1. QRPLabs@groups.io
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Re: Two possible improvements for the QCX/QCX+

ajparent1/KB1GMX
 

Andy,

Forgive me I could not resist.   FYI TOY is Time 0f Year,
and there are many time keepers like the infamous Dallas DS1287
with the internal 10 year battery, likely measured in dog years.

Allison
-------------------------------
Please reply on list so we can share.
No private email, it goes to a bit bucket due address harvesting
Re: Two possible improvements for the QCX/QCX+

Andy Brilleaux [O.B.E. pending] <punkbiscuit@...>
 

On Sat, Jun 6, 2020 at 05:51 PM, ajparent1/KB1GMX wrote:
AN external TOY cock chip run on back up battery.
Ahem ;-)
Re: QCX-20 Rev3 Low Output (2.3W) and dissonance

ajparent1/KB1GMX
 

Like tuning other coils its part of that.
Try compressing or spreading turns.


Allison
-------------------------------
Please reply on list so we can share.
No private email, it goes to a bit bucket due address harvesting
Re: Two possible improvements for the QCX/QCX+

Jim Allyn - N7JA
 

On Sat, Jun 6, 2020 at 09:51 AM, ajparent1/KB1GMX wrote:
some of us call the general trend here
creeping featurism.
Hey, I know how that works: they want more, more, more, but don't add any cost to the product or time to the schedule.
Re: QCX 20 For Sale #20m

Julian N4JO
 

Never mind, I see you already have a taker.
--
Julian, N4JO.
Re: QCX 20 For Sale #20m

Julian N4JO
 

I think I"m going to have to bite... David.
OK to PM ?
--
Julian, N4JO.
Re: FST3253 Failure?

Mike Easterbrook
 

Hi Ron
Good to have your support for the theory. Thanks for the tip re pin16. Too late to try this evening - will give it a go tomorrow with fresh eyesight!
Mike

On Sun, 7 Jun 2020, 21:19 Ronald Taylor, <wa7gil@...> wrote:
Mike it does sound like IC4 needs to be replaced. But as you know there’s no electrical tie between Q6 and IC4, only a physical closeness. Maybe a solder splash got in there during the Q6 change? Anyway If you have a small sharp pair of wire cutters you can snip pin 16 of IC4 and check if the idle current drops back to more normal range. It will probably have to be replaced anyway but that might tell quickly if it’s causing the heavy loading and it can easily be soldered back. I did find one doing that once and the snipped lead proved it. 

Ron

On Sat, Jun 6, 2020 at 22:57 Mike Easterbrook <mike.easterbrook.2012@...> wrote:
Hi All

Managed to resolve the key envelope problem with QCX 20 by replacing Q6.  TX now all OK and envelope looks good.
However at 13v current is now 200mA versus (110mA before the Q6 surgery) and lots of noise in the headset. 

T1 volts @ pins 5-6 (& IC4 pins 7 & 9) all 2.46. 5V rail is 4.91

C43-46 & IC5 all pins except 4 & 8 are approx. 0.9 V

The Q6 job involved some component bending but everything around R1 & R2 looks OK.  Suspect IC4 but looking for some confirmation or less radical suggestions before trying to replace.

Thanks
Mike 9M2LXM

Re: PA for qcx 40m #qcx40

Mike Besemer - WM4B
 

I run 0.5 watts into a short 40 meter dipole in my attic and get worldwide spots consistently.  Your antenna is fine.

 

But, if you’re in CW mode, it won’t transmit  WSPR.

 

Mike

WM4B

 

From: QRPLabs@groups.io [mailto:QRPLabs@groups.io] On Behalf Of Darren KN4WML
Sent: Saturday, June 6, 2020 11:50 PM
To: QRPLabs@groups.io
Subject: Re: [QRPLabs] PA for qcx 40m #qcx40

 

I'm going to do more looking into to all these options I've gotten from everyone one. I need to learn more about the WSPR & beacons settings on it. I reckon I just need to be a little more patient, I'd assume.    And yes it's in the cw mode, not practice. 
 
Thanks for the suggestions, 
Darren,

KN4WML,
Re: How about an ultra-portable "QCX mini" version? #qcx

jjpurdum
 

Hi Mike:

We're probably about the same age (I've been licensed since 1954) and suffer the same issues when building anything any more. Still, I've learned to enjoy SMD parts and find them probably a little easier to use. Videos like yours need to be more widely distributed so people can see how easy it really is to use SMD components.

