Date
1 - 20 of 28
bitx40, sk
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Ashhar Farhan
This is a little disappointing, but we had to pull the plug on the bitx40 run. The sales were sparse and frankly it had become a bit of a frankenstien. There were too many connectors that one could plug in the wrong place, we moved from analog vfo (that drifted due to heating of the predriver) to raduino which wasn't well integrated. However, it was a bit deal for us all. It was first time we could ship a full ssb transceiver for 50 dollars. This went over and above the ARRL challenge that wanted just parts for $50. We could build, test and ship it for that price point. postage for a challenge and we ended up with going over the $50 mark, but it served many well. Once you had it going, it performed pretty well. it had a triple tuned front-end and the currently favourite 'down conversion' to 12 MHz IF. We will miss this one, but all is not gone. Sunil continues to ship the bitx20v3 kits which can be modded to 40 meters. if time permits and some in the group volunteer, we could update the original bitx with a more contemporary design while preserving the original's bidirectional, single conversion scheme. Until then, we will continue to see more scratch built bitxs, a kind of return to the roots. - f |
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Viktors Miske
This is a sad day in radio history to say the least.
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Dear Farhan,
many thanks for this wonderful BitX40 project! I hope that you and your team enjoyed it as much as I and thousands of other builders did. 73 Allard PE1NWL |
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Ashhar Farhan
Allard, I hope you will continue to engage in developing the software. My main rig is now an allard version of the bitx. Many thanks from us all for the wonderful effort you , arv, rahul and many others put into this project. Whatever future holds, it shall certainly carry the allard code! - f On Tue 29 Oct, 2019, 2:18 PM Allard PE1NWL, <pe1nwl@...> wrote: Dear Farhan, |
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Dear Ashhar
Sorry to see the Bitx40 go. I am still using mine and it is a solid performer. I have enjoyed modding it to suit my operating needs. Bob W1EXZ |
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I, too, am sorry to see the demise of the bitx40. It was a great rig to use and experiment with, plus a low-cost entry point into this great hobby...it will be missed.
-- Jack, W8TEE |
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Doug W
Thank you again for sharing your great design and bringing it the world. Your HF Signals BITX40 was my first HF rig. You and that radio deserve a lot of credit (or blame :) ).
Doug AC9RZ -- www.bitxmap.com |
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Sorry to hear this but I can understand as well, I have put 5 of these into service in one application or another including converting one of them to 60 meters with Don's ND6T help. They truly inspired me to build more radios after. Thanks Ash.
Joel N6ALT |
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Laurence Oberman <oberman.l@...>
These are also still available if folks want to keep them going
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http://www.qrpkits.com/bitx20a.html Ashar, thanks for all you have done and continue to do Regards Laurence On Tue, Oct 29, 2019 at 9:59 AM Joel Caulkins/N6ALT <caulktel@...> wrote:
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iz oos
I can understand that the multiband ubitx would have become a killer of the bitx40 or other monoband qrps. In any case, in my opinion, monoband qrps at V or UHF would be still very well welcomed by the tinkerers market. Il 29/ott/2019 15:04, "Laurence Oberman" <oberman.l@...> ha scritto: These are also still available if folks want to keep them going |
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Ken N2VIP
VHF/UHF QRP Radio would be a fun thing to tinker with, but that would likely only appeal to newly-licensed hams and would likely depend on pricing. With $25 Baofeng HTs flooding the market, I can't imagine a price-point that would make the kits both appealing to buyers and profitable for the designer.
