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Re: Stuck in Grace-Hollogne :-(((

Jeff | VA2SS
 

Hi,

Nov. 8 update:

My QDX order did not move since October 31st¡­ 9 days since the last update¡­. still stuck at Grace-Hollogne. :-(

I called Fedex for an update. Because I am not the shipper, they cannot provide me information or the reason why my package is stuck there.

73

--
Jeff | VA2SS


QDX, one out of four

 

I recently completed assembling my QDX and and updated the firmware. I have been testing it before stuffing it into its case. WSJT has no reported problem controlling the QDX. It receives on all four bands as expected. I wound T1 3:2, get 4.4 watts out with 12 volts power on 40 meters and have made several contacts. On the other three bands I can receive, and on selecting tune or transmission the led indicates transmission, but there is zero.zero watts power out. The current draw also does not increase from that of receive mode.
From the 40 meter Xmit I know the PA transistors are good. Since I don't see a higher current draw on Xmit on the other bands I assume it's not that the other LPFs are hosed. The led indicates transmission so the controller got the message and from 40 meters I know it can activate transmission. Any ideas what to test next?
--
? 73
??? KD8CGH


Re: QDX has no power out #qdx

 

C34 , what happens, if this conductivity is crashed ?
Matt,

This takes the output from the PA to the LPFs. I see it is a SM device, position shown on page 33 of the manual. Might be worth a look.


Has anybody got a measurement of the Voltage (Output each BS170 while transmitting)? , that I can compare with ? Output of the BS170 Transistors? would be nice so get this Info. Than I know, that the substituted BS170 are doing the job. It?s so frustrating, 3 Day Work and having good first FT8 QSOs with that tiny device and than......:(.
If you are seeing 40 volts at T1 output with your probe then you should see some power out.
Looking at the schematic from T1 RF goes through C34 and on to switching diodes D4,5,6.
I am reluctant to suggest you use your probe to trace the output as the PA is producing power that is going nowhere. More damage could result.
That is why I suggested testing with as low a voltage as possible powering the QDX .

73 Alan G4ZFQ


Re: QDX - rig control error

 

I set up my QDX "exactly" as described by Hans in the manual and was also getting rig control errors from WSJT-X. It passed the CAT test, but asked to reconfigure when changing bands, tuning or transmitting.? It turned out that I missed the setting of Mode to none. I changed that and everything worked.
--
? 73
??? KD8CGH


Re: QCX mini constant tone #qcxmini

 

I was never able to resolve this issue and still hear it on my mini. You can change the pitch of the tone by putting the mini into split mode and changing the separation of VFO A and VFO B as in the older thread. I was ultimately convinced that this tone can only be removed by a change in firmware such as Mont suggested (where Clk2 frequency is moved well away during receive, even if the output is not enabled):

  1. During receive (key-up)
    1. set Clk 2 off
    2. set Clk 2 frequency up 10MHz (or just off somewhere out of the way)
  2. During transmit (key-down)
    1. set Clk 2 back to transmit frequency
    2. set Clk 2 on
So there is no way around it but to hope for a firmware update some day where the tone is minimized.

73,
Gregg W7GRM

On Mon, Nov 8, 2021 at 4:17 AM Rod Smith via <rodjsmith=[email protected]> wrote:
Sorry - thatt should've read Month KM6WT and Gregg W7GRM


Re: QDX has no power out #qdx

 

L5/7/9 O.K. Alan, I?ll try. But they worked well before the crash. Each Band with full power.

C34 , what happens, if this conductivity is crashed ? I can receive without Problems and I can hear the FT8 Signal with my control TS940 beside in the shack (without an antenna). So , The transmission works, but no Power output . I¨¢m not experienced with SMD soldering :(.
I was happy to get the four 47?H away from the board. :)

Has anybody got a measurement of the Voltage (Output each BS170 while transmitting)? , that I can compare with ? Output of the BS170 Transistors? would be nice so get this Info. Than I know, that the substituted BS170 are doing the job. It?s so frustrating, 3 Day Work and having good first FT8 QSOs with that tiny device and than......:(.

