QRP rigs

[Kd5txx]

What are y?all running?  I use a KX2 as my main rig at home.  For portable stuff like POTA and backpacking I use a MTX3.  The KX2 is such a joy to use.  It is small but does more than many larger rigs.  And if I can hear them, I can usually work them.

 

[Kd5txx]

Today I was charging the battery in my KX2 so I hooked up my HB1B.  Made contacts with Florida, New York and Colorado.  All off 4 watts.

 

[Kd5txx]

Went camping this weekend and took my MTR3B.  Hooked up to an end fed 40m antenna and worked 6 states.  All off a 9 volt battery. 

 

[KC4GIA]

My main home rig is a K2.  It's the basic model.  I've got several upgrades for it but it works so well on CW I'm afraid to touch it. 

In the field I usually use my ATS3B.  Greatest rig ever put in an Altoids can in my opinion.  I typically run ut on 20m with a HB EFHW (single band version).  I'm thinking of going to an inverted vee though. 

Home keys are varied.  Field keys are either a straight key on a leg clamp or a little paddle I 3D printed.

Mark
KC4GIA

 

[Kd5txx]

I want a K2.  Hey I want a lot..I've never even seen one in person..but my KX2 has me convinced that I love elecraft.  I just got a QCX mini in 20m in the mail today.  Honestly I'm wondering if I should have gotten the 40m.  I have better QRP luck on 40.

 

[KC4GIA]

The K2 is great.  I like the old school form factor.  But a KX2 is pretty awesome.  Much better for taking out hiking, etc. 

I have an original QCX 20m rig and is a great little rig. I never got more than 2W out of it but that is not a huge limitation.  The RX is hard to beat.  The QCX is hands down the best phasing rig I have played with.  And they are not expensive so get a 40m next time.  I'm in the process of trying to homebrew a phasing cw rig on 40m.  The RX is great but the phasing is fighting with me.  The more I work on it the more I am amazed at the QCX.  I'm going to buy more QCX rigs but not until I complete this journey. I'm torn between the mini and the new larger format.  The mini is great in that I could throw 2 or 3 in my bag, but the other offers more in terms of base use and experimenting.    Life is full of challenging decisions.

73,

Mark
KC4GIA

 

[Kd5txx]

Hooked up the QCX today.  Had a QSO with Utah.  That's 1400 miles.  Not bad for a tiny QRP rig.  You are correct.  It hears great.  Gonna be picking up a 40m one sometime soon.

 

[Ron]

I got the desire to build something after many years, so I purchased a Penntek TR-25 kit.  I do not profess to be a QRP guru, but this is a great little radio and fun to use.  It is produced by WA3RNC (wa3rnc.com).  Ron K4DS

 

[Ham4CW]

Hey Ron.
Just had a look around WA3RNC's website. That's not a bad looking kit at all. I noticed it produces quite high power levels for its size when fed with 14V.

I noticed a number of YouTube videos featuring the rig too. Seems very popular and yet I had never heard of them before your post!

Never too old to learn something new.

73, Mark..

 

[N8TGQ]

I just got my MTR-3b ready for the season. Waiting for temps to warm up a bit for my old bones.

I'm trying to resist getting yet another tiny radio, but that (tr)usdx keeps calling me. CW, SSB and digital and 5 bands for less than $130. And it's already built. We live in amazing times!

 

[Ham4CW]

I just got my MTR-3b ready for the season. Waiting for temps to warm up a bit for my old bones.

I'm trying to resist getting yet another tiny radio, but that (tr)usdx keeps calling me. CW, SSB and digital and 5 bands for less than $130. And it's already built. We live in amazing times!

We sure do! There's also the QMX transceiver from QRP Labs which is available as either a kit or ready built https://qrp-labs.com/qmx.html for about $150.

I see they also sell a larger version, the QMX+ https://qrp-labs.com/qmxp.html that cover all bands, all modes from 160M through to 6M.

I must hang my head in shame about my MTR-3b. I can't remember where it is at the moment, other than it being 'somewhere' in the attic.

73, Mark...

 

[N8TGQ]

We sure do! There's also the QMX transceiver from QRP Labs which is available as either a kit or ready built https://qrp-labs.com/qmx.html for about $150.

I see they also sell a larger version, the QMX+ https://qrp-labs.com/qmxp.html that cover all bands, all modes from 160M through to 6M.

I must hang my head in shame about my MTR-3b. I can't remember where it is at the moment, other than it being 'somewhere' in the attic.

73, Mark...

That's why I'm trying not to buy more rigs. I have the HW-9 that I use everyday, an HW-7 that comes out for straight key night or Novice rig roundup. Then I have three MFJ rigs (20, 30 & 40) and the QRP Cub for 40. The MFJs seldom get used.
And last is the MTR 3b for going to the parks when I want to put up a real antenna.

All I do is CW. None of the other modes interest me. With CW being mostly what I call radio games, which I also don't do, it's hard to justify getting another rig, no matter how little it costs.

I would sell a lot of rigs off, but no one wants them without waterfalls. digital displays and computer interfaces. They will probably end up being trashed.

But I sure got my money's worth from each of them!

 

[Ham4CW]

There's a number of QRP rigs that I find have niggly faults or operating issues. The MFJ Cub for instance has a fixed offset on receive that can lead to one station 'chasing' another station up or down a band. Some of the TenTec 1300 series QRP rigs had issues with stability on transmit (the PA stages 'taking off' and self oscillating). I have a 20m version (TenTec 1320) that used to self oscillate terribly before I modified it (fitted a grounded shielding cover over some of the PA stage toroids). Another problem I found with the 1300 series is the rate at which the tuning potentiometer wears out. I think I am on my third tuning pot' in my 1320 now, although this time I have tried a type that is different to the original ones supplied.

Even the MTR-3b is kind of irritating (I find anyhow), because it has no volume adjustment on receive. It is possible to use an external amplified speaker, but that kind of defeats the object of the rig being so tiny. I find sometimes that if using headphones it's necessary to remove one of the 'cans' from an ear so as to not be deafened. At other times it has been a real struggle to hear weak signals when there is high levels of ambient noise.

Having said all that I still bought various ones over the years! The MFJ Cub for example. I bought a supposed 40M version which turned out to be an 80M model (already built), and a while later I found an unbuilt 40M kit version. Same with the small TenTec rigs. I purchased a 1320 (20M version years ago), and spent some time getting the thing to be stable on transmit (the instability would get worse the higher the SWR). Later I found 40M and 30M versions in kit form and decided to add those to the pile. All of these kits are still unbuilt. I figure they will either make for interesting retirement projects or else they will increase in value and one day they will be worth a couple of dollars more than I paid for them!

73 for now, Mark...

 

[N8TGQ]

The one saving grace is the only rig I paid full price for was the MTR! The MFJ rigs have a "fuse" , just a skinny trace on the circuit board that would blow if the polarity was wrong. It saved the radio, but people thought their radio was trashed. I would buy them for parts prices and jumper the burnt trace to have a working rig. The Heathkits were bought used and the cub was a freebie thrown in with another rig I bought,

I seldom use earphones, and when I do, I only use one. I cut one off the set I use for the MTR to save space and weight. It seemed to help with the loud volume also. Changed the impedance or something I guess. I don't like cutting off my hearing to the outside world, especially at the parks. I don't want people sneaking up on me!

So, I have less than $1500 invested after 30 years of radioing. I guess that's pretty good for what could be an expensive hobby. Maybe I should get that (tr)usdx after all.