Looking for the possibly impossibe

[Train Ham]

hello experts and clever people
so I have completely given up completely on trying to operate in my very compromised QTH (ground floor flat, surrounded by high buildings ,Mag loop antenna ect)
so I'm going to embrace the fully portable operating life style

Looking at QRP/low power/battery friendly, more CW than SSB but having both is important
looking at a high speed, low drag type of set up (got to be easy, got to be quick)

Unfortunately, the KX2 is impossible to get here in the UK, as the UK has lost its distributer, according to the Elecraft,
so that narrows down my choice to the following

looking at new radio's only
IC705-expensive,fragile does all the things
Lab 599-rugged,modern,but a bit of a cable festival
G90-as tough as an old nun,20w,no filters really
X6100,small,decent battery, but is it finished yet?

all have great plus points and the perfect radio does not exist
I will be operating pedestrian portable and out of the boot of my car

any advice from those who have trodden this path before me gratefully received

[w0rw]

Check out Mil Radios...
Not very many new ones.
Vertex VX-1210
https://www.psicompany.com/man-prod-inf ... ations.pdf

PRC320, PRC319, PRC104, PRC1099, PRC2000.
https://www.greenradio.de/e_kp1k.htm

Paul w0rw

[M0RGM]

Given your "use case" and lack of availability of the KX2, I would suggest any of the following: Xiegu X5105, Xiegu X6100 or the venerable Ft817/818. They would all give you both SSB and CW.

I own a KX2, X5105 and '817 (amongst others). The KX2 is awesome, the receiver is amazing, but given the back orders and cost in the UK, an 818 would provide you a rugged and capable solution, though you may want to source the additional filters. If not using a matchabke antenna or tuned EFHW you do need to carry a small ATU - the loghtweight Kanga models are great. The Xiegu radios are functional and work well, have good onboard batteries and an ATU, but I find the audio a bit raspy and taxing on the ears - they can suffer with RF breakthrough if operated near other transmitters.

A KX3 would also do the job beautifully, but you would need to carry an extra battery pack (great radio and my QRP base station. They do come up for sale more often in the UK than the KX2!

Hope this helps,

72 Richard MM0RGM

[KL7MJ]

Have you looked at the QRP Labs QMX or the (tr)uSDX?

The QMX does not do SSB (yet) but the (tr)uSDX does. They both come in low band (80 - 20) configuration. The QMX high band version (20 - 10) is shipping soon. The (tr)uSDX also has a high band version (20 - 10) as well as a classic bands (80 - 10, non-WARC) version.

I've used the QMX's predecessors - the QCX-mini and QDX - on a couple of POTAs and they are very small and easy to use. I have a couple of (tr)uSDX kits that I plan to build over the holidays.

The only downside to these tiny rigs is that they need external power and antenna tuners (if needed), but all of it fits into a small bag for portable ops. You can take a couple of them along and be ready for anything!

73,
Mike, KL7MJ