As to Hans and the QCX, he doesn't use the Arduino Nano. Instead, he uses the "raw" Atmel 328 chip, thus avoiding the resources sucked up by the bootloader. That's why you have to use something like Arvdude to program a fresh chip or upload a new version of the software. Last time I spoke with Hans, he has something like 9 bytes left. I've done a fair amount of programming myself, but what he's packed into those 32Kb's is nothing short of amazing. He is well aware of the limitations of the 328, and the QSX will house an STM32F4 series chip which has a lot more resources and a faster clock. Like everyone else, I can't wait to get my hands on it. (Right now I'm talking to my QCX via CAT using a Teensy T4...I have some serious plans for it!) If you want to dink around with the code, I know of a beginning C book I can recommend...

There would be some advantages to having a "semi-kit" like the µBITX, as some of the support questions Hans has to field would likely disappear. I can see pro and con for each approach. We'll see what happens. Anyway, good work on the video!

Jack, W8TEE

On Sunday, June 7, 2020, 9:15:59 AM EDT, Michael Lloyd <mikell@...> wrote:


When I was almost 59 I decided that it was time to learn to solder SMD's. It made perfect sense to wait that long. I can't see as well as I used to. My hands aren't as steady. But! I am grandkid trained. I have lots more patience (cough). I stopped aging when I turned 6D. I am now 6D2. The alphabet age is wonderful :)

When I finished my first (very simple) project I wrote a beginners guide to soldering SMD components and put a (somewhat tongue in cheek but not completely) post on the EEVBlog forum. 

Here: https://www.eevblog.com/forum/beginners/a-beginners-guide-to-soldering-surface-mount-components/msg1159261/#msg1159261

There were some pretty good additions and one flame war that I never did figure out what tripped their trigger, but I didn't try very hard either, in the responses.

I have a reflow oven that I bought off of eBay. It's fine for populating a group of boards but I rarely do that. Besides that, you have the added step of putting solder paste on the board. Solder paste expires, I never mastered using a stencil, and you still have to place the component by hand if you don't have the dinero or desire to own a pick and place machine. No more than I work with SMD I think hand soldering is fine. I can solder 0204 components with my microscope. That said, I don't "like" to solder 0204 components. I will sometimes use hot air and paste. Sometimes I use paste on one or two pins and the soldering iron to tack it in place. The paste seems to anchor the part in the spatial dimensions I can work in.

I read the discussion about Nano's, Arduino's, Microchip, etc. One of the common comments I see from Hans is how little room there is left for code changes. The Arduino bootloader uses some of the limited memory on the ATMega chip that he uses. That doesn't bother a no-talent coder like me, it makes it easier for me to blink an LED, but I think it would make the QCX, as we know it, unlikely to have come to be.

I defer to Han's experience with mass producing boards. I wouldn't mind doing the SMD soldering myself. At least I wouldn't as I type this. Check back with me after the last component flits off of my tweezers and flies off into whatever dimension Satan resides in :)  


--
73
NE5U

Mike
Re: QCX 40 meter build help, 700 HZ tone shows up in weird place... #40m #si5351a

James Daldry W4JED
 

Hi, Mark

If you have 5.2 watts showing at the 3 output FET's and 0.69 into a KNOWN GOOD 50 OHM DUMMY LOAD at the antenna jack, I would check for (1) continuity from C21 to the center pin of the antenna jack and (2) resistance from the antenna jack center pin to ground. There should be zero ohms from C29 to the antenna jack and infinite ohms from the jack center to ground.

73

Jim W4JED

On 6/7/20 1:08 AM, Mark Garrisi via groups.io wrote:
I checked continuity between R43 through C29 and it's good.  De-soldered IC3 carefully with braid and resoldered.  I do have an .69 watt output, but have 5.2 watts showing  at C29.  I'm tired now, 1 am in Detroit.  I'll tackle more tomorrow, I'll do more work in the LPF chain.  Still have same problem.  Yes, I do have tone at pin 8 when I touch it with probe.  Will update as I go.
Tnx Wes.  

Re: QCX 20 For Sale #20m

John Baines
 

£45 ok.

Cheque, paypal, bank transfer…?

73
John
M0JBA

On 7 Jun 2020, at 14:17, David Griffiths <davidmgriffiths42@...> wrote:

OK, so no takers.  How about £45 then?