73 Matt, DL1SER


Re: QDX Order

 

Hello Hew

Your QDX was already shipped on 28-Oct-2021 and an email notification was sent to you with the tracking number. It might?have been put in your spam?folder. TNT tracking code?105271325

73 Hans G0UPL

On Sat, Nov 6, 2021 at 9:17 PM Hew Lines <va7hu@...> wrote:
I ordered my QDX in the big gaggle (Order50063) and it has been
confirmed in my Order History as "shipped". However, even though I was
advised by Hans that I would receive an email from QRP Labs, I have
received nothing regarding the shipping , and I have received nothing
from either TNT or FEDEX regarding "tracking" and I have no idea where
it is.

I guess I'll continue to sit back and work on my 3D printing of an
enclosure for it.

Hew VA7HU







Re: QDX - rig control error

 

Hi Chris,
I am running wsjtx on a raspi 4 but to my QCX mini and use the CAT port \dev\ttyUSB0. This seems to work fine.

73/Ken g4apb


Re: QCX mini constant tone #qcxmini

 

Sorry - thatt should've read Month KM6WT and Gregg W7GRM


Re: QLG1 GPS rcvr

 

¿ªÔÆÌåÓý

Mine worked well to finish the alignment of my Classic QCX.

David J. Wilcox¡¯s iPad

On Nov 7, 2021, at 12:47 PM, ae1ct1998 <AE1CT1998@...> wrote:

?I have a QLG1gps modual that I'm not going to use so if someone needs it make me a fair offer.


Re: OK to use Elecraft T1 with QCX-mini?

 

The QRP Guys power/dummy load/SWR bridge device works well and I just used it to test my Classic QCX that I just completed. Excellent device.

Dave K8WPE

David J. Wilcox¡¯s iPad

On Nov 7, 2021, at 10:32 AM, Mike Perry, WA4MP <editor@...> wrote:

?
It went between your rig and antenna tuner and had a switch to select OPERATE/TUNE. The OPERATE position is passthru.
In the TUNE position most of the power goes into a 50 Ohm QRP dummyload with a small amount going to the
antenna tuner and as a bonus there is an LED swr indicator.
QRP Guys has a $25 kit that does all that with the added bonus that it offers a three-digit numeric readout of power or SWR. The added precision allows you to get a measure of the benefits of various tweaks. They credit Steve Weber, KD1JV, with the design.



It seems that when one group abandons a popular design, another group takes it up soon after. Unfortunately, when QRP Guys dropped their line of CW keys and paddles, now selling only the PC board part of the kit, no one took up the line. That¡¯s unfortunate, since designs like the Iambic Mini Paddle w/Base were quite clever. I imagine there¡¯s a lot of labor keeping up an inventory of all the little screws and washers.

¡ªMike Perry, WA4MP







Re: QCX mini constant tone #qcxmini

 

Thanks, Theo, for bringing this issue up again.? In February Hans acknowledged the matter and was going to look into it as soon as things settled down.? I've not seen or found any resolution as yet.

But in the thread you've so helpfully provided a link to, there're findings and suggestions by Mont Pierce KM6WT and Greg and me that point strongly to the source of the tone being the (next intended) Tx frequency signal at the Si5351 CLK2 pin out.? That might be checked further by removing the resistor in the path that feeds the CLK2 alignment signal to the antenna input. ? Mont and Greg (and maybe others) have suggested a firmware mod (move the Tx frequency well away from the Rx frequency during receive) as a fix.? If I'm right, removing that resistor (after alignment!) might also do the job.

I'm not going to mess with my mini any further - I very nearly killed it already with ham-fisted replacement of op amps!? (Hint: don't try that with lead-free solder)

73
Rod G0VKX


Re: QDX Surface Mount inductors

 

In Rev 2, I used through-hole inductors for those 4 and deleted the SMDs. So the SMDs don't need to be removed. Just install the wire-ended ones.?

Given the high demand for QDX I don't want to go through samples testing to check self-resonance. We have a known solution that works: use through-hole 47uH inductors. For now, that works...?

73 Hans G0UPL

On Mon, Nov 8, 2021 at 12:51 PM Wolfgang OE1MWW <oe1mww@...> wrote:
Hans,

Boa, you have still 3000 SMD inductors on stock... :o)

For the Rev 2 boards, do you plan to use the same SMD inductors ?
And during assembly they have to be removed and replaced by the
extra delivered through-hole ?

