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How is the SSB progress going? Can't wait!
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Hi Nico
Frankly I made rather disappointing progress since early December. It became necessary to deal with a lot of operational issues and that took a lot of time. We had low stock of all kinds of things at the same time so I had to organize a lot of component procurement and manufacturing. The PCBs are the last thing to arrive and will be here probably tomorrow?(they cleared import customs yesterday): - 1,000 QMX+
- 1,000 QMX
- 500 QDX
- 500 QLG3 GPS module
- 500 QLG2 GPS module
- 500 ProgRock2
- 1000 Dummy Load
- 500 '5351 Synth kit
- 500 QMX SMPS boards
Don't even start to imagine the amount of work involved, your brain will implode... on top of that there were the problems with toroid substitutions and documentation updates, procuring all the through-hole components to go along with the above boards, enclosures, etc etc.?
Then we had a lot of family things going on like my daughter's ballet school performance and driving her back and forth to rehearsals 3x a week (2 hour drive each way); The LFB (age 4) got pneumonia which was no fun; then we had vomit city for a week after new year when we all came down with some nasty stomach virus. (Not exactly "all", all except The XYL. Even viruses are scared of The XYL).?
Not making a list of excuses (anyway I didn't promise any timeline), just explaining, things went slow... however all that is now behind me and I have the trusty QMX+ back on the bench on SSB development and time to spend on it.?
By the way for those who worry about robustness this is still my original Rev 1 QMX+ I built back many many months ago pre the Dayton 2024 launch. I changed the BS170's once but that was because I made a mistake in the MS5351M configuration during my SSB firmware development where the RF stopped and one side of the BS170s were therefore ON continuously, and of course that didn't last long. I replaced one SMPS board once, that was because I dropped a 'scope probe on it during SSB firmware testing, and there was a short that killed something. Other than these two operator-inflicted issues the unit continues to go through lots of abuse, different firmware experiments, etc. More often than not, I power it down by pulling out the 4mm banana plug from my bench power supply. No issues...?
Anyway - back to SSB - the situation is still one of INTEGRATION. I already got all the parts of the system working: SSB modulation itself, CESSB, Microphone handling, PTT button, phase pre-distortion, audio from USB; but all these were somewhat artificially set-up firmware experiments; now I am in what I would call "integration" phase where I have to merge all these experiments into a coherent firmware version where everything works properly together. Configuration menu items for all the SSB options. And to make sure all the existing parts of QMX work properly in the new SSB mode like the CAT interface, AGC system, S-meter, SWR protection etc.?
Getting there... and believe me, NONE of you want SSB firmware live, anything like as much as *I* wanna see the back of it!
On Tue, Jan 14, 2025 at 11:46?PM Nico Smith via <nicosmith873= [email protected]> wrote: How is the SSB progress going? Can't wait!
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Thanks for the update. Your family and their health are much more important than SSB. I love my QMX and QMX+ as they are. They are used almost daily on CW and FT8 and have never has a failure of any kind in two years. I run 12 volts with a Talent Cell pack. My antennas are usually an EFHW. I appreciate all of the firmware updates you have provided. The features are fantastic. We are all with you.
On Tue, Jan 14, 2025 at 3:46?PM Nico Smith via <nicosmith873= [email protected]> wrote: How is the SSB progress going? Can't wait!
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On Wed, Jan 15, 2025 at 06:57 AM, Hans Summers wrote:
Even viruses are scared of The XYL
I can only confirm on this one ?
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On Tue, Jan 14, 2025 at 09:46 PM, Nico Smith wrote:
How is the SSB progress going? Can't wait!
