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Building a Ultimate3S WSPR kit and might be one dumb question from pilling it off.
3
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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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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#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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Hans, I think calibration in _006 is better, but there are still some issues. I am attaching some screenshots from my QMX-lowband calibration that may help in diagnosing the phase-error cals that don't finish, and also a USB IMD optimization that was strange, and fixed itself when I repeated it. I did the initial calibration from a factory-reset condition, using the 'R' option to do all of the optimizations, which I then reviewed. The 80m Phase Error plot didn't complete - it stopped at about 700 on the x-axis. And retrying it with the 'O' repeated the same results. Then I retried a few more times and captured the attached 5 shots of the progression. Note that it for some reason started with a high DAC value, not the one corresponding to the x-axis, which is why it stopped early. Completely repeatable. The 20m USB IMD optimization looked crazy. The other IMDs looked OK. So I retried 20m using the 'O', and it cleaned itself up. See the initial and retry results in the last two attachments. I hope this is helpful- I will check the cal process/results on my other QMX*, and let you know if anything else interesting shows up. Stan KC7XE
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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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Hi, I tried to use a standard Baofeng micro , the one with a small loudspeaker inside that is not usable with QMX. I have done the easy mods to make possible using this mike with the QMX. No a big issue ... Tried also the Microphone Test tool in the QMX sw, and the mike seems ok using only 40 db for gain. BUT, if I listen with another radio the modulation is very bad .. !! Possibly the two radio too close ?? Unfortunatly, if I talk ,does not seem to exit any RF or just a little bit, from the QMX ( I have a swr/wattmeter in line..). In CW all is ok, in SSB Baofeng micro seems no good. Have you tried the Baofeng Micro ? I guess every body owns one of this mike that why I am asking. 73 de angelo i1jck
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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: Is the latest firmware correcting the distorted audio?
4
All, Ive loaded.004 and it seems to work well on my QMX 80-20. I¡¯ve made a number of successful contacts on ssb. On my QMX 20-10 it has distorted audio after the update. I did a factory reset then calibrated. It was after this that the transmit audio is very distorted. I went back and changed the settings to the last known working numbers but it¡¯s still distorted. Can anyone tell me if the new .006 has helped this? I¡¯m about to load it in both QMXs and the QMX+ and was wondering if it has helped? Does a firmware update require a factory reset and calibration or leave it be? Thanks.. Don N6NLX
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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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#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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My newest QMX+ kit Rev 3 arrived and was assembled exactly one week after ordering! The diagnostics test page showed output power (0W) and SWR (random values). Everything else was OK. All sweep tests showed strange results. Yes, the dummy load was in place. So I decided to power off and check all solder joints again. The QMX was on the table without the enclosure and I did not get a good grip on it. As I pressed the Vol button for power-off the QMX moved on the table and the long button press was interrupted, giving *two* long presses like keying Morse M. The display flashed abnormally showing some text and dimmed. All happened so quickly that I did not see exactly what happened. No smoke, no hot components. Now I can not power-on as the radio does not react to any button press. Nothing happens. If jumpered for forced firmware update, no flash drive appears on the PC. This could be a firmware problem. Is it possible that the second long press of the Vol button started the power-on cycle while still powering off and writing data to the flash memory? Clearly, while performing power-off and saving data into the flash memory, the firmware should ignore the button press for power-on. -- 73 Matti OH6BEX
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Hamvention?
Will QRP labs be at Hamvention in Ohio? If so, what booth/building please. Will you have built kits (QMX+) on hand for sale? Thanks and ¡®73 Jim WX8J
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Sat 8:39am
Sat 8:39am