Thanks for the video, Mat. I bought one as a little experimental rig and I have been pleasantly surprised at how well it has worked. It has it's issues but as you point out, for the price point, it's worth it's weight!. I use it for both SSB and FT-8 QRP operation doing POTA (Parks on the Air) with great success. I recently had a SSB contact to Russia from MA in the USA, about 4300 miles, on 10m with it tied to a truck lip mounted MFJ-1979 telescopic whip tuned to 10m and a ATU-100 EXT tuner which was showing 2.1 watts out. I was disappointed that it arrived with no manual but luckily there are a bunch of TH-cam videos like yours that explain some basic settings that can be adjusted for better output. The stock mic is junk but that is also easily remedied. I as I get better at CW I will also try that mode. 73 de KC1NDQ
3 weeks ago, from our 3rd floor hotel room in snowy Portland, Maine, USA on a Elecraft AX-1indoors and on cw, I worked a station in Virginia on 20m cw. It worked fine and I look forward to operating it outdoors with the antenna outdoors too. Thanks for the video, W1AST.
Pity of these radios -- all of 'em I've tested so far -- is the overdriven AF amp. I have a uSDX+ that I've modified to give me a volume control at the input to the AF amp, which tamed the scratchy AF somewhat. If I could figure how to rewire the headphone jack at the front, it would be jsut about perfect. Also, if you use the microphone jack in front, it is configured for the original DL2MAN (now [tr]uSDX) design (shown on the DL2MAN pages). Not a bad radio. And the innards appear to be well appointed. At least the toroids have colors ;-) 73 de W8IJN
Got one. Use it for FT-8 with an end fed, horizontal wire about 12M long and about 3M above the gnd. Works fairly well. However, I did have to reverse Txd and Rxd on the CAT connection to get my PC to see it. (using a usb 2 ttl convertor) Thanks for your video.
This is my first time seeing this radio. I admit I haven't done much searching, but do you have a link to somewhere that describes how to hook up the PC to the radio in order to run FT8? I will go see what I can find on Google but curious about picking up one of these for FT8. 73 de N6VHF
@@NsixVHF This chap (YC2YIC) has a YT video on the topic. He doesn't always speak English but he has a good representation of the connectors. I used a FT232 USB2TTL adapter for data. th-cam.com/video/KRSPFIC6sLg/w-d-xo.html github.com/TekMaker/uSDX-QRP-Transceiver/blob/main/uSDR%20Manual_V1.0.pdf
Nice video - seems like they've upgraded that thing a little bit. Looks like a better interface than the one I have. I've used mine with the CaHRTenna Artemis (EFHW), reception was good. I was never able to make an HF contact, but that could be the bands, my antenna setup, who knows. Thanks for the video.
XCLNT JOB-MATE ! STELLAR, BRAVO PROFESSIONALLY, SIMPLISTIC YOU PUT A BUNCH OF TECH EXPLANATION INTO INTO YOUR PRESENTATION, & I FELT, EVEN THE INTERNAL AUDIO WAS VERY CLEAR. . YOUR CONTACT WAS PROFESSIONAL . MUCH APPRECIATED. I'VE SEEN YOU IN THE PAST & WAS ALWAYS DRAWN INTO YOUR HONESTY OF LOGICAL COMPARATIVES TO OTHER EQUIPMENT . YOU'RE SO-DOWN-TO-EARTH & TO THR POINT !!!!. YOU'RE A FINE CHAP TO BE A PRESENTER, CONTINUE YOUR work !!!!! MANY ARE LISTENING !!!😊😊😊😊😊😊😊
I own a (tr)uSDX that I bought as a kit last April. It works like a charm, and have a clean output with harmonics over 40dB down. The main complaint about those Chinese versions are the poor efficiency, low power (less than 5w on 10m) and an absurd amount of harmonics on bands above 20m. I also purchase a uSDX plus v2, and I plan to study this design and try to come out with an effective solution for the current complainants
Another good video and I really like how you find unusual and interesting items to test and review. You have saved me from making a few expensive mistakes! Thanks.
Ooooh, interesting. I'm climbing Kilimanjaro I'm October. I wonder how much spare time I'll have on the mountain to play a bit of radio 🤔 This could awesome 👍🏼
I have got to give that radio a go! Pricewise and size makes it a natural with my 4wd Ford Ranger. It can sit right by my triband VHF/UHF radio and not take up much room. China made? Probably from a Japanese design so it may not be all that bad. I will look for it online. 73's.
Any chance you can open the top of the case and show where the battery is connected? Mine arrived from Banggood last week without a battery. It can't be that hard to add one.
Defo Chris! I was thinking about taking my little 49:1 and 20m of wire and pitch my butt somewhere high up and see how well it works off battery power. Hope you’re well my friend.
