Super bit of kit. I've had mine about 6 months. No problems until I changed bands without retuning my ATU. I blew the BS170s, I had some in stock from previous projects. Pain in the neck getting the old ones out. Replaced them and output is now fractionally higher (5W on 20 metres rather than 4.5).
I just got one of these, I'm impressed, I'm in the UK, just made 4 European contacts within an hour, 20 and 40 Meters, using a Comet CHA-250BXII..nice one 👍
Thanks for the demonstration! I have been a ham since the 1970s and this is my first commercial QRP radio but it is different from yours. Yours is a USDX+ mine is a USDR+ with the orange bands around the case (which means that it is a knock off) but I set mine up using your settings and it it is working like it should. I can't wait until I can get it into the field and see how well it works.
Ive got one also, its taken days to work out but i managed to set it up for data... I want to update the software but much confusion on the do's and dont's... These are so easy to brick if not correctly setup to update the code..
Mostly right, but that's not what the Reference Frequency setting is for. This radio uses an Si5351a clock generator for generating the local oscillator signals, and that chip can use either a 24.000000 MHz or 27.000000 MHz crystal. There are many builders of the uSDX radio, and some of them choose to use the 24 MHz crystal, while others choose 27 MHz. This setting is so that you can use the same firmware on both variations of the design.
Thanks for the helpful video. Have the USDX+ arriving tomorrow. I bought it just for the novelty and the price was just a bit over $100. It's not good that the manufacturer of these rigs would have a menu where certain settings would destroy the radio. One thing I'll want to do is take a look at how the final RF transistor(s) are heatsinked.
Thank you so much for making this. I am SERIOUSLY considering buying one of these radios. IF I can find a reliable source. I am considering it for one reason. PRICE. I know it is low power. But it covers all the U.S. General class bands. The next radio that I would consider would be the XEIGU G90 but that is $400 more. That is a lot of money for me. On the plus side the G90 can go up to 20 watts, has a built in antenna tuner that people say can turn a coat hanger, and a pretty decent cw decoder. But the cheapest one I have been able to find is $499!!!!. So I may go with one of these USDXes. Ironically the MFJ-1625 antenna that I have to have because I live in an apartment will cost more than the radio!!
I have a uSDX+ and am very happy with it. I use it for listening a lot I use it to "scan around" to see what's happening on different bands I use it for QRP I also bought a similar looking HF amp. Which works. I also bought a 0.2-10w ATU antenna tuner I use it to learn CW as it has both a morse decoder and a practice setting. It sits on top of my Yaesu ft891. I made lots of comparison tests between them. When a station was weak, I quickly swapped the antenna coax to the other and compared.... Yes, the Yaesu is better, and there's a reason I jokingly call it "my precioussss" The uSDX+ can work off a li-ion 12v battery pack as big as a pack of cigarettes... What convinced me was a YT with one in Florida doing POTA and after talking with others right across the US, he got through to one in ALASKA !!!! The second time he'd ever done that ever... Hope this helps... P.S. If you live in an apartment, go mobile. Meaning, buy a whip antenna, magnet mount and go out to great places and have tons of fun An English YT'er called Tim G4TM is very helpful.
Can this be set to receive on 2.5, 5, 10, 15, and 20 MHz, and then adjusting the reference frequency for 0 beats on WWV/WWVH here in the states, or are those frequencies locked out?
I have a USDX plus just like yours, it works great as a receiver BUT the broadcast audio on SSB Lower side band sounds very distorted....like it's overdriving the amplifier, it sounds saturated.... Any fixes?
Any aerial will do so long as it's tuned for the band you're using. I use a 90' random wire for the lower bands with a tuner or a 5/8th vertical "silver rod" for 10 & 12m
@davidclifford2804 The ATU-100 is no good for this. You want the QRP version. ATU-10 or ATU-40 works fine. Any manual tuner capable of 10W will work too.
