This is another update - a slightly more positive one...
As far as the
software/firmware side of things is concerned...
The hamlib errors seem to have been an issue with firmware updates. When I updated from 1.00.009 to 1.00.014, I went straight from one to the other. I know of no devices which require firmware updates to be performed in order, so figured this was a safe thing to do.
As a test....
I downgraded the firmware to 1.00.009 (the version installed when it arrived) and when I connected the QMX to my new laptop with its fresh installation of WSJT-X, WSJT-X did not throw any errors. Same with the QDX, using the exact same settings in WSJT-X. This is exactly how it used to be... the two radios were completely interchangeable with no need to change the COM port or Audio settings as Windows saw the QDX and QMX as the same radio.
Next, upgraded the firmware to version 1.00.014 by doing sequential updates - updating from 009, to 010, to 011, to 013, to 014 - with a Factory Reset between each update and after the final update.
When I connected the QMX to my computer (new laptop or old desktop, doesn't matter), it was assigned COM 16.
When I connected the QDX to my computer (new laptop or old desktop, doesn't matter), it was also assigned COM 16. This is what I used to see!
Both the QDX and QMX were assigned the same audio device - "Digital Audio Device (QDX Transceiver)".
With the
QMX attached to the computer, when I ran WSJT-X and set the radio to "QRPLabs QCX/QDX" and the correct COM port (COM 16)...
WSJT-X did not report any errors and the QMX functions correctly.When I swapped out the QMX for the QDX, WSJT-X continued to function correctly.
So, as far as the software/firmware side of things is concerned, I think that was fixed by doing sequential updates, or at least it fixed a bad update.
Now, that still leaves the hardware issue, which makes the software side irrelevant:
Neither of the first two units had this issue with the dial not working, but the third unit does. It should never have passed the quality control check.
The left dial simply does not work properly.
In fact... NEITHER of the two dials work reliably! I don't know why I became so fixated on the left dial - probably because CAT control wasn't working and I was trying to switch bands and modes... but, I totally forgot that my initial complaint to Hans on 10/11/23, the day it arrived, was that the RIGHT dial was not responding! I sent him the following link to a video of me receiving it, unboxing it and testing it:
Now that the software/firmware side is working, I just tested both dials again. The right dial has the same issue... it doesn't respond to clicks.
So while I can now use the computer to change bands (it does
not change modes from CW to DIGI) and operate, I cannot reliably use either of the dials to change modes, bands, or any other function that requires clicking either of the dials.
My next test is to see how sensitive the QMX is compared to the QDX. I remember that the the FT8 waterfall was full of FT8 signals when using the QDX, and much less so when I switched to the QMX.? In fact, in my initial testing after I received the QMX on 10/11/23, I sent an email to Hans on 10/23/23 saying:
"I used my QDX and the waterfall was full of signals. I disconnected the antenna and switched it over to the QMX, made sure it was tuned to 14.074MHz. Same antenna, coax, power cord, power supply, same computer... All I saw were the strongest signals on the band. I switched everything back to the QDX, and the waterfall was full of signals again. I used the QDX for the remainder of the day."
Maybe firmware version 1.00.014 has fixed my QMX sensitivity issue? Guess I'll find out soon enough!
73
