Category Archives: Review

Kit Build – Penntek TR-25 CW Radio

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I first saw this kit online this last summer and was immediately intrigued. Fast forward to obtaining the December 2021 edition of QST where they did a review of the radio, and I knew I needed to get one.

The kit arrived in a well packed box about 1 week after placing my order. Unpacking it I have the following contents:

The PCBs are packed inside the radio case, and all the individual parts are packed together based on which part of the radio is being assembled.

For example, all the lower PCB parts are packed together and separate from the upper PCB parts. Even more convenient is that within each set of parts, each one is organized in the order of assembly. A welcome usability improvement over other kits I’ve done where parts arrive loose in a single plastic bag.

Also included are print outs of the assembly manuals, which are likewise separate pages for each section

Installation of all components is very straight forward. If you can solder, you can install all the parts.

There are 6 toroids that need winding. None are overly difficult (I still have flashbacks of T1 on the QCX mini ;)). The directions are very easy to follow and there are picture to validate your windings against.

I’m not going to go through a step-by-step of the assembly – the manuals do that for you. K0SSK also has a great post showing assembly and testing of the kit.

Assembled minus the bottom half of the case – need access to the pots to perform final checks and adjustments. Nice clear OLED screen. Always makes me smile to see things work as expected, even more so that I didn’t let the magic smoke out. 🙂

Quick Comparison

Looking at my other radios, the size lends itself to being compared with my Mountain Topper from LnR Precision.

Both come in at roughly the same dimensions. The Mountain Topper is 4 bands (80/40/30/20) compared to the TR-25’s 2 bands (20/40). While both radios offer QRP portability for commonly used bands, you can see that the tradeoff is either usability (a control for everything) vs breadth of capabilities (more bands, memory slots, etc.).

It is a little of an apple and orange comparison when putting a commercially built radio up against a kit given that the MTR comes assembled, but it is the only multi-band radio that is close to the TR-25 in my collection.

Minor Nits

There are a few things missing from this radio that others have, such as:

  • No memory slots for recorded SOTA/POTA/CQ messages
  • No visual indication of WPM for the Iambic-B (there is no Iambic-A support) keyer, the dial simply has Min/Max markers
  • The design is intuitive and having a dial/knob/toggle for all settings is actually nice thing given how many radios use menu and sub-menus to death, but they do stick up from the radio and might be subject to being broken in the field – time will tell

These are minor nits in my opinion as not everybody needs every bell and whistle to enjoy SOTA/POTA/QRP operations.

Conclusion

This post is focused on the quality of the kit and what I received for my money. I have not yet gotten in on the air and will follow up with my impressions there. For now, keeping things focused on the kit building side.

The TR-25 is easy to assemble, with 4-9 watts of output depending on band and power input, no hideous menu structures to memorize (everything has a switch or knob on the face). A great little radio that can be put together and be on the air quickly and easily.

Pick yours up for $199 USD at their online store.

NOTE: Penntek is coming out with the TR-45L 4 band transceiver that is currently in beta testing. It looks a bit “old school” and I’m definitely intrigued.

Integrated Battery Pack for the Lab599 Discovery TX-500

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A new item arrived on my doorstep this week.

Brewer 3D Design (hyperlink), a seller on Etsy.com, has created a few accessories for this rugged and capable radio including screen covers and caps for the connectors. They recently added a battery pack for the radio that makes using it in the field that much more convenient.

From their posting:

While the world waits patiently for the OEM battery pack from Lab599, I decided to build my own based on their initial renderings.

Brewer 3D Designs

So what did I get in the mail today?

I received a well designed, 3D printed (in ABS) battery pack that mounts via the included hardware directly to the back of the radio.

Also in the box is a 3D printed radio stand that tilts the radio back into a comfortable operating position, and a hang tag that lists a serial number (mine is 0006 which I assume means that this is the 6th one sold) and thank you note from the seller, and two (spare I assume) magnetic connectors that align to the connections on the back of the radio.

The specs as noted by the seller are:

  • 4000 mAh capacity
  • 9-12.6 volts
  • Li-Ion polymer cells (PL-605060-2C)
  • 3S2P configuration
  • Included BMS
  • 5.5mmx2.1mm charging jack

Mounting the battery pack requires the removal of the 4 rubberized feet on the back of the radio which exposes 4 tapped holes which are there for future accessories. Installation is simple – use the 4 included screws to attach the battery pack to the radio via the now exposed holes. Make sure that you align the connections properly. They are magnetic so you will feel a slight attraction as they line up.

Note that no instructions are provided with the radio, but mounting and operation is quite straightforward. For the switch, one direction enables power to the radio while the other allows for charging. HINT: sliding the switch towards the center of the pack powers the radio. Towards the outside is for charging.

Also note that installing the battery pack makes the built-in tilt legs non-operable – they are blocked by the battery pack. That is what the included stand is for.

Details

Measuring the pack with my cheap calipers, I get the following measurements:

  • 17.1mm thick (top to bottom), compared to 21mm for the radio itself
  • 79.5mm wide, compared to 90.5mm for the radio
  • 197mm long, compared to 205mm for the radio (not including the connections in the measurement)

Attaching the pack almost doubles the thickness of the radio itself, but doesn’t add any additional width or length.

