QMX Field Kit

[Samcollins910]

I wanted to share with you all my QRP_Labs QMX portable field kit.

The QMX is a fantastic little radio. Five bands, 9 or 12v power input with a good 4w out on all bands. Lightweght, at less than 250g, compact (comparable to pack of playing cards), and the best, under $100, value for money I think I have ever experenced in this hobby.

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The field kit is based around a Limitless Equipment small admin pounch measuring just 200x130x100mm and weighing in, complete, at 1254g, a little over 2.7lb

Yep, It all fits in here...

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It contains everything needed to get out and operate portable, on a SOTA or POTA activation or simply set up down on the beach.
The QRP-LABS QMX pairs perfectly with the Kanga Products Pocket Transmatch tuner and the Packtenna Mini Random Wire antenna. An inline ferrite bead choke is used to keep that stray RF from comping back and affecting the "shack" and the 10m of lightweight coax acting also as a counterpoise compliments these perfectly. I use a pair of in ear headphones and operate with either a N6ARA paddle or the CW.Morse SP4 POTA Paddle. Logging is old school on a field notes size notebook with cheap mechanical pencil. The station is powered from a 3s 2200mah lipo battery that with the radio barely sipping power, if built for 12v it has a tx current of just 700mA, gives enough juice to run the station longer than ever want to.

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The QMX comes in three varients now Low, Mid and High band versions spanning from 80m to 10m and can be purchased as either akit or for a very resonable fee you can have Hans and his team lovingly build it for you. When I first started undertaking portable operations it was with a single band QCX, again from QRP-Labs but coverted the Mountaintopper in all of my dreams. I cant comment as i have never actually used one, however I feel that with five bands, being pocket sized and costing bearly a quater of an MTR4B (and being availible) this little radio is certainly a contender for being the best qrp/p radio on the market. I have made numerous activations with this little field kit from SOTA to Field days. From POTA to backyard portable. It has never failed to make the required contacts and with Hanz continuously developing the firmware for this family of radios, it just keeps getting better and better.

72/73
Samantha 2E1OCT

https://www.qrp-labs.com/qmx.html
https://www.kanga-products.co.uk/oursho ... match.html
https://www.packtenna.com/store/p1/Pack ... %29.html#/
https://n6ara.com/product/n6ara-tinypad ... assembled/
https://cwmorse.us/products/sp4-sota-po ... le-by-n0sa
https://www.limitlessequipment.co.uk/pr ... iser-molle

[w2tef]

Lovely photos, Sam!

My kit is very similar. I use a resonant EFHW for 20/40 to avoid carrying a tuner.

My first POTA activation was in April this year. Now, at 100 activations and nearly 1600 QSO's, nearly all on the QMX, I'm still perfectly delighted by it. As you say, size, price, features, energy frugality: it's a terrific package. And it keeps improving significantly with new firmware releases.

I appreciated your post today on QRP-Labs groups.io about the QMX+, too. All bands, all modes (soon) at the price of a modest date night. It's irresistible.

73 de Todd W2TEF