When you say kill the output do you mean killing the TX? I did try a couple of TX's before looking up the settings when i saw I wasnt getting a reading on my tinysa, I see a reading on my tinysa now and I tried to listen to myself but it says a little bad, but maybe thats because the Quansheng can only receive ssb and I was transmitting in LSB? Its getting me a little worried
@@bobinnes2413 You can adjust this in one of the menues. It's the clock adjustment. I no longer have one to check for you, but when going through the menues, you want the one that shows 2700000 in the display and adjust that.
Super bit of kit. I've had mine about 6 months. No problems until I changed bands without retuning my ATU. I blew the BS170s, I had some in stock from previous projects. Pain in the neck getting the old ones out. Replaced them and output is now fractionally higher (5W on 20 metres rather than 4.5).
I just got one of these, I'm impressed, I'm in the UK, just made 4 European contacts within an hour, 20 and 40 Meters, using a Comet CHA-250BXII..nice one 👍
Thanks for the demonstration! I have been a ham since the 1970s and this is my first commercial QRP radio but it is different from yours. Yours is a USDX+ mine is a USDR+ with the orange bands around the case (which means that it is a knock off) but I set mine up using your settings and it it is working like it should. I can't wait until I can get it into the field and see how well it works.
I no longer have it now.
Great info thanks. Just received this exact model today and this was just what I was looking for.
Ive got one also, its taken days to work out but i managed to set it up for data... I want to update the software but much confusion on the do's and dont's... These are so easy to brick if not correctly setup to update the code..
Mostly right, but that's not what the Reference Frequency setting is for. This radio uses an Si5351a clock generator for generating the local oscillator signals, and that chip can use either a 24.000000 MHz or 27.000000 MHz crystal. There are many builders of the uSDX radio, and some of them choose to use the 24 MHz crystal, while others choose 27 MHz. This setting is so that you can use the same firmware on both variations of the design.
Thanks for the helpful video. Have the USDX+ arriving tomorrow. I bought it just for the novelty and the price was just a bit over $100. It's not good that the manufacturer of these rigs would have a menu where certain settings would destroy the radio. One thing I'll want to do is take a look at how the final RF transistor(s) are heatsinked.
No heatsinks
Thank you so much for making this. I am SERIOUSLY considering buying one of these radios. IF I can find a reliable source.
I am considering it for one reason. PRICE. I know it is low power. But it covers all the U.S. General class bands. The next radio that I would consider would be the XEIGU G90 but that is $400 more. That is a lot of money for me. On the plus side the G90 can go up to 20 watts, has a built in antenna tuner that people say can turn a coat hanger, and a pretty decent cw decoder. But the cheapest one I have been able to find is $499!!!!. So I may go with one of these USDXes. Ironically the MFJ-1625 antenna that I have to have because I live in an apartment will cost more than the radio!!
I have a uSDX+ and am very happy with it.
I use it for listening a lot
I use it to "scan around" to see what's happening on different bands
I use it for QRP
I also bought a similar looking HF amp. Which works.
I also bought a 0.2-10w ATU antenna tuner
I use it to learn CW as it has both a morse decoder and a practice setting.
It sits on top of my Yaesu ft891. I made lots of comparison tests between them. When a station was weak, I quickly swapped the antenna coax to the other and compared....
Yes, the Yaesu is better, and there's a reason I jokingly call it "my precioussss"
The uSDX+ can work off a li-ion 12v battery pack as big as a pack of cigarettes...
What convinced me was a YT with one in Florida doing POTA and after talking with others right across the US, he got through to one in ALASKA !!!! The second time he'd ever done that ever...
Hope this helps...
P.S.
If you live in an apartment, go mobile. Meaning, buy a whip antenna, magnet mount and go out to great places and have tons of fun
An English YT'er called Tim G4TM is very helpful.
Get one, they are good 👍
@@RobBob555 7:24
thanks for the answers
Thanks Bud, ya got me started!
