A couple corrections I'd like to make about this rig that were not mentioned in the comments: 1) there are no remaining hardware issues with the FX4CR; only a certain subset of preorders had that issues -and Yu offered to pay for roundtrip shipping to fix it personally if users are not comfortable doing so themselves 2) Yu plans on making the code to his radio open-source this year, so as not to mirror the Xiegu approach of 'perpetual patches'. His customer service is great and very responsive; two others helped design the radio (one being an American ham by the name of K6ARK)
Nikola thanks for watching and commenting. Your observations about Yu's customer service match mine; superb. There are ZERO complaints regarding his responsiveness and thorough responses. I too think going open source is exciting for this radio and the user group.
Well Bob, I bought one direct from Yu before your enthusiastic and thorough reviews, and I can truthfully say that this radio is a little gem! The fact that you put your stamp of approval on it really confirms my purchase. I have had occasion to email Yu with questions and received immediate responses to my inquiries. He truly backs up his product! I am blown away by the operation of the FX-4CR and look forward to more of your videos about it. 73
Thank you Bob for sharing this video on the FX-4CR. You and I both love small things. That is one attaction I have to this radio and it has good reviews. I am studying for the Extra right now and then moving on the CW. I am setting a goal for myself that when I get to the point of learning CW where I can be on the radio, I am going to treat myself to the FX-4CR. Thank you again Bob.
Thanks for the info. I believe this could be for me - it “checks a lot of boxes” for me. New house in an HOA neighborhood so no external antenna and attic has radiant barrier so no attic antenna. I’m planning on doing “POTA at home” - by setting up a temporary antenna of some kind in the back yard of an evening, operating HF from my back patio, then packing it all away before daylight reveals my creative interpretation of the rules. I’m interested in SSB, and as a computer guy eventually maybe some digital modes. As an engineer (mechanical and software) the hand crafted machinery aspects of this appeal to me. Finally, the low power levels work for me, from a safety/peace of mind aspect, as well as the challenge. I’m not looking to make long range contacts, just fool around with it some. If I can make a few contacts around the states, great.
Excellent approach Philip. When I first got licensed, back yard portable was a near daily occurrence for me. It taught me so much about portable emergency operations, as almost daily I was setting up a breaking down a small station.
I feel the same way as you did. I am fascinated by form factor, design and functionality. And at the same time willing to accept there might be issues to contend with because it is not a mass-produced item. Looking forward to receiving my order this summer. 73
First of all, great video Bob! I received a first production run of this rig. I can tell you from experience that Yu very much stands by his product. About a month into using it, I started having issues with power output. Yu responded very quickly to my situation when I contacted him by email. After doing some tests he asked me to do, he believed my FX-4CR had a bad PA board. He told me he would send a replacement radio out after the latest firmware update was ready. True to his word, he shipped another rig in a case with all accessories. This rig had the new motherboard and latest firmware update that was released earlier this month. He shipped it last Sunday, at his expense, and I received it on Tuesday! He uses International FedEx Priority and insisted on paying for the shipping himself. Mind you I still had the original radio and I finally did convince him to let me pay for the return shipping of that one. This not only shows his character as a person, but also his commitment to those who purchase his radios! Sorry for such a long comment, but one other thing I wanted to mention is how easy it is to get into digital modes with the FX-4CR. If you have an Android phone or tablet, the FT8CN Android app works great with this transceiver. Bluetooth CAT control works so you don't even have to connect with a cable. It's as simple as connecting your Android device to the FX-4CR with Bluetooth and selecting the rig in the app. Then select Bluetooth CAT control in the app and the band you want to use for FT8. The frequencies are already in the app and I didn't need to change any of the default settings. Started making QSOs on 10m in no time. No computer needed! Please keep the videos coming sir! I've learned a lot from your channel. 73, Tim KW4TIM
Fantastic Tim. Yu seems very much as you described, which is one of the reasons I felt comfortable making this investment. When I finally get around to digital, the FX4CR seems to be the way I'll go.