David
G4DMG

Re: FST3253 Failure?

Ronald Taylor
 

Mike it does sound like IC4 needs to be replaced. But as you know there’s no electrical tie between Q6 and IC4, only a physical closeness. Maybe a solder splash got in there during the Q6 change? Anyway If you have a small sharp pair of wire cutters you can snip pin 16 of IC4 and check if the idle current drops back to more normal range. It will probably have to be replaced anyway but that might tell quickly if it’s causing the heavy loading and it can easily be soldered back. I did find one doing that once and the snipped lead proved it. 

Ron

On Sat, Jun 6, 2020 at 22:57 Mike Easterbrook <mike.easterbrook.2012@...> wrote:
Hi All

Managed to resolve the key envelope problem with QCX 20 by replacing Q6.  TX now all OK and envelope looks good.
However at 13v current is now 200mA versus (110mA before the Q6 surgery) and lots of noise in the headset. 

T1 volts @ pins 5-6 (& IC4 pins 7 & 9) all 2.46. 5V rail is 4.91

C43-46 & IC5 all pins except 4 & 8 are approx. 0.9 V

The Q6 job involved some component bending but everything around R1 & R2 looks OK.  Suspect IC4 but looking for some confirmation or less radical suggestions before trying to replace.

Thanks
Mike 9M2LXM

Re: QCX 20 For Sale #20m

David G4DMG
 

OK, so no takers.  How about £45 then?

David
G4DMG
Re: How about an ultra-portable "QCX mini" version? #qcx

Michael Lloyd
 

When I was almost 59 I decided that it was time to learn to solder SMD's. It made perfect sense to wait that long. I can't see as well as I used to. My hands aren't as steady. But! I am grandkid trained. I have lots more patience (cough). I stopped aging when I turned 6D. I am now 6D2. The alphabet age is wonderful :)

When I finished my first (very simple) project I wrote a beginners guide to soldering SMD components and put a (somewhat tongue in cheek but not completely) post on the EEVBlog forum. 

Here: https://www.eevblog.com/forum/beginners/a-beginners-guide-to-soldering-surface-mount-components/msg1159261/#msg1159261

There were some pretty good additions and one flame war that I never did figure out what tripped their trigger, but I didn't try very hard either, in the responses.

I have a reflow oven that I bought off of eBay. It's fine for populating a group of boards but I rarely do that. Besides that, you have the added step of putting solder paste on the board. Solder paste expires, I never mastered using a stencil, and you still have to place the component by hand if you don't have the dinero or desire to own a pick and place machine. No more than I work with SMD I think hand soldering is fine. I can solder 0204 components with my microscope. That said, I don't "like" to solder 0204 components. I will sometimes use hot air and paste. Sometimes I use paste on one or two pins and the soldering iron to tack it in place. The paste seems to anchor the part in the spatial dimensions I can work in.

I read the discussion about Nano's, Arduino's, Microchip, etc. One of the common comments I see from Hans is how little room there is left for code changes. The Arduino bootloader uses some of the limited memory on the ATMega chip that he uses. That doesn't bother a no-talent coder like me, it makes it easier for me to blink an LED, but I think it would make the QCX, as we know it, unlikely to have come to be.

I defer to Han's experience with mass producing boards. I wouldn't mind doing the SMD soldering myself. At least I wouldn't as I type this. Check back with me after the last component flits off of my tweezers and flies off into whatever dimension Satan resides in :)  


--
73
NE5U

Mike
Re: Polyphase board

Mike Berg
 

FWIW, I've connected the output of my polyphase board to amplified computer speakers and listened to some pleasant sounding SSB as long as the band isn't crowded.

73

Mike  N0QBH
Re: Selling 30m QCX and BaMaTech case

Keith, G6NHU
 

This is still available - The PCB has "QRP Labs 2017 3" in the bottom right corner so I assume it’s a rev 3.

73 Keith G6NHU



On 2 Jun 2020, at 10:20, Keith Maton <g6nhu@...> wrote:

Hi folks,

I’ve got a 30m QCX that I’m not going to get a chance to build.  It’s as new, the bag has only been opened to remove the 30m LPF kit that I bought at the same time.  The serial number is 3339.

I also have the BaMaTech case for it, again, it’s as new and hasn’t been unwrapped.