Once you have working settings, leave it alone. And don't try to get more than 5W. Not worth it...
As a seasoned qrper, 5 watts is high for me anyway ;) Many thanks!@@m0jcfhamradio75
Great primer, just picked one up from amazon today. Regards m0kty
What type of antenna works with this device?
Can this be set to receive on 2.5, 5, 10, 15, and 20 MHz, and then adjusting the reference frequency for 0 beats on WWV/WWVH here in the states, or are those frequencies locked out?
hello from Warsaw,Poland-so i got same TRX but i got 2500000000 set in (MENU 8.3)-thanks for a nice video,73?
What is the most useful antenna for this device?
@@lobopaieurope That depends 9n the band you want to work on.
I use a 5/8th vertical for 10m and a 27m random wire for 40 60 & 80m
I have a USDX plus just like yours, it works great as a receiver BUT the broadcast audio on SSB Lower side band sounds very distorted....like it's overdriving the amplifier, it sounds saturated....
Any fixes?
I never used mine with an amp.
They're class E. Try lowering the bias max & min.
@@m0jcfhamradio75 What do you set the PA bias max or min at? It sounds distorted even without an amplifier, just direct connection to an antenna
I no longer have one, but I show the settings in this video...
So I take it that this radio does not have the built in swr or does that come with firmware update? Great video by the way.
No idea at this time.
I saw no SWR meter settings but I'd still use an external one.
I just bought one and am going to receive soon a ATU 100 which should help me with antenna matching and shows SWR, pwr, etc
@@PeterJavea ATU-100 may not work. You need the ATU-10
@@m0jcfhamradio75 thanks. I'm going to look into this tomorrow. :-)
I have one the Same model Came with no Arial what Arial do I need for this Rig? Can you tell me thanks for your video
Any aerial will do so long as it's tuned for the band you're using.
I use a 90' random wire for the lower bands with a tuner or a 5/8th vertical "silver rod" for 10 & 12m
@@m0jcfhamradio75 Thank you for your quick reply and your time
Thank you for this. Mine came without a manual, and as a total beginner I was stuffed. Great info.
Hi guys what atu would you use with this set beeline looking at the cheap Chinese auto one one eBay
@davidclifford2804 The ATU-100 is no good for this.
You want the QRP version.
ATU-10 or ATU-40 works fine.
Any manual tuner capable of 10W will work too.
Thank you sir (:
vklyuchite subtitry, spasibo
When you say kill the output do you mean killing the TX? I did try a couple of TX's before looking up the settings when i saw I wasnt getting a reading on my tinysa, I see a reading on my tinysa now and I tried to listen to myself but it says a little bad, but maybe thats because the Quansheng can only receive ssb and I was transmitting in LSB? Its getting me a little worried
Yes. Blow the final RF transistors.
@@m0jcfhamradio75 It still seems to be transmitting tho so hopefully i got lucky
@@m0jcfhamradio75 someone said my mic sounds over modulated/really bad, but im looking inside and i cant see any signs of anything thats been blown
Is there any bands that you can talk on without a license with this radio?
Not really. But it will do 11m/CB
on the monitor it reads P instead of T when transmitting. How is this.?
I never noticed.
Unfortunately I've now sold it so I can't check for you.
I believe it is for CW Practice Mode. If enabled your CW keying will not actually transmit.
how do you set for a paddle on CW?
I've not. I don't do CW despite having both straight and paddle keys.
seems like it cuts off in the middle of a sentence
I knocked the phone off the stand at the end so left it there.
I'd covered the settings.
I have a white button uSDX - when I go to USB, the frequency is 500hz out! Am I dreaming? Has anybody noticed this?
@@bobinnes2413 You can adjust this in one of the menues.
It's the clock adjustment.
I no longer have one to check for you, but when going through the menues, you want the one that shows 2700000 in the display and adjust that.
Tnx, will try this, but it will also affect the LSB as well.