(tr)uSDX - First SSB Voice Test - Amazing!

[@OneGunBrad]

DL2MAN has videos on how to calibrate. It’s just a matter of transmitting on CW, monitoring the transmission on a receiver, and then adjusting the “reference frequency”. Not difficult to do. After you get it done, notate the reference frequency as you’ll need it anytime you update firmware. Let’s see if this will link - DL2MAN’s video on calibration - kzbin.info/www/bejne/gqG0paR_p7t5hc0si=qHf5Kwrsqi19kVmi

[@devinhedge]

Beat me to it. Can vouch for the instructions.

[@TheTechPrepper]

Saw that. It works great now. Thanks.

[@kc8owl]

I am really surprised at that little rig. If this was an emergency you absolutely would have made it to someone in the group. Great net today! 73

[@TheTechPrepper]

You're as surprised as I am. It looks like in an emergency, I would have been able to get through. Yes, great net.

[@slick8086]

@@TheTechPrepper Nice Mystery Ranch pack, I have that one too!

[@Matthew-KN4QHQ]

Wow, crazy cool. I was mistaken, I really didn’t pay attention to this radio. I truthfully thought of it as a CW radio. Any SSB would be sub par. Thank you for proving me wrong! We are at a good time in radio tech for sure.

[@k4ary]

OK, I bit the bullet and purchased the truSDX and the Talentcell! I have thought about this for a while now. My plan is to use it more on the digital side but with this video, it finalized my decision! Thank you for the true, down to earth videos with both right and wrong, tried and true tested avenues! Keep up the great work!! 73

[@TheTechPrepper]

The truSDX is easily dismissed. Heck, I intentionally ignored it for the last two years as it looked like a toy. However, it has a lot of utility for ultra light travel at the price point it commands. I hope you enjoy yours. If you don't like it, I'll buy it off you for a $100 USD. ;-)

[@jameslee522]

For the price everyone should have one as a backup. Or just something to always keep in the truck. Its like a baofeng. Not the greatest, but does work. I still think it shines best at CW and data modes.

[@TheTechPrepper]

Agreed. It's great for digital, especially given the size and price.

[@KN4OKadventures]

I saw you at Huntsville twice and could not get a chance to meet. The (tr)uSDX can do several modes that makes it a great radio

[@TheTechPrepper]

What? Say, "hello" next time. It was a good show. 73

[@wheeler7973]

Looks like a great little rig will need to look into them.

[@TheTechPrepper]

Enjoy.

[@gregrush6570]

QRP Labs is almost ready to release the multi-band QMX for SSB use. At the moment it is only CW or Digital. You can build it yourself or pay $50 extra for complete radio. Once the SSB development is complete, it will make the (tr)uSDX in comparison similar to the Baofeng is to your VX6R. It's a ton more robust and the display is much easier to read. I built mine as a kit. My 2nd FT8 contact was over 3,800 miles in Brazil with about 4W on 40M. I was thrilled and can't wait for the SSB software release. The unit has built in microphone, but won't know how good it is until the SSB software release. The QMX also requires earbuds or external speaker. As for that new GigiParts carbon fiber mast, I just got mine and love it!

[@TheTechPrepper]

I was an early adopter of the QDX and QMX and have blown the finals three times. I am looking forward to the upcoming SSB support however.

[@gregrush6570]

@@TheTechPrepper it seems some of the early versions did have issues, and they are sensitive to overvoltage and exposure to higher SWR. There are protections added now, so those issues seems less common, and V4 of the QMX is definitely an improvement. It is extremely cool though that there are competitors out there fighting for our business, listening to customer requests and demands, and trying to out-do each other. We all benefit and it's truly amazing how far and how fast these radios are progressing with SDR technology. I'll also throw in my comments that your field exercises are by far the best videos you produce. They teach us to expect issues, show us that success is possible, and maybe expect to improvise, and that is inspiring.

[@delta9jms]

@@gregrush6570 am I correct in my understanding that the QMX+, with its SWR bridge, will protect me from having the same problems that @TheTechPrepper had with the finals blowing out. I have watched his videos on the QDX vs the (tr)uSDX and as a new ham/technician I would like to give FT8/QRP a try but concerned in my lack of knowledge with antenna. So thinking the QMX+ offers a little insurance policy with that SWR bridge. I found a ham willing to assemble the QMX+ for the same $ that QRP labs charges, so going to order the kit and have it mailed directly to him. Just trying to decide that the QMX+ will be something I won't get bored with.