I think all of us who have/had technical jobs have been in this situation where you want to see the back of a project but you can't for physical reasons! Your manager, the accountants, the clients may be even the banks are breathing down your neck but you are the damn expert who can finish the damn work and you are dealing with physical constraints that can't be cheated with.? Even if it is software, Hans's SSB will work or not, be buggy or not, sound well or not. Thus the only rational thing that you can actually do is keeping your cool and carrying on as efficiently as you can! So in such a situation, for the sanity of people doing the actual work, don't ask... he knows that we are all waiting for it, we know that he is getting on with it and that he has the knowledge and the stamina to finish it and there is nothing else useful to know, even an advancement is probably guesswork at best and an unnecessary distraction! I know about deadlines, budgets yadda yadda but Hans told us early that there was no timeline and we bought a QMX knowing this!
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Hans and the group-
Having only received my QMX+ two days ago, I am relatively new to the QRP Labs operating community though I've been reading the group since I ordered in October 2024. My familial essential tremor makes kit assembly at the QRP Labs size scale impossible for me. I used to love assembling kits.
Regardless, I want to thank Hans for his transparency and candor in sharing the complexity and distractions of real life which in toto are much more important than any software development project as every ham would acknowledge.
Nonetheless, thank you as well for your continued commitment to bringing SSB to the QMX+ and your detailed report on your progress.
73 de K3FZT / Steve --
Steve Davidson K3FZT?Winlink Gateway K3FZT-10@...?direct or via W3EOC-3 Supporting VARA FM Wide/1200bd Packet WIRES-X Room #85218 "MARC-DARBY" 444.050 mHz
On Wed, Jan 15, 2025 at 12:57?AM Hans Summers via <hans.summers= [email protected]> wrote: Hi Nico
Frankly I made rather disappointing progress since early December. It became necessary to deal with a lot of operational issues and that took a lot of time. We had low stock of all kinds of things at the same time so I had to organize a lot of component procurement and manufacturing. The PCBs are the last thing to arrive and will be here probably tomorrow?(they cleared import customs yesterday): - 1,000 QMX+
- 1,000 QMX
- 500 QDX
- 500 QLG3 GPS module
- 500 QLG2 GPS module
- 500 ProgRock2
- 1000 Dummy Load
- 500 '5351 Synth kit
- 500 QMX SMPS boards
Don't even start to imagine the amount of work involved, your brain will implode... on top of that there were the problems with toroid substitutions and documentation updates, procuring all the through-hole components to go along with the above boards, enclosures, etc etc.?
Then we had a lot of family things going on like my daughter's ballet school performance and driving her back and forth to rehearsals 3x a week (2 hour drive each way); The LFB (age 4) got pneumonia which was no fun; then we had vomit city for a week after new year when we all came down with some nasty stomach virus. (Not exactly "all", all except The XYL. Even viruses are scared of The XYL).?
Not making a list of excuses (anyway I didn't promise any timeline), just explaining, things went slow... however all that is now behind me and I have the trusty QMX+ back on the bench on SSB development and time to spend on it.?
By the way for those who worry about robustness this is still my original Rev 1 QMX+ I built back many many months ago pre the Dayton 2024 launch. I changed the BS170's once but that was because I made a mistake in the MS5351M configuration during my SSB firmware development where the RF stopped and one side of the BS170s were therefore ON continuously, and of course that didn't last long. I replaced one SMPS board once, that was because I dropped a 'scope probe on it during SSB firmware testing, and there was a short that killed something. Other than these two operator-inflicted issues the unit continues to go through lots of abuse, different firmware experiments, etc. More often than not, I power it down by pulling out the 4mm banana plug from my bench power supply. No issues...?
Anyway - back to SSB - the situation is still one of INTEGRATION. I already got all the parts of the system working: SSB modulation itself, CESSB, Microphone handling, PTT button, phase pre-distortion, audio from USB; but all these were somewhat artificially set-up firmware experiments; now I am in what I would call "integration" phase where I have to merge all these experiments into a coherent firmware version where everything works properly together. Configuration menu items for all the SSB options. And to make sure all the existing parts of QMX work properly in the new SSB mode like the CAT interface, AGC system, S-meter, SWR protection etc.?