Internally they have eliminated the better toroidal inductors and used SMD inductors. The second harmonic on transmit is quite high, around -25 dBm instead of better than -40 dBm. Similar to Arduino microcontrollers it has a 6 pin port for firmware upgrades but there are many folks who find it does not work. I only paid $95 US so I can put up with these shortcomings.
@@eddthirty4065 internal photos showing the SMD inductors are all over AliExpress and other sites: ae01.alicdn.com/kf/Sb1f946fe2de040a8ad2e7f3d888898b1u/YAOGREENHAM-upgraded-Plus-uSDR-uSDX-10-15-17-20-30-40-60-80m-8-Band-SDR.jpg_Q90.jpg_.webp
Question.... On the back there is a battery charging plug. There is also a power plug. Do I have to purchase a separate Battery charging system to charge the battery inside? Or will the battery charge if I plug it into a 12V power source?
i use a smaler kind of the usdx trx, the 3 Band Version with about 5w on a FD3 Windom Ant. Works fine (cw). Made a lot of contacts with europe, even with OY1CT. Runnig with ex. 12V Accu. Best 72 & 73 de HB9LBX
I have made contacts in Italy,,, Main US,, New York State US ,, Florida US,,, state of Washington,,, I am using a 13.5 power supply,,,My Antenna is a 125.5 end fed inverted L,,,Between two trees about 30’ high,,, I am please with the radio,,,Very Best Regards Roger Fethkenher AD0YR
Hi, would you recommend this as an emergency Com to put in my 4WD touring Australia to supplement the existing UHF setup. There would be many people with the same question, perhaps a video idea for you
Mine has some bugs in the software, in band mode, if I go up to 6M, which it's not supposed to cover, it gets hung up and won't go back down unless I switch to Freq. mode and step down a Mhz at a time. Also it can be turned down to BCB but doesn't work there either and just makes a screeching noise. I wonder if these things have been fixed?
Can anyone give me the details of the internal battery? Mine came without and would be interested to know the voltage and capacity and how, where it is mounted.
Great review, i picked one up, all good so far, and a lot of fun. Can anyone tell me what you use to charge the internal battery? I know it says 12.6v at 1 amp, but is it just a psu or a special lithium charger?
I've got one of these. The only real issue I have with it is that the encoder is backwards. I may have to set my bench up to rebuild the code and flip the encoder settings...or rewire the encoder, or even replace it with a new encoder. I'll probably use it as an all-band CW rig, but having SSB is a nice option. The supplier I found for it doesn't ship it with a battery, though, due to "logistical issues"...meaning it's hard to ship something with a lithium-ion battery in it these days. So they gave up and stopped trying. Do you have the specs on the battery in yours that you can share, so I can try to find one to put in my radio? I can use a PD power bank with a trigger cable, but if I can cut down on the clutter, that'd be nice. This one may even be forgiving enough to run it on QC with a 12v trigger cable. I need to make sure the barrel connector is the right size, though. Got it working on a PD trigger cable this evening. Power in coaxial plug is 3.5 x 1.3mm center positive. I had a largish order of USB-C PD 12v/5A and USB-A QC 12v cables arrive today, so I went through my selection of adapters and found one that fit. Hooked it to the USB-C jack on my Omnicharge Ultimate power bank and the radio came right up. Gonna take that to field day as a demonstration, maybe make some QRP contacts for the battery multiplier. I have a handful of radios to play with, including a QCX classic on 40, a QCX mini on 20 and 40, a KD1JV Tri-Bander on 20, 30, and 40, an IQ32, and a KX3. My partner's bringing a K2, hopefully tricked out for digital mode. I may bring my digital setup -- I have an MDS Phaser on 40m running off a Chromebook with the OS replaced with GalliumOS, a Linux distro for Chromebooks. Works great. Turns out after a few years of collecting kits and such, I've got a fair number of radios to play with! Now I have this little all-band thing to try out! I couldn't get it to work with my T1 tuner, but it worked ok with a ATU-100. I think the battery is a bit low on the T1...I hope that's the issue, because I like that tuner.
A resonant antenna like a dipol or vertical would bring the best results. My solution is an end feet wire with an antenna tuner. A light and portable solution because you can easy tune to another band. Emtech ZM-2 ATU works fine. L or T antenna tuners should also work. A transceiver is only a tool. You have to master the HF propagation and the mode. My priorities 1 antenna 2 connections/feeders 3 power CW is very efficient with QRP radios. You have to be a good operator. Sometimes to spend the time to make a course to improve your CW skills will make more progress for you as to buy another transceiver. They try for a long time to develop morse code decoders. It never worked well. This is an experimental transceiver for hams to experiment with it. It is not perfect by all means. It has new feature how it transmitts and there is a lot of development work for SSB still in progress. I like this kind of transceivers.
I'm going to put together a setup with a mini usdx, an ATU100 coupler and a BJ300 linear amplifier. Is any linear modification necessary due to SWR or does the coupler mitigate this problem?