From my perspective, you strain to clearly articulate your use case and preferences for a product so as to be very transparent to the viewer how yiu arrive at your evaluation of a product. I like this approach very much, Bob. I ordered the FX-4CR just before I saw your unboxing video. John AE5X’s video made me pause a bit. But the decision by Yu to release the firmware as open source gave me a green light. I have an IC-705 too but this one has my enthusiasm much the same way that you have: there’s craftsmanship and the Fahrvergnugen factor. The G90 clearly has the latter. The FX-4CR likely will, too. Keep posting your experiences with this rig. Mine is scheduled to ship in the June batch. I’ll put an ATU-100 in my bag to go with it. 73, Frank K4FMH
Thanks for the feedback Frank; very helpful. I suspect you are very much going to enjoy the FX-4CR. You just don't expect that kind of performance from such a small footprint.
I noticed when operating (playing) yesterday the watts dropped into decimals.... That made me excited...now you go and tell me I can make contacts that way. How am I ever going to get anything else done around here with something like this in arms reach 🙂
This radio has no built in tuner, no built in battery, no cw decoder, but has 20 watts out. When you pair it with a battery, CW decoder, and an auto tuner you lose the small footprint and you sort of kick yourself for not spending the same amount on a xiegu x6100 which has everything I mentioned in one unit, plus a much larger screen, a lot less connections since tuner is built in and FT8 can be done over a single USB C plug and a legit VFO knob.
All interesting points HumanTimeMachine. Also interesting is users who have stated they have tossed their X6100 aside once they got their hands on the FX-4CR. We are fortunate to have so many options and make choices based on our own opinion and use case.
@@nine7295 I own a x6100 and I'll tell you dealing with radioddity has been a pleasure. My first issue was UPS lost the package. I reached out and filed a claim together with radioddity and they promptly sent a replacement with USPS. Secondly I noticed the radio is definitely not a polished product like you would get from icom or yaesu in the sense that the hardware and firmware is not without it's issues. I've had the radio promptly replaced under warranty as well. The company has been very good at getting me replacements without giving me a hard time. It gives me the feeling that they are passionate about their product. That being said I expected it to not be a polished product and a sort of jack of all trades. I've never done digital modes before but with this radio I have and it's incredible how far I got out on the air. There are some quirks you sort of learn to deal with or use the modded firmware which loads from a microSD on boot so you don't have to replace your devices actual firmware, eject the sd card and you boot to stock firmware
Bob excellent walk through of the FX-4CR. Great point that if you are willing to work through some software / hardware updates this is the radio for you. If not just wait until they get worked out.
It was a little disconcerting to see the sensitivity at -121 dBmW. If that is correct, the receiver will be pretty deaf above about 15 MHz. A good test is to listen as the antenna is connected. If the noise level comes up, the receiver is atmospheric noise limited, and can hear anything that any other receiver can hear on that frequency. I already have an older QRP transceiver with a -119 dBmW noise floor, and it is extremely frustrating to use in the upper part of the HF spectrum. It simply won't copy many of the weak signals that other receivers can hear on the higher bands. So how about a follow up with a simple test? Connect/disconnect a full size antenna on 17, 15, 12, and 10 meters, and let us know if the noise level comes up.
For reference, I performed the above test on my IC-7300. It is atmospheric noise limited up to 6 meters. I really want a small 20 watt portable transceiver, and would pop the cash for the FX-4CR in a heartbeat. But if it is not atmospheric noise limited on the upper HF bands, it's not going to be much fun to use there. If the OP or someone else could kindly perform the described test, maybe we will find that my worry is unfounded.
Just received my own FX-4CR yesterday. I am anxious to get it on the air. I need to make some power adapters and wonder what is the designation for the power plug, and where does one find them? I sure enjoy your videos on this neat little radio. Thanks. 73.
