A software-defined radio you can open, read and repair, next to two you can only wait for.
L3Harris and Codan build excellent HF manpacks with more power and more certified crypto than we claim. They also decide which features your radios are allowed to have. Our HF transceivers are open-source hardware and software, so the decision sits with your engineers.
These are working HF transceivers in daily use, not prototypes: fully electronic transmit, receive and band switching, voice and digital modes running on the radio itself, and open designs that a technician has already repaired in the field rather than returned to a depot.
Side by side
| Attribute | Represented by UnstratSoftware-defined Radios | L3HarrisFalcon III AN/PRC-160(V)1United States | Codan CommunicationsSentry-H 6110-MP2Australia |
|---|---|---|---|
| Frequency coverage12 | 3 to 30 MHz (80 m to 10 m) | 1.5 to 59.999 MHz (HF and VHF) | Transmit 1.6 to 30 MHz (1.5 to 30 MHz optional); receive 250 kHz to 30 MHz |
| Transmit power12Both competitors out-power us at the top end. On HF, antenna and frequency choice usually move the link budget further than the last few watts. | 4 to 25 W depending on platform | HF 1, 5, 20 W PEP; VHF 1, 5, 10 W FM | 30 W PEP, user-programmable in 1 W steps (low, medium, high) |
| Modes carried on the radio itself12 | SSB, CW, AM, FT8, RTTY, PSK31 and FreeDV, with no external computer | J3E, H3E, A1A/J2A, F3E; HF ECCM (STANAG 4444); vocoders LPC-10-52E and MELP | Second-generation digital voice (MELPe and TWELP), STANAG 4591 digital voice, analogue voice and data |
| Automatic link establishment12 | Not published | STANAG 4538 and MIL-STD-188-141D; 2G, 3G and 4G ALE compliant | FED-STD-1045 ALE standard; STANAG 4538 3G ALE as a paid option |
| Data rate12 | Not published | Wideband HF in 3 kHz to 24 kHz bandwidths (48 kHz capable); vendor states data rates up to 120 kbps | MIL-STD-188-110A/B (STANAG 4539) data up to 19.2 kbps with independent sideband |
| Encryption12 | Not published | Citadel and AES; vendor states crypto-modernisation-compliant, High Assurance certified | AES-256 and CES-128 as options; non-export-controlled DES-56 option; ECCM frequency hopping as an option |
| Front end and conversion12 | 24-bit ADC behind a passive front end and an 8-crystal roofing filter; temperature-compensated low-noise oscillator | Not published (receiver sensitivity: SSB -113 dBm for 10 dB SINAD) | Not published (vendor states current-generation DSP, FPGA and system-on-chip) |
| Who can add a capability12 | The operator. Open-source hardware and software under the GPL, auditable and modifiable | The vendor. Software-defined upgrades supplied by L3Harris; waveform options sold as accessories | The vendor. Features enabled by field-upgradable unique option codes issued by Codan |
| Embedded compute and remote control12 | Raspberry Pi on board, with logging, spotting and remote operation over Wi-Fi | USB and Ethernet with adapter; Windows planning application; WebUI for network monitoring | IP over Ethernet, Wi-Fi and USB; remote access and Virtual Control Point software |
| Weight12 | Not published | 4.1 kg (9.1 lbs) without batteries | RF unit 2.45 kg; 3.23 kg with regular battery box, no battery; 4.65 kg with box and 17.4 Ah battery |
| Environmental qualification12 | Not published | MIL-STD-810H shock and vibration; immersion to 1 m; -40 to +71 degrees C | MIL-STD-810G; IP68 to 2 m for 1 hour; -30 to +60 degrees C operational |
| Reliability and repair figures2 | Not published; design is field-repairable by intent | Not published | MTBF 116,000 hours; MTTR less than 30 minutes |
| Export regime stated by the vendor2An Australian radio can still carry US export conditions. Read the classification line, not the flag on the box. | Independent, non-aligned origin | Not published in the datasheet | ECCN 3A611.a under the US Export Administration Regulations; certain features may require ITAR approval when exporting from the United States |
Competitor values are quoted from the vendor documents listed under Sources, as published on the date shown. Configurations vary, so treat every row as a starting point for the evaluation rather than a like-for-like test result.
