New QRP Labs 5W CW Transceiver Kit.

[gil]

http://qrp-labs.com/qcx.html

Impressive list of features! I have one on order for 80m.

• Easy to build, single-board design, 10 x 8cm, all controls are board-mounted
• Professional quality double-sided, through-hole plated, silk-screen printed PCB
• Choice of single band, 80, 60, 40, 30, 20 or 17m
• Approximately 3-5W CW output (depending on supply voltage)
• 7-16V recommended supply voltage
• Class E power amplifier, transistors run cool... even with no heatsinks
• 7-element Low Pass Filter ensures regulatory compliance
• CW envelope shaping to remove key clicks
• High performance receiver with at least 50dB of unwanted sideband cancellation
• 200Hz CW filter with no ringing
• Si5351A Synthesized VFO with rotary encoder tuning
• 16 x 2 blue backlight LCD screen
• Iambic keyer or straight key option included in the firmware
• Simple Digital Signal Processing assisted CW decoder, displayed real-time on-screen
• On-screen S-meter
• Full or semi QSK operation using fast solid-state transmit/receive switching
• Frequency presets, VFO A/B Split operation, RIT, configurable CW Offset
• Configurable sidetone frequency and volume
• Connectors: Power, 3.5mm keyer jack, 3.5mm stereo earphone jack, BNC RF output
• Onboard microswitch can be used as a simple straight Morse key
• Built-in test signal generator and alignment tools to complete simple set-up adjustments
• Built-in test equipment: voltmeter, RF power meter, frequency counter, signal generator
• Beacon mode, supporting automatic CW or WSPR operation
• GPS interface for reference frequency calibration and time-keeping (for WSPR beacon)

Better hurry on this one guys, there is a limited number available...

Gil.

[cockpitbob]

NICE!  Thanks for posting that.  I just ordered one, also in 80M.  It was $55.30 shipped.  I don't know how they make any money with the prices they charge.  Shipping was cheap enough that I assume they are in the U.S., but I can't find where they are located.

This will be a nice fall project.  Naturally I'll design a 3-D printed box and make a few available for members here that have been around a while.

[gil]

Awesome Bob. By the way I have made the Nescaf filter, and the video is set aside for when I won't have anything to post on Youtube. The only issue with this new kit is having to cut a rectangle window in an aluminum case... Oh well... Other than that it's great!

Looks like I have serial #254.

Gil.

[Sparks]

... I assume they are in the U.S., but I can't find where they are located.

I also wondered about that. This is what I found out. The owner of QRP Labs is a British ham:

G0UPL Hans Summers. — Email: hans.summers@gmail.com

Check Podcast Episode #125 here:

As a 2009 QRP ARCI Hall of Fame inductee - Hans Summers, G0UPL, is an electronic experimenter and amateur radio innovator extraordinaire. Hans pays careful attention to compact and minimal parts count to achieve the design goals of his homebrew projects. Hans is the owner of QRP Labs joins Eric, 4Z1UG, in a conversation about QRSS slow data transmissions, high altitude balloon transmitters, and shares his ham radio and electronic builder story.

Websites:
http://www.hanssummers.com/home.html
https://www.qrp-labs.com/
https://shop.qrp-labs.com/
https://www.facebook.com/QRPlabs/
https://groups.yahoo.com/neo/groups/QRPLabs/info

Edit: I removed his complete home address, found on QRZ.com. All other information is publicly available.

[cockpitbob]

Gil, I can't wait to hear what you think of the filter.  I built my filter and Pico-Keyer and but haven't quite finished the box to put them in, so I haven't tried the filter yet.

Sparks, thanks for the background on qrp-labs.com.  I got the sense they were from across the big pond, which makes the low shipping cost impressive.

[gil]

Same here Bob, no case yet. The filter works fine. It does add a bit of complexity to a rig with the added wires. A better thing to do might be putting it in a box along with the transceiver PCB... Or making a battery/filter/speaker box...

Gil.

[caulktel]

I've been looking at this QRP Labs kit all week and finally decided to order a 20 meter version. It looks pretty complex for the price. Now I will have to brush up on my CW skills. I hope somebody makes a after market case for it, I bet they do.

Joel
N6ALT

[swxx]

Thanks Gil! So great and useful to be on RadioPreppers.com! I bit the bullet immediately, as need at least ONE QRP rig sooner than later, while I dilly and dally and save up for e.g. PFR-3b. I ordered one for 30m. Impressive that it has a CW decoder built in, not much use if you cannot send CW, but useful perhaps for when you are sleeping and someone else is keeping watch on frequency. Nice that it has, presumably also beacon mode, for auto CQ. I chose 30m due to all-round propagation: possible for DX every day (or night) but also good regional coverage. In higher latitudes not as useful as 40m, and not nearly as many stations available as on 40m, but, I like the DX. Noise levels there during TWAWKI are also much lower. But for portable use and TEOTWAWKI probably 40m would have been much more useful. One can always order another one hopefully, later, always good to have 2 different rigs in case one breaks.

[swxx]

Caulktel I hope there is a case too. Still, it'll work without one, we hope :-)
Shipping is from China. If they smuggle them across to Laos it'd be even cheaper!
I'll report my number when known so we can see how fast they are going, I bet fast.
Good voltage range 8-14V wonder if 8V really produces 3W and how much 12V produces.
200Hz CW filter with no ringing sounds good, though hopefully it also allows filter to be off/wide?

[swxx]

Got my serial number, it is over 600! "your order is a PRE-order for a kit from the second batch of 500, which is expected mid-September." Unsurprisingly this is popular. Unsurprisingly many found out about it before we did, but I'd not have known if not for RadioPreppers.com!

[cockpitbob]

I ordered mine a few days ago and it's serial number 301.  I just checked their website and to they just shipped #175.  Looks like I got in just before a big run on them.

[swxx]

You should have told me I'd have ordered mine a few days ago  ;D

[caulktel]

SWXX,

Mine is number 628. Also, I believe Hans ships from Japan.

Joel
N6ALT

[caulktel]

Gil,

According to the instructions you are going to have to wind your toroid messy because it's for 80 meters, sorry:-(

Joel
N6ALT

[gil]

Darn, oh well... I wish I could also get one for 30m too. I was just thinking that if I bought a 2-band K1 I would choose 30 and 80m... If I could have only one single band radio I would get a 40m rig, but I already have a bunch of those...

Gil

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