Portable Operations with the uSDX

[@dl2man]

What a shame.... Not only did they just copy our work, and making profit from it, they do not even give credits to us. They even re-branded the software from uSDX to uSDR. This is no fun at all for me as one of the developers of that rig... The licence is CC BY-SA 4.0, which means, it´s ok to copy, but you a) have to name the source and b) release it under the same license. They did not do that, as there are no Schematics published. Feeling very bad about this behavior. 73 Manuel; DL2MAN

[@erickdahan7474]

Manuel, thanks for making this comment. I should have but forgot to mention your name as well as Barb's in the video for those who made this radio possible. I apologize for forgetting to mention you and other developers who basically made this design. I will add references to your webpages in the comments. Is there a way people can support your project? Thank you.

[@BretChilcott]

Manual, I am new to these QRP radios. Where do we purchase the original design? TNX. AC0AE

[@dl2man]

@@erickdahan7474 Best Support would be not buying the overpriced chinese rigs. Built it for yourself, as it was intended. The chinese rigs are sold for around 160$, but manufacturing is only around 40$. For this you get a very bad rig (measure harmonic supression on those chinese rigs and you´ll see what I mean), because they did not know what they did. They copied my Filter Values, which I developed for a certain FET, but they used a different one without adjusting the values. to that new FET.

[@erickdahan7474]

@@dl2man Manuel - I just saw your video considering partnering to make a kit, or that's what I understood, I will be the first in line to order one and publicize it. Thanks again. 73

[@ads-baisgreenock9737]

Rightly so sir , I am tired reporting these copies/clones/fakes on Amazon and eBay . SDRplay have the same problem with the RSP1 SDR device . It is absolutely shocking that even as open source you were not credited by these thieves

[@Lugeix]

RAMONES YEH!!! Nice rig and station.

[@VladSolovey]

It produces nice audio! I saw others case opening, PCB is dirty unfortunately, it's better to clean it up by spirit.

[@Paul_VK3HN]

Fun! With background music by Ramones? Pure class!

[@erickdahan7474]

haha thanks! The video got "demonetized" immediately after upload, but who cares!

[@va2wlt]

Ça fait plaisir de voir un VE2/VA2 sur KZbin. Intéressant reportage. Je m'abonne. 73 de VA2WLT

[@erickdahan7474]

haha, merci! Plusieurs pose des questions sur le sujet, alors j'ai decide de montre le cote pratique de l'appareil. Le plus que je regarde ca, je pense que c'est mieux d'encourager le developpeur du uSDX, au moins ce design, qui est Manuel DL2MAN. Je pense qu'iul va peut etre avoir un kit pour mettre la radio ensemble qui serait probablement plus abordable et mieux fonctionant (ou au moin plus conforme - je n'ai pas vraiment pu tester les "spurious emissions"). En tout cas, j'espere que cela aide, et ils faut pas oublier ce qui on creer ces designs, autant QRP Labs, PE1NNZ, et DL2MAN, et Barb WB2CBA.Merci pour les mots encourageant!

[@mariot6959]

Thanks for the Video, Very Interesting, Thinking of Buying one, 73's VE2TSM

[@erickdahan7474]

Hi Mario - there are definitely quality issues with some of them, your mileage may vary as they say. Haven't been to Rawdon in a long time, hope it's still as beautiful as I remember it.

[@denislacroix654]

Merci Erick! Une vidéo inspirante!

[@erickdahan7474]

On essaie, merci! 73

[@HernanCapiSanchez]

menu 1.13 setting FWD-SWR, indicate in display?

[@frankmartin2322]

what antenna are you using then maybe buy the same....... 73 Que antena tiene usted en uso?

[@erickdahan7474]

Hola ! In this video and most of the time portable operating I use a end-fed half wave, with a 49:1 transformer. Usually a bit of coax from radio to transformer...this time it was attached to the car's side view mirror, and the antenna wire goes into inverted--V at top of a fishing pole (15ft+) and then back down, with end attached via insulator and rope to a tree branch. I also used a doublet (search for "norcal doublet") using speaker wire only as feedline and radiators.... and a home made L MAtch tuner (vk3ye design). I don't like how speaker wires are too close to each other, not sure if it couples. but it works!

