QRPGuys 3-Way Meter - A $40 Must!

[@classicpicker1588]

Perfect timing. Just received this. I just finished building a QDX and this should be a great kit to help optimize it. Looking forward to the video of you doing just that. Thanks

[@temporarilyoffline]

I feel like I need to clear a day or two to make that happen. Daunting with my schedule, but it WILL happen!

[@Inkling777]

The building is easy. Mine went well but for one solder connection I missed. I figured that out when it didn't work unless I bent the board. The digital read out is great since it allows a more accurate comparisons of antennas. I only wish it wasn't so QRP. A switchable range that goes up to about 20 watts would be handy.

[@temporarilyoffline]

Yeah, that would be nice!

[@Aimsport-video]

Stop peeking at my project list and doing it just before I do! 😂. Nice video. Excellent info and a great example of a use case where precision is more important than accuracy. When tuning for max, it doesn’t matter if the number is wrong, it’s that higher is higher and lower is lower with precision. Excellent.

[@temporarilyoffline]

This guy gets it!

[@mikedetmar]

Excellent video. Ty! I’ve been thinking about this one. When I build, I’ll review your video again.

[@temporarilyoffline]

Thanks, hope it helps!

[@45auto]

I like the new format with the kit building. And the kit does look like fun.

[@temporarilyoffline]

I'm always trying something different (or maybe I just lost all the audio on the overhead build... you'll never know :-) )

[@dougsmith3353]

Hi Steve, all your assembly tips are spot on! Shows you have lots of experience.

[@temporarilyoffline]

Thanks 👍 I've been building things for a while now and I really enjoy it and sharing it!

[@brianchandler3346]

Really enjoyed the format of this video. Now that I know what I may be walking into with this kit I'm putting it on my 'to order' list for weekend projects. 🤓

[@temporarilyoffline]

Glad it was helpful! Its a fun project... even the !@#$ SWR bridge part

[@Siskiyous6]

The QRPGuys kits I have done were some of the best kits I have purchased.

[@temporarilyoffline]

Its clear they put a lot of thought into what they are doing!

[@caulktel]

I built one of these last year, it works great, the only thing is I would prefer some kind of a case as a option, even something as simple as a Plexiglass case. Thanks for the video.

[@temporarilyoffline]

Here's what I did: www.thingiverse.com/thing:5333701 If you don't have a 3d printer, there are some online places that will print and mail to you.

[@chublez]

Buy standoffs and a bit of plexi?

[@davidm.wilson3736]

Hi Steve, yet another kit for me to build. Finally got the QDX finished today, powered up, no smoke. Now to connect it to the MacBook and my first homemade endfed to see if we can make some ft8 contacts. Chat later. Be safe, David VK2AAW

[@temporarilyoffline]

Sweet! Congrats!

[@DonzLockz]

This confused me, I thought it was the 50w amp. Lol A neat little kit. You do good workmanship Steve.👍

[@temporarilyoffline]

Thanks Don!

[@jamesgeorge1709]

like your techniques made your project turned out really nice. I can tell you are a qrp nut like me, I've been afflicted since 1978. Good web page. 73

[@temporarilyoffline]

Yeah man. I love kit building!

[@jamescstanley5018]

Great tips as always! Being "old", I do not trust myself with colour codes, so usually use my DMM to sort out resisters, and putting all the components on a bit of paper makes them easy to find and check they are all there. also it shows you if you have not fitted a part if any are left over, unless, like a couple of kits I bought on amazon, they chucked in some extra bits! 73 Jim M7BXT

[@temporarilyoffline]

Oh I hate it when they send extra parts! That's how they get ya!

[@jamescstanley5018]

@@temporarilyoffline It depends what they are. Callum used to send extra nuts and bolts for when you lost one in the grass! Now that is customer service! 73 Jim M7BXT

[@jeff-73]

Just the tip of taping the components on the sheet is makes it all worth while lol

[@temporarilyoffline]

Thanks!

