QMX+ with ~1000 tone on 12M & 6M
67
The radio is a Ver. 1 QMX plus that in general performs exactly like I expect. It does not have the GPS option installed, and there is no battery in the clock battery slot. The radio is used for CW only. As the title suggests, I have an approximate 1000 tone on only 12M and 6M bands. It is internal, in that I can remove antenna and it's still there. It does not change in level or tone while tuning around the band. It appears to de-sense the receiver a bit, as a signal must be pretty strong for me to be able to copy it on 12M. There is normally a 'beat' frequency between the received signal and the tone when I can copy someone. I have run the I/Q sweeps in Putty, using a raspberry pi computer. The tone is present with or without the computer attached. The I/Q sweeps look very nice on the lower bands, and begin to deteriorate as the frequency goes up. They are still showing the two sine waves, but are a bit distorted( not a perfect line of x's ). This deterioration is also noted on 10M and 15M ( to some extent ) and the sweeps for 12M and 6M are not suspiciously worse than others. 10M works flawlessly, as do the other bands. The remaining filter sweeps look good, with some tweaking needed possibly, but totally functional as is. I have a set of QMX HB and LB radios to compare symptoms, and the HB QMX does not have the 'tone' on 12M when swapped into the system. I am curious what path to take troubleshooting this issue. I did not find anything in the archives that addressed this strange behavior. Thanks & 73 Dick W4PID
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File /QMX-PC-Controller6A.html uploaded
6
#file-notice
The following items have been added to the Files area of the [email protected] group. /QMX-PC-Controller6A.html By: Paul Harrison <dj0cu@...> Description: QMX PC Cat Controller with 100KHZ Bandscanner including Morse Decoder. Experimental. No installation necessary. Save to HDD and run in a browser.
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QMX Standalone PSK31
4
One more possible PSK31 feature: Allow text input using a CW paddle instead of a keyboard. Note that the QMX UART might be tied to some Bluetooth thingie, allowing use of a cellphone. I'm creating an approprate new thread, conversation started by hijacking this other thread /g/QRPLabs/topic/113046586#msg145208 Conversation thus far is summarized below: On Tue, May 13, 2025 at 08:10 AM, Jerry Gaffke wrote: Making PSK31 easy to use on the QMX with just a keyboard jacked into one of the UART ports would make it a killer PSK31 machine for portable use, displaying received text on the LCD. Send that text out on the UART TX line to be displayed on an optional larger LCD and/or possible logging. Optionally append a 32bit CRC at the end of each transmission so correct reception can be verified, this might be a critical feature for serious use in emergency communications. With thousands out there, the QMX could single handedly revive PSK31 activity on the bands. There are better digital modes these days, but PSK31 is good enough, simple, and easy to implement. On Tue, May 13, 2025 at 09:12 AM, Daniel Walter wrote: Jerry, I really like the idea of reinvigorating PSK31 by making the QMX do stand-alone PSK31. It is a great mode for kybd to kybd QSOs. I know you can do that with JS8, but at a very significant time cost compared to PSK31. I would welcome that development. There's also this old post about my attempt 20 yrs ago at implementing PSK31: /g/QRPLabs/message/139336 Ideas from the file /g/ATSprint/files/Archive/KE7ER/pskuc.c may be useful for Varicode encoding/decoding, but the method of converting received audio into a stream of bits is best ignored if your processor has multiply in hardware. Jerry, KE7ER
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QMX SSB QSOs
5
Hi Guys, the SSB modus for the QMX is awesome. Even with a small Magnetic Loop antenna. I?m Using a microphone of the QRP-GUYs from California, USA. At the Antenna connection (bnc) I also use a LED SWR bridge from the QRP Guys. So I can tune my magnetic Loop antenna with full power about 4 Watts with 11V Supply(3 Watts keep in the bridge resistors..lol, 1 Watt will be used for the measurement) . When the LED goes out, I can switch into the operation mode. I NEVER switch of the SWR Protection off (SWR3 in the Menue of the qmx). Has anybody an idea, if the internal microphone can be activated in the nearer future or will there maybe have to do any hardware change ? enclosed my video :) : https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NKZ_0NkJAIA By the way, I?m using a DC-DC converter to reduce the voltage to 11-11.5V . And yes, it doesn?t make any noise, believe me, Its a quality module from an european electronic supplier and not a cheap piece of sh.. from Temu ! Im using toroids around the voltage supply cables (lpf). Have much fun with the QMX. YOu really did a great job Hans , 72 de Matt, DL1SER
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Encoder fix that worked for me
5
#qmx
#rotaryencoder
I know that many of us have encountered issues with the QMX tuning encoder giving strange results, like large jumps or only counting in one direction. After cleaning up a solder bridge between one of the pins on the two pin side and the encoder body the problem went away for me for a day, then returned. What did work for me seemingly permanently was to exercise the encoder several full revolutions in either direction while holding the stem button down. I don't know what the internals look like on these but that has 100% cleared the wonky behavior. It has been 2 weeks at this point with no more erroneous encoder behavior. Hopefully this will also save some folks from needing to replace the encoder or fully dismantle one for cleaning / troubleshooting. 73, Greg, N1TR
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SDR with the QMX
21
Hello, I am interested in enabling the IQ and displaying the information on my PC. I know it's possible but I have never attempted it. What SDR software should I try (I run both Windows & Linux) Has anyone done this? Please share your experience Is it simply a matter of enabling IQ in the Digi menu and pointing to the sound card from something like SDRPlay? Thanks in advance!
