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Wouldn't it be loverly if the next version of the QMX had a display like the zBitx.?
Hans has done some amazing work with the QMX, with SSB and with bringing us some absolutely amazingly good quality radios and kits that definitely punch above their weight class.
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Thanks for everything you've done Hans. Can't wait to see what comes out of the QRP-Labs stable next.?
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Samantha,
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For portable use, doing everything through the front panel and and the small display there keeps power requirements low.
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> ?Wouldn't it be loverly if the next version of the QMX had a display like the zBitx.?
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May be possible to do all you want by adding an RPi-Zero and a screen of your choice into the top half of the QMX+ clamshell.
Hans plans to add more firmware features to the QMX, allowing more control via UART and USB.
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Jerry, KE7ER
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zBitx current on receive is 300mA, so I tend to agree with you, Jerry.
OTOH, the QMX is my preference for portable work due to it's smaller form factor compared to the QMX+. I'd be concerned about Hans workload if he had to support coding for 2 different styles of display, and all the change requests that would follow...
72 de Russ, va3rr
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On Thu, Apr 10, 2025 at 09:18 AM, Jerry Gaffke wrote: For portable use, doing everything through the front panel and and the small
display there keeps power requirements low.
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With appropriate STM32F firmware, Hans need no further involvement in developing that RPi-Zero+Display.
Something interested forum members could do.
Hans could concentrate on making the QMX bullet-proof, maybe a bit more power, some stand-alone digital modes would be nice.
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Jerry
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On Thu, Apr 10, 2025 at 06:34 AM, va3rr wrote:
OTOH, the QMX is my preference for portable work due to it's smaller form factor compared to the QMX+. I'd be concerned about Hans workload if he had to support coding for 2 different styles of display, and all the change requests that would follow...
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I wouldn't be too concerned about Hans workload. Think about it. He has over 10,000 QCX-and-family radios out there and they all work "right out of the box". This includes the "standard" QCX, the "mini" QCX, and now the QMX. The father of the QMX was at the YOTA conference in Africa in 2018. Why the 7-year lag? Because Hans doesn't release a product until he's convinced it's bullet proof. He front-loads the hardware/software work before he releases it, which means he doesn't need to do much in the way of support/debugging after the sale. Is he working on a QMX version with a touch display? Personally, I doubt it because it would be such a large departure from his low-power consumption transceivers. He is the King of the QRP-CW pond with a price-point that's damn near impossible to beat. The QMX might be his only foray into the SSB end of things. I don't see him jumping into the G90, FX-CR4, ?SDR, and sBITX pond.
As Mel Brooks said once: "It's good to be king."
Jack, W8TEE
On Thursday, April 10, 2025 at 09:34:17 AM EDT, va3rr via groups.io <va3rr@...> wrote:
zBitx current on receive is 300mA, so I tend to agree with you, Jerry.
OTOH, the QMX is my preference for portable work due to it's smaller form factor compared to the QMX+.? I'd be concerned about Hans workload if he had to support coding for 2 different styles of display, and all the change requests that would follow...
72 de Russ, va3rr
On Thu, Apr 10, 2025 at 09:18 AM, Jerry Gaffke wrote:
> For portable use, doing everything through the front panel and and the small
> display there keeps power requirements low.
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Hi Jack et al
Thanks OM, encouraging comments :-)? I wouldn't be too concerned about Hans workload. Think about it. He has over 10,000 QCX-and-family radios out there and they all work "right out of the box". This includes the "standard" QCX, the "mini" QCX, and now the QMX.?
Gross underestimate :-)? ?To be strictly accurate: ? 21,343 QCX-series (QCX, QCX+, QCX-mini), debut August 2017 9,347 QDX-series (QDX, QDX-M), debut October 2021 8,922 QMX-series (QMX, QMX+), debut May 2023
So yeah, don't worry too much, I am used to a high workload... but rest assured: whatever new thing I develop, if and when, I will do so very quietly to avoid any pressure and stress; so you guys speculate all you like, but don't?expect any hints from me!
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This reminds me of what I did with my QCX.? If I had a top case with correct size hole for the display it would look professional, as is I have to remove the cover to see the display.
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The touch screen part communicates with the radio via CAT, so there were no changes to the QCX source code.? The same could be done with the QMX I suspect.?? I processed audio separate from the QCX with an option to mux in the QCX audio or the SDR audio, that wouldn't even be needed with the QMX.