73's de OE1MWW
Wolfgang


Re: QDX Surface Mount inductors

 

Hans,

Boa, you have still 3000 SMD inductors on stock... :o)

For the Rev 2 boards, do you plan to use the same SMD inductors ?
And during assembly they have to be removed and replaced by the
extra delivered through-hole ?

73's de OE1MWW
Wolfgang


QDX - rig control error

 

I use a Raspberry Pi4 to run WSJT-X 2.5.0 with an IC-7300 and it¡¯s fine.? So I transferred the USB cable to the QDX and set up a new configuration for QDX exactly as described by Hans in the manual.

I get a constant error message ¡® Rig Control Error ¨C do you want to reconfigure the radio interface?¡¯?

The good news is that something is working - WSJT-X recognises the QDX, hovering over the port information brings up ¡®dev/ttyACM0?? QRP Labs QDX transceiver¡¯ and it decodes FT8 on 30m and 40m.? But only after I managed to set FT8 and the band by clicking on ¡®Retry¡¯ and quickly trying to click on the mode and band menus before the amber spot turned back to red.? I¡¯m not fast enough with a mouse to succeed more than maybe 1 in 10 attempts so it¡¯s an exercise in frustration.??

On 30m, the message detail shows:

Hamlib error:? communication timed out

kenwood_open: no response from rig

kenwood.c(863): kenwood_open return (-5)?

rig.c(1026): rig_open return(-5) while opening connection to rig

?

However on 40m, the message detail shows:

Hamlib error:? Protocol error

kenwood_open: cannot get identification

kenwood.c(880): kenwood_open return (-8)

rig.c(1026) rig_open return(-8) while opening connection to rig

?

I tried selecting TS440S, TS480 and, for good measure, several of the other Kenwood HF rigs listed but no difference.

I have checked and resoldered the USB connector on the QDX board and it looks fine.? I have also tried a different USB cable.?

I should be most grateful for any suggestions as to how to resolve this issue.

Many thanks.

?

Chris? G4CWS


Re: QDX has no power out #qdx

 

I get 40V with dhe RF probe (2x Voltage Peak of die Wave => about 4Watts). But no Sigs at the BNC connector anymore. Seams to be something destroyed between the P.A. and the low passes ? Any idea? I designed the QDX fpr 12V 3:2 Transformer.
Matthias,

When testing the PA I suggest powering the QDX with as low a voltage as possible, 7 volts or less, I'm not sure of the absolute minimum. Possibly as low as 5.5 volts, The regulators are specified 1 volt drop-out.

Check C34 and all soldered joints on LPF inductors.

Operation of the BPF selection can be checked on receive. Testing volts at L5, 7 or 9 should show low (0.6 volts?) on the selected band.

73 Alan G4ZFQ


Re: QDX Surface Mount inductors

 

Hello Andrew

You asked:

"Hans, what was the original manufacture part number of the inductors you were using?"

I am attaching to this post, a photograph of the SMD reel label. So that should answer your question...?

Before any smart person notices that the date code is 2020-09-08 which is AFTER I manufactured the QDX kits (around January 2020)... yes, that is because this is the current reel of 3000pcs of this inductor that we are using. We are also using the reel for other kit manufacturing too such as the QCX-mini. But it's always the same supplier and the same part number as shown on this photo.?

73 Hans G0UPL


On Thu, Nov 4, 2021 at 4:25 PM Andrew Lenton <a@...> wrote:
Hi all,

Thanks for your responses, I do have have a number of spectrum analysers, and I have a surface mount work station, I can remove the inductors with a hot air pencil, and fit different ones with ease. After I have built the kit with originals parts, I will measure the harmonic content, let's assume the power is 37dBm, then 60dBc would be -23dBm (25mW), I would like to see harmonic content -36dBm (250nW), or -54dBm (3.98nW), this may be a tall order?

I have HF coupler and some high pass filters and HF notches, for HF so can make the measurements. What spec are we supposed to meet?

Yaesu FTDX 10 is quoted at -50dBc for 100 Watts! on HF!