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6m?
2
Just curious if the thought has been about adding 6m capability to the qmx? I would be interesting and fun to have that band for POTA/SOTA. Maybe a 40-6m version. Just a thought¡¡ -- Jason- Wv3v Las Vegas, NV.
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qmx+ current limit on power up after blowing/replacing finals...
17
hi, i have been using my qmx+ for a month or two with success on ft8 on 20 & 10m. everything seemed fine. i have a battery power supply limited at 12v & current limited to 1.5A yesterday i decided to try to monitor & possibly send rtty during this weekend's contest. i uncovered the last transmit impediment in this forum (fldigi/modem/tx/transmit-shaping-OFF) and transmitted a few replies. i got 2 confirmations. then i noticed that the transmit power had dropped from ~4W to about 1.5W and checked other bands - indeed i had blown the finals. i replaced them. then i ran diagnostics - normally - i verified that the transmit power (into dummy load) was back where it used to be. thinking it was solved i went back to the rtty contest and during my first transmit - the power supply went into current limit & drew down the voltage to ~6v. i opened up the unit & couldnt see/smell anything, i lowered the supply voltage to 7v & current limit to 150mA. but when i turn on the QMX+ it immediatly goes into current limit. i was able to get to attempt a factory reset, but it didn't fix anything. so - i am hoping someone has a clue for me in terms of at least diagnosis. any ideas greatly appreciated! thanks lars.kn5ute
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QMX + VARA HF for Winlink
16
First VARA (Winlink) tests with the new SSB-firmware. CESSB is turned of for that. Looks like that it works flawlessly.
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Iq enable and demodulated audio both over USB
12
I am wondering if this would be possible with future firmware. Is it possible to have the demodulated audio sent over usb for digital modes (wsjtx, fldigi ect) and IQ output on a separate audio feed from qmx at the same time? Since we have a computer connection anyway it would be nice to have the panadapter open using the IQ feed and digi mode open on demodulated audio at the same time. They can all be linked together via hamlib. Ryan KK6DZB
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Mini Microphones for QMX SSB
16
Hi everyone. With the release of the SSB firmware out of beta, I thought I would make my offer to source K6ARKs wonderful little microphones, which can be found here: https://www.printables.com/model/320559-mini-microphone-for-qmx-trusdx-usdx-kx2-and-kx3, one more time. Adam (K6ARK) made a super fantastic little miniature mic case, and they work with the QMX quite nicely. I print the cases in PLA, and have the following colors available: Black, White, Grey, Navy Blue, Orange, Light Green, Red, Gold, Purple, Sand Stone, Light Blue Stone, Turquoise stone, and Marble Stone (The stone colors look like marble or granite - little flecks of darker color in them - The marble one winds up looking like bleached bone). The kit includes: 3D Printed case in PLA 3.5mm jack Electret Mic Element Microswitch for PTT For each mic, $10 for kit, $15 fully assembled and tested. This price includes shipping in the US. I am happy to make you more than one, some people want one for home and one for the go bag, that's great. You will need to provide your own AUX cable (3.5mm male to male) to go between the mic and the radio. I have had several ask what cord I am using, So I have included this link to one I am using and that I test all my assembled mics with; it seems to work quite well: https://a.co/d/36GDDXf (This is a shortened, non-affiliated link to Amazon.com page for the cable I use) If you are interested, send me a private email, and I will send you payment details. My email address is good on QRZ.
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Running Hardware Tests Menu From Windows 11
5
I built a version 1 QMX+ transceiver which I really like. It seems to work well on the channels I use which is 40-20-15-10M. I recently updated the firmware to version 1_02_000 and I am impressed with the SSB reception. At this time I took the opportunity to connect the transceiver to the Ham Radio Deluxe software which definitely helps me to scan the bands. But I have a reoccurring problem in that my computer does not always recognize the QMX+ and I will get a Device Malfunction when I connect up the patch cord? I have rectified the problem by rebooting both the computer and QMX+ which seems to work. I have a new HP 64 bit laptop running Windows 11 Home software. I was hoping someone could tell me if this is normal? I would like to run the Hardware Tests Menu and I was hoping someone could walk me through using the Windows 11 PC Terminal Emulator. I understand that I should use the Windows PowerShell Terminal App? I opened the Terminal App and realized it is DOS based with which I am very rusty. It has been 20 years since I have interfaced with DOS and I don¡¯t want to jump down the proverbial rabbit hole. What commands do I use and is it fairly straightforward? The QMX+ is my third QRP Labs kit as I previously built a 20 M QCX-mini and an upper band QMX transceiver. Also have a lower band QMX kit coming so I have something to build this summer. Always amazed at how well these kits perform without adjustment. I built a Heathkit HW-16 in High School which was a blast but I had to get a friend who worked at the local TV station to tune it for me.