Thanks Steve! I put the link in the video description, it’s a seller on AliExpress that I’ve used before and they are very good. It was fully built, came with a special charger too which I forgot to show in the video, thanks 🙏
10W that would be 3dB whats the point of that ? I'm building a small linear just for fun, but unlikely i'll gona use it as to my experience over the years if QRP is not going to work, 100W won't eigther. In fact i got one Chinese for 60 Euro's and i got what i payed for... it's crap.
I can't speak for the Chinese knock-offs but the original radio has a supprisingly clean signal (as described in my Dutch language article refered to above)
Always enjoy your videos. I have just purchased one of these uSDX+ v2 8 BAND ALL MODE HF TRANSCEIVER. How can I connect To FT8 ?. Hope to use this rig on FT8 only. Have you done a video on how it gets connected?
You'd need to run its mic/speaker into a PC's "sound card" ports and use the "Cat" port to the PC's serial port (or add-on USB serial). There are tutorials on doing that in general, not sure about with this radio in particular - but it should work the same. I will recommend getting a totally different, affordable QRP radio for FT8, though. I have the QRP-Labs "QDX Digital transceiver" and it has blown me away. It covers 4 bands and costs about $90 in kit form with case, plus about $15 shipping. Assembly requires winding 9 coils and installing the thru-hole components. Once assembled there's only 3 connections required to get on the air: Power, Antenna and USB cable to PC.
@@peterfitzgerald6088 You are welcome! BTW, the uSDX you have is derived from an earlier QRP-Labs original design! And the QDX I mentioned is even smaller than the uSDX - truly a palmtop, 5W transceiver.
I just ordered one these radios. The only issue is i can't have a dipole outside my house as i live ina condo. I am wondering if this will work with an indoor antenna
I just recently ordered this little radio and I can not wait to give it a try. I want to use this on FT8, etc. Any videos to make the cabling seem to be for the older model. Has any one found any videos, tutorials or know where I can find them? 73 KI4QFL
I purchased this exact model off of eBay and I had it less than 24 hours and it was back on its way to the vendor. Signals that were a solid S8 on my 22-year-old 817 were barely s1 and not understandable on the USDX+. Audio quality was horrible even on an external speaker. Also the s meter would read when the antenna was disconnected go to 25 after dropping to zero? I didn't even bother trying the transmit. The s meter didn't matter that much but not being able to understand what was being received and the receiver being deaf was a deal breaker. It's really a shame as the size is perfect for what I wanted to do. The case is well built and the built-in battery worked fine. I do not like the 3d printed case on the (Tr)usdx. This rig has a really nice case and the speaker mike is okay. That is the only upsides.
Someone needs to do a review for AMERICANS of the best sources to buy this radio. I have seen a lot of videos on this radio but it seems that the build quality varies depending on which Chinese manufacturer you get it from.
I made this you just need 636 14v 8ohm speaker replacement for its not correct speaker it has over 1200 cat commands it just needs a 3 prom cat or dual ended stereo jack and a phone and microsd with the cat commands you can find them in some locations online it has a wifi satalite ant. Connector and a 4 cycle radio signaling deliver experimental type thing
Liked your video. This type of device could be my entry level radio to get into the hobby after years of wondering should I? I already have the basics as I was a radio operator on my Finnish Army service. Being a Radio and TV technician would also be an advantage. Something I could use on my sailing cat perhaps?
Hi, I'm JJ0TUC. I have assembled uSDX. However, I am having problems with "! V3.3=1V" and the screen does not proceed. the version of the PCB is JA2GQP with 74HC4053, Arduino NANO and the version of the firmware is 1.02w. Can someone please tell me how to fix this problem?
My dad bought a USDX+ v2 8band and is looking for any kind of owners manual if anyone has any idea where I might find something like that I would be incredibly grateful!
Bonjour, je possède un usdx+ le même que vous montrez ... Je souhaiterais l'utiliser pour sdrUno et via Virtual cable décoder les mode numérique ( réception et transmission ) Je souhaiterais savoir si cette configuration est possible ?? svp Cordialement
Back again I agree with KC1NDQ it would be great if I could download a manual because I have a few questions that I can't find the answers to on any of the ubube videos the other aggravation is not being able to find a battery for it Ali has one but I have not been able to get one ordered from them as it seems I'm doing something wrong. It is a great little rig for the money and have made lots of contacts with it. As I said before get a Baofeng Mic for it and put the mic that came with it in a drawer and forget about it.😊😮
With 10 meters going long again finally, you will have much more fun with USB. Ok, FM and AM are fun too. But with this small amount of power all put into a single sideband....prepare to have your mind blown!
Dunno only have the old version and the original by DL2MAN, There are quiet some software bugs in the old version. the original version can verry easly be updated. The Chinese version won't work with the official version as there are hardware differences.
I was going to make a similar comment. I can’t imagine anyone would misinterpret the letter Q that’s intended with that pronunciation but in English Canada we do pronounce it Kwabeck. Francophones, on the other hand, would day Kaybeck. As for the content, thanks for checking out these entry level HF radios. I watch all of these reviews and these details are extremely helpful for those considering such a radio.
