Small hardware stores (Ace, TrueValue) often have a whole row of different fasteners where they'll sell you onesie-twosies. I'm sure they must lose money on them, but it's a great service and makes me want to support their stores. A great source for one-off amateur radio supplies. Good luck!
72 de Todd W2TEF
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Re: #qmx SSB Firmware beta 1_01_007 release
#qmx
Paul, did you attempt to re-run that one 10m USB sync optimization using the 'O'?? I had a similar response on one band, and re-running it cleaned it up.? [Not to diminish the fact that it didn't work the first time, but if a simple re-try helps, that is something good...]
Stan KC7XE
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Re: #qmx New build, incomplete initialization problem?
#qmx
If your qmx+ turns the display backlight on, and displays anything on the display, it is quite unlikely that there was a problem transferring the firmware.? This is because diverse sections of the firmware (from a memory map perspective) have to operate to turn on the power supplies and initialize the display, etc.?? Maybe your issue isn't an intermittent connection.? But it is much more likely on a new build that there are one or more shorted or stuck control lines somewhere, or even a solder whisker or two shorting something either on the display board or processor board, or maybe a missing or failed component.? So I always inspect everything very carefully under high magnification.? Even when I did my best to keep things clean, I have found little solder blobs or flakes that migrated where they were dangerously close to shorting something, or a pin that I forgot to solder, or something like that.?
?
All of this especially on the QMX+ v3, which was well tested at the factory, with firmware pre-loaded.? So the most common 'fail to start up properly' issues are assembly issues, many of them display related, since that part wasn't pre-assembled and tested.
?
Also please note that if it "gets stuck" at "Band version", it is just waiting for you to select the proper "Band version" for this build, which is the QMX+ version, which you select by turning the 'tune' knob, then press the right button to continue.? This message appears each time you do a factory reset.
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Re: #qmx New build, incomplete initialization problem?
#qmx
Thanks, Stan, I'll do that again. It does not seem intermittent because of the regularity of the hanging. It seems the firmware image is not being accepted (fully or accurately) or it is not being fully or accurately transmitted (?) for some reason. I am at a loss.
BTW I am using Win 10.
~ Bruce, K3BAB
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Re: #qmx SSB Firmware beta 1_01_007 release
#qmx
On Sat, Apr 26, 2025 at 03:00 PM, Hans Summers wrote:
Yes, unforeseen side-effect of the way CAT is implemented. in QMX the thousands separator can be set to ',' (UK/US/etc style) or '.' (European/etc style) by a setting. CAT replies ignore any character that is a , always as well as any character which is the thousands separator. You?must have set your thousands separator to '.' and that's why it is being ignored. If you set your thousands separator to ',' then you'd get the CW decoded ',''s coming through - but nothing would ever get you the ',''s.?
Thanks Hans, I had wondered if it was related to the frequency. Your explanation makes sense. ? I wanted to note that I have experienced that both "," and "." are omitted in the CAT response no matter what separator you choose.?? I am working on a python script that parses the LC cat responses and can output various things that might be useful for logging. ? Thank you!
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Re: #qmx SSB Firmware beta 1_01_007 release
#qmx
I reran the calibration routines with 1_01_007 on my high band QMX. ? The results mostly mirrored the results I got with 1_01_003 with the exception of 10m USB sync where I got a straight line at 60000 - see below
?
When I had run it under 1_01_003 I got a valley shaped graph and a figure of 40
?
73
?
Paul
M1CNK
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Re: #qmx SSB Firmware beta 1_01_006 release - calibration
#qmx
"?The change >30 degrees was in fact a measurement of 0.1 following a measurement of 359.8, so it was a phase rollover, not a large change."
I wonder if this could be the root cause of calibration issues.
-Steve K1RF
------ Original Message ------
Date 4/26/2025 12:29:04 PM
Subject Re: [QRPLabs] #qmx SSB Firmware beta 1_01_006 release - calibration
Notes on calibration of my other QMX* devices.?? Some (hopefully) useful info:
?
Calibration of my QMX high-band:
- all completed normally and looked good, except 30m phase error had an irregular shape, large downs and ups near the beginning similar to the irregular shapes that occurred with earlier versions.
?
Calibration of my QMX+ rev2:?
- The 160m phase error plot stopped very early, at about DAC=750.? The symptoms were exactly the same as the 80m on my QMX low-band, where the calibration DAC values started at 2xxx rather than 0.? Retries do the same; it never completes.
- The 20m phase error plot stopped early, about DAC=1500.? But one retry allowed it to complete.? I didn't see the DAC values on the first run to see if they started high.
?
Calibration of my QMX+ rev3 (done overnight, so cooler temperatures):
- 40m, 30m, and 6m PE calibration stopped early; 40m at DAC~1000,? 30m at DAC~1200, and 6m at DAC~700.
- a single 'O' retry fixed the 40m and 6m PE sweeps.
- 'O' retries did not fix the 30m; it stopped at the same place, repeatable - See series of screenshots below.?
