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Hi all SSB firmware was released into beta on 17-Mar-2025 after 9+ months of development. Many thanks to everyone who bravely helped test it and patiently provided their feedback and observations. There are now quite a few YouTube videos, forum reports and other social media mentions about on-air successes with QMX SSB. Now that it has been at least 6 weeks in beta and I believe most of the issues have been resolved, it's time to promote it to an official version. I have called this version 1_02_000 and published it on the QMX page http://qrp-labs.com/qmx where I have also published the updated operating manual, which grew from 111 pages to 134 pages. The main changes are: SSB (obviously!) including CESSB, TX Equalization, Mic AGC, VOX, Pre-distortion and and and... Addition of up to two more USB Virtual COM serial ports (up to three total). All of the hardware tests such as RF and SWR sweep, and Diagnostics, are now available on the LCD too. New CAT commands for LCD contents, S-meter, AGC-meter, Power meter, SWR meter, SSB source Complete list (relative to 1_00_027 the previous official version): SSB modes added (USB and LCB), with CESSB, TX Equalization, Mic AGC, VOX, Phase pre-distortion and more Rationalization of menus, grouped into CW, Digi and SSB submenus (now Keyer and Decoder are submenus of CW) Added up to two more USB Virtual COM serial ports (configurable) LCD versions of AF, RF, Image, LPF, Test ADC I/Q sweeps (miniature graph on LCD) New function PA mod. test to check operation of amplitude modulator Diagnostics screens are now available on the LCD interface too Now remembers previous menu location on ALL menus regardless of nesting level Add way of forcing factory reset, press Menu (left) button during power-up Change TX color in diagnostics screen from red to blue, to avoid confusion since red things are errors Added CAT LC command to retrieve LCD contents Added CAT commands SA (AGC meter), SM (S meter), PC (Power meter), SW (SWR meter) Added CAT command SS (get/set SSB input source) Bug fix: PTT P did not work properly Bug fix: Incorrect PA voltage display on the Diagnostics screen 73 Hans G0UPL http://qrp-labs.com https://www.buymeacoffee.com/g0upl
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#QMX Glitchy encoders? Not any more ?
24
#qmx
My V1 80-20m QMX has had issues with a glitchy VFO encoder. It would often skip in the opposite direction to which it was being turned which made tuning a bit awkward and menu selection even more so. After taking the encoder out, dismantling it and cleaning the contacts, the issue was much better but still not great. I tried replacing the encoder with an AliExpress part that was linked in another thread but the A/B switch contacts were reversed on that one, requiring short jumpers to be run from the two outside encoder pins to the pads on the opposite side. Even then, those encoders were a bit pants (I tried a couple). On a hunch, I re-fitted the original encoder and soldered a 10nF SM capacitor from each of the two outer pins to the common ground pin. This has now completely cured the glitches and the encoder works smoothly and accurately. I can now tune accurately and step through menus in the order they're meant to appear. Happy Days ?? I've attached a photo of the bodge in case anyone else is having similar issues and wants to give it a try. If the photo doesn't appear, here's a link: https://photos.app.goo.gl/RT9evC3BRUaaDSKe6 Cheers, Ronan MM0IVR
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Microphone problems
3
QMX I have built two microphones. The Radtel one described in the Wiki and the Adam Kimmerly (printables one). PTT is tip to sleeve and the mic is ring to sleeve. In SSB, Input is set to Ext. mic When I push PTT on either microphone, nothing changes on the display. Checked for continuity, tip to sleeve has continuity when button is pressed. When I run the microphone test and talk into the microphone, there doesn't appear to be any modulation. Mic gain is set to the default 50. Obvious I am doing something wrong.
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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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Weller WS51?
10
I noticed in a video I watched last night that Hans recommends a 60W soldering iron for building the QMX for quicker heat transfer. I have a Weller WS 51 that I have had for a long time. I am using Kester 63/37 usually at 325F. So is this set up good enough as I start a QMX+ build or should I get a higher wattage soldering ?? 73 Paul w2eck
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Errata for Rev 3 QMX+ Assembly Manual
Not intended as a prompt for actual updates to the excellent manual, more for information purposes in case someone is compiling a list for when Hans accidentally falls into a cloning machine and can spend time updating manuals instead of the important stuff like bug fixing and adding new features. Also, apologies if this has already been posted but the search facility doesn't work well for me unless I guess exactly the right search terms. The warning at the bottom of page 54 about power supplies is duplicated at the bottom of page 55 and then again on page 56. Given the critical nature of this warning, and that 99% of us would assume that the device would work safely on a standard bench supply or battery, repeating the warning may not actually be a bad thing so maybe it would be better not to fix it! On second thoughts, given the humorous writing style of the instructions, this may be actually be a deliberate ploy on the part of Hans to make sure we get how critical this is. In which case, well played sir - you got me!
