Welcome to the June 2025 Flex Insider.
Hamvention was a fantastic event, and if you stopped by to say hello — it was a real pleasure connecting with you!
We had a strong presence this year with over 21 FlexRadio team members at our booth.
Aurora
At Hamvention 2025, FlexRadio introduced the Aurora series — its first all-in-one HF/6m radio with a built-in 500 W amplifier.
Designed by FlexRadio’s Lead Design Engineer, Tony Brock-Fisher, K1KP, Aurora represents a major step forward in compact, high-performance radio design.
Aurora builds on principles first introduced by Leonard Kahn in 1952, using polar modulation to separate and process the amplitude and phase components of the signal. This method enables switch-mode amplification with up to 80% efficiency, dramatically reducing heat and power consumption compared to traditional designs.
Weighing just ~18 (8.1Kg) pounds, Aurora combines the transceiver, amplifier, tuner, and power supply into a single, sleek cool running chassis. And setup couldn’t be easier—just plug it into the wall (80–260 VAC) and you’re ready to go. 500 watts draws just over 6 amps at 120VAC, making it over 80% efficient.
Your toaster consumes more power!
Aurora isn’t just efficient—it’s smart. With its integrated design and tight integration with the FlexRadio ecosystem, it eliminates the usual maze of cables, interconnects, and external gear. Eliminating many RFI issues.
This makes Aurora especially attractive for hams who value clean installs, minimal setup time, or who need to transport gear between locations.
Whether you’re operating from a quiet corner of your shack or remote-controlling your station from across the country, Aurora is engineered to deliver clean, reliable RF with less hassle.
100% Key down for 8 hours straight!
At Hamvention, we put Aurora to the test—keyed down at full power on CW for over 8 hours straight. Using a brick on the key to keep it transmitting continuously, Aurora maintained full 500 W output without breaking a sweat.
The radio’s internal temperature never rose above 82°F (28°C), while the 500-watt dummy load it was driving reached approximately 200°F (93°C). This is what they mean by 100% duty cycle.
It’s a great real-world example of how efficient and thermally stable Aurora’s design really is, even under extreme, continuous-duty conditions.
Whether you’re streamlining your home station, powering through a POTA activation (yes, a small generator will power it), or building a dependable remote HF site, Aurora delivers serious performance with unmatched simplicity.
Not sure which model is for you, please review our comparison chart.
Fully compatible with SmartSDR and SmartLink.
Your can learn more by reaching out to us: aurora@flexradio.com.
Product Updates
Flex-8000 Series
All FLEX-8000 Series radios are in stock and shipping! Depending on your selected options, it may take up to 10 business days to process—but we’re working hard to get every order out the door as quickly as possible.
Maestro
Maestros are available for immediate shipping.
Note: Any dates published here are subject to change but are current as of the date on the top of the newsletter. Please check the website for the most current pricing and shipping times.
🎉 Maestro Bundle Sale – Gear Up and Go! 🎉
Get everything you need to make your Maestro even more portable and user-friendly:
- ✅ Soft Travel Case – travel with confidence
- ✅ RRS Battery – up to 10 hours of portable operation
- ✅ Tilt Hinge Feet – for that perfect viewing angle
- ✅ TRRS Y-Cable Adapter – stay connected, wherever you are
🚨 Bonus Offer: Add the Maestro Protective Cover to your order and enter code FN979BKH27J at checkout to get it FREE – but hurry, this won’t last long!
Maestro Kit Bundle
$1,888.00
SmartSDR Update
SmartSDR 3.9.18 is now available
As well as many internal improvements with performance, some new features were added:
- SmartSignal – Adaptive Predistortion – Beta – FLEX-8000 models only
- 2 Tone carrier for additional testing
- Analogue Meters
- Tuner Genius XL integration. TGXL firmware 1.2.17 required from www.4o3a.com
- Mic and Transmit Profiles – manual save or autosave
- USB RS232 Passthrough for remote operators
Genius Line Update
- Power Genius XL – Currently out of stock. New units expected to ship by mid-July.
- Tuner Genius SO2R – Temporarily out of stock. More arriving mid-July. .
- Tuner Genius 1×3 – In stock now! Ships within 2 business days of a paid order.
- Antenna Genius – On backorder. Next shipment expected mid-July.
Pre-Loved Radios
We’re thrilled to announce the availability of a limited number of previously-loved FlexRadios for purchase!
These radios have undergone rigorous testing and a full alignment to ensure they meet our high standards of performance. Each one ships in brand-new packaging and includes all the essentials: power and Ethernet cables, a hand microphone, and the latest firmware
At this time we have some stock of:
No M models are available at the moment.
Please drop us a note at hams@flexradio.com with your interest and we’ll be pleased to assist you.
Education
We have four unique and engaging talks that we are excited to deliver to your club members.
Each presentation is delivered by Mike VA3MW.
Aurora 500 watt Transceiver. Mike (VA3MW) from FlexRadio will be giving a detailed presentation on the new Aurora HF Series, an exciting advancement in SDR technology. This new platform integrates a high-efficiency 500 W transmitter, amplifier, tuner, and power supply into a single compact unit—bringing high performance and modern design together like never before. Mike will cover how Aurora offers reduced heat, lower power input, and full network control, all while keeping the familiar operating experience FlexRadio users appreciate. It’s a big step forward in the evolution of HF/6m transceivers.
FlexRadio – Not Your Dad’s HF Radio. Our most popular presentation, this talk explores the differences between traditional HF radio using Super Heterodyne Receivers and today’s Software Defined Radios. We’ll showcase and explain the advantages of these advanced technologies. If you have received this one already, then possibly consider one of the other 2.
FlexRadio – The FLEX-8000 Series Overview. This talk is ideal for those with some FlexRadio experience who want to learn more about the recently announced FLEX-8000 series’ hardware and software features. The FLEX-8000 series is the successor to the FLEX-6000 series.
Getting Started in Remote HF Radio. Remote HF Radio Operation has become mainstream. This presentation is perfect for those planning to set up a remote station or just interested in how easy it is today. We’ll cover radio choices, power control, and more!
If any of the clubs you are associated with would like to schedule a presentation, please reply to this email with your preferred dates and times and the talk you are interested in.
We’ll get it on the calendar for the coming season.
Email michael@flexradio.com.
Trade ins / Trade ups
Are you ready to upgrade to the FLEX-8000?
For customers in the United States, we are thrilled to offer a trade-in program for your current radio towards a new FLEX-8000 order. If you are outside of the United States, you may wish to consult one of our International Distributors.
Trade in any Current HF Radio Gear!
We aim to provide the most equitable trade-in values, which will be assessed approximately 30 days before your scheduled shipping date.
This timing ensures that we can offer you the best value based on the most current market conditions.
Until that time, we will not provide a trade-in dollar valuation.
Event Calendar
HAM RADIO: Friedrichshafen, Germany – June 27-29, 2025
Bread Financing
FlexRadio has partnered with *Bread Pay® to offer purchase financing options.
Learn how it works by visiting https://www.breadpayments.com/choose-how-you-pay/
Subject to approval of credit application.
Bread Pay® loans are made by Comenity Capital Bank, a Bread Financial® company.
Contact us
If you need to reach out to us, you can find us at:
512-535-4713 — Option 1