Technically, it should be said Kee Beck (at least in the ICAO universe I lived in for many years) Aircraft I learned to fly in was Kilo Kee Beck Yang Kee, so I got a bit of practice at it. (I'm 67, the aircraft is older than me and it's still flying!)
@@pascalcoole2725 Just took mine out of the box, hooked up a EFHW, and BOOM, CW and SSB contacts all over the place! This is not a IC705, but it is a fun QRP rig to play with for $150!
Depends on the band conditions. Lot's of 11m operators use 4 to 5 watts and work the world when conditions are right. Remember this is a small back pack radio, not a top tier high output radio. But yes, more power the better imo. :-)
@@eacuatrogndecoalfagnd5295 yes i have worked over 100 countries running a TenTec 509 Argonaut big 2.5 watts out put note was using a good antenna and sun spot cycle was up
Sadly the 'legacy' radios you speak of are priced circa $1000 and up around here. I just ordered one of these, $167. IF nothing else it will do for field day/portable/emergency use while I hunt up something more 'traditional' that is affordable.
Having a lot of fun with it coupled to a 7 rod military whip, mounted on 3meter tripod, going through z-match tuner then at100+. Day time usually good for ssb and nights for cw. Mainly 40m and 20m. Took a while to work out all the settings. Also learning by practicing cw - good very handy.
@sandyjohnston9457 awesome..any chance you know the make and model of the antenna setup. I'm keep to get my first HF rig as well and this looks like a neat option before shelling out a whole bunch
Thanks for the video, Mat. I bought one as a little experimental rig and I have been pleasantly surprised at how well it has worked. It has it's issues but as you point out, for the price point, it's worth it's weight!. I use it for both SSB and FT-8 QRP operation doing POTA (Parks on the Air) with great success. I recently had a SSB contact to Russia from MA in the USA, about 4300 miles, on 10m with it tied to a truck lip mounted MFJ-1979 telescopic whip tuned to 10m and a ATU-100 EXT tuner which was showing 2.1 watts out. I was disappointed that it arrived with no manual but luckily there are a bunch of TH-cam videos like yours that explain some basic settings that can be adjusted for better output. The stock mic is junk but that is also easily remedied. I as I get better at CW I will also try that mode. 73 de KC1NDQ
3 weeks ago, from our 3rd floor hotel room in snowy Portland, Maine, USA on a Elecraft AX-1indoors and on cw, I worked a station in Virginia on 20m cw. It worked fine and I look forward to operating it outdoors with the antenna outdoors too. Thanks for the video, W1AST.
Jdjid8whw9whw8shd8h😅😮😮😮
Pity of these radios -- all of 'em I've tested so far -- is the overdriven AF amp. I have a uSDX+ that I've modified to give me a volume control at the input to the AF amp, which tamed the scratchy AF somewhat. If I could figure how to rewire the headphone jack at the front, it would be jsut about perfect. Also, if you use the microphone jack in front, it is configured for the original DL2MAN (now [tr]uSDX) design (shown on the DL2MAN pages). Not a bad radio. And the innards appear to be well appointed. At least the toroids have colors ;-) 73 de W8IJN
Got one. Use it for FT-8 with an end fed, horizontal wire about 12M long and about 3M above the gnd. Works fairly well. However, I did have to reverse Txd and Rxd on the CAT connection to get my PC to see it. (using a usb 2 ttl convertor) Thanks for your video.
This is my first time seeing this radio. I admit I haven't done much searching, but do you have a link to somewhere that describes how to hook up the PC to the radio in order to run FT8? I will go see what I can find on Google but curious about picking up one of these for FT8. 73 de N6VHF
@@NsixVHF This chap (YC2YIC) has a YT video on the topic. He doesn't always speak English but he has a good representation of the connectors. I used a FT232 USB2TTL adapter for data.
th-cam.com/video/KRSPFIC6sLg/w-d-xo.html
github.com/TekMaker/uSDX-QRP-Transceiver/blob/main/uSDR%20Manual_V1.0.pdf
@@ed-jf3xh Thank you!!
@@NsixVHF No worries. Hope it works for you.
Nice video - seems like they've upgraded that thing a little bit. Looks like a better interface than the one I have. I've used mine with the CaHRTenna Artemis (EFHW), reception was good. I was never able to make an HF contact, but that could be the bands, my antenna setup, who knows. Thanks for the video.
XCLNT JOB-MATE ! STELLAR, BRAVO PROFESSIONALLY, SIMPLISTIC YOU PUT A BUNCH OF TECH EXPLANATION INTO INTO YOUR PRESENTATION, & I FELT, EVEN THE INTERNAL AUDIO WAS VERY CLEAR. . YOUR CONTACT WAS PROFESSIONAL . MUCH APPRECIATED. I'VE SEEN YOU IN THE PAST & WAS ALWAYS DRAWN INTO YOUR HONESTY OF LOGICAL COMPARATIVES TO OTHER EQUIPMENT . YOU'RE SO-DOWN-TO-EARTH & TO THR POINT !!!!.
