You [NEED] More Power! - QCX PA 50 Watt Amplifier - pt1

[@Chris-ip8uv]

Outstanding!!! Kester, Hakko (both station and cutters) and the DM! Niiice - this alone deserves multiple thumbs up!

[@temporarilyoffline]

Couldn't agree more! Thanks!

[@lyledal]

I'm looking forward to this series. I'll second what JJ said, this is all very helpful for some of us!

[@temporarilyoffline]

It's good to know they are appreciated!

[@AlanElBee]

Awesome, Steve. Thanks for keeping up the theme, "Cool Hamming On A Budget". Can't believe how expensive some QRP amplifiers are, but this one is a bargain, thanks for keeping QRP Labs in the forefront. K7KS

[@temporarilyoffline]

Hans is good people!

[@owlcricker-k7ulm]

Steve, I have found that using a 12" square of 1½" Styrofoam to sort my parts works well. I put strips of cellophane tape across the front to write the part identification on and then push the wire leads into the foam. Nothing runs away to hide until I get it to solder on the board. I have been using the same foam boards for several years and just replace the tape as needed.

[@temporarilyoffline]

That's a great idea! I love the Ham-genuity!

[@owlcricker-k7ulm]

@Temporarily Offline Ham Radio Give a lazy man a hard job, and he will find an easy way to do it.

[@temporarilyoffline]

Yes, words that I live by!

[@W6IWN_Radio]

Cool project Steve can't wait to see it in action!

[@temporarilyoffline]

Mee Too

[@jeff-73]

YES! awesome series ahead. Your coverage while building this with camera angles is perfect for beginners to follow like me. cheers

[@temporarilyoffline]

Awesome, thank you!

[@DaveW6OOD]

I have one I need to build, thanks for the build along resource.

[@temporarilyoffline]

No problem! Let me know how your's goes!

[@JonathanKayne]

Indeed a 78L05 is a 5v linear voltage regulator. It can't handle much current in the TO92 package so you typically only encounter them in the TO220 package (the package with the heatsink is a TO220)

[@temporarilyoffline]

Thanks for the info! I'm looking forward to your FT-818 CW POTA Vid.

[@JonathanKayne]

@@temporarilyoffline video should be public already

[@temporarilyoffline]

@@JonathanKayne It is... just waiting until my designated youtube hour.

[@AndyAAzeroAM]

Watching intently, excited to see if you use it with the QDX

[@temporarilyoffline]

We'll see!

[@Philip-KA4KOE]

Reminds me of Dr. Benton Quest telling Race Bannon "MORE POWER!!!" for the Para-Power Ray Gun, episode "The Robot Spy".

[@temporarilyoffline]

Good catch!

[@Philip-KA4KOE]

@@temporarilyoffline kzbin.info/www/bejne/nXqkmmNortF3Z9U

[@thejeffinnerd5115]

OMG TO, You have to ohm-out and or look at a color code cheat sheet for your resistors? Sorry, I did chuckle a bit. $30 is pretty good for this. A perfect companion for my x6100 maybe? I know you will add it to this video series. Staying tuned...

[@temporarilyoffline]

😄🙃 Yep! I will eventually try this with my X6100 - sounds like a fun project too... Soooo Many Fun Projects!

[@DonzLockz]

Great OCD idea to stick them all on paper and label them. I'm gonna have to steal that idea T.O.👍 It's cheap as chips, hope it works okay with the X6100 or 705 too.🤞🙏

[@temporarilyoffline]

It will work fine with those radios - as long as you're not running voice modes, its not designed for those.

[@jameski5oeb668]

Way Cool! Thank You Steve!

[@temporarilyoffline]

Glad you liked it!

[@janiceemery2008]

Thank you Steve, I will try to follow along. I am trying to learn how to solder and I am in the process of ordering some soldering kits on amazon, just to learn how to solder without spending too much money. I would love to kit build. Thank You KO4UWU

[@temporarilyoffline]

The hardest part about soldering is getting the courage to get started. I can honestly say it took me over 20 years from first interest to actually getting a real soldering iron and making something. Very rewarding and now I'm addicted!

[@lanceriffle4841]

I don't mean to be disrespectful but I think its would be important to point out the $14 shipping charge and the $6 credit card charge. My $19 QRP Labs shop clock cost me over $100 with separate shipping charges for the kit , box, and expidited charges unless you wanted to wait 6 months. I like the product and just ordered another QRP Labs product but don't expect the advertised price to be close to what you will pay when your done. Otherwise, enjoy your brand of you tubes and am enjoying this one.

[@temporarilyoffline]

Thanks Lance! I usually leave that stuff out because it varies per customer - in my case I picked this amp, case and a qcx mini+case -- all before the world went away. If I told you how much I paid for shipping, you wouldn't believe it.

[@BurtonChristmasLites]

Like your organization of the layout. Question-Like when you are reading from the meter on one of the caps (15:19), meter reads 347 but you say and write down 390. How does that add up? Robert KD4YDC ps Like your channel and just subscribed :-)

[@temporarilyoffline]

Hey Robert! Welcome! Most electronic parts have a tolerance rating, so you'll very rarely (or very expensively) find one that is exact. So if it's 390±10%, then 347 is close enough. On resistors in particular, there is even a tolerance band that indicates what to expect. Coming from a computer programming background, this bugs me, but it is what it is.

[@brianfields4479]

What fuses would you recomend for the qcx mini and the 50w pa.

[@temporarilyoffline]

I'd check the amp draw, I'd guess the qcx mini is less than 2a on TX. I'm. Ot sure about the PA.

[@brianfields4479]

My qcx pa would not produce very much power, eventually found the 50ohm patch leads I got off the internet were actually 75ohm leads, now with good quality 50ohm leads everything works great. Just thought you might want to pass that on to another person, who might find themselves in the same predicament. 73 zl3xdj

[@temporarilyoffline]

@@brianfields4479 thanks for the tip

[@brianfields4479]

Qcx pa just blew up

[@temporarilyoffline]

That sucks! Time for some troubleshooting! @@brianfields4479

[@mikesmithg0rfd356]

thank you

[@temporarilyoffline]

You're welcome

[@Trent28888]

when tryin to see the numbers on the caps use your phone,zoom in a lil bit then take a pic

[@temporarilyoffline]

Great tip!

[@DrewBarkerOk]

While i love this in every way... its a bit of a misnomer considering QRP is doing with as low a power as possible.. amping it up is no longer QRP...

[@temporarilyoffline]

Yep, but he already named his business

[@R1CBU]

It is a pity that only for CW.

[@caseycollins8579]

I'm planning to use mine with the QDX......

[@temporarilyoffline]

It will do CW and Digital (FT8 types) but not SSB. I bet I could get it to work with the X6100!

[@R1CBU]

@@temporarilyoffline Yes, for digital modes should be fine. There are not many powers need there. I bought RD70 transistors for a homemade /P amplifier

[@CrittendenIV]

I have been needing to build mine too! KJ7NUX

[@temporarilyoffline]

This one took me a year to get started. Too many ham projects going on!

[@JT-py9lv]

2nd again

[@temporarilyoffline]

Always appreciated.

[@BradleyBrown]

Kits always seem so daunting to me. I wouldn't have even attempted the uBitx v4 without my brother's help. I dig your method of taping down the different parts and labeling them on the printer paper. Seems less scary. de KC1JMH

[@temporarilyoffline]

You've heard the old saying: How do you eat an elephant? One bite at a time!