[@justawfulgamer7738]

they need to hurry up

[@vuxvux7812]

Not to be surprise to you after all,, but I have done about five WW class contest with this "toy" and I was very much satisfied with it on SSB, always using stock internal mic. Definitely worth of every cent. GL with it!

[@TheTechPrepper]

Interesting. Well done. It seems be worth every penny.

[@douglasvamateurradioandmore]

I am now really considering getting one of these little radios.

[@kennygraves489]

Been eyeing this radio for a min now. Plan to keep in my jeep or possibly in go bag.

[@TheTechPrepper]

Good call. Same. When paired with a small EFHW, it could be a handy emergency HF station. Good luck!

[@kennygraves489]

@@TheTechPrepper copy that I was thinking efhw or maybe linked dipole possibly. Love the videos, keep them up!!

[@TheTechPrepper]

@@kennygraves489 I am a fan of linked dipoles, but they take more time to set up. Personally, if I need to squeeze out more performance when operating QRP, I'll take the time set on up. If you need speed, there's nothing like an EFHW for a quick deployment.

[@kennygraves489]

@TheTechPrepper I can't figure out digital to save my life. So I figure if I'm ssb only I want the best antenna possible to get my signal out in a emergency situation.

[@MrJakeXXL]

Well this explains why you were coming in just above the noise floor into NorCal on Saturday. Not bad though for being 680 kHZ off and only pushing 5W!

[@TheTechPrepper]

I took this weekend's net as an opportunity to test some new gear. Normally, I'm running 100 watts with IC-7200 at the home QTH. Thanks for joining and dealing with the poor audio. It's really hard to complain about the received or transmitted audio given the price point.

[@N4EJM]

Man that’s pretty awesome. About to get one of those.

[@TheTechPrepper]

It's hard not to give it a shot for the price. Enjoy!

[@TangoOscarMikeN3WS]

+1 for having a cute K9 companion. It never hurts to have another tool. The FX-4CR is another radio that I wouldn't mind trying out, but they are hard to come buy.

[@TheTechPrepper]

The pups are great backcountry companions. I've been interested in the FX-4CR has been on my list, too.

[@kb8m203]

Great video. Nice job! I have a (tr)uSDX as well. Just haven't put it on the air yet. Guess I better get at it!

[@TheTechPrepper]

Yes, you should. ;-)

[@dadsrcworkbench1322]

I have the stock TruSDX and the high band board. Love that little radio. Tune it into wwv on AM to calibrate it correctly according to videos I have seen.

[@KS2HEL87]

Actually, tune to WWV/WWVH on USB and change to LSB. Adjust the reference until there is no or little difference in pitch between USB and LSB You'll be spot on.

[@thebnbaldwin]

Awesome! I'm sure TruSDX will be sold out this week. LOL I'll wait, too much get I haven't worked with since I bought it. Cheers!

[@TheTechPrepper]

The jury is still out on this little guy. For the price and utility, I could not resist breaking my own 2024 rule of "no new radios."

[@thebnbaldwin]

@@TheTechPrepper LOL Keep on keepin' on brother!

[@Spencer.76]

I've had this radio in a drawer for over 2 years... Time to pull it out and build the high-band kit that i've been putting off...

[@TheTechPrepper]

Good luck. It's worth exploring for use as an ultra lightweight backup HF rig.

[@Spencer.76]

@@TheTechPrepper I agree

[@ke8mattj]

Thank you for the test. I wonder how much of a major difference it was getting your antenna way higher than you normally do?

[@TheTechPrepper]

There's no way to tell as I was operating in a different part of the country. For it to be a bit more scientific, I would need to run both configurations in the same location as the same time.

[@brickerhaus]

Is there a pot inside for adjusting that? I really want to get a kit under one pound. I like how you painted yours too. Awesome!

[@jyunte]

Calibration is a menu item. Select it and spin the dial.

[@TheTechPrepper]

It's menu driven. It's pretty simple to tune in with another radio. Thanks. I like the paint job, too.

[@kf5hcr176]

Thank you for your test. Useable info. My trusdx does well on SSB and droidpsk on my android phone. I have the sdx also, but its a clone and I prefer not to reward copyright theives, so my back up will be another trusdx. I really like the developer, very helpful man. I use an hfsignals ubitx on 40 meters as my daily mobile radio and I get in all over Texas on the 7290 net. As you know, antenna is 90% of radio performance. My power is from theee 18650s and a solar charger. Take care and thanks again 73

[@TheTechPrepper]

Thanks for the run down on your gear. Do you get much activity with PSK31?