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A completely different approach to the HTML console published on this forum but as I use Flrig to control my rigs and flrig does not support Hans' excellent recent additions to the CAT codes, I am developing a widget which supplements flrig. Currently, this allows for the selection of new modes, indicates the LCD contents on your PC, and has meters for signal, SWR, and power. This can be seen in operation here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lr-OomSTS7U Anyone wishing to try this out, then it can be found here: https://github.com/sipsmi/qmxwidget It's just proof of concept at the moment, and I will get around to tidying it up, but it works and I find it useful. 73 Simon G0FOZ
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Internal battery for QMX+
9
Has anyone installed a rechargeable battery in the QMX+? If so, would you share the details, such as what brand of battery and how you wired it inside the QMX+ case? Thanks. Hiroki AH6CY
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QMX receiver went deaf
9
Last night while playing with my qmx the receiver went deaf. This happened after txing on ssb with IQ mode on and panadapter open. I was using a mic connected to the radio. The S meter with antenna dropped to nearly nothing and I can only hear white noise now. The radio will still put out 5w. I ran my little signal generator into qmx and on receive I hear nothing at -33dbm. At 0dbm (I know quite strong) the signal will get through. Any thoughts? Thank you Ryan KK6DZB
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QMX+ damaged internal microphone?
#QMXp
#QMXplus
Hey there! I am coming to the end of constructing my QMX+ and assembling the display board. I've got to the point of soldering the internal microphone and when I have got it out of the bag of remaining parts, I have found that the positive lead out of the body of the microphone is loose. I guess this is the best description of it. The lead can go into the microphone body a little bit, but doesn't come right out of the body and it doesn't seem to be attached to anything internally. Have I got a damaged microphone? If so, can someone advise me if I can source a replacement? 73s Glenn VK2AXV
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File /QMX-PC-Controller6A.html uploaded
5
#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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PSK31 with QMX + Digipan
10
Hi all, just some hints how to configure QMX and Digipan. QMX: - SSB Menue: Mic AGC ON; Input: USB; MIC Gain 50; Compression 0 USB Gain: Adjust for 50% power on idle PSK Signal. (I am using USB Gain 5) - VOX: ON - CESSB: ON Make sure your antenna SWR is ok. If "Protection" is on it might stop your TX. (Its not the fault of Digipan, hi) DIGIPAN: Set your Serial port (where QMX is connected), no RTS/DTR as we are using VOX. Soundcard: Type: "Computer soundcard"; Input/ Output: "digital interface QMX"; sample rate: 11025 Thats it. Ready to make first PSK contacts! Good DX and hope to work you in PSK. 73 Mat DF2OF
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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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When Elecraft introduced the KH1 a year ago, I was immediately enthusiastic about the concept. A small and lightweight shortwave radio with an integrated telescopic antenna. This means that, weighing less than 400g, it can be used in any suitable location on shortwave. So I wanted to build something myself. I immediately began my own experiments with telescopic antennas for 7-30 MHz. This confirmed that a counterweight is absolutely necessary. This wire, which is a quarter of the wavelength long, contributes significantly to the radiated energy. So the idea arose to forgo the telescopic antenna and experiment with end-fed wires twice the length. Of course, it makes sense to stretch the wire as high as possible. But I also got respectable reports with EFHW lying on the ground or in bushes. In this place the antenna may detunes itself, so a tuner is necessary, as well as the standard 1:64 transformer (Unun). The tried-and-tested resonance circuit (Fuchs Kreis) performs both tasks. Once the antenna issue was resolved, QRP Labs brought out the QMX. The ideal TRX for my projects, and now even capable of SSB. Now all that was missing was a suitable housing with an integrated battery and a speaker with an amplifier. Then a paddle for CW as a contactless touch key directly on the device. And the QMX Carrot was finished. But it wasn¡¯t that simple, because everything had to be as small and light as possible. It now weighs 340g and measures 15x8.5x3.0 cm. I¡¯m happy with that. 73 Chris https://youtu.be/0kksiWVOtnQ
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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 Don¡¯t Use USB-C PD to power your QMX?!
83
#qmx
My QMX released the magic smoke yesterday and I quickly traced the smoke to a crater in D108, the 5.6V zener on the 5V PSU board. Having recently read Hans¡¯ excellent SMPS analysis (http://qrp-labs.com/qmx/smpsstep.html ) it got me wondering what could have caused the fault. I had been powering my QMX from a USB-C battery and this 12v cable (https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B09ZL1WZ4G). I then remembered that USB-C PD adapters typically start with the output at 5V and then shortly afterwards increase the voltage to that negotiated by the device (in this case 12V). This would generate exactly the voltage pattern Hans has told us to AVOID. I took a trace of the voltage power-up sequence, and this is the result (no QMX¡¯s were harmed in creating this trace). Output power starts at 5V for 120ms before increasing to 12V, perfectly creating Hans¡¯ disaster scenario and causing D108 to sacrifice itself to protect the rest of the QMX. Thankfully the rest of my QMX appears to have survived unharmed, thanks to D108. Conclusion: don¡¯t use a USB-C battery to power your QMX, unless you¡¯ve confirmed your adapter behaves differently! Cheers, Dave M0JTS
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QMX Standalone PSK31
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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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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Release of version 1.2 of ABS solution for QMX+ (Automatic internal antenna tuner, internal battery and internal speaker with audio amp)
97
#ABS
#ATU
#PSU
#QMXplus
Hi, I have released a version 1.2 of the solution. Please refer to the readme front page file at the git repository with details: https://github.com/AC8L/QMX_Plus_Autotuner_Internal_Battery_Speaker/ While I am writing this note - a group buy with 35+ participants is happening for this same version 1.2 - organized by Cal (AD8Q) and Stan (KC7XE). -- 73, Sardar (AC8L, 4K6SA, VA3DUA).
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Sat 8:39am
Sat 8:39am