It is an amazing little package! The connector is called XT60. Here is an adapter that converts from XT60 right to powerpole (it is an affiliate link( ebay.us/UIwcPS Hope you have a lot of fun with it!
I find this radio beautiful and I think one of the big radio makers will copy it soon. Imagine an icon in this form factor, with the quality of the 705. Along with an app you can download an app that you could use to control it (like the sdr-control). The small screen would exist for basic configuration, specially so you configure the wifi. As a software engineer I know it’s possible and easy to do. These features with this form factor would be sooo good 73
I have wondered the same thing about the bigs; they wouldn't be able to keep them on the shelves. You know they can, I'm just not sure why they haven't.
@@HOAHamRadio ah I think it's strategy. they are still selling the 705 (for example) pretty well, so there's no reason to build a new product. When sales numbers go down they will come up with it to keep us endlessly buying rig hahaha 73
It has to be. They see all the excitement over the 6100 and hear all the disappointment. Then something like the FX-4CR comes along, with 20 watts. Maybe they are afraid of the backlash they will receive when they set the price, and we all compare that to the 6100 and FX-4CR....
@@HOAHamRadio competition always driving evolution =] I decided to buy a QRP radio right when the 6100 was releasing. For some reason I predicted it would be a disappointment, so I bought the x5105. Such a good radio, I worked 68 countries with it using a qrp guys antenna. And I really did put the radio to the test, I went out with the radio on -20c, -28c and -35c. The brick handled everything… Then I moved to the 705 and im very happy with it, such awesome RX and TX quality (I have 10% of my QSO public on my YT channel). I wish this FX-4CR to become a huge success, not only for the ham effort of building it but also for us all =] 73!
Hi Bob, love your videos. Please keep them coming. I just purchased the fx4cr from you and was wondering how long it took for it to arrive. Thanks 73 Roger w8rlp
Thanks for the compliment. I do not have any knowledge about Yu's backlog or production schedule, but one he ships it is about 2 weeks transit. When I ordered, it was about 2 1/2 months before he produced mine and shipped it. Hope you enjoy the radio, its a gem!
@@HOAHamRadio I’m feeling the excitement.. You increase my excitement even more, lol.. Inwill have the ic705 as my primary shack radio and the G90 is dedicated to the pedal exercise bike.. so they will all be kept busy, lol.. thx for sharing.
W4MKH, I think you buy a radio like this if you are willing to be part of the experiment. Yu, the owner, has a reputation for really good customer service. But given all the variables, I made my decision expecting that not to be the case.
I like this. W2AEW does a really credible review of it. BTW Elecraft (Elegant Craft) started with two individuals, as did TruSDX. As they say, two is one and one is zero. So I will watch it for a little longer.
I haven't gotten in these features yet Bill, so I have no hands on experience. I know others are running FT8. There is a Facebook group where these questions are disucssed.
Well, I'm not using a tuner with this radio, and I don't own a portable tuner. I'm just beginning my investigation on a small portable tuner...so I'll have to let you know in the future.
The first hardware mod was already done and it delivered with updated firmware. I'm not sure if there have been any software updates since then or not...probably should check. I do have a slight delay after TX to RX, but I'm not sure that is / was addressed. I just figured I'd wait till the dust settled on firmware. Now that it is / may go open source, not sure what to expect.
Regarding the GEO political issues today, Ham operators are above all this. We are a cottage industry; we don't make a dent in the bottom line either way (Politically, or economically). Having said that, I don't like it when someone just copies and pastes anyone's technology, but this fellow did not.I will purchase this nice rig, I am CW at this point in my journey of Ham radio hobby, so I will check out the filtering (CW)...DE NN2X / Tom
The chinese know how to built attractive hardware, they use backlit keys. An not only in expensive gear but also the in the cheap. I wish, the IC-705 had it too!
"Power" from any low power HF rig is a 40 Watt amp away, built from an $18 eBay kit. There are relatively inexpensive kits available for any power output you want, from 10 W to 1500 W. Power output is simply a plug-in attachment. So power output from a rig means pretty much nothing to me.