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I've had some discussions with Hans about what it would take to produce a very useful user-friendly digital communications "appliance" based on the QMX. I think that one way to implement this would be to use a combination of a QMX and a Raspberry Pi Zero 2W running something similar to DigiPi (). DigiPi uses a Pi connected to a transceiver, and allows several digital communications programs to then be run using a web browser (including the web browser on your smartphone) for the user interface. My idea is to create something similar configured specifically for the QMX. That would make it even simpler to use since it would be mostly preconfigured and it would only include programs compatible with the QMX. It could also take advantage of features (like access to the console menus) that are specific to this radio. Like the DigiPi, this could be distributed as custom image for the Pi that you just need to write to a micro SD card and stick into a Pi. Unlike DigiPi, I hope that this would be freely distributed so that anyone could download a copy of it from a link at qrp-labs.com. DigiPi is currently only available to people who support KM6LYW on Patreon. I suppose that another version could be created that would include only the programs compatible with the QDX.
I plan to explore this possibility further. However, I'm currently staying busy with my work on ardopcf (), so it might be a while. So, if somebody else wants to work on this idea, that would be even better. In that case, I'd be happy to offer further opinions about how I think that this might be implemented.
Peter LaRue
AI7YN
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I have to smile when I keep seeing requests for more power, surely the answer is in the name, “QRP Labs”.
Notwithstanding the 10W and 50W add on amplifiers, surely the radios themselves should remain true to QRP concept.
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Unless we are going to see a new “QRO Labs” division…
Just imagine the amount of smoke likely to be generated then?
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Best wishes to you all wherever you all live and whatever your views…
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I purchased an amazing $140 mini PC and use a USB cable. QMX + doesn't need a hardware change.?
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George,
Would you mind sharing the info for the 140$ PC you bought?
73! de Bekir TA2RX
10 Nis 2025 Per 18:36 tarihinde George Korper via <georgekorper= [email protected]> ?unu yazd?:
I purchased an amazing $140 mini PC and use a USB cable. QMX + doesn't need a hardware change.?
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I've had some discussions with Hans about what it would take to produce a very useful user-friendly digital communications "appliance" based on the QMX.? I think that one way to implement this would be to use a combination of a QMX and a Raspberry Pi Zero 2W running something similar to DigiPi ().? DigiPi uses a Pi connected to a transceiver, and allows several digital communications programs to then be run using a web browser (including the web browser on your smartphone) for the user interface.? My idea is to create something similar configured specifically for the QMX.? That would make it even simpler to use since it would be mostly preconfigured and it would only include programs compatible with the QMX.? It could also take advantage of features (like access to the console menus) that are specific to this radio.? Like the DigiPi, this could be distributed as custom image for the Pi that you just need to write to a micro SD card and stick into a Pi.? Unlike DigiPi, I hope that this would be freely distributed so that anyone could download a copy of it from a link at .? DigiPi is currently only available to people who support KM6LYW on Patreon.? I suppose that another version could be created that would include only the programs compatible with the QDX.
I plan to explore this possibility further.? However, I'm currently staying busy with my work on ardopcf (), so it might be a while.? So, if somebody else wants to work on this idea, that would be even better.? In that case, I'd be happy to offer further opinions about how I think that this might be implemented.
I'd be very happy to see something like this develop.?
I'm still happily using Peter's ardopcf modem program on my Pi400, with Pat WinLink client, both running UI in a browser. Works great with QMX+, very easy to use and most days except when there is a "propagation outage" I can use WinLink email via a 20m link to LZ3CB 635km away (my nearest WinLink server).?
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Wow! I just remember seeing the 10,000 figure on a post some time ago. That is really an accomplishment!
Jack, W8TEE
On Thursday, April 10, 2025 at 11:04:50 AM EDT, Hans Summers via groups.io <hans.summers@...> wrote:
Hi Jack et al
Thanks OM, encouraging comments :-)? I wouldn't be too concerned about Hans workload. Think about it. He has over 10,000 QCX-and-family radios out there and they all work "right out of the box". This includes the "standard" QCX, the "mini" QCX, and now the QMX.?
Gross underestimate :-)? ?To be strictly accurate: ? 21,343 QCX-series (QCX, QCX+, QCX-mini), debut August 2017 9,347 QDX-series (QDX, QDX-M), debut October 2021 8,922 QMX-series (QMX, QMX+), debut May 2023
So yeah, don't worry too much, I am used to a high workload... but rest assured: whatever new thing I develop, if and when, I will do so very quietly to avoid any pressure and stress; so you guys speculate all you like, but don't?expect any hints from me!
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I'm using this amazing and cheap PC using a Raspberry Pi4-B with 8GBit RAM and Rasbian OS (a Debian Linux OS) sold at the low price of US$219 and working well. It has a choice of 2 OS to boot and I added to the original Rasbian OS the HamPi OS, the latter being a Hamradio Linux OS with all necessary Ham radio softwares installed.
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73 - Pierre - FK8IH 
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On Thu, Apr 10, 2025 at 11:36 AM, George Korper wrote:
I purchased an amazing $140 mini PC and use a USB cable.
Please share the details.
Thanks and 73, Don N2VGU
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va3rr
jjpurdum
Pierre - FK8IH
Donald S Brant Jr