Blush... thanks Tony, for all your support over the years!

@Zahir Kye FAKE

@Santana Edgar FAKE FAKE VIRUS

..or for the price of a cheap dinner as well.

I have no enclosure but there is a discussion going on about enclosures on the QRP Labs group see groups.io/g/qrplabs

Hi Bry, I don't have any enclosure available for the QCX kit. Maybe in future. A suitable enclosure and the procedure to fit the parts into it, is being discussed on the QRP Labs group groups.io/g/qrplabs

I am going to try to use the U3 case for the time being. I just ordered the board and case, so it will be a while before it all arrives. The display should fit in the display opening with no problem, so I will have to create some extension cables from the LCD to the board and then mount the pots to the case instead of the board. I ordered the custom case option with a undrilled rear panel.

Hi Chris, you can read out the EEPROM contents via the programming header, which is where the settings are stored. This is a convenient way to make a backup etc. But it's just a memory dump, a file of numbers... not easily human readable or editable. The other way is CAT (Computer Aided Transceiver)... the QCX and QCX+ radios have a 38400 baud serial port for CAT control. With a connected computer terminal you can read and write all the settings in QCX and control it completely, via command strings (described in the manual). 73 Hans G0UPL

@@QRPLabs cheers for the prompt response. Out of curiosity, what emulation is the CAT control ? I tell you, I’m keen to get my hands on one (or two) of these kits. One for me, and one for my son. My son at age 8 showed an interest in Morse Code which prompted my to get a couple of pixie kits for less than $10 aussie. That in turn encouraged me to dig out all my old FT101B _where B is for boat anchor_ and get back on the air. It took a bit, but I finally got my CW up to speed and made a 559 QSO on one with a station 900Kms away :-) Fun for a toy, but these kits of yours are far more serious. It would be good for him to have a go at assembling one of these. Build a real radio. With guidance, he did an excellent job on the Pixie kits, I’m sure, he will get a real buzz out of one of these kits I have an idea of setting up another KZfaq channel called Bargains, Boat Anchors and Broken Radios. One for finding cheap ways to get on the air for a few $$. Much more acceptable than the senseless rubbish I have uploaded with this account :-) Thanks again for getting back to me 73s de Chris VK2NAP _ps the twitter feed isn’t much better_ :-)

@@MidlifeRenaissanceMan The CAT protocol was originally based on a subset of Kenwood TS-480 which is kind of a lowest common denominator, see www.kenwood.com/i/products/info/amateur/ts_480/pdf/ts_480_pc.pdf . Not all TS-480 commands are supported (or relevant!), and there are also some additional ones added that are specific to QCX, and some others that are compatible with Elecraft commands. You can see the full list in the QCX manual. By the way though you are commenting on the QCX video, you know this has now been replaced by QCX+ see qrp-labs.com/qcxp which is described in this KZfaq video kzfaq.info/get/bejne/oMqejdaXup3WXac.html which also has a nice enclosure option, Dev kit option, and TCXO option. And all good low prices :-) 73 Hans G0UPL

@@QRPLabs I realised that once I went to your online shop. Around $25-30 shipped to aus. So I’ll be grabbing the QCX+ or two, or three. Nice to have a choice of bands :-) First order of the day is to get a functional antenna set up. I’m on an inner city block, almost no back yard, power lines 5m off the side of the house. However, I have a flat steel roof, so a decent ground plane especially as we are one half of a semi detached pair of old corner shops with the residents behind built in the 1900s. Lots of fun. Tossing up between mag loops, one 3m wide for the lower bands, or a vertical and use the roof as a ground plane. Whatever it is, we’re on the top of a hill so it needs to cope with the wind......

@@MidlifeRenaissanceMan cool good luck! Let me know if any other questions come up!

Peter Pauly Hi, I cannot remember where I got it! Sorry! It was part of a set of 6 ceramic screwdrivers. I have the others too. Some cross-head, some flat-head. The design intentionally makes sure that the metal screw of the trimmer capacitor is the ground side. BUT, despite this, if you use a metal screwdriver then there is slight detuning, when you adjust the trimmer capacitor. So a non-metal one is best. But not really crticial... if you don't have one, an ordinary metal screwdriver is almost as good. You can also pretty easily adjust it just a little bit past the peak, so when you take away the metal screwdriver it comes back to peak. It's quite easy, even with a metal screwdriver! 73 Hans G0UPL qrp-labs.com

Yes Richard, the QCX transceiver does have a signal generator function. But other QRP Labs also do this and for less money qrp-labs.com/vfo and qrp-labs.com/progrock and they are simpler to build. If all you want is a reasonably accurate GPSDO I'd use one of those. But if you want QCX for being a very nice CW transceiver then yes the signal generator function is a nice side benefit!

DAVID GREGORY KERR I think you have misunderstood. This is a CW transceiver. It is not intended for SSB. 73

OK Non Problemo but someone is going to build the add-on themselves as there is access to the two clock lines.

DAVID GREGORY KERR I'm very happy if the kit encourages experimentation. If you undertake this modification please let me know how it goes, and share details, I would be very happy to publish them on QRP Labs' web site.

Yes, there is a rock-stable synthesized VFO. The tuning range is not limited. It covers the entire 40m band (and more). The practical limit is the band Pass filter. Which also covers the whole band (3dB bandwidth is about 700kHz on 40m band).

@@QRPLabs i thought i saw on your website, that you're coming out with an ALL mode 80m - 10m? is this correct, as i may hold off and buy that instead.

Yes. This is an amateur radio transceiver, so you need an Amateur Radio Operator license from Industry/Industrie Canada.

In Feld Hell, your data is not decoded as such, it's displayed on a ribbon. That would not work on a 4x16 display. Theres no reason why you couldn't add a raspberry pi to it with a 5 inch display and your choice of free viewer, like fldigi. That would make a nice project...J

Yes. I don't work for them, but assuming you were honestly asking, this model is CW only. CW is "Morse Code" as it's been used for generations. (Although it has adapted to new technologies, influences and uses over the years, so if you were to time travel, it's not exactly the same thing Samuel Morse tapped out on the telegraph, but pretty close to what Titanic sent over wireless.) There are no dumb questions if you don't already know the answers. Hope I helped. Get a HAM license before you shop for a radio. It's not the ticket itself that's the big deal. It's the education that goes with it.

Just wait a tad, old son, that's coming! Rumored to be 5 bands and on the order of US$180 or so.

CW only, Paul

Hi, antennas are a big topic. QCX has 50-ohm output as standard for amateur radio equipment. It will suit any 50-ohm antenna system. No antenna is supplied with the kit and no recommendations are provided. 73 Hans G0UPL

@@QRPLabs That's right, that's my question I connect to a dipole of 40 traditional he?

A dipole is fine. Any antenna system having 50-ohm impedance and reasonable SWR is OK.

@@QRPLabs Do you have any reference such as the length of the rg58 or the diameter of the dipole cable?

This is antenna design. I don't design and produce antennas. I design and produce the radio transceiver. 73 Hans G0UPL