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After assembling a QDX rig for a local ham I received a couple of the QDX PA mod PC boards made by WB2CBA which have the FDT86256 mosfets. They have a max voltage of 150V compared to the 60V of the BS170. Since I like to experiment I decided to try and adapt one of the boards to my QMX+. I filed off the two "tabs" opposite the mosfets being careful not to file off any of the traces. It fit perfectly where the BS170's were. After some testing it seems to work well. My QMX+ is presently wired for 9V and I have a Buck-Boost converter stuck on the back set at 10V so I can use any battery I like from 5V-30V. On 80m-30m I can easily get 5w with the 10v input. Since I like to "play with fire" I plugged in my 12.6V battery and got 6.5w-8W on the lower bands. The mosfets stayed very cool....into a dummy load. While playing on FT8 with my Hexbeam and low SWR sometimes the finals got warm and actually got pretty hot on some of the higher bands but kept work fine. If anyone else out there can or wants to give it a try, especially if you have the proper test equipment please let me/everyone know what you found. The info for the PC boards are here... https://github.com/WB2CBA/QDX-PA-MODIFICATION/blob/main/QDX%20FTD86256%20PA%20Modification%20Story.pdf Tim - K5DEZ
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FW 1_01_007 QMX+ Lubuntu 25.04
2
Hi Hans. I have gone over the checks again. I can connect with putty just fine when USB ports is set to 1. With ports set to 2, putty brings up the terminal screen if I connect to either of ttyACM0 or ttyACM1, but pressing Enter does nothing, no response from the QMX+. I don't think I am missing anything. 73 Roger 8P6RX dmesg: [86189.609046] usb 1-2.1.3: USB disconnect, device number 9 [86192.131831] usb 1-2.1.3: new full-speed USB device number 10 using xhci_hcd [86192.247357] usb 1-2.1.3: New USB device found, idVendor=0483, idProduct=a34c, bcdDevice= 1.00 [86192.247375] usb 1-2.1.3: New USB device strings: Mfr=1, Product=2, SerialNumber=0 [86192.247384] usb 1-2.1.3: Product: QMX Transceiver [86192.247392] usb 1-2.1.3: Manufacturer: QRP Labs [86192.303007] cdc_acm 1-2.1.3:1.0: ttyACM0: USB ACM device This works Set ports to 2, power QMX+ off/on [86268.713111] usb 1-2.1.3: USB disconnect, device number 10 [86271.110082] usb 1-2.1.3: new full-speed USB device number 11 using xhci_hcd [86271.227391] usb 1-2.1.3: New USB device found, idVendor=0483, idProduct=a34c, bcdDevice= 1.00 [86271.227411] usb 1-2.1.3: New USB device strings: Mfr=1, Product=2, SerialNumber=0 [86271.227422] usb 1-2.1.3: Product: QMX Transceiver [86271.227430] usb 1-2.1.3: Manufacturer: QRP Labs [86271.310514] cdc_acm 1-2.1.3:1.0: ttyACM0: USB ACM device These do not work [86271.454483] cdc_acm 1-2.1.3:1.5: ttyACM1: USB ACM device
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Building a Ultimate3S WSPR kit and might be one dumb question from pilling it off.
4
Hello smart people, So I assembled an Ultimate 3s WSPR kit. I booted it up, hooked it up to a dummy load, and everything worked as it should. But then, a thought. What am I supposed to do for an antenna? My main station uses a ZS6BKW dipole, and my first thought was to take a piece of coax, solder the main wire to the "RF" pin, twist the shield wires of the coax into a single strand and solder that to the neighboring "gnd" pin, put a connector on the other end of the coax and use it to hook it into the ZS6BKW. But then, another thought. How am I gonna tune this? 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 http://wspr.rocks/, 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. I'll include that it includes the GPS receiver, which seems to be working fine. I have a feeling my problem is something simple, and I'm gonna feel dumb when I get it, so please be easy on me if I'm coming across as a noob. But any help would be appreciated.
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Hi all, Yesterday, I finally found the time to finish building my second QMX (Rev.2, 10m - 20m). Initial setup was easy, and after loading the latest firmware, all tests ran smoothly. Today was its first use, which was also successful with a few FT8 QSOs. But after about 3 hours, the QMX said goodbye with a loud pop. C107 looked like the picture below: https://www.bitquell.de/nextcloud/index.php/s/cf9tbs844aW2mgq I can't identify a cause for this defect. The QMX is built for 9V and was powered by the stabilized 9V output of a TelentCell LF4100. The antenna was a precisely tuned vertical. Will replacing C107 be enough? I'm worried about Q107. Could the burn that can be seen in the picture have been caused by C107, or is Q107 also defective? 73, Joerg DG0JDE
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Thanks for letting me join the group. I placed an order for a qmx kit when I found out about the experimental ssb firmware. The boards look to be a work of art. Short of printing a mini mic housing anyone have a recommendation for an amazon mic they have gutted and put the proper element in? I have the modded mic I did for my sbitx I will try, but the element in it now may have too much gain. Looking forward to using this in the field and maybe in the shack! Ryan KK6DZB
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Seeing oddities on various bands calibrations., first pic is the old v .003 cal, followed by stages of calibration with v .007. Any idea what the numbering is? and why the end result is so different to the v .003 Is there a problem? I carried out a 40m Cal and there was really little difference to the v .003 trace, plus there was no numbering lines shown. 73 Ian G4GIR O 80m Calibration Ver .003 80m calibration VER .007 50% 80m calibration VER .007 85% 80m calibration VER .007 End
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Qmx case screw size?
