No products in the cart.
Aurora Progress August Update
Introducing the Aurora™ Series—an all-new family of HF/6m transceivers featuring the world’s first truly integrated 500W SDR transmitter. The Aurora Series defines a new category in amateur radio, eliminating the traditional boundaries between transceiver, amplifier, tuner, and power supply.
Below is an update from FlexRadio’s CTO, Steven Hicks (N5AC), that we like to share with you.
Bringing Aurora to life has been an extraordinary engineering journey—and we’re now closer than ever to delivering what we believe will be the most advanced amateur radio platform ever built.
Safety Testing in Progress
We’re currently in the middle of an intensive safety testing phase. Aurora’s 120/240V AC input, high-voltage internal stages, and 500W RF output mean that the unit is subject to a much more comprehensive set of safety tests than most consumer radios. These evaluations ensure that Aurora not only meets international safety standards but does so with a margin of confidence befitting a high-performance RF device. We expect this testing to continue for another couple of weeks, and we’re optimistic about the results thanks to thorough pre-screening with our compliance consultants.
Production Underway
All of Aurora’s printed circuit boards (PCBs) have now been released to manufacturing—a significant milestone. We’re now building every board in the radio. The first articles are in process and, once received, will go through an exhaustive battery of validation tests. These ensure every component and subsystem coming off the line meets our exacting performance targets. With complex boards, tight tolerances, and high power levels, this level of rigor is essential to delivering the reliability and performance we’ve promised.
What Makes Aurora Different?
Aurora is more than just the next evolution in SDR—it’s a clean-sheet platform that redefines what’s possible for high-power, high-performance amateur radio. From advanced power handling and thermal design, to a 500W amplifier system and an all-new SmartSDR interface, everything about Aurora is built for serious operators who demand more.
Whether you’re contesting, running a remote station, or chasing DX, Aurora’s architecture was designed to deliver rock-solid performance, exceptional signal fidelity, and a clean user experience from end to end.
Sharing Aurora with the ARRL
Tony, K1KP, and I recently visited ARRL Headquarters in Newington, CT to brief their staff on the Aurora platform. It was a great opportunity to showcase the innovative technologies behind the radio and explain why we believe Aurora sets a new benchmark for performance and capability in amateur radio. The feedback was enthusiastic, and we’re excited about what that could mean for broader awareness within the community.
Looking Ahead
We remain on track for initial shipments in Q4. While first article validation and safety certification are critical path items at the moment, no major issues have emerged, and our team continues to work full throttle across hardware, software, and production readiness.
Thank you for being on this journey with us. Your trust fuels our commitment to deliver something truly special—and we can’t wait for you to put Aurora on the air.
Safety Testing in Progress
We’re currently in the middle of an intensive safety testing phase. Aurora’s 120/240V AC input, high-voltage internal stages, and 500W RF output mean that the unit is subject to a much more comprehensive set of safety tests than most consumer radios. These evaluations ensure that Aurora not only meets international safety standards but does so with a margin of confidence befitting a high-performance RF device. We expect this testing to continue for another couple of weeks, and we’re optimistic about the results thanks to thorough pre-screening with our compliance consultants.
Production Underway
All of Aurora’s printed circuit boards (PCBs) have now been released to manufacturing—a significant milestone. We’re now building every board in the radio. The first articles are in process and, once received, will go through an exhaustive battery of validation tests. These ensure every component and subsystem coming off the line meets our exacting performance targets. With complex boards, tight tolerances, and high power levels, this level of rigor is essential to delivering the reliability and performance we’ve promised.
What Makes Aurora Different?
Aurora is more than just the next evolution in SDR—it’s a clean-sheet platform that redefines what’s possible for high-power, high-performance amateur radio. From advanced power handling and thermal design, to a 500W amplifier system and an all-new SmartSDR interface, everything about Aurora is built for serious operators who demand more.
Whether you’re contesting, running a remote station, or chasing DX, Aurora’s architecture was designed to deliver rock-solid performance, exceptional signal fidelity, and a clean user experience from end to end.
Sharing Aurora with the ARRL
Tony, K1KP, and I recently visited ARRL Headquarters in Newington, CT to brief their staff on the Aurora platform. It was a great opportunity to showcase the innovative technologies behind the radio and explain why we believe Aurora sets a new benchmark for performance and capability in amateur radio. The feedback was enthusiastic, and we’re excited about what that could mean for broader awareness within the community.
Looking Ahead
We remain on track for initial shipments in Q4. While first article validation and safety certification are critical path items at the moment, no major issues have emerged, and our team continues to work full throttle across hardware, software, and production readiness.
Thank you for being on this journey with us. Your trust fuels our commitment to deliver something truly special—and we can’t wait for you to put Aurora on the air.
73,
Steve, N5AC
CTO & Aurora Program Manager
Steve, N5AC
CTO & Aurora Program Manager
