apache-labs.com

I'm considering the purchase of a 7000DLE MKII (non-PC Black Edition). I've never owned an ANAN product before. Are there a US service facilities for ANAN's? And what is involved with interfacing after-market digital programs to the ANAN?

TIA

Butch
KF4HR

There is a US service facility. It is run by Doug, W5WC. Doug always provides excellent service.

The most important thing you need to understand when you buy something from Apache Labs is that you are only buying hardware. The firmware that makes the hardware run, and the software which runs on your PC and which forms the bulk of the radio, is produced by a very small group of volunteer developers and is open source. In other words, if you experience a bug in the software or firmware, or don't like how something works, Apache can't help you. They can only help you with broken hardware via the aforementioned US service facility. Meanwhile, this forum serves as primary means of support for firmware and software issues.

The second most important thing to understand is that even though everyone calls the box they buy from Apache a "radio", it is only a very small part of the radio. It just has the hardware filters, the amp, ADC, DAC and an FPGA which primarily serves to provide a conversion between RF and the first IF. It is this first (and only) IF data that traverses the Ethernet connection. All other radio functionality occurs in your PC using a software application (typically either PowerSDR mRX or Thetis). It is in this software where the bulk of the radio functionality lies.

Because most of the radio functionality is found in the software application (again, typically PowerSDR mRX or Thetis), digi mode software will have to interface to the radio app. This is done with a combination of virtual serial cable software and virtual audio cable software. Examples of the former are com0com, Eterlogic VSPE, and VSPM. Examples of the latter are Muzychenko Virtual Audio Cable and also the VB Audio series of products: Voicemeeter and VB Cable.

Great information Scott, thank you. I've owned Flex equipment for the last 5 years. It sounds like the Virtual Audio Cable operations for the ANAN are similar to how Flex handles audio streams with their DAX (Digital Audio Exchange) program. In any case, sounds like I have a learning curve to look forward to.

Butch KF4HR

Does the 7000DLE MKII (and other Anans for that matter) ship with a power cable?

My black 7KDLE MKII shipped with a rather short (5 or 6 foot) but stout Powerpole cable.

K1LSB wrote:My black 7KDLE MKII shipped with a rather short (5 or 6 foot) but stout Powerpole cable.

Thanks... That lets me know I can offer my 'for sale' rig with a power cable.

What the typical wait time is after placing an order for a 7000DLE MkII?

KF4HR

The term "typical" pretty much doesn't apply to most things anymore.

The Apache Labs website notes a 4 to 6 week lead time for that rig.

I got mine a year ago and the lead time was 3 weeks.

Got mine in 4 weeks. It was a Christmas buy and Apache said they were sending them out before Christmas. They did as promised. What I thought was amazing was the it left India on Monday morning and was on my bench in Tennessee Wednesday evening. The FedEx guy said that Apache dropped a chuck of change for that ship time. It was on a "Free Shipping" sale. It has been worth waiting for.

rbduck wrote: What I thought was amazing was the it left India on Monday morning and was on my bench in Tennessee Wednesday evening.

Now that's weird. Mine came from Australia, VK3 to be exact.

73

Mine came from Australia. The corporate offices are in India, the factory is in Melbourne.

I just went by the origination on the box label. If it came from Australia that might be even more amazing!

I'm curious if anyone is using a Heil PR781 microphone with their ANAN and if so how has it worked out? Or is there a popular microphone ANAN users can recommend? Also do microphones in this output range (-55db) require a microphone pre-amplifier for the ANAN?

KF4HR

KF4HR wrote:I'm curious if anyone is using a Heil PR781 microphone with their ANAN and if so how has it worked out? Or is there a popular microphone ANAN users can recommend? Also do microphones in this output range (-55db) require a microphone pre-amplifier for the ANAN?

KF4HR

The processing power in Thetis can make almost any mic sound excellent. There are multiple layers of EQ, and multi frequency compression as well. Not sure on the mic gain as I run the VAC path, but it may work on its own.

KF4HR wrote:I'm curious if anyone is using a Heil PR781 microphone with their ANAN and if so how has it worked out? Or is there a popular microphone ANAN users can recommend? Also do microphones in this output range (-55db) require a microphone pre-amplifier for the ANAN?

KF4HR

The PR781 will work fine assuming you have the correct cable and, as you need to do with any dynamic microphone, turn on Mic Boost in Setup > Transmit.

Rather than cause more thread drift here, I recommend you make further microphone related posts in this recent and ongoing topic:

viewtopic.php?f=12&t=3666