Outstanding, Jean! Very well done! Thanks for making it available.
73,
Doug K4DSP

Hi,

Just to announce that I published the details of my project on github involving the remoting of a ?BIT-X transceiver.? It uses a set of ESP32 modules to pass sound and CAT packets over the internet.? See ".

Have fun & 73.

I built this last year and have had a lot of fun with it. Time to do something else. It's a v5 with KD8CEC firmware, stock display, AGC board, and built-in speaker in a 3D printed case. It has a USB connector on the back for CAT and programming, and the mic element is mounted in a 3D printed mic case with a PTT switch. No issues that I am aware of. Happy to meet you on the air on SSB or CW if you'd like to hear it. I've also used it on FT8 with a simple homebrew interface. The AGC mod is nice especially when you are listening to an SSB roundtable with lots of signals of varying strength. Keeps you from being blasted out of the room when the 75M kilowatts fire up. NOTE: the paddle shown is NOT included.

I understand that there is a v6 out now, so I don't know what the v5 is worth. I'll sell it for the best reasonable offer, but I'd prefer to swap it for something of comparable value. I'm interested in most ham-related stuff. Not interested in trades of computer stuff. Let me know what you have to trade, and if all else fails cash would work too.

NOTE: The porta-paddle shown in the photo is NOT included.

73,
Doug K4DSP

Right on the nail. Observed a similar one between 29palms,California & Albany,Ga during MARS message relay.
All goes well until I notice the coax antenna switch is set to an antenna on the ground for repair.m. Told the op in Albany who passed it on to 29palms. We heard no more of29palms that day.?
We should all remember that our signal is like an elephant-goes where it wants too.
Liked your soapbox Bill-same for me.?

I would agree that the nanoVNA is a great tool. I have just put up a new fan dipole for 40 and 30m. I trimmed the 40m section to resonance today and the nanoVNA made it very easy. I started of with the 40m antenna too long and snipped a bit off at a time to get it to resonance at the lower end of the band. Using the nanoVNA allowed me to check after each adjustment and I could see where the dip was and how much further I needed to trim back each leg of the dipole. The 40m dipole is now resonant where I want it, is very nearly 1:1 swr and a quick test 30 minutes ago with the uBitX showed I was being received all around Europe.???? I wish they had been selling these 20 years ago it would have saved me a lot of time and effort when putting up new antennas. Just need to set up the 30m section of the fan dipole tomorrow.

Reg?????????? G4NFR

Stephen,
Congratulations on your General Class ticket!

From the prior post, I would say you are well on your way to becoming an expert on the uBITX, as well as other aspects of the hobby.

Again, congratulations!
73
Evan
AC9TU

Mike,

First let me tell you that I'm a newbie to ham radio, having earned my technician and general licenses in March of 2020. Bear this fact in mind as you read my comments.

I don't know about R63, there was a change made to R83 from 10 ohms to 2.2. ohms between v3 and v6. As far as audio level is concerned,?I determined that the Baofeng microphone that was shipped with the uBITX was worthless and replaced it with a CB microphone with?a built-in preamplifier (thanks to Evan's post). That improved things some. Then, I lifted one end of R86 and put a 33 uH inductor in series with it and I added 220 pF capacitors across R87 & R88. These changes really improved the power output on the 40 meter and 20 meter bands. (All of these modifications came from posts on the BIT20 group. I refer to them as "Howard's modifications.") In fact, I've made QSO's on both bands now after stringing up an EFHW antenna cut for 40 meters in the backyard.

I recommend that you have two important pieces of test equipment - a nanoVNA and a watt meter. I use the nanoVNA to check the VSWR of any antennas I try out. The power meter will help you evaluate the effectiveness of any changes you make. I'm not a big spender, so I bought the nanoVNA for about $100 on line and also found instructions to build a power meter. The screen on the nanoVNA I bought is small, BUT there's a free download that will let you display data on your laptop or PC and print it out to document your progress. I have no idea about how accurate my "poor boy's" watt meter is BUT I can make meaningful "before" and "after" modification comparisons ... and I can highly recommend "Howard's modification" to you. It doesn't come on the v6.

There are posts that discuss other modifications to the v6 that will improve power output on the higher frequencies at the expense of the lower frequencies. Right now, I am not ready to make that trade off.