John West thanks for watching and commenting. I too own and use amps. My intrigue is the sufficient 20 watts in such a small package for on the go without any add ons. Want more power, have an amp, then to your point, only need enough to drive it.
Have you measured and splatters, harmonics and spurs from the $18. Amp? I paid over $600 USD for a JUMA PA-100D 100W HF amp lately, almost the price of a Yaesu FT-891. You cannot compare a cheap PA kit to a properly designed PA from a reputable manufacturer. By the way, my amp isn't even that expensive compared to an Elecraft.
@@HOAHamRadio I lived in Asia 2 years (I'm Australian), I know the costs there. There isn't $580 of components in that TRx, there might be $48. Component cost in China is low. Labor cost is low, very low. Assembly of PCB's will be automated anyway. It's probably a plug-together hand assembly for completion with very little hand soldering. Hand-assembly time is minutes. Chassis is all extruded aluminum (low cost). Software is a programming task, a good guess is 900 to 1200 lines of code. Its doubtful that any fees have been paid on 'borrowed' code. There will be 3 different sets of coding (Rx, Tx and Display). It might even have an operating system (Linux). Add in support cost over warranty period, could be $6. Yes, there's quality checking at each level all the way thru production, advertising/promotion, shipping, packing, factory unit costs, wages, vehicle expenses - add in another $12 - $28. It has American-level pricing because that is what people in the West will 'expect to pay'. My best guess at final cost at the factory door is around $70 to $100 absolute maximum with ALL costs as above. That gives 8 times to 6 times multiplier... way excessive.
@@bashcoder Don't have to know production quantities. All my costs are OVER-estimated to take into account error. A more correct ratio will be 8 to 12 times. Go to China and have a good look. You'll get a big surprise to see how low costs are. Production numbers aren't huge for that TRx in that specialized market and all costs are extremely low - labor and components - they are hard to get lower than China, hahahaha.
A couple corrections I'd like to make about this rig that were not mentioned in the comments:
1) there are no remaining hardware issues with the FX4CR; only a certain subset of preorders had that issues -and Yu offered to pay for roundtrip shipping to fix it personally if users are not comfortable doing so themselves
2) Yu plans on making the code to his radio open-source this year, so as not to mirror the Xiegu approach of 'perpetual patches'. His customer service is great and very responsive; two others helped design the radio (one being an American ham by the name of K6ARK)
Nikola thanks for watching and commenting. Your observations about Yu's customer service match mine; superb. There are ZERO complaints regarding his responsiveness and thorough responses. I too think going open source is exciting for this radio and the user group.
@@HOAHamRadio I have it ordered in no rush to get it, Take your time! Yu Scott
Well Bob, I bought one direct from Yu before your enthusiastic and thorough reviews, and I can truthfully say that this radio is a little gem! The fact that you put your stamp of approval on it really confirms my purchase. I have had occasion to email Yu with questions and received immediate responses to my inquiries. He truly backs up his product! I am blown away by the operation of the FX-4CR and look forward to more of your videos about it. 73
Yu's customer service is excellent. He may have earned a customer for life; I wonder how many more radios that means I'll be buying....
Thank you Bob for sharing this video on the FX-4CR. You and I both love small things. That is one attaction I have to this radio and it has good reviews. I am studying for the Extra right now and then moving on the CW. I am setting a goal for myself that when I get to the point of learning CW where I can be on the radio, I am going to treat myself to the FX-4CR. Thank you again Bob.
Learning CW is on my bucket list. I hope you get to treat yourself to the new radio very soon. Thanks for watching and sharing Janice.
