-1500™

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Select Install the software automatically (Recommended) and click Next. The Wizard will now find and install the FLEX1500 driver, after which it will display an installation complete screen:

Click Finish to complete the installation of this driver.

Repeat this process until ALL drivers are installed. When all drivers are installed you will see this in the lower right portion of your PC screen:

Proceed to Step 4: Configure PowerSDR on the next page.

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Step 4: Configure PowerSDR

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A: Run the PowerSDR Setup Wizard

Make sure your FLEX-1500 is powered up and run PowerSDR, either by double-clicking on the desktop icon you created during installation, or clicking on Start, then All Programs, FlexRadio Systems, FlexRadio Systems Software and select the PowerSDR version you just installed (if this is not the first time you have installed PowerSDR, you may have multiple versions on your computer).

The first time PowerSDR starts up it will run an optimization routine. Click OK and let the routine run.

Next the PowerSDR Setup Wizard will start and a Mobile Warning screen will open. Click Continue.

B: Configure the FLEX-1500 Audio Mixer

Your FLEX-1500 has two inputs (MIC, FlexWire In) and two outputs (Phones, FlexWire Out). The Audio Mixer is used to select the ones you are using and set their audio levels (just like with a sound card).

Click Mixer in the menu bar of PowerSDR. Check Mic as the Input to select the front Mic jack. Check Phones to select the front Phones jack.

Click the red X at the top right to close.

C: Configure the Antenna Selection

Click Antenna in the menu bar of PowerSDR to open the Antenna Selection window. Set the Receive and Transmit Antenna both to PA.

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Step 4: Configure PowerSDR

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Click the red X at the top right to close

D: Click Start

Congratulations! You've now completed all the steps required to set up your FLEX-1500. In PowerSDR, click the Start button at the top left to operate your FLEX-1500.

E: (OPTIONAL) Configure USB Driver Buffer control

The USB Driver Buffer control allows optimization of the low level USB stream. This control is found on the Setup/General/Options form as seen below. Note that PowerSDR must be in standby in order to change this control. The default setting has been chosen to allow successful startup of PowerSDR on most machines but may not provide optimal performance on your specific PC. More aggressive settings reduce latency and improve keying performance in CW. More conservative settings will allow lower performing USB controllers and/or CPUs to function smoothly. Choose the most

aggressive setting that provides stable operation without popping or distortion of the received signal.

Click the red X at the top right to close.

This Quick Start Guide provides only the basic steps to set up your FLEX-1500. For more information, you are referred to the FLEX-1500 Owner's Manual, which can be found in the Docs folder on the CD-ROM that came with your transceiver.

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“CE" marked devices meet the essential requirements of Directive 1999/5/EC.

The system is to be operated in accordance with the laws of the telecommunications regulatory agency in the country of use. A license is required to use this equipment, and the operator must comply with the national frequency allocations for the county of use. Also see the warning on page 2 of this guide.

European Union Declaration of Conformity

Flex-1500 Amateur Radio Transceiver Series

According to Radio and Telecommunication Terminal Equipment Directive, (R&TTE) 1999/5/EC – using the Standards: EN 301 489-1 v1.8.1 (2008-04) EN 301 489-15 v1.2.1 (2002-08) EN 301 783-1 v1.1.1 (2000-09) EN 301 783-2 v1.2.1 (2010-04)

EN 60950-1 : 2001

TYPE OF EQUIPMENT: Base Station EQUIPMENT CLASS: B

WE, THE UNDERSIGNED HEREBY DECLARE THAT THE EQUIPMENT SPECIFIED ABOVE CONFORMS TO THE ABOVE STANDARDS.

FlexRadio Systems Date of testing: May 3, 2010

FlexRadio Systems 13091 Pond Springs Road, Suite 250 Austin, TX 78729

Person Responsible: Gerald Youngblood (Signature on file)

Waste Disposal

The device may not be disposed of with household waste! This device complies with EU Directive on Electronic and electrical equipment (WEEE regulation) and will therefore not be disposed of with household waste. Dispose of the device to your local collection points for electronic equipment!