The print resolution seems to be quite fine, with all layers uniform and no visible separation or flaws that would affect durability or longevity. The lines and edges are smooth. All parts mate up uniformly and without gaps.

The case is held together with screws that are connected to threaded inserts in the ABS – no direct screw to plastic contact. Nicely done!

On the inside, this is what you’ll find:

The BMS appears to be this one on Amazon (hyperlink), or at least something similar.

Specs from that listing are:

  • 3 strings: 3 18650 batteries or polymer lithium batteries in series
  • Polymer battery rated voltage: 10.8V
  • Rated voltage of 18650 or 3.7V lithium battery: 11.1V
  • Maximum discharge current limit: 10A
  • Maximum working current: 5-8A

Upon full charge the battery bank should have about 12.6 volts.

Final Thoughts

KB7MBD at Brewer 3D Design has created an extremely well thought-out design and has implemented it quite well. The design is a good balance between utility and matching of the TX-500’s aesthetics. I haven’t had enough time yet to determine how the battery holds up, however I am convinced that the capacity (about what I normally carry outside) combined with the convenience will mean that this is a power pack that I can use for multiple POTA activations. Further testing will be required which I guess means more time playing radio.

Bummer 😉

I also need more time to determine if the BMS is RF quiet or not – I don’t foresee any issues there but is always a concern with anything electrical that is attached to our radios.

At the end of the day, it is exactly what it is advertised to be; namely a rechargeable battery pack that fits the TX-500 like an OEM accessory.

The pack can be purchased via their Etsy site, though availability determines whether it shows up in their listings or not. Also for anyone outside of the US, at the time of this writing the seller offers a “kit” version that doesn’t include the battery cells themselves.

Expect a follow up after some field time!

Additional Images

Ignore my thumbprints at the bottom – embarrassing.

UPDATE – 2022/03/11

After posting this I started to receive multiple inquiries about the availability of this product in the vendor’s store. I should point out that I have no affiliation with the vendor, and therefore have no visibility into whether it is available or not at any given time.

My working assumption is that like many vendors on Etsy, items only appear as they are available and ready for purchase.

You can see the vendor’s shop at https://www.etsy.com/shop/brewer3Ddesign

There is contact information there which you can use to reach out and verify availability.

Shameless Plug

If you like what you read on my site, consider buying me a coffee (well, I don’t actually drink coffee, but a soda would be nice) at https://www.buymeacoffee.com/kd0hbu. I don’t use advertising and anything reviewed is done with items purchased myself.

Thanks!

Chameleon TDL SWR

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I recently had been looking at other quick to deploy antenna options for POTA and general camping activities. Not looking for anything ultralight (I’ve got some resonant dipoles that hit that mark), and having really been impressed with the quality of the Chameleon MPAS Lite and EMCOMM III Portable, I naturally looked at their other offerings.

I was drawn to the concept of the Delta Loop antenna, so I begun looking at the Tactical Delta Loop (TDL) that they offer. I was not, however, in a hurry to drop the cash for yet another expensive antenna system, not matter how great and high quality it is.

I want my wife to want me still….

It then dawned on me that you can assemble a TDL from the MPAS Lite if you acquire the CHA HUB Kit and another 17′ whip.

At less than half the price of the CHA TDL itself, and giving myself even more deployment options for this system when combined with the MPAS Lite, I went ahead and ordered the two add-ons which arrived yesterday.

That gives me multiple setup options; vertical, inverted-V, inverted-L, delta loop, sloper, horizontal – all from a single system that is extremely robust.

Setup was straight forward and quick. No throwing arborist lines into trees. Just attach the components to the spike in the ground and go.

Not the most ideal location – please ignore the neighbor’s patch-worked fence – actual on air testing will be done in an open field

I have not had it long enough to do any sort of actual propagation testing and on-air checks, but I did do a quick setup and SWR analysis using my Rig Expert AA-35 Zoom.

SWR is a bit high for 80m (well, not with a matchbox and not high enough that it would cause any real issues), however for 40/20/15/12 it is less than 2:1, and 10m spans between 1.8:1 to 2.21:1.

Not bad! Not bad at all. And with deployment being less that 5 minutes from unpacking to wired up to my radio, I’m excited to put it through its paces.

Look for a follow up with WSPR reports, on-air CW contacts for QRP/QRO, and more!

Nelson Antennas EFHW

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I recently purchased an antenna on Ebay. The seller, Nelson Antennas, has several offerings available and based on a recommendation from someone in my CWOps Basic Course class, I purchased the UJM-EFHW-40-10 along with the 75/80 meter resonant kit.

The antenna is rated for 200w and from 10-40m (75/80 with the add-on as well), or more specifically for 40, 20, 15, and 10 meters in most installations. The seller does indicate that 12m is often usable depending on how you’ve installed it, with 30m and 17m usable with a tuner.

There are two things that I highly value from a seller (corporate, private, etc.); quality craftsmanship and good communication.

In this case I got both.