[@WASRT001]

This your hand mic a modified one? I'm having a hard time finding a microphone that will work with this radio. Thanks! 73/K7KWW

[@erickdahan7474]

yes, check out other videos, I showed how I modified the wiring. I found an old land mobile radio mic with quality cables and mic element and it sounds amazing. I have the (tr)uSDX and that has a different pinout, will need to make a new mic for that radio as well, need to find an old hand speaker mic that can be sacrificed for the job.

[@dovpauzner5093]

Thank you !

[@jamesgeorge1709]

i got one and the output is lower than i'm seeing other radios doing. not sure how to set transmit bias. i really like the internal batteries. i think it will work good for me.. i can fit the whole station in a small harbour freight aluminum box.

[@erickdahan7474]

If you are getting less than I noted or others, and are brave enough to open it up, check out the ferrite used for Power amplification, some are badly soldered so can cause issues. Good luck.

[@louiseden6004]

Thanks for the video! I have ordered on based on your review and was wondering what the microphone connection is? I'd like to use a handheld mic and was wondering if any TRRS four band type connector would work? I've seen such a microphone for a Baofeng uv3r which looks as though it might do. Thanks for your help.

[@erickdahan7474]

It's a 4 ring TRRS. I tried to use a standard vertex TRRS mic and it did not work. The wiring was weird...it would TX when I would insert it. I tried one of those amazon cheap $16 mic, which had the correct pin out, but had horrible - worse than the onboard mic - quality. I upgraded the mic condenser in one of those, sound was still bad. I returned that. I got an old Midland Land mobile mic that had a condenser mic inside, cut the end, and experimented with the connectors. Maybe I should make a quick video on that? I want to add the standard disclaimer: as DL2MAN has demonstrated, the cost of these is more than they should be, and anything higher than the 20M band exhibits unacceptable harmonics (besides being so low power not worth using), so consider this a so-so compliant, 80/60/40/30/20M rig.

[@stuartbloom2518]

@@erickdahan7474 Hello Erick. Like many others, I bought this (late November delivery) and then 3 days later found DL1DN and DL2MAN's videos about the ripoff of the design. I will eventually build the "supported" version. But, I can't undo what I've done. I have a Xeigu X108G that works pretty well, but now has a broken PTT in the ACC jack. So, I use the PTT in the mic jack. Can you tell us the pinout that worked for you (you said above that the standard Vertex didn't work). I have several mic element options to play with when the radio gets here. Also, I've been looking for anyone who has gotten the "future" UART serial port to work with the advertised TS-480 CAT serial coms. I believe DL1DN indicated on one of his reports that it "doesn't work", but that's all. My goal is to try simple digital modes. I have a VOX PTT interface that works with my some of my rigs. I can configure it for the uSDR, which is supposed to work. I guess I'll have to pop the cover off when I get mine to try and trace some things out. Good luck. I'm going to start collecting the parts for a supported version. Winter project here in New Mexico.

[@erickdahan7474]

@@stuartbloom2518 Hi Stuart, guess what, I figured I'd make another video. Less bla bla on my parts, straight to the meat, less than 2min. I should be positing it soon. Subscribe and get notifications when I post it! all the best.

[@erickdahan7474]

New video coming up... keep an eye out.

[@erickdahan7474]

kzbin.info/www/bejne/hYjcdIVsn55nbLM pinout

[@PremMenon]

Erick, greetings from Toronto! DE VA3UMA. Great video! Nice footage. I ordered a red one. Getting delayed. Yes, I am in the "Canada group-buy". Wonder what the customs charge was? If it's okay to disclose that info here. If not, no worries. I'll know before Christmas. GL and 73!