Getting there... and believe me, NONE of you want SSB firmware live, anything like as much as *I* wanna see the back of it!
On Tue, Jan 14, 2025 at 11:46?PM Nico Smith via <nicosmith873= [email protected]> wrote: How is the SSB progress going? Can't wait!
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Thanks for the update Hans! Sorry for asking but the last update was a while ago.
On Tue, Jan 14, 2025 at 09:46 PM, Nico Smith wrote:
How is the SSB progress going? Can't wait!
I think all of us who have/had technical jobs have been in this situation where you want to see the back of a project but you can't for physical reasons! Your manager, the accountants, the clients may be even the banks are breathing down your neck but you are the damn expert who can finish the damn work and you are dealing with physical constraints that can't be cheated with.? Even if it is software, Hans's SSB will work or not, be buggy or not, sound well or not. Thus the only rational thing that you can actually do is keeping your cool and carrying on as efficiently as you can! So in such a situation, for the sanity of people doing the actual work, don't ask... he knows that we are all waiting for it, we know that he is getting on with it and that he has the knowledge and the stamina to finish it and there is nothing else useful to know, even an advancement is probably guesswork at best and an unnecessary distraction! I know about deadlines, budgets yadda yadda but Hans told us early that there was no timeline and we bought a QMX knowing this!
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It's the 80/20 rule in a nutshell...? It's always the last little bit of work that takes the longest for some reason.? I've lived it on many projects!
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Thanks for the update Hans.
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I may have to order another QMX before the update hits, I think they will fly off the shelves after it is live...
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If you live in the US, the new tariffs (and tariff increases) on goods coming from China, Canada and Mexico are already taking effect.? Mouser and Digi-key have already sent me estimates of new pricing in the classes of parts that I order.? And now I am to be settled by the process of renaming the Panama Canal to the American canal.? And the Gulf coast to the American coast.? And now the software subscriptions are increasing and piling up.? But still, I will love my QMX+ as I do my QMX-mini.? Bound by antenna resonance and noise sources within my building, I'm happily to run without a tuner.
Mark K9TR
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Take my hat of to you Hans !!!!
You're doing an incredible job ??
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Cheers
Gert
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"By the way for those who worry about robustness this is still my original Rev 1 QMX+ I built back many many months ago pre the Dayton 2024 launch. I changed the BS170's once but that was because I made a mistake in the MS5351M configuration during my SSB firmware development where the RF stopped and one side of the BS170s were therefore ON continuously, and of course that didn't last long. I replaced one SMPS board once, that was because I dropped a 'scope probe on it during SSB firmware testing, and there was a short that killed something. Other than these two operator-inflicted issues the unit continues to go through lots of abuse, different firmware experiments, etc. More often than not, I power it down by pulling out the 4mm banana plug from my bench power supply. No issues... "
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Hans,
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When I started out, I did have issues with power and must have blown up four or five power supplies and one QMX+, and one QMX board. Now that I've been running the QMX+ daily since I got it together, and have abused it, it hasn't had any trouble. I did blow one BS170 on the QMX but once I replaced it and continued abusing (my term for actually using and making dumb mistakes from time to time), I'm am continually amazed at how stable the power supplies are. I love the two of these radios and carry them every where I go. No joke, I carry the entire station, complete with antenna, tuner, amplifier, batteries, QMX and QMX+. They are constantly traveling and they have held up well! I take them home from my office every day. Always ready for a POTA activation. Or, as I tell the XYL and harmonic (I just have one daughter), I may need to pull over onto the the side of the road and throw up the antenna and get on the air, you never know!
Very nice work, Hans!
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Hans, Thank you for all your hard work! As the said above family and on going business matters come first. When it gets done it gets done. No worries!
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73 my friend,
Robert
AG6LK
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Ivica - YU1QRP
Steve K3FZT
Mark K9TR