One other very useful improvement that you will eventually want to make is installing Reed's software on the Arduino in your v6. I knew nothing about Arduinos and I was able to do it, so it isn't hard to do. Reed's software greatly improves the user friendliness of the v6. Among other things, it allows you to store 4 different favorite frequencies.

Rather that make this message any longer, I am going to stop now. If you want to know more about any of these topics, I will be happy to correspond with you on this board or on "the side" directly. Let me warn you though, there are a lot of folks in this group who know a lot more about the uBITX than I do. Most of my information comes second and third hand from them, and my "Elmer" whose real name is Bob.

73s

Stephen, KO4CVU

Hi Jerry,

The CW delay issue also is fixed in my software version. I would encourage you to give it a try, since it doesn't require any hardware modifications, and you can easily revert to the stock software if you don't like my changes.


Reed

Wow! Thanks to everyone who answer about my calibration problem. By using the RIT I am able to make CW contacts now. It's awkward but by adding 800 Hertz to the receive frequency and hitting RIT and then tuning back down to the original frequency, it works. The weird thing to me is that it doesn't matter whether I'm on LSB/CW or USB/CW I still have to add (not Subtract) 800 hertz.For now I'll stick with using RIT. I need to learn more about the system before I take a leap into all those update items by you experts. Also, I have experienced the problem noted in some of the posts about the slow transfer to transmit. I have to give it a "kick" to begin sending. It's really bad when I slow down my sending speed and the VOX drops out frequently. I've got the CW DELAY set at max to help compensate. I always try to match the speed of the other guy.?

The only other thing that I can suggest is to make sure flrig is not active when using the Memory Manager.? MM is fussy about the port access.

73
Evan
AC9TU

It is at 38400

I would try 38400 as the baud rate.? flrig and other software work at all port settings, but for some reason the CEC Manager only likes 38400.

73
Evan
AC9TU

I have the correct driver and port settings as verified with flrig, but the manager times out. Suggestions?
K7TP

In my opinion the best reason to start with the stock version. Whichever one you purchased, is that gives the best chance to make sure the basic functions work. You are verifying the tests that were performed at HF Signals before it was shipped. It also removes most hardware issues from the upgrades that you plan on doing.?

it is a personal choice, however a step by step approach checking as you go is always more reliable in the long run.?

The above are my opinions, yours may be different
73
Evan
AC9TU

I've thought about installing the Nextion from the get go, when Ian wrote the first draft and made it work so flawlessly. If you were going from a v3 or v4 or maybe even a v5 I'd say just go to the Nextion. I do not know the V6 with its completely different display, so the guys who are saying get that one working before the Nextion may have a few reasons ? That said, remember, Ian tried to make things easy by offering completely compiled files. You would not need to know very much about Arduino if you went that route. You also do not fool around with libraries so it really makes it easy. His files are labeled as Hex files. The procedure is quite a ways back in his website but its easy. Any reasons the guys would be saying to first make one display work and then go to the nextion may have something to do with hardware changes ? And, its all a? learning experience and as long as you do not make errors and blow up parts, its great fun.

Doing it with Hex files is a shortcut, and many of the guys here would say you should not use that short cut. They would want you to learn how to install libraries, compile in the IDE, and use the longer route. Nothing wrong with that UNLESS your in a hurry to get on the air. In fact , it is quite satisfying to know how to use the IDE and libraries, so good luck with your choice.

Grover,
The picture from Amie C. is of a v6 that the stock screen was replaced with a Nextion 2.8" touch screen.? There is a software update of the uBITX Nano to the KD8CEC software, and the correct .tft file loaded onto the Nextion screen.? The stock screen is not used.

Here is a PDF of how it was done by one of the first to try the replacement:

Have fun both using and modifying the uBITX.? It is good at both.
73
Evan
AC9TU

开云体育

Give or take, it’s approximately 50 ohms?

Hi

What is the RF output impedance of the uBITX, v6?

?just became owner of the new baby, soon QRV, I hope :-)

vy 73 de OZ6TI

I'm new at al this; just got? my (used) Version 6 with whatever the large screen it. What software gives you that lovely screen? If I can install it I would be quite happy.
Grover? K7TP

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