[@erickdahan7474]

Greetings from Montreal! I did not pay customs. Got it from AliExpress. There will be groupbuys for the DL2MAN sandwich PCB board productions though. Go on the relevant groups.io list and you will see. cheers

[@PremMenon]

@@erickdahan7474 Thanks Erick! Hope even I get it with customs waived. Yes, I am already in the "group buy" for Canada. 73!

[@tommycheshire5508]

I think that you are using a mic. What size plugs are you using for the mic and the battery connections? Thank you for your time. I think that I am interested in this radio.

[@erickdahan7474]

Mic is standard 3.5mm sizes TRRS (4 ring)} connector. Power adapter is also standard "DC Power 12V 5.5mm x 2.5mm Barrel Male Plug Connector". Radio is interesting but is not without its flaws. See the various review videos and comments on the facebook groups. It's usable from 80-60-40-20M, after that power and harmonics are not good. I made another video on the mic connections, check it out.

[@tommycheshire5508]

@@erickdahan7474 Thank you for the kindness of a response. I shall try to find that video that you mentioned. Thank you again. I think that might be a radio that I would like to play with. N4KBM

[@tommycheshire5508]

I found your video and I think I can do the plug, if I can find one, but I am not at all comfortable opening the radio for modification. I am old with essential tremors which makes this out of my league. I will just have to forget this radio. What a shame.

[@waynerichter3190]

Can you give me a link to your battery pack?

[@nbookie]

Where do you buy the original kit?

[@faulstroth3016]

So Erick, is it worth 215$ ?? the price i see today, im about to order it or not... Did you check the harmonics? it looks it works great in your video but we don't know a lot about these radio pse k VA2GCF

[@erickdahan7474]

Haven't checked out the harmonics. I suspect they are...well...not optimal, but some have reported they were decent (on one of the QRP groups on facebook). Is it worth it at CAD$215? I noticed the prices went up. If you are up to it, and have the time, you can build this based on the DL2MAN 's design, but it's not offered as a kit, so you need to source everything. Will definitely cost less that way. The one knob that does everything annoys me, but that's a tradeoff. Maybe take a look at the Xiegu g1m?

[@faulstroth3016]

@@erickdahan7474 thank you very much for the reply. I was about to order a QCXmini , so i think i'll give a go to the usdx and try it. it can be a nice qrp cw rig too

[@erickdahan7474]

@@faulstroth3016 I would be remiss if I didn't mention dl2man.de/ -- this is the design I believe that was "cloned" by the chinese in making this radio. I recommend you also consider the QCX. I has a breakout board to build a uSDX, or you can simply build it as a CW only rig (does WSPR too). I think we need to be mindful of the designers of the original designs. I just wish there would have been an easy to order kit for the uSDX - I love building rigs.

[@PaoloRendano]

is there a combination of buttons to perform a reset?

[@erickdahan7474]

no idea, don't want to do that until I have more info.

[@itcvlog]

does it AM FM receive/transmit also or just ssb?

[@erickdahan7474]

Last time I tested it, AM/FM on RX/TX was almost unusable. Even the official QCX-SSB github page lists them as "experimental". I will try some tests again, but if this important I would avoid it. Anyway, FM would be only useful on 10M, but this radio performs very poorly on 10M (low power and spurious emissions). See other videos from me and from DL2MAN.

[@itcvlog]

@@erickdahan7474 Thank you for the quik reply.........was just curios......but if you will have the time for it........make some hf AM receive & CB also

[@rajurammaraj1899]

Where it's availability please share

[@erickdahan7474]

It is all over aliexpress. I would recommend waiting if you are able to build your own radio - there may be a kit relesed soon.

[@ca4wqp]

no sera mucho 16 volt para un equipo que opera con 13.8

[@erickdahan7474]

hola, lo siento mi español no es muy bueno. Probé el truco de operar con 14 a 15 V de esa manera, la batería funciona por más tiempo y tiene la ventaja de tener una potencia ligeramente mayor al principio también.

[@amercalifa5592]

Туфта китайская..

[@erickdahan7474]

Я предпочитаю русскую чушь