6
Good afternoon I just finished a QMX build and I am missing two of the case screws. They are the black bevel head Phillips screws. Does any happen to know what size and Thread these are. Thanks Johnny AC?BQ
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Seeing oddities on various bands calibrations., first pic is the old v .003 cal, followed by stages of calibration with v .007. Any idea what the numbering is? and why the end result is so different to the v .003 Is there a problem? I carried out a 40m Cal and there was really little difference to the v .003 trace, plus there was no numbering lines shown. 73 Ian G4GIR O 80m Calibration Ver .003 80m calibration VER .007 50% 80m calibration VER .007 85% 80m calibration VER .007 End
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#QMX rev 3 - High Band
#qmx
So I finally got around to build my QMX High band after looking at it on a shelf for the last year. I thought thing had gone pretty smoothly and appeared to be so with the initial power on. I built it for 12 vdc, but used a bench power supply set at 8vdc and saw about 170 milliamp draw. I did the firmware upload and then I couldn't get the display to work. There was only 1.6 vdc on the 3rd pin of the side closest to the display. No other pins had voltage. I turned up the voltage on the power supply to 11vdc, but did not see an increase in amperage, in fact it went down to about 70 milliamps. I was even able to use the jumper to re-initialize it and saw the same readings. So I started taking voltage readings around the board. The 2x4 (S302) and saw this Top row (closest to LCD) Pins 1 - 0vdc 2- 10.8vdc 3- 3.2vdc 4- 3.2vdc Bottom row 1-2.9vdc 2- 3.28vdc 3- 3.25vdc 4- 3.25vdc Then I started to poke around some more on the power supply boards, and I believe I must have been a little sloppy taking some voltage readings, because now it won't power on at all. I can see the amperage increase to 10 milliamps when I try to turn it on, but it immediately goes back to zero when I release the encoder. Which makes me think I damaged something in the power hold circuitry, so I suppose I'm buying replacement power supplies, but I'm hesitant because that won't fix the original problem it just gets me back to where I started. Any thoughts or ideas would be appreciated.
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QMX+ kicks into USB mode
3
#qmx
#QMXplus
I have a newly built QMX+. Still on the dummy load. 1_01_007 beta firmware. I'm attempting to measure power output using WSJT-X in Tune mode. I've done this before with a QDX and a QMX. I cloned my old QMX config, checked the com parameters, and verified CAT is working. Receive seems to be working fine, drawing about 117 mA at 10 V. (It's a 12 V radio, but testing at low voltage. I'll ramp it up later.) From the front panel I set the radio to DIGI mode. When I hit "TUNE" on WSJT-X the radio kicks into USB mode. The front panel display changes from DIGI to USB. The output power will be above zero for a fraction of a second before dropping to zero. Input current will rise to about 130 mW. I've tried several bands and they do the same thing. Tried a factory reset. Same thing. So I switched to the stock firmware, 1_00_027. That works, I get about 500 mA in and 1 W out on 160 m at 10 V. So it's working well enough. I had a copy of the 1_01_003 firmware, so I tried it. It does the same thing as the 1_01_007. So what is it about the beta firmware that is causing this radio to kick into USB mode on transmit?