Thanks for the info. I believe this could be for me - it “checks a lot of boxes” for me. New house in an HOA neighborhood so no external antenna and attic has radiant barrier so no attic antenna. I’m planning on doing “POTA at home” - by setting up a temporary antenna of some kind in the back yard of an evening, operating HF from my back patio, then packing it all away before daylight reveals my creative interpretation of the rules. I’m interested in SSB, and as a computer guy eventually maybe some digital modes. As an engineer (mechanical and software) the hand crafted machinery aspects of this appeal to me. Finally, the low power levels work for me, from a safety/peace of mind aspect, as well as the challenge. I’m not looking to make long range contacts, just fool around with it some. If I can make a few contacts around the states, great.
Excellent approach Philip. When I first got licensed, back yard portable was a near daily occurrence for me. It taught me so much about portable emergency operations, as almost daily I was setting up a breaking down a small station.
I feel the same way as you did. I am fascinated by form factor, design and functionality. And at the same time willing to accept there might be issues to contend with because it is not a mass-produced item. Looking forward to receiving my order this summer. 73
Its pretty awesome Stephen...all other radios in my shack are getting a little jealous about being replaced / ignored.
I purchased mine from YU as well. I have no complaints. Definitely does the job (SSB & CW)
Thanks for watching and commenting KB4CO; seems everyone who gets their hands on one is a satisfied customer / user.
First of all, great video Bob! I received a first production run of this rig. I can tell you from experience that Yu very much stands by his product. About a month into using it, I started having issues with power output. Yu responded very quickly to my situation when I contacted him by email. After doing some tests he asked me to do, he believed my FX-4CR had a bad PA board. He told me he would send a replacement radio out after the latest firmware update was ready.
True to his word, he shipped another rig in a case with all accessories. This rig had the new motherboard and latest firmware update that was released earlier this month. He shipped it last Sunday, at his expense, and I received it on Tuesday! He uses International FedEx Priority and insisted on paying for the shipping himself. Mind you I still had the original radio and I finally did convince him to let me pay for the return shipping of that one. This not only shows his character as a person, but also his commitment to those who purchase his radios!
Sorry for such a long comment, but one other thing I wanted to mention is how easy it is to get into digital modes with the FX-4CR. If you have an Android phone or tablet, the FT8CN Android app works great with this transceiver. Bluetooth CAT control works so you don't even have to connect with a cable. It's as simple as connecting your Android device to the FX-4CR with Bluetooth and selecting the rig in the app. Then select Bluetooth CAT control in the app and the band you want to use for FT8. The frequencies are already in the app and I didn't need to change any of the default settings. Started making QSOs on 10m in no time. No computer needed!
Please keep the videos coming sir! I've learned a lot from your channel.
73, Tim KW4TIM
Fantastic Tim. Yu seems very much as you described, which is one of the reasons I felt comfortable making this investment. When I finally get around to digital, the FX4CR seems to be the way I'll go.
From my perspective, you strain to clearly articulate your use case and preferences for a product so as to be very transparent to the viewer how yiu arrive at your evaluation of a product. I like this approach very much, Bob.
I ordered the FX-4CR just before I saw your unboxing video. John AE5X’s video made me pause a bit. But the decision by Yu to release the firmware as open source gave me a green light. I have an IC-705 too but this one has my enthusiasm much the same way that you have: there’s craftsmanship and the Fahrvergnugen factor. The G90 clearly has the latter. The FX-4CR likely will, too.
Keep posting your experiences with this rig. Mine is scheduled to ship in the June batch. I’ll put an ATU-100 in my bag to go with it.
73,
Frank
K4FMH
Thanks for the feedback Frank; very helpful. I suspect you are very much going to enjoy the FX-4CR. You just don't expect that kind of performance from such a small footprint.
Hi Bob
It works extremely well on 0.1 watts I have had heaps of contacts on it
I must say it’s impressive and great support from Yu !
I noticed when operating (playing) yesterday the watts dropped into decimals.... That made me excited...now you go and tell me I can make contacts that way. How am I ever going to get anything else done around here with something like this in arms reach 🙂
YU did an amazing job. I have just rec'vd mine and it is amazing. It is a work of art.
Glad you feel the same as me; I am really happy with my choice.