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Is VHF/UHF really a 'thing', or is it merely the reality for a number of FT-817/818 owners? A simple to build voice (AM, SSB, not FM) radio for 10, 6, 2 meters or 70 cm simplex could become a popular club build project that fosters local nets for HOA residents (and others) that can put up modest verticals. Every US ham would be able to operate it, but to gain traction the price would have to be $50 or less given the availability of Chinese dual-band HTs and radios in the $25-100 range. Ken, N2VIP On Oct 29, 2019, at 09:22, iz oos <and2oosiz2@...> wrote: |
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Ashhar Farhan
A QRP ssb and cw radio would be different beast from the Baofengs. It would also foster a very different community. Hmmm... On Tue 29 Oct, 2019, 10:41 PM Ken Hansen, <ken@...> wrote: VHF/UHF QRP Radio would be a fun thing to tinker with, but that would likely only appeal to newly-licensed hams and would likely depend on pricing. With $25 Baofeng HTs flooding the market, I can't imagine a price-point that would make the kits both appealing to buyers and profitable for the designer. |
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Many thanks from us all for the wonderful effort you , arv, rahul and many others put into this project.Yes many others contributed to the firmware. I want to specifically thank Jerry Gaffke, KE7ER, for his "minimalist standalone si5351bx routines". This not only made the firmware independant from the standard external SI5351 library, but it greatly reduced the memory usage as well. The reclaimed program space was used for features that would otherwise not fit in a Nano. 73 Allard PE1NWL |
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Arv Evans
Prior to avability of inexpensive digitially synthesized signal sources it was not easy to make homebrew VHF and UHF transmitters that were stable enough for regular use. Now we have a number of inexpensive signal sources for design and construction of adequate units. Maybe it is time to start a new group to focus on QRP in the VHF, UHF, and even microwave regions. Not everybody would be interested, but some would. Arv _-_ On Tue, Oct 29, 2019, 11:15 AM Ashhar Farhan <farhanbox@...> wrote:
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Ashhar Farhan
While we debated and finally succumbed to sunset of the bitx40, some may have noticed that the emrfd group is no more. It was the inspiration for the bitx transceiver. Thats another era that is now closed on us. Where else could you ask and have wes, rick or bob reply to your silly question? Is leonardo still here in the group? He retired his lab a few years ago. On Wed 30 Oct, 2019, 12:06 AM Arv Evans, <arvid.evans@...> wrote:
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Art N4EZZ
I would certainly be interested in a SSB/CW low power transceiver for 2M
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or 70CM or both. I wouldn't be any use for design work and most of my programming skills have already left me but I can still solder a bit. I would be a buyer of a kit or even a proven board and BOM. I live in Colorado and there is a weekly SSB net on 2M. I have no idea how many others would be interested but here is one vote. Art N4EZZ <n4ezz@...> GnuPG key ID 0x6712DD0E ============================= Always fun to watch the clock strike 23:59:60. Ever heard of a leap second. On 10/29/19 12:36 PM, Arv Evans wrote:
Prior to avability of inexpensive digitially synthesized signal sources it |
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RussB
Same here. A group is trying to start a net on 2M SSB JS8CALL. On Tue, Oct 29, 2019, 12:16 PM Art N4EZZ <n4ezz@...> wrote: I would certainly be interested in a SSB/CW low power transceiver for 2M |
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Robert D. Bowers
I have a BitX40, and really like it, but have had very little luck making contacts with it. I'm forced to update the Raduino (I don't look forward to jeopardizing a working radio), as I want to try it with FT8 and similar low-power modes. I'm sad to see another radio that I would like to own (in this case own) going obsolete, but that's life (it's happened so many times...).
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I would be quite happy to see a decent kit radio on either SSB or AM on 6 or 2. I used to have 6 meter capability, but so few people using it that I gave up (the radio is on the fritz right now). I've always thought 6m AM would be a cheap, easy radio to build - using an AM receiver chip and Raduino type controller - it would be great. (Before my shop was torched, I had a bunch of 6AM frequency (50.4) transmit crystals and was going to go that route - but everything went up in smoke!) Having a low cost (and pretty effective) means of local ragchewing would be a real benefit! If it was SSB, even better (opens up to digital modes too!). If something came out for 6am, I'd probably build a portable or ht version (even mod a CB handheld I happen to have) and use it for home communications - even 10m (easy to mod many of the CBs for 10m). Cell phones are great, but can be a real pain to let someone know that dinner is ready! On 10/29/19 1:10 PM, Ken Hansen wrote:
VHF/UHF QRP Radio would be a fun thing to tinker with, but that would likely only appeal to newly-licensed hams and would likely depend on pricing. With $25 Baofeng HTs flooding the market, I can't imagine a price-point that would make the kits both appealing to buyers and profitable for the designer. |
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Lawrence Galea
Interesting On Tue, Oct 29, 2019 at 6:15 PM Ashhar Farhan <farhanbox@...> wrote:
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Lawrence Galea
Apart from interesting, think about a dual band 50MHz and 70MHx xcvr as 70MHx is used in quite a few countries and possibly more will join. On the few times that I used 50MHz and 70MHz using only the Ukraine transverters http://transverters-store.com/ and a simple dipole I worked stations on both 50MHz and 70MHz. On 50MHz presently I only have a dipole from a 6 el yagi I had built more than 40 years ago and on 70MHz I first used a simple dipole about 4 metres from the rooftop and then I build a 5 El LFA Yagi which is only about 2 metres above the rooftop. On 2M with a Baofeng handheld using only its rubber ducky I had no problem contacting Malta from the quay in Pozzallo in Sicily with the Catamaran ferry in between me and Malta. So I am sure that a CW / SSB xcvr would be welcome by home brewers Same would apply to 2 metres and 70 cm Regards Lawrence On Tue, Oct 29, 2019 at 6:15 PM Ashhar Farhan <farhanbox@...> wrote:
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