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Ready to start build, noticed broken inductor on main board
5
#QMXplus
Hello everyone. I finally got around to starting my QMX+ build and noticed that a piece of the top of L101 has broken off. I would guess about 25 to 30 percent of the top is missing. I did not find the piece in the envelope either. Will this affect the performance/behavior of the radio? My board is Rev 2, shipped last fall/early winter. I figured it is best to ask now before I start soldering. Thanks in advance for your insights, Rod KE9BRI
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FIrmware-Update hangs after exiting bootloader mode
3
#firmware
#qmx
#usb
#windows
Hi Hans, Hi all, after performing a firmware upgrade, the device appears to experience an issue with USB connectivity. Specifically, although the new image may be written successfully, the USB interface attempts to do the mode change (exiting bootloader mode) but fails. On Windows 11, the error messages provided are not very descriptive¡ªthey simply indicate that the last connected device could not be reconnected, and the device seems to hang (neither powering down nor restarting). Original Error message: Ger?te-Manager - Unbekanntes USB-Ger?t (Fehler beim Anfordern einer Ger?tebeschreibung.) Which might be translated to something like "Device-Manager - Unknown USB Device (Device Descriptor Request Failed)". Steps to Reproduce: Upgrade the firmware on the device (after not doing a cold start, for e. g. after another firmware upgrade). Observe that after the firmware image is written, the USB interface attempts to reconnect. Note that on Windows 11, the system displays the error message above (takes a while, maybe after a timeout). The device remains unresponsive (hanging without a proper shutdown or restart). Workaround: A hard reboot (removing and reapplying the power supply) allows the device to power on normally and appear to function correctly upon restart. Observations: The issue may be related to whether the device had a cold start before the firmware upgrade was initiated. If the device was not cold started, the likelihood of this issue occurring appears to be higher (for me it happened all the time). A cold start before initiating the firmware upgrade may prevent the USB connectivity issue. At first I thought it might be connected to a unrecognized setting (USB Serial Ports number), but even changing this to 1 (the former default) the issue prevailed Expected Behavior: After a successful firmware upgrade, the USB interface should reconnect automatically without any connectivity issues or hangs, ensuring smooth operation without requiring a hard reboot. Actual Behavior: The device¡¯s USB interface fails to reconnect after the firmware upgrade, resulting in a hang state on Windows 11 until a hard reboot is performed. And I am not fully conviced it the firmware upgrade was indeed 100% complete. Additional Information: Environment: Windows 11 Firmware Upgrade Method: (see above) Device Model: QMX Firmware Version tested: 1.00.027 1.01.006 1.01.007 -- Moritz, KO6DZX
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PTT to Com 3
2
Will setting this to on allow PTT via one of the three USB comports (not cat)? I have some older apps that would benefit from this.
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I recently finished building my QMX. However, when I plug in my headphones to the audio port, all I get is static that stays the same regardless of whether or not I have an antenna attached or not. Any and all help is appreciated, Kai 73
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File /QMX Menu Reference.docx uploaded
3
#file-notice
The following items have been added to the Files area of the [email protected] group. /QMX Menu Reference.docx By: Paul K7VIQ <de.k7viq@...> Description: A QMC /QMX+ reference guide doc for those wanting a copy or to improve and update to keep current.
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I took my QMX to Mt. Porepunkah in North Eastern Victoria for some SOTA and worked another QMX on the North Island of New Zealand on 20m (ZL1HIM). Clear audio both ways. Cheers Glenn VK3YY.
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#QMX+ et
5
#fldigi
I'm using a QMX+ rev3 with the latest firmware. CW and FT8 work fine. I'd like to use FLdigi + FLrig for CW and RTTY with win10. The reception works, as does the CAT. I can't configure the TX part. Is this possible? What settings should I use? Many thanks for the help. Andre F6APU
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I just finished my first kit, the QCX Mini. I have very little experience with soldering, other than a few arduinos and such, so I'm pretty new to this. When I go through the alignment steps I find that the BPF readings are very low, around 3-4 max. I've checked continuity on T1 legs and they appear to be fine between each pair. I did heat them up again just to make sure the enamel was burned off. A strange behavior I have found is that if I apply a little pressure on the display board towards the top edge of the screen or bottom edge, as indicated by the circled areas in the picture, the scale goes up to 8ish and is adjustable. I tried a hack to test if this made a real difference and wedged a little bit of paper in the spot, while in the case, to see if it held true but it didn't. Before I desolder and rewind T1 is there something else I should check? I do not own an oscilloscope, only a DVM.
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Hi all I updated the SSB beta testing webpage of the brave, here: https://qrp-labs.com/qmxp/ssbbeta.html and released firmware version 1_01_006 to it. As discussed in the other thread... I believe I fixed the problem with USB not working on Windows machines; I tested it on my PC with its out-of-date Win10 which I have not logged into for several YEARS. It worked on USB Serial Ports = 1 and USB Serial Ports = 2 (also with USB sound card appearing) but not on USB Serial Ports = 3. When I boot my PC into Linux as normal, all three options work perfectly. See attached. Feedback awaited... and again my apologies for the error in 1_01_005. Just a single character typo which apparently Linux didn't mind but Windows did :-/ 73 Hans G0UPL http://qrp-labs.com https://www.buymeacoffee.com/g0upl
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I installed FT8CN to an Android phone but found it sometimes transmitted and often did not. Then I discovered there is a magic button on the screen which turns on transmission! It is in the top right of the Calling screen and looks like a loudspeaker. You need to click on this until it turns red as shown on the screen shot. I also discovered by repeatedly clicking this button it changes the "Sequential" setting between 0 and 1 which changes whether it transmits in the first or second time slot. I have read the English manual but don't remember seeing these controls. The settings are QDX rig selected which works with my QMX and CAT control. Everything else is default. Phone is a Google Pixel 9a.
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Image Name
Sat 8:39am
Sat 8:39am