Most people tend to thin that amateur radio is the kind of hobby that requires a solid chunk of your investments. Nevertheless, not that long ago, the notion has become obsolete. The market is filled with both signal generators and microcontrollers that are much more accessible and affordable in all the right ways. The $60 HF SDR TRANSCEIVER from QRP Labs is offering the perfect combination of price and quality that will definitely pay itself off from the get go.
This little gimmick has been created by Hans Summers, known for delivering accessible, highly efficient radio kits for amateur use. These are putting a greater emphasis on low power transmission and are largely known as QRPs among the ham radio enthusiasts. So what exactly does it do? Well, generally speaking, it is a pocket sized four band SDR (software define radio) created to be used for some of the more commonly used together with the most sought-after digital radio levels – JS8Call and FT8. Furthermore, it is also used with any additional FSK based mode including but not limited to RTTY. While it works generally on 80, 40, 30 and 20 Meters, some reports also state that it works just as well on 60 Meters.
It’s a well known fact that classic radios are designed to be connected to the computer via certain hardware interfaces. However, the QDX can easily be plugged in using a classic USB A>B cable. The QDX controls the CAT control, PTT, and Audio directly, so there is no need for any kind of special connections or interfaces. Despite the fact that this radio is pretty much a plug and play one, you can connect to the unique serial console in order to configure, test or troubleshoot it. The console itself contains a text waterfall among other things. If you are looking to run your own SDR receiver, you can send the I/Q output directly via the available sound card.
The bad news is – seeing how the world these days is undergoing chip shortages, the QDX is currently unavailable and no one can say for sure when the situation will change. In the event that you are looking for more info on the device, feel free to explore the source and get all the info in no time at all.
