Many thanks to SWLing Post contributor, Pete Eaton, who writes:
This has nothing to do with QRP or SWL but it’s a real kick to watch!
I really like the Bow Ties 🙂
1950s: How TVs were made
3 Replies
Tag Archives: Pete Eaton (WB9FLW)
N6QW introduces the Sudden QRP SSB Transceiver
Many thanks to SWLing Post contributor, Pete Eaton (WB9FLW), who writes:
From the fertile mind of QRP Hall Of Fame Pete N6QW comes a new Radio Project, the Sudden QRP SSB Transceiver. If you have never Scratch Built such a Rig and would like to N6QW’s latest offering deserves close inspection.
Using only readily available (and cheap) components (and few of them) one can build a Full Blown SSB Transceiver for either 40 or 20 meters. The Radio’s Design will be featured in 2 installments of GQRP’s Sprat Magazine. The 1st being in the Fall issue (Receiver/LO) and the second part with come in the Spring 2019 issue (Transmitter).
http://n6qw.blogspot.com/2018/09/2018-year-of-ssb-transceivers_14.html
Pete is also providing extensive documentation on his Website:
http://www.n6qw.com/Sudden.html
One use for the Rig is on the Digital Modes, to that end he has design a simple Digital Adapter (which is also described on n6qw.com). One possibility is for a dedicated FT8 Transceiver!
Even if you do not intend to build the Rig take a moment to check out his Web Page. There you will find a wealth of information on designing and building such Transceivers.
Pete WB9FLW
(not to be confused with Pete N6QW 🙂
Thanks for the tip, Pete! How exciting! This looks like an innovative little rig and I love the concept of only using accessible components–in the end, that will give this little rig some longevity.
QRP Labs Announces The QSX Transceiver
The QSX Transceiver
Many thanks to SWLing Post contributor, Pete Eaton (WB9FLW), who writes:
QRP Labs has just announced the QSX an All-Band All-Mode Transceiver Kit that should be available later this year. The Target price for the 10 Band Model is $150, also available will be a 40 Meter version for $75.00.
Details from QRP Labs:
QSX (QRP Labs SSB Xcvr) is a 40m SSB transceiver with 10-band (160m-10m) and enclosure options. The kit inherits all the functionality of the famous QCX single-band CW transceiver kit but adds SSB, AM, FM, PSK31 and RTTY. This will be the lowest cost all-HF radio available but also high performance and packed with features. These are the planned features of QSX:
- Software Defined Radio (SDR) technology with standalone Digital Signal Processing (DSP), no PC required
- Very high performance 24-bit Analog to Digital Converter (ADC) and 24-bit Digital to Analog Converter (DAC)
- 40m (single band) or 160-10m (10-band, including 60m) versions available
- Modes: SSB, CW, AM, FM, PSK31, RTTY, WSPR beacon
- Power output: 10W from 13.8V supply (power output is adjustable by the firmware)
- Single power supply needed, 12V to 14V
- USB host interface and connector, for USB keyboard to allow PC-less operation on PSK31 and RTTY
- USB device interface and connector, for PC CAT Control
- QSX can appear to a PC as a high performance 24-bit USB sound card and radio – for digital modes from a PC e.g. FT8, either demodulated or as I-Q for PC SDR programs
- Built-in CW IAMBIC keyer (or straight keying also possible) with raised-cosine key-envelope shaping
- DSP features (selectable sharp filters, AGC, Speech Compression, Noise Reduction etc.)
- Dual microphone inputs (mobile phone headset with VOX, or RJ45 connector for Kenwood/Yaesu mics)
- Dual VFO (A/B/Split), frequency and message memories
- Through-hole assembly only
- Built-in test equipment features for alignment, debugging and general purpose use
- Detailed assembly manual
- Macro facility for user defined sequences of operations, or redefinition of controls
- Front panel: 16 x 2 LCD (yellow/green backlight), 2 rotary encoders, 4 buttons, mic/earphones socket
- Soft-power on/off switch, the radio saves its state automatically on switch off, so that it starts up in the same state next time
- Free firmware updates for life, very simple firmware update procedure via a USB memory stic
QSX is still in development! The above list is subject to change. The following is a FAQ with information about QSX.
More Info on QRP Labs Web Page:
https://www.qrp-labs.com/qsx.html
Check out the following video from YOTA 2018:
Click here to view on YouTube.
