The new Venus SW-6B QRP Transceiver: Let's take it on a POTA activation!

[@Utahforrest]

Well I bought this radio.. For multiple reasons: 1) My premier in a K4SWL video happened on this radio! So exciting to get the P2P with you! Thanks for your patience in pulling out a VERY weak signal on my end! You're a great example to activators everywhere, including me! 2) The CW receive audio and speaker is stellar. Hopefully the AGC issue gets addressed! 3) You said it'll make me a foreign op.. A spy with his lunchbox! I go from KI7QCF to KI-007-QCF!

[@ThomasK4SWL]

Ha ha! I think you'll like it. I really want the overloading/AGC issue to be sorted out though. I think Jesse will take care of this, though. It's a fun little radio!

[@brianr0159]

With metal cases like that I tend to need to physically bend the latching portion back towards the inside to tighten up the latching strength. It’s worth a shot!

[@KO4VNX]

This looks like an altoids tin, I love it! Now I want one!!! Also, great, detailed review! Reviews where someone walks through all the details then actually runs it through full operation is worth a hundred reviews where people just quote specs that we could just read for ourselves!

[@ChrisConner1]

Dale is awesome! Great customer experience with my SW-3B.

[@K4FR_Radio]

Thanks for sharing this, Thomas. Neat little.rig. I like the form factor. That lawnmower was a menace! LoL. 73

[@KN4OKadventures]

I ordered mine the other day and it is already on the way. I will bring it to the GA campout

[@K4FR_Radio]

Dave, you're gonna have to share your thoughts at the campout. I'm looking forward to it! 73 es cul

[@ThomasK4SWL]

Woo hoo! I'll probably bring mine, too.

[@dovetomarc]

FIrst I hope you and yours are all safe and recovering from the devastation of the hurricane. Thanks for this video and all the others. You do a great job Thomas. My SW-6B showed up yesterday. Dale seems to have made the latch better as mine locks closed OK. I opted for the metal one for "Paraset Nostalgia" sake :)

[@acidairway9557]

What a treat to work both you and Ve6lk Vince that day from my park. FT818 on a speaker wire. Thanks Thomas.

[@ThomasK4SWL]

Thank you for the contact! :)

[@TheArtofEngineering]

Thanks for the review (neat rig). Also TU for being a great ambassador for CW. 73 de VK2AOE

[@alvarogaitan2529]

thanks Thomas another terrific video 73 from kb2uew

[@hillbilly4christ638]

Nice setup. That is really all one needs. I know, some will argue over different bands but really nice outfit.

[@propagating-radio]

That rig has a nice sound for such a small speaker. Dang it man! Now I want one…

[@ke4asc]

Thanks for doing the video.

[@ThomasK4SWL]

My pleasure!

[@jordanclarke2996]

Mine turned up in the mail today. Its a great little rig. I have experienced a bit of odd keying missing dits I think from time to time also but other than that what a great little rig

[@BernieDodge]

Great video and review. You're a great evangelist for QRP and POTA. One question: what app was that on your iPhone? I searched the AppStore and didn't see anything that looked similar. Thanks.

[@ThomasK4SWL]

Thank you for the kind words. :) So what you were seeing on my phone was simply the website pota.app POTA doesn't have an app, but their website is designed to be very easy to use on a small phone screen. It actually looks like an app.

[@TridentMissileTech]

Ordered me one. Been looking for a radio since haven’t bought one since February. And that was the KH1 which was disappointing to me. Only got it out once and never made a contact.

[@veader]

I was that last dit dit. Was going to call right as you QRT’d.

[@ThomasK4SWL]

Oh, thank you for the dit dit! Sorry I was hopping off the air as you were trying to work me.

[@TridentMissileTech]

Woman’s hair bands are great for latching. They are basically micro bungee cords.

[@thequarantinecatholic]

Great video! Thomas you crack me up wondering if you even had a key with you =) You have inspired so many of us to get into CW, thank you!!!

[@ThomasK4SWL]

Thank you so much. :)

[@vimmander4308]

I've noticed in a few videos that the speakers tend to buzz really loud on occasion with strong or overlapping signsls. Do you hear that live, or is that just from the recording? Fine work as always, keep at it 👍

[@ThomasK4SWL]

In this video, you could certainly hear it in person. It's true though that even with a good mic, it's a bit difficult to have the audio represent exactly what one hears in the field.

[@TridentMissileTech]

Got mine yesterday. Keyer speeds up like yours did. I don’t think it’s RF. Like the radio. My new favorite radio. My lid is tight fitting.

[@TridentMissileTech]

The reason I don’t think its RF is because it does the same thing when you are out of band just practicing. Also memory keyer doesn’t do it.

[@KN7U]

OK, you're going to have to do an instructional video on that knot (slippery clove hitch?) you use with the throw line :) Thanks for another entertaining video, 6B looks like another winner. Mike, KN7U

[@ThomasK4SWL]

Check out this article I wrote on QRPer.com. In it, I link to a video showing how to make this knot. It's super simple. qrper.com/2020/09/a-field-antennas-best-friend-the-amazing-arborist-throw-line/

[@miketaylor6700]

Forrest (KI7QCF) in Idaho was on 21.051.5.. and you were listening on 21.050.5. :) No wonder you didn’t hear him!!! Lol😂 (43:32)

[@lisaball1701]

Thanks for all your content. Still studying away at ham test. The small radio case looks cool. I really like your small bag from red oxx. Never seen it before. There’s a company called ITS tactical that has a nifty discreet messenger bag. Would a magnet latch cause an issue with the radio?