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START UP INSTRUCTIONS FOR A REV 2 QMX+
3
Dear gang, I have finished building my QMX+ Rev2 ( my QMX+Rev 1 Never made it to operation). Right now I am a little gun shy of turning Rev 2 on. I did buy one of the power supplies that freezes the current output so you don't blow it up turning it on, But I have not had the guts to hook it up just yet. The Operations Manual talks more about the QMX than it does about the QMX+, so it has some good general information but the QMX+ to me is a different breed of cat. Is there someone in the group who has written or video'ed the basic light off procedure for the QMX+. I have gone over the PC board multiple times looking at all the solder connections and went over the parts placement plus when I was building it, I read the part numbers 3 times before I soldered it in. I made it carefully through the build without having installed the wrong part in a spot. So if someone has an outline of steps to go through in the initial power on of a completed QMX+ Rev 2, I would really like to study it and see if I can get mine going. Thanks for the help, 73 Dave WA5DJJ -- 73 Dave WA5DJJ SUPER QRSS/WSPR (160m to 6m) GRABBER https://www.qsl.net/wa5djj/ WEBSITE: https://www.zianet.com/dhassall/
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Rev 1 vs. Rev 3 QMX Kit?
12
I have an unbuilt Rev 1 QMX kit, that I am finally seeing time ahead to build it. But am wondering, would I be better off getting a Rev 3 kit. Are there significant upgrades or differences in the current version that would make it worth getting the new kit revision? Tnx Paul w2eck
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QMX repair by W1NC Jeff Moore
Pleasant experience having Jeff fix my QMX. Very fast turn around and detailed repair report.
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QRSS mode and other capabilities of Ultimate 3S
6
Hi anyone, I would like to learn more about weak signal modes? Please suggest a good book for beginners. TNX, George K3GK
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Bug report: Band limits on 60m triggered with mode switch - 1_02_000
2
Hello Matthias. I'm a new General and not familiar with 60 Meters. Here is what AI told me, does this explain your situation? Here's a more detailed explanation: 1. Secondary Allocation and Restrictions: Amateur radio on 60 meters is a secondary allocation, meaning they share the band with other services like government agencies. Amateurs must yield to other users if they hear them on the channel. Amateur operation is limited to five specific channels, each 2.8 kHz wide. Amateurs are allowed to operate only on Upper Sideband (USB). Power is limited to 100 watts effective radiated power (ERP). 2. Channelization and Operation: The 60-meter band is channelized into five specific channels: 5.332 MHz, 5.336 MHz, 5.340 MHz, 5.344 MHz, and 5.348 MHz. Each channel is 2.8 kHz wide, meaning the transmitted signal must fit within that bandwidth. Amateurs must ensure their transmitted signal is within the allotted channel and should avoid transmitting if another user is present. To find a clear channel, operators can start at Channel 5 and move down if necessary.
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New QMX+ Calibration victim
10
Hi, I¡¯ve had my QMX+ for a number of months and had tested the then beta now regular SSB firmware with good results except pretty low output power in SSB. As I had never gotten around to fine tune the LPFs when building it I decided this was the logical next thing. So I fiddled with spreading and compressing turns on the toroids and managed to get all bands to between 4 and 5w output for CW except 160m that was already at 6w. Running 12.0v input and build for 12v Being happy with results I then first tested resetting to factory defaults, and then tested SSB output power. Still max 2-2.5w according to the Bird. I then decided to run the SSB calibration again. Worked fine til perhaps 12m or 10m phase. I then heard some terrible noise from the speaker and saw the QMX crashing with all blocks in the display and turning itself off. I tried powering on again, but won¡¯t start now. Just blank display and current protection on PSU kicks in due to over current. I suspect maybe finals are fried with internal short as result? Jonas 7 maj 2025 kl. 23:12 skrev Stan Dye via groups.io <standye@...>: ? On Wed, May 7, 2025 at 01:38 PM, Wiggle Pig wrote: It¡¯s D503 and D504 These are placeholders for diodes that could be placed across the BS170 outputs, as was commonly done with QDX. Hans included them in the design, but has not encouraged installing the diodes, which he believes are unnecessary for QMX. They may suppress spikes, but they also add additional capacitance to the PA, which may affect it adversely in other ways. There were many posts on this list regarding this topic a year or so ago. Stan KC7XE
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QMX Won¡¯t turn on
9
Hello, I was trying to connect a electret mic to qmx, I applied external 3.3volts to mic input and it died, won¡¯t turn on , doesn¡¯t draw any current. Any help would be appreciated. Thank you.
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