|
Re: zBitx keyboard and monitor recommendation and advice
¿ªÔÆÌåÓýI use this one: ? With great results. ? Dean ? From: [email protected] <[email protected]>
On Behalf Of N7IHQ via groups.io
Sent: Monday, May 19, 2025 2:33 PM To: [email protected] Subject: Re: [BITX20] zBitx keyboard and monitor recommendation and advice ? I use a mini bluetooth keyboard/touchpad with my zBitx. The touchpad is a little jumpy but it works. The RealVNC viewer also works well with a laptop computer. ? ? Jim N7IHQ ? ? |
|
Re: zBitx keyboard and monitor recommendation and advice
Dave
i suggest that you get a microUSB Port extension with at least 2 USB Connections like this
AuviPal 3-Port Micro USB OTG Hub...
this plugs into the zBITX socket. ?Then you just need a small QWERTY keyboard and mouse. ?For the Monitor connection you will need a miniHDMI to HDMI cable like this
Thsucords Thin Mini HDMI to HDMI...
to connect the miniHDMI port on the zBITX to a regular monitor. ?
--
your Buddy,
Glen, WB4KTF, Austin, TX |
|
Re: ZBitx Shutdown Function
#zbitx
Trouble is, to swap the SD card REQUIRES disassembling the radio - at least removing the case. Not an "in the field" friendly operation. Having a proper shutdown command sent to the Raspberry Pi greatly reduces the chance of SD card corruption.
?
73,
Pat NE4PO |
|
Re: zBitx +-2 MHz transmit spurs?
Are other people not finding problems with spurious mixing spurs around 2 to 3 MHz above and below the Tx signal of your zBitx?
You can listen in with any wideband SDR such as an SDRPlay or RTL-SDR connected to very small sniffer antenna (paperclip).
If other people are not seeing strong spurs, perhaps my unit has a bad MS5351 clock chip or faulty bypass caps that I can fix. ?
Thanks and 73, Ron, n6ywu |
|
Re: Is this a Bit-X?
Thank you so much!? I have never had an SDR QRP rig before.? I¡¯ve have TT Powermites and Argonaut 505 and 509s as well as anHW-8 and had HW-7&9.? This is a whole other ballgame.? I¡¯ll probably pick up a Bit-X at some point as there is a large following.? Thanks again! 73, Jerry - NE4L On Mon, May 19, 2025 at 11:40?AM Ron Carr via <rcarr=[email protected]> wrote:
|
|
Re: Tiny GNSS Clock for the Field
Hi Li,
?
? ?I have a number of devices with so-called 'real time clocks' including Teensy 4 and RasPi devices.? I end up removing the battery as some clocks emit RF ticking, and not one of them has actually kept reasonable time over a 24 hour period.? None of the devices I have keep time accurately enough to use?WSJT-X modes.? I do not have a zBITX so can't speak to how well that RTC keeps time.
?
? ?When I'm on land and using my Ultimate3S WSPR rig from QRP-LABS, I use a GPS input and never have to worry about setting the clock - it's "never" off.? I use GPS timing when I'm at sea and away from cellphone coverage for the same reason, whether using digimodes or when timing celestial navigation sights (a work in progress...).?
?
? ?When the device is GPS disciplined, one doesn't have to worry about setting the clock - the device becomes a 'toaster' - it just works.
?
? ?FWIW.? 73, Andy
? ?KG5RKP/MM
?
On Mon, May 19, 2025 at 09:49 AM, Li Cao wrote:
|
|
Re: zBitx keyboard and monitor recommendation and advice
Given that one can set up a zBitx from the command line, one can just ssh in from anything that can connect over the network. ?
?
Since most people carry a mobile phone with them when doing portable ops, an ethernet dongle or two (a small OTG to ethernet hub for the zBitx, a small ethernet to Lightning adapter for the iPhone, or similar for Android mobiles, plus a short ethernet cable) allow connecting to the zBitx, and are lighter than any HDMI monitor. ?There are multiple ssh terminal and Remote Desktop apps available in both major mobile device app stores.
?
73, Ron, n6ywu |
|
Is this a Bit-X?
I purchased the rig in the pic from eBay about a year ago. ?The best I can remember it is a version of the Bit-X but not sure. ?I haven¡¯t used it other than som RX because it didn¡¯t have a manual and operation isn¡¯t obvious to me. ?Is there a manual on the web?
?
sorry my first post was questions but that¡¯s alli have until I start making contacts. ?Pic attached.
