I love the RX quality on the CFT1. Fantastic audio. Consider printing up my custom case and cover if you've got access to a 3d printer. Good stuff! Have fun with it. PETG does fine at those temps in a car. I can speak from experience in the SoCal desert. 👍
Man the RX and keyer are as good as much more expensive rigs. Good to know about the 3d printed parts! I chatted with Jonathan about it this afternoon and he said the same, that it would hold up in the heat.
So when i was in the beta test of the CFT1, I requested Ara to make a version of his SWR meter for the CFT1. He currently does make one and according to him it can handle the 7 watts just fine on 40 meters. I keep one in my go bag just in case i want to test the antenna but i almost never need it since I prefer to use resonant antennas when doing QRP. I also agree with your assessment. If you have a 705 there isn't much need for this radio, as the 705 and my KX2 are the only radios that I think outperforms the CFT1 (as they should at over $1000)
Very fair review, and I agree with every point. I know you know this, but I want to say it in full disclosure so everyone knows where I'm coming from, I was a Beta tester for this radio. The keyer is so good because we spent a TON of time dialing it in. I made hundreds and hundreds of QSOs on it, as did the other 8 Beta testers, and Jonathan and I spent hours on the phone troubleshooting and fine tuning the keyer. With the amount of work that went into getting it to where it is, it had damn well *better* be a good keyer LOL. In the future, I'd love to see him do an SDR with an SWR meter, a power meter, and a clock.
The work y’all put into the keyer is obvious. It feels really nice. I just don’t think I’d get a lot of use out of it if I bought one, I like my 705 and 891 too much 😂
I really enjoy your videos, Aaron. I think your content will always carry the nostalgia for me of when I was learning CW. Thanks for sharing your field operations with us. I built the CFT1 and I have north of 10 of the most popular QRP rigs in the world. The CFT1 has special receive audio quality. Which is arguably the most important feature for us cw field operators. I love the “less is more” approach with the user interface. 73 de KI7QCF
Thanks Forrest!! I enjoy watching yours too. Keep up the good work. I agree with you on the receiver on the CFT1. That and the keyer are pretty much spot on. Really the only thing I wish it had was some kind of SWR indicator, even if it was a simple LED. But the simple UI is awesome! 73 my friend
Fortunately I convinced Ara (N6ARA) to make a version of the tiny SWR meter for 40-15m, so you can always throw one in your kit to test the swr in the field. If I do a CFT2 it will absolutely have an swr meter though
Only thing i Didnt like about this review is watching Aaron use that key backwards....weirdo! lol The CFT will def be my next QRP rig. But i wanna build it I think. But my skills with an Iron are not up to it yet.
2:25 "Seems to have a similar feature set to the mountain topper or QMX" ... sure, but at over 3 times the price of a QMX, why would I even bother? I can buy a fully built QMX (that can do CW, digital if you're into that crap, and soon SSB, and many other features missing from this thing), with a nicely made metal case (not 3d printed plastic), and still have money left over to buy other things, like a battery, an antenna, nice paddles, or even many coffees. Such a waste of money for so little radio. Also don't give me the spiel that it's to support a small builder, or that it's "Made in America", when to components inside are made overseas, maybe even the PCB was printed outside the USA.
I get this argument! This radio performs and sounds in my opinion closer to an Elecraft KX-series radio. In my opinion, that’s the price difference. If the performance of the QMX suits yours needs, then by all means, save the cash. No arguments here, just use what you enjoy. That’s what matters the most. 73!
@@w4arb Objective I say as this is 2024 with so many devices to interfere with radio signals. So Filtration and unwanted signal rejection IS as important as Receiver performance which makes that $350 ! radio inferior and a waste of money. Did you buy it with yer own money? I like yer CW videos but if your going to become ANOTHER Bumbeggar TH-camr Selling Amateur Radio for yer own benefit I'll be leaving ; )
Jonathan is a friend of mine and he let me borrow it because I wanted to try it out. It’s not my radio :) and no worries, I have 0 interest in becoming a radio infomercial channel 😂. I just like to operate. My IC-705 soulmate radio will be back in the next video 😅
@@w4arb AMEN Thank You. I have two 705s and two FT-891s (I know don't say it) I've learned after many foolish purchases NOT to waste money on cheap stuff, especially cable, signal path is paramount. I use Balun Designs or Palomar Engineering 9:1 UnUn, RF choke, LDG antenna tuner with wire antenna and counterpoise. Simple, fair priced and effective.
Good lesson! I learned that myself. The 705 and 891 are the two radios I use 90% of the time. Between those two, all the boxes are checked for how I operate. And good point, cables, connectors and accessories. Quality makes a big difference and even saves money in the long run.
I love the RX quality on the CFT1. Fantastic audio. Consider printing up my custom case and cover if you've got access to a 3d printer. Good stuff! Have fun with it.
PETG does fine at those temps in a car. I can speak from experience in the SoCal desert. 👍
Man the RX and keyer are as good as much more expensive rigs. Good to know about the 3d printed parts! I chatted with Jonathan about it this afternoon and he said the same, that it would hold up in the heat.
@@w4arb I have #37 - need to built it.
So when i was in the beta test of the CFT1, I requested Ara to make a version of his SWR meter for the CFT1. He currently does make one and according to him it can handle the 7 watts just fine on 40 meters. I keep one in my go bag just in case i want to test the antenna but i almost never need it since I prefer to use resonant antennas when doing QRP.