Hans, what was the original manufacture part number of the inductors you were using? I would like to look up the spec sheet.


RF design, does have a tendency to bite you!. all part of the fun

73 G8UUG


On the TX signal, 5V tolerant I/Os and Pull-up resistors

 

Hi Fred

The 5V tolerant IO and the pull-up resistors to?+5V are all a red herring.?

According to the BS170 datasheet, the device has a gate threshold voltage of typically 2.1V but it could be as low as 0.8V or as high as 3.0V. I was nervous about?3.3V logic perhaps not driving it at sufficient voltage to be properly "ON". In other words not much safety margin between the 3.3V operating voltage of the microcontroller - bearing in mind the output will?not quite be rail-to-rail - and the worst case gate threshold?of the MOSFET.

My plan therefore was to use 10K pull-up resistors to?+5V. Then when I wanted the MOSFETs "On", I would set the I/O pin to be an input; and the 10K resistor would pull the MOSFET gate to?+5V. When I wanted the MOSFET to be "Off", I would set the I/O pin to be an output and set its level low. This is why you see these 10K pull-up resistors at the gates of the Tx/Rx switch Q6, and the three band select switches, and Q2 (on the TX signal).?

HOWEVER... I was mistaken. Because the transistor I used is BSS123 and according to its datasheet, its gate threshold voltage is minimum 0.8V, typical 1.7V, and maximum 2V. Therefore there is a lot more head room than I had expected with a BS170. So in the end, I did NOT keep to my original plan. I simply have the TX, RX and Band control signals all active all the time as Outputs, and set to high (3.3V) or low (0V) by the firmware. In either case (high or low), the pull-up to?+5V is of no consequence. It is an 0.5mA annoyance when the pin is at 0V, and a 0.17mA annoyance when the pin is at 3.3V. Nothing else.?

The microcontroller is not operated out of its spec. There is no possibility of damage. The pull-up resistors are ignored by the current firmware. Irrelevant. Unnecessary.?

As a matter of fact, in Rev 2 of the PCB, I simply deleted those pull-up resistors. I am talking about R5, R10, R11, R12 and R14. They are not required.?

Fred if you want to remove these resistors please go ahead. It makes no difference...?

73 hans G0UPL




Re: QDX has no power out #qdx

 

Hi all

General:?

Please be patient... this is a new rig, and we have yet to accumulate?collective trouble-shooting experience. I have just had a nice QSO with Earl 4Z4TJ on JS8Call, 5W QDX at both ends, on 40m. I also copied Earl on 20m WSPR yesterday. My QDX has been working faultlessly all weekend. I logged in to my PC remotely from my mobile phone and had many QSOs around Europe on FT8 on 20m and 40m, as well as working Muhsin TA1MHS on FT4, FT8 and JS8Call on Saturday. Even middle of the night last night I woke up and couldn't get back to sleep... went downstairs and sat on the sofa operating FT8 for an hour on 40m. That put me to sleep :-)?

The rig works and is reliable. Nevertheless we are now nearly 500 people building it at once, and some problems are going to arise, and we will need to build up some collective experience with operating and troubleshooting, this is normal. So please nobody be disappointed. There are a growing group of us with working QDX, even making QDX-to-QDX QSOs. So be patient we'll all get there.?

Firmware

Please do make sure you are on the latest firmware. We need to have a common reference point and not introduce more unknowns into the equation.?

No transmit power due to assembly faults

There are many possible reasons for this.?

1. Low Pass Filter toroid connection problems; this should be identifiable with a DMM in continuity mode. But even if it shows continuity during your test, this is not a 100% guarantee that all is well - if you have an intermittent connection, you could "pass" the DMM test but fail power transmission when you turn the board over, for example. If you have low pass filter toroid wire issues (enamel not burned/scraped off), this could also cause low receive signal strength.?

2. Another cause of failure to receive well can be soldering issues on the receive signal path: the large T50-2 band pass filter toroid L12, or the receive mixer phase splitter trifilar transformer T2. In the case of T2, you have not just wire enamel issues to consider, but also, did you get all the 6 wires in the correct 6 holes.?