YOU'RE A FINE CHAP TO BE A PRESENTER, CONTINUE YOUR work !!!!! MANY ARE LISTENING !!!😊😊😊😊😊😊😊
Wow, thanks!
I own a (tr)uSDX that I bought as a kit last April. It works like a charm, and have a clean output with harmonics over 40dB down. The main complaint about those Chinese versions are the poor efficiency, low power (less than 5w on 10m) and an absurd amount of harmonics on bands above 20m.
I also purchase a uSDX plus v2, and I plan to study this design and try to come out with an effective solution for the current complainants
So (tr)uSDX and uSDX plus v2 which is the best?
Mat - what's the current consumption on RX and TX?
And how much does the unit weigh?
Thanks
Another good video and I really like how you find unusual and interesting items to test and review. You have saved me from making a few expensive mistakes! Thanks.
Ooooh, interesting. I'm climbing Kilimanjaro I'm October. I wonder how much spare time I'll have on the mountain to play a bit of radio 🤔 This could awesome 👍🏼
Do it! lol. Wonder if it has an activation number
Order it soon…World Supply Chain latency may affect delivery time.
At that time an item of that size/uSDX+ was only for a mechanical filter on an HF transceiver
I have got to give that radio a go! Pricewise and size makes it a natural with my 4wd Ford Ranger. It can sit right by my triband VHF/UHF radio and not take up much room. China made? Probably from a Japanese design so it may not be all that bad. I will look for it online. 73's.
German design. Poor implementation.
You need a full size dipole fed with the best low loss coax to have much of a chance. Qrp mobile doesn’t happen for a reason.
Any chance you can open the top of the case and show where the battery is connected? Mine arrived from Banggood last week without a battery. It can't be that hard to add one.
Hey, your VFO goes the right way round! I'm so jealous ;-)
Do you have the same model? And the VFO is locked somehow? How strange!
@@TechMindsOfficial my VFO turns the wrong direction in software. Just need to fix it still.
@@temporarilyoffline flip the wiring of the dial, you must have a real old knock-off version
It depends on which rotary encoder the manufacturers choose but they don't go into s/w to change the code to correct the direction.
For the money, not a bad little radio.
For the money that’s a great qrp rig and in good conditions lots of fun could be had with it!! Thanks Mat 73 Gm4zji Chris
Defo Chris! I was thinking about taking my little 49:1 and 20m of wire and pitch my butt somewhere high up and see how well it works off battery power. Hope you’re well my friend.
Cool little radio 👍
Internally they have eliminated the better toroidal inductors and used SMD inductors. The second harmonic on transmit is quite high, around -25 dBm instead of better than -40 dBm. Similar to Arduino microcontrollers it has a 6 pin port for firmware upgrades but there are many folks who find it does not work. I only paid $95 US so I can put up with these shortcomings.
The internal photos show toroidal inductors, ae01.alicdn.com/kf/Hb7d99d2b7e0d462dba102751592fd571a.png
of course, yours may be different, perhaps you can take a photo for us to see?
@@eddthirty4065 internal photos showing the SMD inductors are all over AliExpress and other sites: ae01.alicdn.com/kf/Sb1f946fe2de040a8ad2e7f3d888898b1u/YAOGREENHAM-upgraded-Plus-uSDR-uSDX-10-15-17-20-30-40-60-80m-8-Band-SDR.jpg_Q90.jpg_.webp
Question....
On the back there is a battery charging plug. There is also a power plug. Do I have to purchase a separate
Battery charging system to charge the battery inside? Or will the battery charge if I plug it into a 12V power source?
i use a smaler kind of the usdx trx, the 3 Band Version with about 5w on a FD3 Windom Ant. Works fine (cw). Made a lot of contacts with europe, even with OY1CT. Runnig with ex. 12V Accu. Best 72 & 73 de HB9LBX
This channel reminds me of the tv show Masterminds. Dont get it anymore, wish it would come back.
I have made contacts in Italy,,, Main US,, New York State US ,, Florida US,,, state of Washington,,, I am using a 13.5 power supply,,,My Antenna is a 125.5 end fed inverted L,,,Between two trees about 30’ high,,, I am please with the radio,,,Very Best Regards Roger Fethkenher AD0YR
So, where are you in general? so I can tell how far those contacts are away from you. and you’re using this radio right
I am in Springfield Mo,,,,
I’m a Extra class
So How many watts do you transmit on?
What is the difference between the usdr usdx and the plus model? Thanks Bruce
Hi, would you recommend this as an emergency Com to put in my 4WD touring Australia to supplement the existing UHF setup. There would be many people with the same question, perhaps a video idea for you
Noooooooooooo. Never would I depend on this for an emergency rig.