What the table means
Concede the specification, then read the ownership terms
The AN/PRC-160(V) reaches 60 MHz, runs wideband HF data the vendor rates at up to 120 kbps and carries certified encryption. The Sentry-H 6110-MP puts 30 W and AES-256 in a 3.23 kg package with a published MTBF of 116,000 hours. Both are better resourced than a 4 to 25 W open transceiver on the raw numbers, and pretending otherwise would waste your time. The interesting line is elsewhere. Codan enables features through unique option codes it issues. L3Harris sells waveform option files as part numbers. In both cases the radio you bought is a subset of the radio you hold, and the difference is a commercial and political decision taken abroad.
Open source is a sustainment strategy, not a licence preference
Our transceivers ship as open hardware and software under the GPL, with fully electronic transmit, receive and band switching and an embedded Raspberry Pi. A national signals workshop can read the schematic, fix the board, change the firmware and add a mode without asking anyone. Ten years into a fleet's life that is the difference between a working network and a queue for a vendor who has moved on to the next product line. The antenna and RF analyser that goes with the radios exists for the same reason: antenna tuning and RF fault-finding are done by your technicians, in the field, not by a returns depot.
Where the incumbents are the right answer
If your requirement is written around 4G ALE interoperability with a coalition HF network, certified national-release cryptography, or a 20 W manpack that has already passed MIL-STD-810H, buy the incumbent and be honest about the strings. Our case is for the layers where sovereignty and repairability dominate: national HF backbones, civil defence, remote administration, training networks, and any fleet that must survive a supplier deciding it no longer wishes to serve your government.
Questions buyers ask
What is the best alternative to an L3Harris HF manpack for a government that wants no US export dependency?
For coalition-interoperable, certified-crypto manpack work, nothing on the open market replaces an AN/PRC-160(V) one for one, and we will not claim it does. Where an open architecture is acceptable, our HF transceivers cover 3 to 30 MHz at 4 to 25 W with SSB, CW, AM and the common digital modes on board, and the hardware and software are yours to audit, modify and repair. Note also that even an Australian option such as the Codan Sentry-H carries a US ECCN classification and possible ITAR conditions on certain features.
How do open-source HF radios compare with Codan Sentry-H on cost of ownership?
Codan publishes strong sustainment numbers: MTBF of 116,000 hours and MTTR under 30 minutes. What the datasheet also shows is a feature catalogue sold separately, with 3G ALE, AES-256, ECCM frequency hopping and even a foreign-language interface all listed as options enabled by vendor-issued codes. Our cost model has no option codes and no licence renewals. The trade is that you take on more of the engineering yourself, which is exactly what a country building sovereign signals capability wants to do anyway.
Are open-source military radios secure?
Open design and secrecy of design are different things. Our radios are auditable, which means your own cryptographers and engineers can inspect what the firmware does rather than trust a foreign vendor's assurance. We do not currently publish an encryption specification, and any buyer with a COMSEC requirement should raise it with us directly rather than assume. L3Harris and Codan do publish certified encryption, and for classified traffic that is a real advantage worth weighing.
Can these radios interoperate with existing HF networks?
They operate across the full 3 to 30 MHz HF spectrum in SSB, CW and AM, so plain voice and CW interoperability with conventional HF stations is straightforward. Standards-based automatic link establishment is not something we publish, and if your network is built on STANAG 4538 or MIL-STD-188-141D linking you should confirm the requirement with us before committing.
Sources
- 1. L3Harris Technologies, Falcon III AN/PRC-160(V) Wideband HF/VHF Tactical Radio datasheet (DS600L) (copy held on this site)Retrieved: 2026-07-31
- 2. Codan Communications, Sentry-H 6110-MP Manpack datasheet, 12-20346-EN, Issue 15 (copy held on this site)Retrieved: 2026-07-31