Overview and Construction

The antenna (40-10m portion) itself is 65 feet of 18 gauge marine wire, with a matchbox containing the unun and SO-239 connector. There is also an eyelet for various mounting options.

To my eye that looks to be a 49:1 unun

A short way up the wire from the matchbox is a loading coil, which then continues on towards where the add-on resonant kit is attached. That add-on kit adds another 6 feet or so of length. That is still about half the length of a full sized EFHW for 80m, and given my lack of backyard space, made this the best choice for my use.

The 75/80 meter coil is visible about halfway up this image.

Every antenna is some form of compromise, and there are multiple ways that compromises present themselves. From the construction of this antenna, quality is not an area where the seller compromised.

All metal parts are stainless steel. The wire is attached at various points using steel connections instead of nylon tie-wraps as I’ve seen from other vendors.

My phone really liked focusing on my fingers instead of the subject of the photo, but you “get the picture”. Ahem….I’ll show myself out.

The matchbox base is gray, and the cover is transparent allowing you to see the components. All solder points look solid and nothing moves or rattles.

This antenna just feels solid in the hand.

Results

The below is a quick analysis showing what I got with one end about 25 feet up in a maple tree, with the feedline end hung at about 8 feet atop a post, resulting in a sloper deployment.

With the 75/80 resonator add-on attached, 3.5m is sitting about 1.4:1, with 40m, 20m, 15m, and 10m about the same or lower in SWR.

In addition, 17m has a fairly low SWR of 2.04:1, 12m is at 1.92:1, and 30m could certainly be tuned into something that would be usable (if not as efficient as a resonant antenna would be).

This afternoon as 20m was starting to become more usable, I quickly checked VOACAP via my Hamclock running on a RPI4 and ran a test using WSPR.

A nice big glazed doughnut surrounding me showing how I am likely to skip over adjacent states
See the doughnut?

It definitely performed as expected based on propagation predictions. All in all, 30 stations picked up the 100mW WSPR transmission at about 1pm Central (18:00 UTC) on this late September day in Minnesota.

I waited a few hours and retried the WSPR experiment above. Conditions had improved and at the same output of 100mW, I saw the following:

Similar to what I got before (VOACAP is still showing a doughnut around my QTH), but with the added bonuses of Spain (Islas Canarias off of Morocco) and Belgium.

And one more on 40m later in the afternoon

UPDATE 2021-09-2021

The day after posting this review I did a more “real world” test in between meetings as I work from home. Below is 20w on 20 meters at about 11:30am Central (16:30 UTC) on RBN.

I also made one quick contact on CW about an hour earlier than this, and had a nice QSO with N0ZB in Kansas.

Now I just need to log some contacts and stop playing with it. 😉

Communication

I made my purchase fairly late in the evening as I was lying in bed and on my phone. To my surprise, I quickly received a message from the seller asking if I’d like him to attach the 75/80m kit before shipping. I responded in the affirmative and the next day got a shipping notification.

How is that for fast service and good comms?

Summary

With over 10,000 reviews on Ebay and a 100% customer feedback rating (myself included), I feel highly confident in recommending this antenna to anyone looking for a shortened 80m capable antenna.

While I haven’t had the antenna in the air for very long, I have found it to capture less noise than my 5 band vertical, and blend into the neighborhood landscaping (trees) much easier as well.

Great quality and craftsmanship, and good comms.

I will definitely be looking at his online store again for future purchases.

cwops basic – update

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I’m a few weeks into the CWOps Basic Course and, with some experience and time under my belt, felt it was time to post an update on how things are going.

First off, the course is not a traditional type of class. Students are expected (and rightly so I believe) to drive their own progress via daily practice routines that are laid out simply and in a highly consumable manner. (read: if I can follow it, you can too)

The focus starts on Instant Character Recognition (ICR), where in a half second or less your brain associates the character with the CW being received. This would be similar to someone holding up a card with a random letter or number on it and your brain instantly knowing which one it is visually. If you’re reading this, you’re already doing that with the alphabet and what you see on this screen.

There are tools and exercises along the way to train your brain to pick out the sounds quicker and quicker each week. More complex activities are then introduced as words and phrases are built out and expanded.

There are two sessions each week with an advisor, who provides guidance and inputs along the way. They assess each student’s progress at regular checkpoints, and will point out errors.

So how is it going?

Well, I am surprised (pleasantly so) how fast I am actually progressing. I started off my CW journey earlier this year doing a lot of repetitive learning of characters on my own, using apps like Morse Mania and listening to audio files developed by Morse Code Ninja (seriously give that guy a donation – his work is phenomenal). That gave me a solid foundation for the Basic Course that I’m in now. I’m seeing definite improvements in recognition of my problem characters that plagued me for weeks prior. I can follow QSOs more easily now, and my fear of getting on the air has lessened quite a bit. This at a little less than halfway through the course.

The group is fantastic. We all are progressing and struggling in different areas, but we take the time to work together via Discord video chats to push each other along.

I highly recommend this to anyone looking to learn or significantly improve their CW abilities. The coursework is well planned, the advisor has been amazing, and it is exactly what I needed.