3. If receive is working OK, but transmit has no power output, this points the finger at the output transformer or the T1 output transformer, or L14 choke. Again enamel on wires. Or in the case of T1, there could be shorts between winding caused by nicks to the enamel.?

4. Another possibility is issues in the band switching. There are four through-hole inductors, that have to be installed by removing the SMD inductors, as per the manual. If there are any mistakes here, then the corresponding band low pass filter cannot be switched into the circuit and you will get no power output on that band (as well as reduced receiver sensitivity).?

No transmit power due to configuration issues

Now if your radio is assembled properly, you can STILL have no transmit.?

An easy mistake to make, is to improperly configure WSJT-X on the "Radio" setting screen. By default, QDX VOX (Voice Operated Transmit) is disabled. Therefore CAT on WSJT-X must be properly configured, selecting Kenwood TS-440S as the CAT protocol. But you must also set up PTT method as CAT. The default in WSJT-X and JS8Call is VOX.?

If your QDX has VOX disabled, but the PTT Method set up in WSJT-X is VOX, then the PC will produce the correct sounds but QDX will just ignore them and not commence transmission.?

Of course you have to have selected the QDX sound card in the Audio setting too... and who knows, maybe in Windows there are other details to take care of in the audio settings. Same applies to Linux.?

If on the other hand, you enable VOX on the QDX, then it is easy to mistakenly send PC sounds to the QDX and enable the transmitter when you do not intend to do so. So CAT control of PTT is preferable.?

Dropped USB connections

If you suffer dropped USB connections - then I cannot rule out firmware bugs, they may be found - but a very definite possibility is common mode feedline current issues (RF in shack). On Friday when I had just put up the antenna at the new QTH I had this problem (the antenna orientation is not very ideal). Every time I put the radio into transmit, the USB connection got dropped. That was solved with a feedline choke consisting of 10 turns coax around an FT240-43 ferrite core. After that all the problems disappeared.?

It is also worth noting that a shorter USB cable could help, or clip-on ferrite on the USB cable.?

RF problems, grounding problems, all are very real and I think underestimated by many radio amateurs. Maybe you think you have a good ground. Maybe you even drove into the actual soil, a big copper rod. Still if your shack is upstairs, then shack ground will be several meters above the real ground, and several meters cannot be ignored even at HF!?

A tuner? 1.05 : 1 SWR? Yes but SWR does not prevent feedline problems either. Many people put a tuner in the shack between them and their coax feedline. But actually what you are now tuning is your antenna?+ feedline combination. Now since your coax is effectively now actually part of your antenna, you could have a significant RF right there brought into your shack.?

So a lot of problems can and do occur, and can be different with different radios, or different power supplies... and yet are not the fault of the radio.?

By "dropped USB connections" that can mean the audio connection and/or the serial data connection.?

Transmitting?out of band

Remember also that if you try to transmit on bands or frequencies below 80m, or above 20m, then QDX will just refuse. In that case the LED will not start flashing.?

Please transmit at full volume

Never use the slider on the right hand side of the WSKJ-X window, to try to reduce output power. This has NO effect on the QDX except to reduce the accuracy of the audio frequency measurement. The same applies to any gain settings in your audio settings on your machine. There is NO POINT AT ALL to running WSJT-X at anything other than full volume.?

"TX" signal and "RX" signal

These two signals are not automatically complimentary.?

When the radio is switched from Receive to Transmit, the RX signal will go low. During Receive, it will go high.?

The TX signal is more accurately a Key-down signal.?

Now the RX signal will go low, when the radio is switched into transmit state by the appropriate CAT command from WSJT-X. However the TX signal will not go high, until valid audio is detected and measured. Only at that point, will QDX activate the TX signal (put it high i.e. 3.3V).?

In order to get TX high, two conditions are necessary (assuming VOX is disabled, and WSJT-X is set up for PTT Method: CAT):

a) The radio must have been placed into transmit mode by receiving a CAT Command?

b) The radio must receive audio from WSJT-X and measure it properly; so WSJT-X must be sending audio to the QDX USB emulated sound card correctly (WSJT-X configuration, any other sound configurations on your PC).?

5V tolerant pins...?

To avoid introducing too much info to this thread, Fred W0FMS, I am going to reply separately to lay this one to rest.?