[@eliezercohen2205]

I think I'm convinced I want to get one to keep in my pack.

[@TheTechPrepper]

I can't make any promises about reliability or how it will work in the long run, but I am pleasantly surprised and will keep one as a backup rig from now on.

[@Blue-Collar-Radio]

Very nice! Ive had one for arpund a year or so. I havent had much time to experiment with it. Maybe ill trya POTA with it soon.

[@TheTechPrepper]

Use head phones. The audio quality is still not great, but it's orders of magnitude better than the onboard speaker. Have fun taking yours for a test spin.

[@akiddoo8113]

Good job! How did you do the paint job? Really like it.

[@TheTechPrepper]

Thanks. It was straight forward. This was actually the first time that I've painted anything with a rattle can. 1. I bought two cans of spray from Ace: satin khaki and satin espresso. 2. I disassembled the case. 3. I sprayed the undersides of the case pieces with the lighter khaki color. Then waited to dry for one hour. I have single digit humidity, so dry times are fast out here. 4. I flipped the cases pieces over and painted the front with same khaki and let it dry for another hour. 5. I cut up an avocado bag and used it for the pattern. 6. Then, I sprayed a dusting of the espresso. 7. After 2 hours of dry time, I reassembled the case.

[@CivilDefenseEngineer]

Have you been able to run JS8Call on it? We are struggling with ours. We were trying to do it without a Digirig, using only USB connection. But I think the Digirig may be required.

[@TheTechPrepper]

I intentionally avoided the USB interface for digital modes due to reports of instability. This device is already a compromise for my style of operation, so I went with a sure thing and used the DigiRig Lite. It works great. Good luck with the USB interface.

[@jyunte]

I've had nothing but trouble with my (tr)uSDX, especially on digital modes using a digirig. It works on FT8, but doesn't output any power on JS8Call. Kind of hard to keep all the problems straight! Bought it through one of the official sources a year ago and have used it twice, spending two entire days in the field and many days in the shack trying to get it to work. Have made one SSB QSO and zero digital contacts in a year! Julian, N3JF

[@jyunte]

Just recalibrated the (tr)uSDX again. Transmitted CW is pretty clean. SSB audio is so distorted it's not really comprehendable. Additionally, there are clicks and pops when it transmits. I'm transmitting into a dummy load and receiving on an IC-7300 with a small piece of wire as the antenna. The IC-7300 has full attenuation switched on and RF gain turned on, so it's not being over driven. It's a shame, I wanted to keep this radio in the car for emergencies, but it's pretty useless and the authorized seller in China didn't respond to emails.

[@sypher4912]

Good morning Gaston!

[@TheTechPrepper]

Morning! Although, it's the evening now. MinuteMan modem!

[@nsmaid]

Would be interested in learning more about how you setup the guy-wires for the POTA 20 on one of your upcoming videos.

[@TheTechPrepper]

This was the first deployment, so I'll need more testing time before making a dedicated video. I'm using the same guy kit that I've been using with my Carbon 6. Search for my Anti Field Day 2023 video. I believe I covered the setup.

[@douglasvamateurradioandmore]

I will see if I can hear on the next week.

[@TheTechPrepper]

Roger.

[@diegogarciamedina6363]

great rig and great K9

[@TheTechPrepper]

Thanks. I'll take the K9 any day over the radio. He has a couple of snake kills under his belt and has a hefty mice and pack rat body count.

[@davidnelson6889]

Thanks for the video. I always love seeing you try new things and especially love seeing your antenna setup. Keep up the great work. 73 W1UTE

[@TheTechPrepper]

You're in luck... I filmed another ad-hoc video this morning in the field with new experiments. Thanks for the support.

[@PauloNeuenschwander]

Hey Gaston! Nice video man! I've heard good things about this radio. For the price it's a good option. But people say that it really shines in CW mode. On the other price tag spectrum it would be the new Yaesu FTX 1F. Have you seen it in the ham radio fair you went? Here in Sweden it will be available next spring. Have a blessed week man! Paulo SA5PEN

[@TheTechPrepper]

Thanks. No, the new FTX-1F was not at the Huntsville Hamfest. I'm actually a bit disappointed with the updated design. If Yaesu opted for 20 watts, I could get behind it a bit more. I'm not a fan of the form factor or screen for field work. We'll have to wait and see. I still put in my $35 USD reservation with Ham Radio Outlet just in case. Cheers from the US.