This radio has no built in tuner, no built in battery, no cw decoder, but has 20 watts out. When you pair it with a battery, CW decoder, and an auto tuner you lose the small footprint and you sort of kick yourself for not spending the same amount on a xiegu x6100 which has everything I mentioned in one unit, plus a much larger screen, a lot less connections since tuner is built in and FT8 can be done over a single USB C plug and a legit VFO knob.
All interesting points HumanTimeMachine. Also interesting is users who have stated they have tossed their X6100 aside once they got their hands on the FX-4CR. We are fortunate to have so many options and make choices based on our own opinion and use case.
Do you own a 6100? Or do you work for Xiegu? There have been so many complaints about the 6100 so far that it's not funny.
@@nine7295 neither own nor work for them…people are bipolar on the 6100. I’ve chosen not to buy because of the inconsistencies-one good, another bad.
@@nine7295 I own a x6100 and I'll tell you dealing with radioddity has been a pleasure. My first issue was UPS lost the package. I reached out and filed a claim together with radioddity and they promptly sent a replacement with USPS. Secondly I noticed the radio is definitely not a polished product like you would get from icom or yaesu in the sense that the hardware and firmware is not without it's issues. I've had the radio promptly replaced under warranty as well. The company has been very good at getting me replacements without giving me a hard time. It gives me the feeling that they are passionate about their product. That being said I expected it to not be a polished product and a sort of jack of all trades. I've never done digital modes before but with this radio I have and it's incredible how far I got out on the air. There are some quirks you sort of learn to deal with or use the modded firmware which loads from a microSD on boot so you don't have to replace your devices actual firmware, eject the sd card and you boot to stock firmware
Bob excellent walk through of the FX-4CR. Great point that if you are willing to work through some software / hardware updates this is the radio for you. If not just wait until they get worked out.
Thanks Ham Radio Basics; I was afraid people were making decisions based on my excitement...there is so much to consider in an investment like this.
It was a little disconcerting to see the sensitivity at -121 dBmW. If that is correct, the receiver will be pretty deaf above about 15 MHz. A good test is to listen as the antenna is connected. If the noise level comes up, the receiver is atmospheric noise limited, and can hear anything that any other receiver can hear on that frequency. I already have an older QRP transceiver with a -119 dBmW noise floor, and it is extremely frustrating to use in the upper part of the HF spectrum. It simply won't copy many of the weak signals that other receivers can hear on the higher bands. So how about a follow up with a simple test? Connect/disconnect a full size antenna on 17, 15, 12, and 10 meters, and let us know if the noise level comes up.
For reference, I performed the above test on my IC-7300. It is atmospheric noise limited up to 6 meters. I really want a small 20 watt portable transceiver, and would pop the cash for the FX-4CR in a heartbeat. But if it is not atmospheric noise limited on the upper HF bands, it's not going to be much fun to use there. If the OP or someone else could kindly perform the described test, maybe we will find that my worry is unfounded.
Just received my own FX-4CR yesterday. I am anxious to get it on the air. I need to make some power adapters and wonder what is the designation for the power plug, and where does one find them? I sure enjoy your videos on this neat little radio. Thanks. 73.
It is an amazing little package! The connector is called XT60. Here is an adapter that converts from XT60 right to powerpole (it is an affiliate link( ebay.us/UIwcPS
Hope you have a lot of fun with it!
@@HOAHamRadio Thank you, sir. I appreciate the help.
I find this radio beautiful and I think one of the big radio makers will copy it soon.
Imagine an icon in this form factor, with the quality of the 705. Along with an app you can download an app that you could use to control it (like the sdr-control). The small screen would exist for basic configuration, specially so you configure the wifi.
As a software engineer I know it’s possible and easy to do. These features with this form factor would be sooo good
73
I have wondered the same thing about the bigs; they wouldn't be able to keep them on the shelves. You know they can, I'm just not sure why they haven't.
