Source
r/amateurradio•
Besca

QRP Labs announces a new Rig Kit

The new QRP Labs kit "QCX" is now available, a single-band 5W transceiver with high performance and packed with features, including a WSPR beacon, built-in test equipment, CW decoder, synthesized rotary-encoder VFO, etc. The kit price is $49 (equivalent to £38.06, 41.73€ at time of writing).

Order here: https://shop.qrp-labs.com/qcx . Shipping is $6.30 to anywhere in the world and delivery is tax-free.

The 137-page assembly/operation manual can be downloaded here http://qrp-labs.com/qcx and includes circuit diagram and comprehensive description of circuit operation.

Posted Aug 21, 2017, 11:44 AM UTC

3124
olgierdJO82•

It will sell.

7
tynnoelLB4IH•

We built this on Youngsters on the Air (YOTA) in London a couple of weeks ago!

5
molo1134🌎W2; 📻TS-430, TR-751, IC-820•

How did it go?

1
tynnoelLB4IH•

The instructions were really easy to understand, also for a newbie like myself. I, not really having soldered before, needed help resoldering some joints afterwards, but then it worked just like it should!

2
molo1134🌎W2; 📻TS-430, TR-751, IC-820•

Awesome! Make any contacts with it yet?

1
tynnoelLB4IH•

Still working on getting a power supply. Will be really soon.

2
SurgicalBanana•

Why would I purchase a CW-only rig, rather than a SSB/CW capable one, at the same price point?

I mean... Sure. It has a built in WSPR beacon, but some firmware hacking on a bitx40 could probably net one there too.

4
FoxBugs[E, VE]•

How do they compare with power draw? One of the major advantages of the CW only rigs is the sipping of power to operate. A 9 volt battery can run you for days. SSB is much more power hungry. This is important to backpackers and hikers who use CW which is why the Steve Weber rigs (AT Sprint, MTRs) are so popular.

6
SurgicalBanana•

Good question. I believe the current draw on the bitx is pretty low already. But, you're right: Current draw on this might be much lower.

1
olgierdJO82•

SSB in QRP can be really frustrating.

5W in CW is enough to rock the world.

6
BescaOP•

Then don't. The BitX doesn't do CW out of the box, but it is a nice kit and has many happy users.

2†
SurgicalBanana•

Thanks for your non-answer.

And yes, out of the box, it does tone modulated CW, which is what many rigs do for CW anyways. All it takes is a oscillator connected to the mic jack.

My point being, this is yet another CW only rig.

-5
BescaOP•

No. This is a CW only rig with TWO VFO's and a ton of fun other stuff to do with it...for $49...please don't buy one if you don't want to.

2†
SurgicalBanana•

This is a CW only rig with TWO VFO's and a ton of fun other stuff to do with it

This is a pretty good answer. I basically (At first sight) saw a lesser-capable, lesser-open firmware rig, for the same price.

Speaking of sticks: You should pull yours out of your ass, and stop assuming every answer that isn't all roses is a personal attack on you.

-5†
green_turbanEN__•

This looks like a great kit. I love that it has a buit-in WSPR beacon. For those who don't know, that is a great way to make use the radio and antenna system when you are not using it, it can help with propagation research and you can see how far away it can work on WSPR, not to mention learn what times the band opens to various parts of the world from your location.

4
electriccorn•

Ordered. QRP Labs makes great kits.

3
spectrumeroMD6YAU•

How fast can this be keyed, in other words, will it work for Feld-Hell? (FH uses simple on-off keying, with the pixel duration (in other words shortest possible keydown) being 8.163 milliseconds).

2
BescaOP•

No idea.

1
dokumentamarbleKK4GKF [G]•

I just finished assembling my rockmite ][ 20m !

1
JP8_And_Coke•

What do you think about it? Had a chance to play with it yet?

1
dokumentamarbleKK4GKF [G]•

I like it a lot. I wanted something to learn morse code on and something portable I could hike with. It fits the bill. http://adammelton.com/rockmite-20m-transceiver.html

1
BescaOP•

First 500 units are gone...pre-order now for shipments in September...WOW

1