73 Hans G0UPL


On Mon, Nov 8, 2021 at 9:09 AM Hans Summers via <hans.summers=[email protected]> wrote:
Hi all

There are a lot of points I need to make, in relation to this long thread.?

Long post is coming soon...?

73 Hans G0UPL


-------- Original message --------
From: Fred Spinner <fred.spinner@...>
Date: Mon, Nov 8, 2021, 7:48 AM
To: [email protected]
Subject: Re: [QRPLabs] QDX has no power out #qdx
So...... I think I very well might be making a circuit mod to mine before firing it up....?

According to what I am reading from STM the 5V tolerant pins on the STM32s are only tolerant as digital INPUTS!? Not analog inputs nor digital or anog outputs! I think the pull up on the TX circuit needs to go to VDD 3.3V and not VCC 5V.? The 5 mA limit on the pin should not be violated with the 10k pull up, but STM does not recommend pulling up an output to 5V.? At least according to what I am reading.?

Maybe removing R5 and putting a 10k resistor to VDD 3.3v as a pullup instead to the gate of the BSS123 could help... If the pin isn't toast already.? That still should be enough to saturate that FET and trigger TX.? Alternatively a diode might be able to be added to that TX line to isolate the output from 5V but still pull down the TX circuit.

I think maybe if you two are lucky you might only be latching up that line... One hopes...?

I still think many of the B and C pins could be used as an alternative TX line from the small amount of research that I did tonight though, but again not to VCC.?

But yeah, probably stirring up a hornets nest here tonight again.?

Fred W0FMS

On Sun, Nov 7, 2021, 9:12 PM Ronald Taylor <wa7gil@...> wrote:
Fred both my regulators have the required output voltages 5 and 3.3. Thanks?

On Sun, Nov 7, 2021 at 20:51 Fred Spinner <fred.spinner@...> wrote:
Okay so one last question out of curiosity.? Are both voltage regulators regulating correctly? 3.3v and 5v?? Especially at 12v the AMS regulators still make me a little nervous.

Fred W0FMS

On Sun, Nov 7, 2021, 8:45 PM Evan Hand <elhandjr@...> wrote:
On Sun, Nov 7, 2021 at 09:23 PM, Ronald Taylor wrote:
yes the TX IO pin dies work under some conditions
Ronald,

On my QDX the TX has never worked and I have not seen any output even in the Tune mode (That was the first transmit I tried to see power output).

Currently, the receiver is pretty deaf, receiving only sometimes on very strong signals and the level indicator for receive in WSJT-X seems to vary between starts.? Sometimes green and OK but most times very low and Red.

I was able to verify audio to the QDX from WSJT-X.? To do so you need to have a terminal program on the same PC as the WSJT-X software and set up the QDX for VOX and radio to NONE.? This allows you to run the Input Analysis function in the QDX terminal.? With that setup, I was able to verify that audio was getting to the QDX.\

As you have observed, the panel light indicates that it is going into transmit mode.

The trace of the TX line is soo thin and in the middle of other very thin runs that I am hesitant on cutting the run to trigger the TX signal with a jumper.

At this point, I guess it is a waiting game for Hans to jump in and help.? I do not believe that I have read where anyone else has the information and tools to dig into the processor and program.

Really disappointed at this time.
73
Evan
AC9TU


QDX crashed after 25 QSO?s

 

my QDX crashed after 25 QSOs on 40m and 30m. I changed to 20m. 5W power output. Voltage of the lead Battery about 13V . Than I smelled some smoke. No Power Output anymore an two melted BS170 Transistors. No Idea, what hapened.
I called a lot of CQ?s on 20m . About 10 times (15sec. TX 15 sec. RX). QDX was in the Case . Got to warm ?
Good SWR. I replaced all BD170 Transistors. fortunately I got 4 of them.
After replacing still no power. I can hear the Sigs with my TS940, I can receive all other Stations and at the output of allTransistors I get 40V with the RF probe (2x Voltage Peak of die Wave => about 4Watts). But no Sigs at the BNC connector anymore. Seams to be something destroyed between the P.a. and the low passes ? Any idea? I designed the QDX fpr 12V 3:2 Transformer.

73 de Matt, DL1SER