@@HOAHamRadio ah I think it's strategy. they are still selling the 705 (for example) pretty well, so there's no reason to build a new product. When sales numbers go down they will come up with it to keep us endlessly buying rig hahaha
73
It has to be. They see all the excitement over the 6100 and hear all the disappointment. Then something like the FX-4CR comes along, with 20 watts. Maybe they are afraid of the backlash they will receive when they set the price, and we all compare that to the 6100 and FX-4CR....
@@HOAHamRadio competition always driving evolution =]
I decided to buy a QRP radio right when the 6100 was releasing. For some reason I predicted it would be a disappointment, so I bought the x5105. Such a good radio, I worked 68 countries with it using a qrp guys antenna. And I really did put the radio to the test, I went out with the radio on -20c, -28c and -35c. The brick handled everything…
Then I moved to the 705 and im very happy with it, such awesome RX and TX quality (I have 10% of my QSO public on my YT channel).
I wish this FX-4CR to become a huge success, not only for the ham effort of building it but also for us all =]
73!
Hi Bob, love your videos. Please keep them coming. I just purchased the fx4cr from you and was wondering how long it took for it to arrive. Thanks 73 Roger w8rlp
Thanks for the compliment. I do not have any knowledge about Yu's backlog or production schedule, but one he ships it is about 2 weeks transit. When I ordered, it was about 2 1/2 months before he produced mine and shipped it. Hope you enjoy the radio, its a gem!
I ordered mine.. looking forward to June delivery.
Other than not having a tuner, you just found your new favorite radio....the G90 is going to get pretty lonely, and so is the IC-705.
@@HOAHamRadio I’m feeling the excitement.. You increase my excitement even more, lol.. Inwill have the ic705 as my primary shack radio and the G90 is dedicated to the pedal exercise bike.. so they will all be kept busy, lol.. thx for sharing.
I love mine and also I love my ic705.
My two favorite radios!
th-cam.com/video/VA4e0NqyYMw/w-d-xo.html You will like this one considering your name..... enjoy
I have had good results from Anker products. Not the cheapest, but they have longevity.
Spot on, not the cheapest, but the best and most trustworthy.
What is the service and repair process going to look like since it is only one man? Just one factor to conceal. It is a beautiful little radio.
W4MKH, I think you buy a radio like this if you are willing to be part of the experiment. Yu, the owner, has a reputation for really good customer service. But given all the variables, I made my decision expecting that not to be the case.
I like this. W2AEW does a really credible review of it. BTW Elecraft (Elegant Craft) started with two individuals, as did TruSDX. As they say, two is one and one is zero. So I will watch it for a little longer.
Thanks for watching and commenting Barry. It will be interesting to see the long term on this...
Thanks for the video! Keep them coming!
I sure will Norm_Sue B, I'm having too much fun at this! Thanks for watching.
Hello, can the FX-4CR put out 20W CW if you want to or is the firmware preventing that?
Gust ON6KE
I don't do CW, but this FB group would definitely be able to answer your question: facebook.com/groups/205590337333904/
@@HOAHamRadio
OK, thank you Bob.
73 es dx.
Gust ON6KE
ทำให้เล่น27.555mhzยังไง
Can you use the full 20w power to do Winlink? Thanks!!!
I haven't used Winlink, so I don't have an opinion / experience on this.
Yaesu ft 891 is much better quality and power for me Japan radios is fantastic thanks for the video
Don't own the 891 but it has a fantastic reputation! Thanks for watching.
Great review!!
Thanks for watching and commenting! This radio will make appearances as often as I have time...cool little rig.
Anyone tried digital modes with this radio? Can the band/frequency be set and audio in/out work over USB? Bluetooth?
I haven't gotten in these features yet Bill, so I have no hands on experience. I know others are running FT8. There is a Facebook group where these questions are disucssed.
Whats the best Tuner to run with FX-4CR? size and power wise? Bob Scott KF0HRF
Well, I'm not using a tuner with this radio, and I don't own a portable tuner. I'm just beginning my investigation on a small portable tuner...so I'll have to let you know in the future.