I’ve just been made redundant due to this horrible Covid-19 so need to recuperate some cash.

I’d like £90 for the pair plus shipping at cost (I estimate probably a fiver or so by RMSD).

If you’re interested, please email me direct: g6nhu@...

If outside the UK, you’ll need to pay the full cost of shipping using a method of your choice.  I’d rather sell within the UK, just for the convenience.

Thanks,

73 Keith G6NHU




--
QSO365 - My amateur radio blog: http://qso365.co.uk

 
Re: PA for qcx 40m #qcx40

Steve in Okinawa
 

Darren,
As was pointed out above, RBN is not sure fire on any one occasion. Propagation might just not be happening. Keep trying at different times. Case in point, an hour ago i got zero RBN spots from several minutes of calling CQ on 40, but still made several 1000-km QSOs and got good reports afterwards by answering CQs.
Re: PA for qcx 40m #qcx40

Ed Kwik
 

Have you checked yourself on the Reverse Beacon Network?

Ed  AB8DF

On 6/6/2020 10:34 PM, Darren KN4WML wrote:
How much power? That I don't even know yet, I haven't purchased a meter to test yet. I'm looking to get one by the end of the week.   As far as I know I might not even been transmitting at all.   

On Sat, Jun 6, 2020, 9:34 PM Mike Besemer - WM4B <mwbesemer@...> wrote:

Darren,

 

Just for grins, set up for WSPR and see what you get for spots at http://wspr.aprsinfo.com/.

 

How much power are you using now?

 

Mike

WM4B

 

From: QRPLabs@groups.io [mailto:QRPLabs@groups.io] On Behalf Of Darren KN4WML
Sent: Saturday, June 6, 2020 9:29 PM
To: QRPLabs@groups.io
Subject: [QRPLabs] PA for qcx 40m #qcx40

 

Question from a newcomer.   With the 40m qcx, would it be helpful to add on a PA to this kit?  I have an average ant up about 30+- feet in the sky. I receive pretty well in the evenings but I don't seem to be getting any responses back.   I'm thinking I don't have enough powertpower get out?

Darren

KN4WML,
Re: PA for qcx 40m #qcx40

Darren KN4WML
 

I'm going to try the RBN later on this evening, and see what happens. Hopefully I can get some results on this issue. If not I'll go through the installation again to see if I fumbled something around


On Sun, Jun 7, 2020, 6:48 AM Don VE3IDS <ve3ids.don@...> wrote:
Darren

Go to reverse beacon network and search for your call sign after calling CQ a few times. You will see where your signal is being heard. 

73 Don ve3ids

On Sat., Jun. 6, 2020, 11:07 p.m. Gary Bernard via groups.io, <garybernard2=aol.com@groups.io> wrote:
The antenna should be fine. You don’t perchance have your rig on practice mode?


On Jun 6, 2020, at 8:46 PM, Gary Bernard via groups.io <garybernard2=aol.com@groups.io> wrote:

What kind of antenna are you using?


On Jun 6, 2020, at 7:28 PM, Darren KN4WML <darrent78@...> wrote:

Question from a newcomer.   With the 40m qcx, would it be helpful to add on a PA to this kit?  I have an average ant up about 30+- feet in the sky. I receive pretty well in the evenings but I don't seem to be getting any responses back.   I'm thinking I don't have enough powertpower get out?

Darren
KN4WML,
Re: PA for qcx 40m #qcx40

Don VE3IDS
 

Darren

Go to reverse beacon network and search for your call sign after calling CQ a few times. You will see where your signal is being heard. 

73 Don ve3ids

On Sat., Jun. 6, 2020, 11:07 p.m. Gary Bernard via groups.io, <garybernard2=aol.com@groups.io> wrote:
The antenna should be fine. You don’t perchance have your rig on practice mode?


On Jun 6, 2020, at 8:46 PM, Gary Bernard via groups.io <garybernard2=aol.com@groups.io> wrote:

What kind of antenna are you using?


On Jun 6, 2020, at 7:28 PM, Darren KN4WML <darrent78@...> wrote:

Question from a newcomer.   With the 40m qcx, would it be helpful to add on a PA to this kit?  I have an average ant up about 30+- feet in the sky. I receive pretty well in the evenings but I don't seem to be getting any responses back.   I'm thinking I don't have enough powertpower get out?

Darren
KN4WML,
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