Mine has some bugs in the software, in band mode, if I go up to 6M, which it's not supposed to cover, it gets hung up and won't go back down unless I switch to Freq. mode and step down a Mhz at a time. Also it can be turned down to BCB but doesn't work there either and just makes a screeching noise. I wonder if these things have been fixed?
I have one of these. I drilled a hole in mic and hooked up a half volt transistor to trigger ptt for remote station.
Can anyone give me the details of the internal battery? Mine came without and would be interested to know the voltage and capacity and how, where it is mounted.
I have one of these Came with no Arial where do I get one and what do I ask for? thanks for showing the uSDX video
It is a really cool radio! Thanks for the video!
Pekne video,diky..Umí SDR také CB pasmo(27MHz)…? Včetně CTCSS tony?
Great review, i picked one up, all good so far, and a lot of fun. Can anyone tell me what you use to charge the internal battery? I know it says 12.6v at 1 amp, but is it just a psu or a special lithium charger?
Would this make a neat little radio to listen to shortwaves? You could also make some contacts if you want to...
I've got one of these. The only real issue I have with it is that the encoder is backwards. I may have to set my bench up to rebuild the code and flip the encoder settings...or rewire the encoder, or even replace it with a new encoder. I'll probably use it as an all-band CW rig, but having SSB is a nice option. The supplier I found for it doesn't ship it with a battery, though, due to "logistical issues"...meaning it's hard to ship something with a lithium-ion battery in it these days. So they gave up and stopped trying.
Do you have the specs on the battery in yours that you can share, so I can try to find one to put in my radio? I can use a PD power bank with a trigger cable, but if I can cut down on the clutter, that'd be nice. This one may even be forgiving enough to run it on QC with a 12v trigger cable. I need to make sure the barrel connector is the right size, though.
Got it working on a PD trigger cable this evening. Power in coaxial plug is 3.5 x 1.3mm center positive. I had a largish order of USB-C PD 12v/5A and USB-A QC 12v cables arrive today, so I went through my selection of adapters and found one that fit. Hooked it to the USB-C jack on my Omnicharge Ultimate power bank and the radio came right up. Gonna take that to field day as a demonstration, maybe make some QRP contacts for the battery multiplier. I have a handful of radios to play with, including a QCX classic on 40, a QCX mini on 20 and 40, a KD1JV Tri-Bander on 20, 30, and 40, an IQ32, and a KX3. My partner's bringing a K2, hopefully tricked out for digital mode. I may bring my digital setup -- I have an MDS Phaser on 40m running off a Chromebook with the OS replaced with GalliumOS, a Linux distro for Chromebooks. Works great.
Turns out after a few years of collecting kits and such, I've got a fair number of radios to play with! Now I have this little all-band thing to try out! I couldn't get it to work with my T1 tuner, but it worked ok with a ATU-100. I think the battery is a bit low on the T1...I hope that's the issue, because I like that tuner.
A resonant antenna like a dipol or vertical would bring the best results.
My solution is an end feet wire with an antenna tuner. A light and portable solution because you can easy tune to another band.
Emtech ZM-2 ATU works fine. L or T antenna tuners should also work.
A transceiver is only a tool. You have to master the HF propagation and the mode.
My priorities
1 antenna
2 connections/feeders
3 power
CW is very efficient with QRP radios. You have to be a good operator.
Sometimes to spend the time to make a course to improve your CW skills will make more progress for you as to buy another transceiver.
They try for a long time to develop morse code decoders. It never worked well.
This is an experimental transceiver for hams to experiment with it. It is not perfect by all means.
It has new feature how it transmitts and there is a lot of development work for SSB still in progress.
I like this kind of transceivers.
I'm going to put together a setup with a mini usdx, an ATU100 coupler and a BJ300 linear amplifier. Is any linear modification necessary due to SWR or does the coupler mitigate this problem?
Excelent radio ham.portable have many contacts With the usdx QRP
Hello Mat excellent video once again.
What supplier did you purchase it from and was it a built version or did you build it yourself 73s 2e0zwz Steve.
Thanks Steve! I put the link in the video description, it’s a seller on AliExpress that I’ve used before and they are very good. It was fully built, came with a special charger too which I forgot to show in the video, thanks 🙏
I would pay $50 to $60 for this. An output of 10 watts would make this usable.
10W that would be 3dB whats the point of that ?
I'm building a small linear just for fun, but unlikely i'll gona use it as to my experience over the years if QRP is not going to work, 100W won't eigther.
In fact i got one Chinese for 60 Euro's and i got what i payed for... it's crap.
How do you tune it for antenna? has it got built in atu or you need an atu or do you change antennas depending on the band?
no tuner inside, i use /M sticks that are resonant
Use resonant antennas 📡
Did they do anything about the spurious emissions problem?