?
73,
Jerry NE4L |
|
Re: Tiny GNSS Clock for the Field
¿ªÔÆÌåÓýLi¡ªyou are correct. ?All of this GPS stuff is superfluous provided that you know your location and your real-time clock isn¡¯t terribly terribly off. Which isn¡¯t likely to be. And it¡¯s easy to sync with WSJT anyway. ??However, for our field day effort, our group wanted to demonstrate full emergency communications capabilities without any Internet, and so we built an NTP server that is independent. ?We are an ARES group Gordon? On May 19, 2025, at 10:49, Li Cao via groups.io <licao081@...> wrote:
|
|
Re: Tiny GNSS Clock for the Field
¿ªÔÆÌåÓýI¡¯m wondering why we would need this. Not sure about sBitx, doesn¡¯t the zBitx have a high precision RTC with coin battery inside ? I saw some posting about a zBitx user found the battery missing when it arrived . It should not drift off too much if you sync the clock recently (I am thinking within a couple of weeks at least) Li KQ4EXQ On May 19, 2025, at 9:08?AM, Gordon Gibby KX4Z via groups.io <docvacuumtubes@...> wrote:
|
|
Re: zBitx keyboard and monitor recommendation and advice
I've just received these from AliExpress, haven't tried them yet but they all look okay. The keyboard and mouse will plug into the little splitter.?
The power supply block 9volt? will plug into my main power supply at 13+ volts and should give me the required 9v for my Zbitx it's says 5a so should be fine.?
Hope this is useful , they were great value too.
Martin?
?
Ultra Thin USB Wired Keyboard Optical Mouse Mice Set Combo for PC Laptop keyboard mouse keyboard mouse combo usb keyboard mouse
?
?BGGQGG USB HUB USB 3.0 4 Ports HUB Multi Splitter Adapter OTG For Xiaomi Lenovo Macbook Pro Air PC Computer Notebook Accessories
https://a.aliexpress.com/_EHsNB6Q 12V24V to 9V5A power step-down module 12V to 9V DC transformer 24V to 9V car converter https://a.aliexpress.com/_EIfTaIE |
|
Re: zBitx keyboard and monitor recommendation and advice
A Bluetooth keyboard should also work natively... On Mon, May 19, 2025 at 9:25?AM Jim Marco <jmarco1955@...> wrote:
|
|
Re: zBitx keyboard and monitor recommendation and advice
Hi Dave et all...Nice to hear from you...I hope all is well... Another fine radio from HF Signals...I downloaded the manual and gave it a quick read...Any HDMI capable TV/Monitor will work for the display...You will need the appropriate cable to go between the radio and the screen...The keyboard will attach to the micro USB port on the radio...Most any modern keyboard, wired or wireless, will work... Remember, you are interfacing to a Raspberry Pi so all the rules for that platform apply...It looks like once you have the Pi configured, you will no longer need the external devices for normal operation unless you want them... I'll give it a closer look but if you are familiar with the Raspberry Pi platform this should be a slam dunk... Dave...Did the club ever do anything with the BitX40 and uBitX V6 radios I left them?...They are still good radios to learn on... Best 73's to all...Jim WB2LHP On Mon, May 19, 2025 at 6:44?AM David Wilcox <djwilcox01@...> wrote: I and a few friends just got back from Four Days In May with our new zBitx xcvrs.? The manual recommends using a monitor and keyboard for setting up time and some other features but I don't have those available. |
|
Re: Tiny GNSS Clock for the Field
Thanks, Andy!
?
We had to deal with this a year or so back, so that we could compete in FIELD DAY with FT8/FT4 without requiring any internet.? ?There are of course many ways to "sync" these signals and they are pretty resilient even to being off more than a second -- but we wanted a general purpose solution.? So we built our own NTP server using a cheap dongle GPS receiver and software on a raspberry pi.? ?Something similar should work on the SBitx etc...
?
?
We built ours as a standalone system and have used it in a couple of Field Days I think now with good success.
?
Gordon KX4Z
?
? |
|
Tiny GNSS Clock for the Field
Since RTCs aren't, and since many want to use their sBITX/zBITX in the field doing things that need accurate time, consider the 'guy with the Swiss accent'.
?
?
Andreas' project this week is a TINY GPS/ESP32 combo capable of sub-second accuracy via both WIFI and Ethernet.
?
73, Andy |
Glen Jenkins WB4KTF
Bob Benedict, KD8CGH