Fantastic! Many thanks for sharing this, Pete! This looks like a brilliant little kit for any skill level of patient kit builder.
The uBITX Transceiver: Pricing and more details
Many thanks to SWLing Post contributor, Pete Eaton (WB9FLW), who shares pricing and additional information about the uBITX general coverage QRP transceiver:
Here are the details, if purchased before Christmas $109 delivered!
From uBITX creator, Ashhar Farhan:
1. The ubitx is now available for sale, for $109 dollars (includes the shipping), but only until Christmas. *After Christmas, the price will increase to $129 dollars. for this initial batch, a few ham volunteers and I pitched in to sort the crystals, test the coils, tune-up and box these initial kits, we won’t be able to do that any more. we will have to hire more people (which is not a bad thing) and get them to do it.
2. The ubitx is on sale at hfsignals.com, not hfsigs.com. it is easier to remember. we will soon point hfsigs.com to the new website as well. The new site is in wordpress, that means that we can have volunteers writing and updating it rather than waiting for me to hand code the content in html and vi editor.
3. We need help with proof reading the web content.* If you find any typos, please mail me on [email protected] address (not the bitx20 list),
These apart, the early buyers must be aware that they are beta users of sorts, the firmware will sure get updated. i hope there won’t be any revisions of the PCB.
Pete adds:
Just as an aside the original price of the Heathkit HW-8 was $139.95 (in 1970 dollars) and it became a QRP Classic. The uBITX may become one as well and like the HW-8 there will be (and already are) all sorts of mods/additions one will be able to do. The uBITX is 10 dollars cheaper (after 12/25) works 80-10 M, does SSB in addition to CW, and is a Superhet to boot!
Farhan your hit this one out of the Ballpark!
Very cool, Pete! I am very tempted to purchase the uBITX transceiver before Christmas and have it delivered via DHL service. The only thing holding me back is simply the amount of projects I have on my table at the moment! $109 is an incredibly low price for a full-fledged QRP transceiver!
I’m absolutely amazed that it is also has a general coverage receiver. Perhaps the uBITX could serve the SWL as well as the ham radio operator? I suppose we shall soon find out!
Click here to read our other posts regarding the uBITX transceiver.
Click here to order the uBITX transceiver kit.
Please comment if you plan to or have purchased the uBITX. We’d love your feedback!
Pete reports new developments with the uBITX transceiver
Many thanks to SWLing Post contributor, Pete Eaton (WB9FLW), who writes:
Last March, Ashhar Farhan (VU2ESE) the designer of the very popular BITX20 and BITX40 series of mono-band HF Transceivers announced a new low cost rig called the uBITX (micro BITX) a full blown 80-10m 10 Watt SSB/CW Transceiver. Now comes word that after many months of very hard development work by Ashhar this much anticipated Rig will soon be available.
For those not familiar with the project this is *not* a kit, rather like its sibling (the BITX40) it consists of two assembled and tested Circuit Boards. The RF board measures 5.5 x 6 inches and a second small plug in daughter card that takes care of the digital portion of the design including the 2X16 LCD, Arduino Nano, and Si5351 which are used in the VFO.
Add a cabinet, knobs, and connectors and you have a full blown HF Rig! An added plus is that except for the Gerber PCB files everything else (including the firmware) is Open Sourced!
The original description can be found here:
http://www.phonestack.com/farhan/ubitx/ubitx.html
Farhan has just released the Firmware, Schematics, and Wiring Diagram for the production version on GitHub
Arduino Sketch:
https://github.com/afarhan/ubitx
RF Board Schematic:
https://github.com/afarhan/ubitx/blob/e481ea2a2457fc4e7be7a6a4bc9a0fba12bf2cde/ubitxv3.pdf
Digital (Raduino) Board Schematic:
http://www.phonestack.com/farhan/ubitx/raduino.pdf
Wiring Diagram:
https://github.com/afarhan/ubitx/blob/e481ea2a2457fc4e7be7a6a4bc9a0fba12bf2cde/ubitx_wiring.png
Farhan has a social conscience as well giving several local ladies much needed employment for final assembly and checkout of the Rigs.
There are still a few final tweaks being done to the design so pricing is still to be determined. But if it’s offered at a similar price point as his earlier Transceivers it should sell like hotcakes!
For the latest info check out the BITX User Group at:
Wow! Amazing project! Thanks for the tip and updates, Pete!