-? Note: 1) the new startup measurement messages are not present;
-? Note: 2) it stops after a "change greater than 30 degrees" message.? The change >30 degrees was in fact a measurement of 0.1 following a measurement of 359.8, so it was a phase rollover, not a large change.? So the change from near 0 to 359.7 at DAC=250 worked, but the opposite change from 359.8 to 0.1 at DAC=1250 did not work.
- I power-cycled the QMX+ (first power-cycle since start of calibration) to see if behavior would change on 30m; no change.?
- 160m USB IMD optimization flatlined with all values at 0 (I never saw that before).? A single 'O' retry fixed this (I did this before any of he above retries).
- All other PE and IMD completed and looked to have reasonable values.
?
I hope this info is useful in some way -
Stan KC7XE
?
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Re: #qmx SSB Firmware beta 1_01_007 release
#qmx
On Sat, Apr 26, 2025 at 01:56 PM, Paul Wilton wrote:
I have found that in order to run both the serial terminal and WSJT-X in parallel, I have to start up WSJT-X first. ?If I start up the serial terminal first, then WSJT-X won't communicate via CAT.
Interesting, Paul.? That does not happen on my Win10 machine; any process can use any of three ports in any order.? If I start WSJT-x second, I just have to change it to the second or third port, since it will by default try to use the prior port which is now occupied.? Maybe your issue is Mac specific.
Stan KC7XE
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Re: Building a Ultimate3S WSPR kit and might be one dumb question from pilling it off.
On Sat, Apr 26, 2025 at 09:04 PM, DS wrote:
No problem, I said. The ZS6BKW is resonant for me on 40 meters, so I put in the low-pass 40m filter, and gave it a go. Everything looked and acted like it should, but when I looked on , no contacts.?
?
Then I took my IC-7300, dialed it down to 1 watt, and tried it on WSPR. Plenty of contacts, no problem, so I figure if I can get a signal to the ZS6BKW with the Ultimate 3s, I'll be ok. But I have no idea what to try next.?
?
Erm, I bet you've used the PC version of WSPR / WSJTX and applies the dial freq to your SSB rig,
and then used the same dial freq on a U3S ?
?
Nah, U3S uses direct freq mode, RTFM.
?
So if you're using 40m, dial in 7.040.130 on the U3S and see what happens.
?
I bet that's your issue ;-)
?
= Andy =
?
?
?
?
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Thanks everyone.
i will see if i can find some.
72
johnny AC?BQ?
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Re: #qmx SSB Firmware beta 1_01_006 release - calibration
#qmx
Just had another instance of phase error calibration ending early, at DAC=750.
This time it was on the 6m band, as part of a full 'R' calibration of all bands on my QMX+ r3.
All other bands completed this time.
And it has that same characteristic of the DAC values being used starting at a high value (in this case near 2000), rather than near 0 as labeled on the x-axis of the plot.? See attached screenshots:
?
Stan KC7XE
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Wow, that was easy. Thanks.
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Re: Ready to start build, noticed broken inductor on main board
#QMXplus
On Sat, Apr 26, 2025 at 05:02 PM, va3rr wrote:
I'm going to add these to my next Aliexpress order to see if they are a
match...
Nope. Wrong link
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Re: Ready to start build, noticed broken inductor on main board
#QMXplus
The top isn't doing anything except making it easier to wind . .? ? ?This been repeatedly stated on here?
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Re: Ready to start build, noticed broken inductor on main board
#QMXplus
I'm going to add these to my next Aliexpress order to see if they are a match...
72 de Russ, va3rr
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Re: #qmx SSB Firmware beta 1_01_007 release
#qmx
I've checked out 1_01_007 on my Intel iMac running MacOS 15.4.1. ?When all 3 serial ports enabled, they appear as
/dev/cu.usbmodem1414101
/dev/tty.usbmodem1414101
/dev/cu.usbmodem1414106
/dev/tty.usbmodem1414106
/dev/cu.usbmodem1414108
/dev/tty.usbmodem1414108
?
I can run WSJT-X with any of them for CAT. ?I can also run a serial terminal in parallel using the command line plus screen command. ?However I have found that in order to run both the serial terminal and WSJT-X in parallel, I have to start up WSJT-X first. ?If I start up the serial terminal first, then WSJT-X won't communicate via CAT. ?I also have found that I have to reboot the QMX before WSJT-X will communicate if I made the mistake of starting up the serial terminal first. ?Hope this is useful information.
?
73
?
Paul
M1CNK
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Moritz, this happens often on one or more of my 4 QMX*, but not always,? often it works correctly.? ?Something similar can also happen when going into firmware update mode, where you need to push the power button to turn the qmx on and get the USB drive to appear.
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Re: Ready to start build, noticed broken inductor on main board
#QMXplus
There is no issue with this, Rod.? The brittle tops of those coils often break, but that doesn't affect performance.?
?
Stan KC7XE?
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Re: QMX SSB : Does a Baofeng Micro works ok ?
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Todd W2TEF
Johnny AC0BQ
va3rr
Bruce Akhurst