The QRPer Board

I finally got my (tr)uSDX delivered on Saturday. It took just over a month to be received from China. I had watched many YouTube videos on it (including Thomas K4SWL review), so I knew going into it that the speaker is almost useless, which it is. I have an external speaker and a headset that I brought along to my activation on Sunday and even with the headset, the audio was distorted after the volume went over +10. Perhaps, besides the default settings, there is one that might make it tolerable to listen to the CW. I did set the BW to 200.

Also, I am trying to get the SWR to display when I transmit. I know it worked at one point, but when I was messing with the radio last night and saw how to turn the radio off/on w/o unplugging from the battery, I somehow managed to do a factory reset and wiped out the setting I had. Which also means, I have to set up my CQ POTA message again.

The antenna I used was my 17 ft. MFJ whip antenna on a spike. That was the first time I used the spike and mirror mount, used 4 ground radials (16 ft), and had perfect 1:1 SWR. I got my 10 QSO's, the auto CQ worked great, however it was the audio that had me to the point I swapped it out for the x6100 that I had along with me. I then experimented with 40 meters using the spike in the ground - this time I put my 40 meter Hustler resonator on a 3 ft. pole and made several QSO's with it on the x6100. I didn't even try the SDX after the 10 QSO's.

Any other users with this radio and have any recommendations or suggestions, please reply.

Thanks!

Scott
KN3A

Hi Scott,
I got one of these little radios about a month ago and bought the kit version. Because you have to disassemble the boards to tweak the coils, I never hooked up the speaker. The guy that designed the radio says that the speaker is only for emergencies. Anyway, using headphones I turned it on (before tuning the coils) and was receiving a guy from Italy, so I replied and made a qso. Wow. 6 watts. I have since adjusted the coils using DL2MAN's you tube video and have made a few contacts.
SWR: I found that you just have to keep playing with the encoder and coming back to your desired points until it becomes second nature. If you press the left button to get into the menu and rotate the encoder, you will see SWR a few turns down. Click on that and choices will come up, then click the right button. You may have to do this a couple of times because the buttons don't always work correctly, and may throw you into RIT mode or VFO A or B, but just keep trying and you will get it.
It's a fun radio and I think it will be great for travel. I'm in the process of getting a tap on my dummy load so I can check the harmonics on that and my ubitx (ashar farhan) which is a work in progress.
Andy KM4TRT

Hi Andy,

Thanks for the reply. After messing around with it and threatening it with a hammer I got the SWR and watt meters to display on it. And, about an hour ago a friend of mine in CA who has one of these said his audio was really bad as well and was told that a bluetooth dongle would work and resolve the issue. So, I found an Anker one on Amazon that will be delivered tomorrow. If that works, which it should pair with my Aftershoks that I use on my IC 705. Hopefully that works for the audio issue.

Looking back, perhaps I should have used the radio a bit more before getting it delivered on a Saturday evening and taking it out on a POTA activation next afternoon.

73 Scott
KN3A

I find the audio not too bad in headphones, and D2MAN suggests a small speaker. It has enough drive for that.

Hi,

how do you power off / on without taking the power of the device ?

How do you do autocq, how do you start it ?

thank you
72
Frank

on6uu wrote: ↑Wed Jun 08, 2022 8:04 am Hi,

how do you power off / on without taking the power of the device ?

How do you do autocq, how do you start it ?

thank you
72
Frank

To power off - hold the main tuning knob in and turn it counterclockwise and you will see the volume adjusting lower and then when it gets to 0 - then it says it's powering off. Pressing and holding that tuning knob is also the shortcut for increasing/decreasing the volume as well instead of having to go into the menu to do it.

With the radio turn off - tap the Menu button and wait a few seconds, and it turns on.

Hit Menu and scroll over to 4.2 which is the CQ Message. Exit and it will automatically start calling CQ with whatever message you have stored in.

To check your power output and SWR - go to menu 1.13 and change SWR Meter to FWD-SWR. Stay in CW mode and hold the PTT button and about 2 seconds later it will stop the fast beeping and display the watts and SWR.

Hope this helps.

Scott
KN3A

Thanks Scott, will try that later today

have a nice one
72
Frank