The best ham radio accessory I wanted for my QCX/QDX transceivers!

Тәжірибелік нұсқаулар және стиль

Mini QRP SWR HF Short Wave Meter Power Meter + OLED + Battery + Based on G8GYW. It’s a long commercial name for a very small Ham Radio accessory. I wanted something small to measure my QDX and QCX transceivers (from QRPLabs) output power and antenna SWR , especially while operating outdoorsy. This tiny meter proved to be the right choice for me due to its nearly matchbox size and acceptable accuracy. This product is based on the open source project by Mike, G8GYW and his original design is publicly available on his Github site. The version of the commercial product in this video, though is a bit more sophisticated in that the USB-C port has been added and values of some components changed.
The meter comes with no schematic diagram or links to it , as also without a link to the firmware upgrade. If you happen to know where to get one, or both, please leave a comment in the comment section here.
This Power SWR meter is available on major internet trade platforms. The link below is my affiliate link to Amazon. If you buy through it, I will earn a small commission without extra costs for you.
amzn.to/3Ln1ySm
Or the direct link to Amazon.com:
www.amazon.com/Standing-1-6MH...
Thanks for watching, please consider subscribing to keep this channel running! This is my first video this year. So Happy and peaceful 2023 to you and your’s!
73! Linas LY2H

Пікірлер: 30

  • @thed8229
    @thed8229 Жыл бұрын

    Heck yeah! I built my rev4 QDX 2 weeks ago and activated two parks with it just after New years. I DEFINITELY want one of these! Great share, thank you. K0ATV

  • @EA3QC
    @EA3QC Жыл бұрын

    In first place... Happy New Year Linas and all the BEST wishes. Thanks for the clear explanations. I'm thinking to buy one of these for my 20 Mtrs QCX Mini for portable use, even for the Shack. Thanks so much and see you in the next video. HPY 2023 for all also.

  • @amham48
    @amham48 Жыл бұрын

    Thanks, great review and detail.

  • @mikewhelan5992
    @mikewhelan5992 Жыл бұрын

    Happy New Year Linas, EI6AU

  • @mdwestlund1
    @mdwestlund1 Жыл бұрын

    Good job Linus.

  • @rohart6981
    @rohart6981 Жыл бұрын

    Thanks for your review on this tuner. Just what I was looking for. I really enjoy your videos and look forward to watching more. 73 Ro AI7PD

  • @Linas_LY2H

    @Linas_LY2H

    Жыл бұрын

    Thanks Ro! It will be really interesting to see how this little device will be doing after more use! Many DX in 2023! 73! Linas LY2H

  • @andrzejtrzepietowski4205
    @andrzejtrzepietowski4205 Жыл бұрын

    Happy New Year Linas, 73' for M0HWI/ SP9XCF Andy

  • @Linas_LY2H

    @Linas_LY2H

    Жыл бұрын

    Thanks Andy! Happy New Year to you and your family! 73! Linas LY2H

  • @raithjames860
    @raithjames860 Жыл бұрын

    Linus, silly question but is the white button above the usb C port in the back the on/off switch. Can this unit be place in bypass mode while off to save battery? I was just about to order this for my FT-818 radio and future QDX radio purchase. Had a QSO with a fellow countryman of yours LY4A. Maybe I will here you on the air someday if you DX into NA. 73!

  • @Linas_LY2H

    @Linas_LY2H

    Жыл бұрын

    Hi Raith, thanks for watching! And yes, you can easily bypass the unit by just simply shuttimg it off by pressing the magic white button on the back :). The unit is then bypassed automatically due to the smart schematics of the RF sampler transformer in the unit. No relays, etc. The battery runs for hours continuosly, actually. The LY4A is the biggest station in the country with huge fields of monstrous Yagies , including 80m :) So, you should have heard him well. I, on my turn, am running mostly QRP from my QDX when in FT8 mode into a vertical R8 or an EFHW 80-10 antenna. But not to worry! Just a few days ago I made a contact with NL7V from Alaska, and FK8HM from New Caledonia on 20m, FT8 , QDX, EFHW. So, anything is possible with the QDX and the Solar cycle 25 ! CUL, 73! Linas LY2H

  • @raithjames860
    @raithjames860 Жыл бұрын

    Linus, what's the concensus on this meter? I have been waiting patiently for another update before I order one. Still worth while or should I hold off?

  • @Linas_LY2H

    @Linas_LY2H

    Жыл бұрын

    Hello, thanks for the comment. I'm not sure I can give a purchasing advice or how to spend your money best :). I only try to give an un-biased opinion in my reviews and hope this can help viewers to make their own choice. I have no more updated info on this tuner, like schematic diagram etc., so everything said in the video stays valid :). I use mine , actually, every day connected to one of my QDX's and it works OK, the battery lasts for days, no problems. HTH, good luck ! 73! Linas LY2H

  • @raithjames860
    @raithjames860 Жыл бұрын

    Just arrived. Man this thing is tiny, but it works. No instructions. One question, reguarding charging: Does the red LED change to green when charging is complete? Can u leave the usb c plugged in to supply constand power or is it just for charging?