[@k5wxp22]

Pretty darned cool, but I would lose it in the desert with that paintjob you did. 😂 Might have to add one of these to my kit. 73, Brett

[@TheTechPrepper]

It blends in pretty well. Tim's antenna is actually the one that is really easy to misplace. The tan matching unit and brown wire are nearly invisible.

[@stevesummersell_K4WXX]

The smile on your face says it all 🤣

[@TheTechPrepper]

I didn't think it was going to work. The smile was pure surprise.

[@MagicRoosterBluesBand]

The uSDR I find a better radio and bargain, as it has a built-in battery that seems to last forever, better sound, bigger screen, same price as the uSDX.

[@TheTechPrepper]

I'll check it out. Thanks. This was impulse purchase prior to recent trip to Huntsville. Now that I'm back home, I'll be using my 818ND. This was an experiment for lightweight, space constrained air travel.

[@philipwells2793]

Through an external speaker or head phones the sound quality is very good. The speaker was added for completeness, but the designers acknowledge the sound through that speaker is bad.

[@TheTechPrepper]

I agree. The audio is considerably better with external headphones or speakers. I carry a 3.5mm Bluetooth audio adapter with this kit and pair it with my Air Pods. Unfortunately, I had to use the audio over the speaker to share it with KZbin during this exercise. Either way, at this price point, size and weight, I have no complaints with the (tr)uSDX.

[@N2EWSRadio]

I've had one for over a year. Still haven't tried it out.

[@TheTechPrepper]

Take it out. It might surprise you.

[@fredericf4eed]

I have this very nice toy, for emcom hear in France. A very good choice

[@TheTechPrepper]

It's a bit of toy, but it has a ton of value for what it is. Cheers from the U.S.

[@douglasvamateurradioandmore]

Where did you source the s clips?

[@TheTechPrepper]

On Amazon, but Ace Hardware and Home Depot carry them. Nite Ize Size-2 S-Biner

[@thedeak]

Any idea the actual output? The Amazon link says qrp but nothing more accurate

[@thedeak]

I saw one mention of 5w

[@SeamasterSig]

@@thedeak It is designed to put out 5w @ 13.8v and 0.5w @ 5v (i.e. powered via micro usb), but it will work safely within that range, so you can tweak the output as desired or based on whatever batteries you have on hand. For example, you can run it for a very long time with a 9v battery. I think you can safely push it a little harder than 5w, for example with four 18650 b atteries @ 14.8v for maybe 5.5-6 watts. But it's hardly worth the risk, as the real-world effect from such a slight increase is negligible.

[@brandonporter4227]

Good signal, but that sure was a rough copy. I have to imagine it would be better if it had a better quality speaker. Nice work though!

[@TheTechPrepper]

The audio is rough through the speaker, but it will work in a pinch. If I wasn't recording, I would have used my headphones. It has better audio.

[@magwhyte]

Does anyone know of a microphone that works out of the box? FYI, I suck at soldering. :-)

[@SeamasterSig]

Unfortunately, there are none (as of this time) and likely never will be. The (tr)uSDX was never intended to be an "out-of-the-box" radio. There are good instructions on how to McGuyver an active speaker-mic using a Retevis HK008 on the dl2man forum, which is a substantial improvement in particular over the onboard speaker. Following those instructions I managed to build an adapter for the HK008 instead of cutting into the mic cable - and I'm not very good at soldering either. If you don't feel confident enough to give it a try, your next-best alternative is to buy the materials and find someone you know who will do it for you.

[@magwhyte]

@@SeamasterSig Thank you. That gives me a direction to try out. 73

[@TheTechPrepper]

Thanks for the info. Personally, I see this as an emergency radio. The hand mic adds too much bulk to this ultra compact operating use case.

[@firewaterforgeofarizona4304]

You must be in the Cave Creek area.

[@TheTechPrepper]

Bingo. I was filming in the Tonto National Forest at one of my favorite camp spots.

[@firewaterforgeofarizona4304]

@@TheTechPrepper The real giveaway was Skull Mesa in the background. Been all over those hills, been here almost 40 years. Hope to run into you sometime. Looks like a hillpeople chest rig, I keep the essentials for survival in mine. Had to use them once, but that's another story.

[@TheTechPrepper]

@@firewaterforgeofarizona4304 Those a pretty prominent features. I have climbed all those peaks and have activated all of them for Summits on the Air. I keep the essentials in mine, too. Cheers.

[@dougdaniels]

Is that the new K8MRD designed mast?