Great radio
Its amazing what one individual could pull off with this!
Did you have to update yours or was it gtg?
The first hardware mod was already done and it delivered with updated firmware. I'm not sure if there have been any software updates since then or not...probably should check. I do have a slight delay after TX to RX, but I'm not sure that is / was addressed. I just figured I'd wait till the dust settled on firmware. Now that it is / may go open source, not sure what to expect.
Regarding the GEO political issues today, Ham operators are above all this. We are a cottage industry; we don't make a dent in the bottom line either way (Politically, or economically). Having said that, I don't like it when someone just copies and pastes anyone's technology, but this fellow did not.I will purchase this nice rig, I am CW at this point in my journey of Ham radio hobby, so I will check out the filtering (CW)...DE NN2X / Tom
Agree with you on all points. Thanks for the view and feedback.
For a FX-4CR custom case:
th-cam.com/users/shortsfVVuTzmysbg?feature=shared
Link isn't working. Would like to see your thoughts on a case for this awesome radio.
The chinese know how to built attractive hardware, they use backlit keys. An not only in expensive gear but also the in the cheap. I wish, the IC-705 had it too!
The bigs could learn a thing or two couldn't they. Love my 705 but there's room for improvement.
My wishes for MKII version: ATU, backlit keys, USB-C, 5GHz WiFi, CW-Decoder (must be possible as RTTY is there already).
"Power" from any low power HF rig is a 40 Watt amp away, built from an $18 eBay kit. There are relatively inexpensive kits available for any power output you want, from 10 W to 1500 W. Power output is simply a plug-in attachment. So power output from a rig means pretty much nothing to me.
John West thanks for watching and commenting. I too own and use amps. My intrigue is the sufficient 20 watts in such a small package for on the go without any add ons.
Want more power, have an amp, then to your point, only need enough to drive it.
Have you measured and splatters, harmonics and spurs from the $18. Amp? I paid over $600 USD for a JUMA PA-100D 100W HF amp lately, almost the price of a Yaesu FT-891. You cannot compare a cheap PA kit to a properly designed PA from a reputable manufacturer. By the way, my amp isn't even that expensive compared to an Elecraft.
Not at US$580... never.
Its great to live in a country(s) with freedom to form our own opinions, act on them, and express them. Thanks for the comment and view.
@@HOAHamRadio I lived in Asia 2 years (I'm Australian), I know the costs there. There isn't $580 of components in that TRx, there might be $48. Component cost in China is low. Labor cost is low, very low. Assembly of PCB's will be automated anyway. It's probably a plug-together hand assembly for completion with very little hand soldering. Hand-assembly time is minutes. Chassis is all extruded aluminum (low cost). Software is a programming task, a good guess is 900 to 1200 lines of code. Its doubtful that any fees have been paid on 'borrowed' code. There will be 3 different sets of coding (Rx, Tx and Display). It might even have an operating system (Linux). Add in support cost over warranty period, could be $6. Yes, there's quality checking at each level all the way thru production, advertising/promotion, shipping, packing, factory unit costs, wages, vehicle expenses - add in another $12 - $28. It has American-level pricing because that is what people in the West will 'expect to pay'. My best guess at final cost at the factory door is around $70 to $100 absolute maximum with ALL costs as above. That gives 8 times to 6 times multiplier... way excessive.
@@cranegantry868 This is all numerator and no denominator. Can’t estimate per-unit costs without knowing production quantities.
@@bashcoder Don't have to know production quantities. All my costs are OVER-estimated to take into account error. A more correct ratio will be 8 to 12 times. Go to China and have a good look. You'll get a big surprise to see how low costs are. Production numbers aren't huge for that TRx in that specialized market and all costs are extremely low - labor and components - they are hard to get lower than China, hahahaha.
CW side tone has intermittent dropouts. Yu promises a fix in an upcoming firmware. FYI It’s usable but rather annoying.