  • @Linas_LY2H

    @Linas_LY2H

    Жыл бұрын

    Congratulations! Yes, no instructions, it’s OK for most chinese gadgets :) I’ve contacted the seller, who said he contacted manufacturer, who said that the gadget is tuned, calibrated and there is no need for a consumer to have the schematic diagram :). Well, it’s a kinda’ customer service anyway. The red LED just goes OFF on my device after the fully charged. The meter, actually works with the power supply USB cord connected, but I can’t say at the moment whether it is charging while working, or is it just working off the battery and the charger is just doing nothing. I suspect it only charges, not working. It would take , I think, to deplete the battery until the very low level on the meter and then connect the charger and see if it works and charges at the same time. I had no need nor chance yet to make this experiment as the battery lasts and lasts for hours before I need to charge it up and then I charge it disconnected. Have fun using it! 73! Linas LY2H

  • @raithjames860

    @raithjames860

    Жыл бұрын

    @@Linas_LY2H Thanks for the update, greatly appreciated.

  • @donnorris1954
    @donnorris19549 ай бұрын

    I just found this video, and would like this SWR meter for my QDX. However, the link below no longer works. How do I find one to purchase?

  • @Linas_LY2H

    @Linas_LY2H

    9 ай бұрын

    Hello! And thanks a lot for reporting the broken link. I have changed it now into the other one on Amazon, please check the description again. Alternatively, you can just google for the “Mini SWR power meter” and some results should pop. 73! Linas LY2H

  • @Aimsport-video
    @Aimsport-video Жыл бұрын

    Wouldn’t an ATU-10 show power and SWR including being a QRP Tuner?

  • @Linas_LY2H

    @Linas_LY2H

    Жыл бұрын

    Hello OM! It certainly would. Just the problem (for me) with the ATU-10 is that it's too bulky: it is twice as big as my tiny meter and weighs in some 6 time the meter ( 300g vs 50g). The ATU-10 is actually bigger than my entire QDX transceiver! Secondly, ATU-10 is more than 2 times as expensive as the meter alone. It's understandable but unjustifiable for me as I use tuned resonant antennas very often and tuner would rest unused. That's my reasoning why I wanted this tiny gift for myself, YMMV :). 73! Linas LY2H

  • @Aimsport-video

    @Aimsport-video

    Жыл бұрын

    @@Linas_LY2H smart. Thank you.

  • @rst5nn

    @rst5nn

    Жыл бұрын

    @@Linas_LY2H Agree with you. I also thought about this. For 140ye I would buy small SWR/PWR meter from your video and manual QRP Pocket Transmatch from kanga-products.

  • @anthonyglaser929
    @anthonyglaser9294 ай бұрын

    Now it's a year later is that mini power/swr meter still holding up?

  • @Linas_LY2H

    @Linas_LY2H

    4 ай бұрын

    Hello Anthony! Thanks for asking, the little meter is doing just fine, internal battery is like new, I use it every time I play with my QDX, QCX and uSDX radios. I still think, this is one of the best accessories in my QRP park. 73! Linas LY2H

  • @Johnyrocket70
    @Johnyrocket70 Жыл бұрын

    The qrp tuner has a swr meter on it doesn't it?

  • @Linas_LY2H

    @Linas_LY2H

    Жыл бұрын

    Hello. I don't know which tuner do you have in mind. Some tuners do have SWR/power meters built in, some don't. , some only have rudimentary meters like an LED. My video, though, is not about tuners, it's about the smallest possible device to measure the output power and SWR. Very often, I don't need a tuner at all, as I'm using the resonant tuned antennas. But I still want to know what power am I transmitting and how is it going, i.e. I need an SWR/ Power meter. If I only need this meter, why would I want to carry bulky tuner with it, unused? Most QRP tuners I know are bigger than my QCX or QDX transceiver. I find it weird when the tuner is bigger than the radio :), and especially that I don't need it for tuning, just for power/swr metering... But I agree, if you really need a tuner in the field, than it's a good idea to have one with the swr/pwr meter built-in. 73! Linas LY2H

  • @brianfields4479
    @brianfields4479 Жыл бұрын

    hej hej linus, happy new year from summer in zl hi, I have just purchased one of these units, and I await for it to arrive and also my qcx mini is coming soon hi hi. I qso your country just recently, with algis ly7m in the log for 40m cw, but with my 200w. Thank you for the great video, I hope to qso you also one day, 73 zl3xdj.

  • @Linas_LY2H

    @Linas_LY2H

    Жыл бұрын

    Hello Brian! Glad you've got LY in the log! Now , QCX-to-QCX or QDX-to-QDX would be great! Hope to CU! 73! Linas LY2H

  • @thesydmc
    @thesydmc Жыл бұрын

    Sorry Linus, I find your transition flashes too much. Take care Bud.

  • @Linas_LY2H

    @Linas_LY2H

    Жыл бұрын

    Sorry OM. I'll see into that. 73! Linas LY2H

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