[@nsmaid]

Explorer POTA 20. Yes from K8MRD.

[@nvrumi]

After a buddy recommended it, I ordered one from Gigaparts. It arrived a couple of days ago and is recommended. I'm going to ditch the Carbon 6 as an inferior product. It has a use case, but not for me.

[@TheTechPrepper]

Roger. I picked it up in Huntsville last week. It is absolutely replacing my SOTABEAMS Carbon 6. The top sections are all usable and eyelet works great as an attachment point.

[@JamisonCam]

132 Gerlach Point

[@MichaelLeo]

Be careful where you source trusdx from...there are fakes out there. calibrating the freq is important....it's a "known first step" when you get it out of the box. I found a published net and tuned into the freq and I couldn't hear them....then move my calibration until I could. People also say you can use the RBN, but I'm not sure how that works.

[@TheTechPrepper]

Excellent point. How do you identify a counterfeit? I ordered mine on Amazon as I needed to get one a couple of days before leaving town.

[@jyunte]

​@@TheTechPrepper DL2MAN lists the authorized suppliers on his website. If they're counterfeit, the serial number printed on the label on the bag the radio was packed in when you got it will not allow you to download a firmware update. Julian N3JF

[@45auto]

That poor audio quality would drive me bananas.

[@TheTechPrepper]

Like I said, it's for an emergency. The audio is better with headphones.

[@vh5785]

Your thumbs up isnt working brother.

[@johng.3740]

I have a USDX plus and it works well on SSB, the only problem is that it is difficult to communicate with people locally,...yeah you can communicate with people who just happen to be at the right place and time where the ionosphere path allows for a clear low power transmission...it's somewhat random. From what I can glean, if you want reliable local communication, say 300 mile radius, say using NVIS....you need power and lots of it like 1000 watts plus. I built a DX Engineering NVIS antenna, went 23 miles away from my residence and tried to communicate using 100 watts and... nothing they couldn't hear me

[@TheTechPrepper]

Actually, I made contact with about a dozen of the operators in my known group as shown in this video. None of the contacts where random. We specifically hold an NVIS net for the Southwest for this purpose. You don't need much power for NVIS in my experience. Respectfully, I fully disagree with the power needs that your stating. I have demonstrated many times on this channel the power of low power comms using NVIS propagation. In fact, I did a video running 6 watts on my FT-818ND and the other operator was running 1.5kw and made the same statement indicating that I was lying about my power output. It is false. Low power works. The could be a different story if you are operating in a noisy urban environment with a high noise floor.

[@johng.3740]

@@TheTechPrepper I live in Phoenix and I drove to Chandler AZ to Pima park to communicate with my house 23 miles away, using 100 watts and an NVIS antenna 4.5 feet off the ground (similar to the one you built) transmitting at 7.030Mhz and nothing. I tried it multiple times. The antenna at my residence is sensitive I can listen to Hams all throughout the bands, during the day it's mostly Local Hams, Prescott, Tucson at night I hear from further away. Maybe we can meet... you can show me what I'm doing wrong. It would be great if you could meet with some of the members of the SouthWest Net and look at their setup, what antennas they use to communicate with you, what Transceivers, the coax they use, do they use any Baluns, do they use any amplifiers all the details.

[@TheTechPrepper]

@@johng.3740 Try an inverted-L configuration with an EFHW. You will get both vertical and horizontal polarization. NVIS is rough on those short distances. I found that NVIS shines in the 50-30 mile range with low power. The vertical portion of the configuration offered by the inverted-L should help fill in the close-in gap using ground and direct wave. Unfortunately, I do not have the bandwidth to inspect people's setups or for 1-on-1 meetups. I am already pushing 80-hours per week between the channel and the day job. Burn out is very close. However, I do make it a point to hit all the local hamfests when I can. This is a great way to meet all the locals. Hope to catch you at the next hamfest.

[@johng.3740]

@@TheTechPrepper Ok, no problem

[@KoljaMineralka]

what's the point of this thing?

[@TheTechPrepper]

It's a good backup option given the be price and size. In my last video, I made the case that it's perfect for ultra light air travel if you're not checking baggage.

[@iu8qtmOndeRadioInCammino]

First of all, congratulations on your great content! I just subscribed to your channel, and I’m also a happy owner of the (tr)uSDX. I’ve been testing it in the field recently, and I really love this project. It’s small, lightweight, affordable, and full of potential. Keep up the great work! 73 de IU8QTM Emilio