Category Archives: QRP
New KD1JV ultralight rig for 80/160
There’s been a higher than usual level of activity on the AT-Sprint email list over the last few days as hints have emerged of a possible new offering of the popular MTR (Mountain Topper Radio) the latest of Steve Weber … Continue reading
ATS-4 b due late September / early October
UPDATE: As of mid October the new availability date for the ATS-4B is November 2011. Also Steven Weber is developing a daughter board to enable the ATS-4B to decode PSK and CW – which has a January 2012 delivery date. This … Continue reading
Ultraportable Elecraft KX3
UPDATE: Steve G4GXL’s 10 minute YouTube video of Wayne N6KR’s quick overview of the new KX3 is available from http://qrparci.org. Also there are early photos on Twitpic here - courtesy of Jeff Davis KE9V including this one: Under the tantalising subject … Continue reading
QRP at Bamarang
Last weekend I had a great time playing radio. Along with half a dozen other families and all our kids we went to spend the Easter weekend at the “mud brick mansion” at Bamarang on the Shoalhaven River, a few … Continue reading
QRP kits retirement plan
I’ve always thought it wise to stock up on some good kits as part of retirement planning. Results in a couple of eBay auctions just concluded make me think the kits might even perform better as investments themselves. A few … Continue reading
ATS-4 and SDR Cube
Two exciting new possibilities for portable HF have become available. A few hours ago Steve Weber KD1JV announced that the ATS-4 kit was available again. These apparently sell out very quickly – so if you’re interested, act now! Many people … Continue reading
KN-Q10 SSB/CW 5W kit – US$280
Recently there was an interesting discussion here on vk2rh.com about some of the barriers to a wider takeup of the new wave of Chinese QRP or DIY ham radio kitset activity. One of the hurdles of course is language and … Continue reading
Ham kits business models
Recent posts on this blog mentioning the Chinese DIY scene and the explosion of offerings have prompted a very interesting exchange of views and reflections on how best to nurture this business and make it accessible to the global ham … Continue reading
SDR Cube
A summary description of the SDR Cube from a recent message from George N2APB t the NUE-PSK list:
“The SDR Cube is a single-band, multi-mode QRP transceiver. SSB, AM, CW and digital (though the NUE-PSK modem). The rig’s band is determined by the type of Softrock “RF front end” you have installed, but the default is 20m if you order that option from us. You can put it on different bands, if you wish, by using a different plug-in module on that Softrock, as is widely available in the Softrock community. Many guys already have Softrock receivers and transceivers – any of which will work with the SDR Cube, and they just install it inside the box, or provide connection to it via a plug on the back.
Several other distinguishing features of the SDR Cube really make it attractive: an live, +/- 4 kHz “bandscope” function showing live spectrum on the graphic display, binaural audio output, RIT and XIT, four memories and two VFOs, CW shaping, adjustable audio filtering with graphic filter’s display, a great level-controlled RF front end, a memory keyer supporting Iambic A and B modes, and a tight integration with the NUE-PSK modem for digital mode support.” Continue reading
IK1ZYW Labs & FT817 remote
Interesting update on IK1ZYW Labs on project to achieve remote control of the FT817. Also a pointer to an interesting page on FT817 Accessories, the external keypad project (circuit, manual & firmware available as well as various configurations of components … Continue reading