I also agree with your assessment. If you have a 705 there isn't much need for this radio, as the 705 and my KX2 are the only radios that I think outperforms the CFT1 (as they should at over $1000)
I bought the kit to support your innovation, even though I have an IC-705 and the KX2 and KX3.
Very nice! Those Tiny SWR meters are awesome. Great work on this radio man! 73
Very good balanced review -- refreshing to see.
Thank you! 73
Very fair review, and I agree with every point. I know you know this, but I want to say it in full disclosure so everyone knows where I'm coming from, I was a Beta tester for this radio. The keyer is so good because we spent a TON of time dialing it in. I made hundreds and hundreds of QSOs on it, as did the other 8 Beta testers, and Jonathan and I spent hours on the phone troubleshooting and fine tuning the keyer. With the amount of work that went into getting it to where it is, it had damn well *better* be a good keyer LOL. In the future, I'd love to see him do an SDR with an SWR meter, a power meter, and a clock.
The work y’all put into the keyer is obvious. It feels really nice. I just don’t think I’d get a lot of use out of it if I bought one, I like my 705 and 891 too much 😂
I hear ya. That's the problem I have with a lot of my radios. I end up using the same few radios most of the time
great video! 73 Klaus
TU & 73!
If only I could send my own callsign correctly 🤦♂️😂 25:01
Great to get another P2P with you! The CFT1 seems like a pretty sweet little rig.
It is really cool! Thanks for the contact & 73
I really enjoy your videos, Aaron. I think your content will always carry the nostalgia for me of when I was learning CW. Thanks for sharing your field operations with us.
I built the CFT1 and I have north of 10 of the most popular QRP rigs in the world. The CFT1 has special receive audio quality. Which is arguably the most important feature for us cw field operators. I love the “less is more” approach with the user interface.
73 de KI7QCF
Thanks Forrest!! I enjoy watching yours too. Keep up the good work.
I agree with you on the receiver on the CFT1. That and the keyer are pretty much spot on. Really the only thing I wish it had was some kind of SWR indicator, even if it was a simple LED. But the simple UI is awesome! 73 my friend
10:01 I agree. It’s the one and only major drawback for me, the lack of an SWR meter. Otherwise it is a spectacular field radio!
No doubt! It has a great sound and feel to it. Seriously impressive work by Jonathan designing it.
Fortunately I convinced Ara (N6ARA) to make a version of the tiny SWR meter for 40-15m, so you can always throw one in your kit to test the swr in the field.
If I do a CFT2 it will absolutely have an swr meter though
@@JonathanKayne @w4arb So far that’s been my solution. Love that the Ham community does projects like this and collaborates.
Awesome rig. Had no idea it didn’t have swr meter 🤦🏻♂️
It sounds and performs really nice!
Yea the spacers concern me too in the summer being north of yea by roll tide college.
I talked to Jonathan about it and the material he used supposedly can take the heat. I had no idea! But still a metal case would be cool
@@w4arb I agree I can still see having it and using it as a EDC for qrp HF cw
Only thing i Didnt like about this review is watching Aaron use that key backwards....weirdo! lol The CFT will def be my next QRP rig. But i wanna build it I think. But my skills with an Iron are not up to it yet.
I feel ya! I can’t solder small components to save my life. But I sure like operating! PS sorry for the torture of keying backwards 😅
2:25 "Seems to have a similar feature set to the mountain topper or QMX" ... sure, but at over 3 times the price of a QMX, why would I even bother?
I can buy a fully built QMX (that can do CW, digital if you're into that crap, and soon SSB, and many other features missing from this thing), with a nicely made metal case (not 3d printed plastic), and still have money left over to buy other things, like a battery, an antenna, nice paddles, or even many coffees.
Such a waste of money for so little radio. Also don't give me the spiel that it's to support a small builder, or that it's "Made in America", when to components inside are made overseas, maybe even the PCB was printed outside the USA.
I get this argument! This radio performs and sounds in my opinion closer to an Elecraft KX-series radio. In my opinion, that’s the price difference. If the performance of the QMX suits yours needs, then by all means, save the cash. No arguments here, just use what you enjoy. That’s what matters the most. 73!
$350 for inferior radio, NOPE, Keep It
Inferior is subjective. The keyer and receiver performance beat every sub-$350 radio I have tried. But all good…Different strokes for different folks.
@@w4arb Objective I say as this is 2024 with so many devices to interfere with radio signals. So Filtration and unwanted signal rejection IS as important as Receiver performance which makes that $350 ! radio inferior and a waste of money. Did you buy it with yer own money? I like yer CW videos but if your going to become ANOTHER Bumbeggar TH-camr Selling Amateur Radio for yer own benefit I'll be leaving ; )
Jonathan is a friend of mine and he let me borrow it because I wanted to try it out. It’s not my radio :) and no worries, I have 0 interest in becoming a radio infomercial channel 😂. I just like to operate. My IC-705 soulmate radio will be back in the next video 😅
@@w4arb AMEN Thank You. I have two 705s and two FT-891s (I know don't say it) I've learned after many foolish purchases NOT to waste money on cheap stuff, especially cable, signal path is paramount. I use Balun Designs or Palomar Engineering 9:1 UnUn, RF choke, LDG antenna tuner with wire antenna and counterpoise. Simple, fair priced and effective.
Good lesson! I learned that myself. The 705 and 891 are the two radios I use 90% of the time. Between those two, all the boxes are checked for how I operate. And good point, cables, connectors and accessories. Quality makes a big difference and even saves money in the long run.