[@ThomasK4SWL]

Magnetic latches will not be a problem. I've a number of magnetic accessories in my various packs. Go for it!

[@hcy0]

Sad that there is not 30m instead of 80 or 60.

[@martinunger9545]

This is going to sound like a weird question but do you ever have problems getting your antenna out of the tree? I keep thinking of a "kite in the tree" scenario.

[@ThomasK4SWL]

No. The only time I've ever had an issue getting an antenna out of a tree was when I wasn't paying attention and detached the throw line before pulling the antenna out of the tree. That's only happened once. When using a proper arborist's throw line, your chances of getting stuck in a tree decrease by orders of magnitude.

[@grahamwebber9208]

As someone who's neither HAM or can understand CW, this blows me away. How on earth do you guys pick this skill up, and how long does it take the average individual?

[@dorvinion]

When I would first watch Thomas all I heard was noise but now simple formulaic QSOs are almost instinctual. All comes down to desire to learn and committing to practice. Some people pick it up and have QSOs in 6 weeks, others a bit slower at it. I started learning May 2023 and it was 5 months before I was 'hunting' POTA which means all I need to be able to do is send/copy my call sign and send a greeting and signal report (or use a memory keyer) It was 10 months before I did my first CW activation. It wasn't until August this year before I was comfortable doing activations. I'm still working on being able to have casual conversation in morse code though. Looking back I feel like I took things way too slow. I knew the alphabet in 2 months..which is more than enough to hunt potas. Knowing what I know now about activations I should have done those sooner as well - people don't mind sending repeats if you don't catch it all the first time. For me, what I did was use the MorseCode Ninja videos. I take 20-60 minutes of dedicated walking a day and so I listened while walking. Joining LICW club is another excellent way to go about it. I will likely join to try and get better at casual conversation. Watching Thomas' videos didn't help me much as far as learning morse code, but did help with learning operating practices and being confidence boosters When you hear what he hears and sends what you think he should send you know you are starting to get it. He also shows that even long time morse code operators hear things incorrectly and send things incorrectly, that its not a big deal, and how to follow up when you or the other party don't quite get it right.

[@ThomasK4SWL]

@dorvinion has a lot of good information here. In short: it does take time to learn CW/Morse Code, but everyone can. Much depends on how much time you can devote to learning. Proficiency increases exponentially if you can practice with someone. Give it a go! You've got this! :)

[@Windmill97]

Venus should consider doing a “Spy Radio” option for a case. Make it look like a cigar box. And add a stand.

[@ThomasK4SWL]

I love it!

[@Windmill97]

They could have you autograph it. It’d sell like hot cakes.

[@robertallbright]

Nice one Thomas Looking forward to your next Radcom article 👍 73 Rob G3RCE

[@Steven-u5w]

Thanks again for the video. Hopefully check out more and I'll have try and check out the transceiver online. See see if I can find it okay. Take care. 73s de G0HDA

[@dctv9968]

Wonder what the scan rate of the radio’s monitor is?

[@imahamjim]

Is it possible to bend the latch in a bit

[@ThomasK4SWL]

No. Not really, but Joshua has made an elegant little work-around: tufteln.com/products/sw-6b-magnetic-lid-keeper

[@opensourcepm]

Is there a way to do CW without the manual keyer? I would love to be able to use my phone to have more 'canned' / 'memory' messages

[@ThomasK4SWL]

I don't know of one that works via smartphone, but there are some excellent external CW Message Memory keyers out there on the market. Here's one I use: ebay.us/vJYetM (note: QRPer/eBay partnership link)

[@Chad-KD9VXO]

I am just learning cw. Your videos inspired me to learn. Would you recommend this for a one and only( for now ) radio?

[@ThomasK4SWL]

For a one and only? In due time. I would say to wait for the overloading issue to be sorted. Stay tuned! :)

[@Philip-KA4KOE]

It would be cool if someone made a WW2 valve Paraset kit with an inverter to run off batteries.

[@ThomasK4SWL]

I love that idea!

[@jvclarke1]

What bag did he put the radio in?

[@ThomasK4SWL]

A Red Oxx Hound: www.redoxx.com/products/the-hound-edc-bag

[@owlcricker-k7ulm]

Looks like the size of an MTR4B

[@ThomasK4SWL]

It's bigger than the 4B, but not by a massive amount.

[@placeholder-065]

2 nuisances, the VFO encoder is on-off missing a few clicks and the CW monitoring tone on-off changes tone frequency briefly. Both happen no matter which band. Gust ON6KE

[@yannstewart1355]

点石科技

[@pablod6872]

Ahhh! Must... not... buy... new... RaDiO!!! Too many unassembled kits and other toys in the garage as it is.

[@ThomasK4SWL]

😂

[@MishaDaBear]

Get the metal case because it should protect that radio from an EMP, and that is what I expect will occur if Trump wins the election as there were suggestions that if Trump wins marshal law will be invoked. It looks like 29wh should go under the radar, identified but not dangerous goods and his battery looks like it is just over 28.160wh, so shipping should not cost extra> I had an operational grasp of CW I'd order one, but I am stuck on SSB!

[@w2msa]

Thomas thanks for another great video. Have you ever used Ham2K logger yet? 73, de W2MSA

[@ThomasK4SWL]

Not yet. Mainly because this year, I've pretty much stopped live-logging on my phone. I just enjoy logging to paper more. I know that app is well-loved, though, and has a number of useful tools!

[@ramonbennett8416]

Awesome!!! 73 KN6JHC

[@jamescoffey5225]

Last thing you need is another CW radio? It's a disease and there is no cure for it! 😊 72 de AE5ZX

[@ThomasK4SWL]

There's truth in this!😜