What Spurious emissions? Do you have some test data you can share please? :-) Thanks
@@TechMindsOfficial There are a number of youTube hams who have tested the original.
Use pass band filters
I can't speak for the Chinese knock-offs but the original radio has a supprisingly clean signal (as described in my Dutch language article refered to above)
@@pascalcoole2725Who makes the original? All I have seen are Chinese knockoffs.
Always enjoy your videos. I have just purchased one of these uSDX+ v2 8 BAND ALL MODE HF TRANSCEIVER. How can I connect To FT8 ?. Hope to use this rig on FT8 only. Have you done a video on how it gets connected?
You'd need to run its mic/speaker into a PC's "sound card" ports and use the "Cat" port to the PC's serial port (or add-on USB serial). There are tutorials on doing that in general, not sure about with this radio in particular - but it should work the same.
I will recommend getting a totally different, affordable QRP radio for FT8, though. I have the QRP-Labs "QDX Digital transceiver" and it has blown me away. It covers 4 bands and costs about $90 in kit form with case, plus about $15 shipping. Assembly requires winding 9 coils and installing the thru-hole components. Once assembled there's only 3 connections required to get on the air: Power, Antenna and USB cable to PC.
@@Randrew Thanks for the infomation. Peter
@@peterfitzgerald6088 You are welcome!
BTW, the uSDX you have is derived from an earlier QRP-Labs original design! And the QDX I mentioned is even smaller than the uSDX - truly a palmtop, 5W transceiver.
Your probably up and running by now on FT8. If not I would suggest a digirig and matching cable already built.
I just ordered one these radios. The only issue is i can't have a dipole outside my house as i live ina condo. I am wondering if this will work with an indoor antenna
Hello. I have such a transceiver version 3.0. My Atmega burned down, where can I find a sketch for it? I replaced Atmega.
Would it work plugged in cigarette lighter?
I just recently ordered this little radio and I can not wait to give it a try. I want to use this on FT8, etc. Any videos to make the cabling seem to be for the older model.
Has any one found any videos, tutorials or know where I can find them?
73 KI4QFL
Thank you you mean another great video 👍
I have a very similar unit that I use with a qrp guys efhw on 40m. Got from USA to Germany on 40m
Wow. And the output power is just about 4 Watts?
I have the same radio, but it came without an internal battery.
ohh you got the budget model... Matt is showing the expensive one.
@@pascalcoole2725 Ha ha ha ha ha
@@pascalcoole2725 not worried about that anyway, I use a multi-voltage powerbank even at the home qth.
I purchased this exact model off of eBay and I had it less than 24 hours and it was back on its way to the vendor. Signals that were a solid S8 on my 22-year-old 817 were barely s1 and not understandable on the USDX+. Audio quality was horrible even on an external speaker. Also the s meter would read when the antenna was disconnected go to 25 after dropping to zero? I didn't even bother trying the transmit. The s meter didn't matter that much but not being able to understand what was being received and the receiver being deaf was a deal breaker. It's really a shame as the size is perfect for what I wanted to do. The case is well built and the built-in battery worked fine. I do not like the 3d printed case on the (Tr)usdx. This rig has a really nice case and the speaker mike is okay. That is the only upsides.
Someone needs to do a review for AMERICANS of the best sources to buy this radio. I have seen a lot of videos on this radio but it seems that the build quality varies depending on which Chinese manufacturer you get it from.
I made this you just need 636 14v 8ohm speaker replacement for its not correct speaker it has over 1200 cat commands it just needs a 3 prom cat or dual ended stereo jack and a phone and microsd with the cat commands you can find them in some locations online it has a wifi satalite ant. Connector and a 4 cycle radio signaling deliver experimental type thing
Liked your video. This type of device could be my entry level radio to get into the hobby after years of wondering should I?
I already have the basics as I was a radio operator on my Finnish Army service. Being a Radio and TV technician would also be an advantage. Something I could use on my sailing cat perhaps?
Maybe not the best unit for a newbie, but you should be ok if you just manage your expectations. 73's, Titari on ritari!
Exelente video , muutas informções uteis . Grato.
Parabéns pelo video muito bom.
My other HF is the ICOM706
Thanks for introducing this tiny gadget.
Have fun with it.
Greetings 🍀
Matthias
DL1NDG
Hi, I'm JJ0TUC. I have assembled uSDX. However, I am having problems with "! V3.3=1V" and the screen does not proceed. the version of the PCB is JA2GQP with 74HC4053, Arduino NANO and the version of the firmware is 1.02w. Can someone please tell me how to fix this problem?
did he say the qrm was caused by something in the carrier?
Something in the car. He was portable / mobile.
My dad bought a USDX+ v2 8band and is looking for any kind of owners manual if anyone has any idea where I might find something like that I would be incredibly grateful!
Bonjour, je possède un usdx+ le même que vous montrez ... Je souhaiterais l'utiliser pour sdrUno et via Virtual cable décoder les mode numérique ( réception et transmission ) Je souhaiterais savoir si cette configuration est possible ?? svp Cordialement
Do you think this radio could run on sdr software I know it runs on Ham Radio Deluxe...