[@LifeAtTerminalVelocity]

I have a far less entertaining QRP Labs kit build video on my upcoming list. Nice build vid Steve.

[@temporarilyoffline]

Thanks Carlos, looking forward to your build.

[@tookthe5th182]

Steve, if you put a red lens over the led display, they really pop and you can even see them in daylight. 73, Mike

[@temporarilyoffline]

You're absolutely right! This one doesn't play nice with the camera!

[@RosssRoyce]

What if you stick four plasticine balls in a square and fit the board’s four corners slightly impressed into the plasticine and inch above the table. Then lift, turn, place back, the board as needed! Cheers!

[@temporarilyoffline]

That would work

[@petrok1rp254]

Any calibration procedure available in order to get idea about accuracy?

[@temporarilyoffline]

I would guess you'd need to compare its results to a known good reference and make adjustments to components until they equaled out.

[@the_mad_swimbaiter455]

As always, interesting use cases.

[@temporarilyoffline]

At the very least: Fun!

[@FEPLabsRadio]

Cool little dingus! I would say - if you have one watt meter, you're always sure of the power. When you got 2, you just are never quite sure....

[@temporarilyoffline]

Exactly! Ham dollars are at stake here!

[@norrinradd8952]

I'm enjoying the speed build with commentary format. Maybe next time put your mug up top and flip the hands 180 so it looks like you have speedy little T-rex arms. Thanks TO.

[@temporarilyoffline]

Thanks, that would be funny!

[@LeeMcc_KI5YPR]

I found this a month ago, and commented, but now, a different thought. TO, did you measure the load resistors before installing? Looks like gold stripe for 5%. Are you planning another video with other bands?

[@temporarilyoffline]

I didn't measure the Dummy Load resistors, they were kinda sticking out like they were special among all the parts. This kit is not band specific (other than probably only being good on "HF" bands)

[@AlejandroGonzalez-AGS]

Great little unit…works as described! Thanks for sharing…where about in WI are you? Be safe.. 73, K9YTT

[@temporarilyoffline]

I'm in NW, a town called Luck

[@thejeffinnerd5115]

Sorry for being a dufus again, but around 13:10 when you said you were plugged into a dummy load with the 6100, where was the dummy load? It seemed the meter output wasn't connected to anything. ???

[@temporarilyoffline]

No worries: This device /is/ a dummy load - the 4 big brown resistors are the dummy load and the switch below the right-side BNC turns on/off the using of the dummy load.

[@LeeMcc_KI5YPR]

THAT'S one way to carry emergency paracord. 😄

[@temporarilyoffline]

It came with the early kits... It had been so long since I did a cobra-weave that I forgot how 😀I made a video of my "wrong way to do it" and then finished it up with the right way. Thanks for watching!

[@phildurall7466]

Nice build TO ... also liked the soldering advice. Nice elmerish thoughts Sir! 73 - KF6IF

[@temporarilyoffline]

Glad it was helpful!

[@carlosfelix4057]

Tunning for the most amount of fars? :)

[@temporarilyoffline]

Exactly

[@KK6USYHamRadioAdventures]

Nice kit thanks for sharing TO

[@temporarilyoffline]

You bet

[@JosephVE3GKT]

TO, you are aware this video is unlisted, right?

[@temporarilyoffline]

Thank you, Yes... I have about 30 unlisted videos waiting for release. I love making this stuff! - See if you can find them all before I make them public! (How did you stumble on this one?)

[@JosephVE3GKT]

@@temporarilyoffline it was linked from the nanoVNA stink test IIRC

[@temporarilyoffline]

@@JosephVE3GKT ok, that makes scents.

[@norrinradd8952]

@@temporarilyoffline Hopefully it makes cents, too.

[@temporarilyoffline]

@@norrinradd8952 I sense a joke!

[@don_n5skt]

BTW, soldering T1 was a pain.

[@temporarilyoffline]

YES!