Back again I agree with KC1NDQ it would be great if I could download a manual because I have a few questions that I can't find the answers to on any of the ubube videos the other aggravation is not being able to find a battery for it Ali has one but I have not been able to get one ordered from them as it seems I'm doing something wrong. It is a great little rig for the money and have made lots of contacts with it. As I said before get a Baofeng Mic for it and put the mic that came with it in a drawer and forget about it.😊😮
Can you use this radio license free?
It's a shame it doesn't do FM out of the box, 10M's is coming alive again.
It has Fm and Am... but its in the menu :)
With 10 meters going long again finally, you will have much more fun with USB. Ok, FM and AM are fun too. But with this small amount of power all put into a single sideband....prepare to have your mind blown!
Does anyone know if this radio has vox and level input adjustments? Im thinking this might be a good digital modes radio for pota or sota. 🤔
The QRP-Labs QDX Digital Transceiver is a much, much better choice for that. In comes in kit form. Info elsewhere on TH-cam.
GOT1 Awesome radio happy
А чем отличается версия V2, от обычной?
Dunno only have the old version and the original by DL2MAN,
There are quiet some software bugs in the old version. the original version can verry easly be updated.
The Chinese version won't work with the official version as there are hardware differences.
can we mod it to transmit through the entire HF band? lolz
Never heard anyone say “CUE BEC”- Q is read “QUEBEC” (phonetically KWABECK).
I was going to make a similar comment. I can’t imagine anyone would misinterpret the letter Q that’s intended with that pronunciation but in English Canada we do pronounce it Kwabeck. Francophones, on the other hand, would day Kaybeck. As for the content, thanks for checking out these entry level HF radios. I watch all of these reviews and these details are extremely helpful for those considering such a radio.
Technically, it should be said Kee Beck (at least in the ICAO universe I lived in for many years) Aircraft I learned to fly in was Kilo Kee Beck Yang Kee, so I got a bit of practice at it. (I'm 67, the aircraft is older than me and it's still flying!)
Alguien sabe cómo poner Split?
What’s the difference between usdx+ v2 and previous versions?
Are all white button usdx+ considered v2?
Thank you!
Mars mod for this????
I would be interested if anyone has used it for cw and how they got on 👍
I use it mainly for CW (straight key preferably).... it is odd, the fewer power i use the more QSO's i make.
Somehow always 599 ;)
@@pascalcoole2725 Just took mine out of the box, hooked up a EFHW, and BOOM, CW and SSB contacts all over the place! This is not a IC705, but it is a fun QRP rig to play with for $150!
@@Upnorthof48 You understand what i mean ;)
It's still my favorite rig. (and i have build a couple !)
mine arrived DOA from ebay seller
I wish it had 10 watts output
Less than 5W on 10m is not acceptable in my opinion!
Depends on the band conditions. Lot's of 11m operators use 4 to 5 watts and work the world when conditions are right. Remember this is a small back pack radio, not a top tier high output radio. But yes, more power the better imo. :-)
@@TechMindsOfficial for sure its a nice radio and toy for the bucks but not for everybody. Thanks for your nice videos!!
13.000 km With 5 w this qrp many stations qso
@@eacuatrogndecoalfagnd5295 yes i have worked over 100 countries running a TenTec 509 Argonaut
big 2.5 watts out put note was using a good antenna and sun spot cycle was up
less than 5 years operating practice neighther
++++++++++++++NICE++++++++++++++++I WILL PURSUE 1++++++++++++++
👏👏🇧🇷🤝
Sounds narrow
Well, mine was not even worth the money.
Rotary encoder for VFO was extremly bend, so it was no fun to work with it...
Stop with these toys! Buy a legacy RF radio and learn to use the damn thing!
Sadly the 'legacy' radios you speak of are priced circa $1000 and up around here. I just ordered one of these, $167. IF nothing else it will do for field day/portable/emergency use while I hunt up something more 'traditional' that is affordable.
to jest gówno a nie transceiver - taka jest moja opinia.
Get a $10 Baofeng speaker mic and it will have more punch and the receive audio will be much better. 73 ki0ad/Jim
Tkx for review, just bought one and hope to have fun. 73s ZL3AXL
Any luck with your radio? Zl3pae? How do you find it?
Having a lot of fun with it coupled to a 7 rod military whip, mounted on 3meter tripod, going through z-match tuner then at100+. Day time usually good for ssb and nights for cw. Mainly 40m and 20m. Took a while to work out all the settings. Also learning by practicing cw - good very handy.
@sandyjohnston9457 awesome..any chance you know the make and model of the antenna setup. I'm keep to get my first HF rig as well and this looks like a neat option before shelling out a whole bunch
73 from Invercargill.
Definitely on my bucket list to buy.
73, kq4hcu