$25 special offer for 630/2200m U3S WSPR TX kit from QRP Labs

“Hi all

To celebrate the newly allocated US 630m and 2200m bands, QRP Labs are offering the 630m and 2200m versions of the Ultimate3S kit for the discounted price of $25 (normal price is $33.80 for the LF options and $33 for the HF/VHF versions). This offer is open to everyone globally, not just US amateurs. It will run through the whole of April 2017.

When you purchase the Ultimate3S kit in the QRP Labs shop at http://shop.qrp-labs.com/U3S and select the “630m Special Offer” or “2200m Special Offer” LPF options, the discounted price of $25 is automatically be applied.

The main description page for the Ultimate3S WSPR/DigiModes transmitter kit is http://qrp-labs.com/ultimate3/u3s

The Ultimate3S is a standalone (beacon) transmitter requiring only a 5V power supply and an antenna system. No PC is required, either for configuration or operation. The kit is configured by two buttons and a configuration parameter menu system using a 2-row by 16-character backlit blue/white LCD.

The RF signal is generated by an Si5351A Synthesizer which can operate on all 16 amateur radio bands from 2200m to 2m, and 222MHz US amateur band. A GPS such as the QRP Labs QLG1 GPS kit can optionally be connected to provide GPS discipline of the oscillator and real-time clock. The power output is around 250mW on 30m but somewhat more on lower frequencies, and less on higher frequencies. An optional 5W PA kit is also available.

The kit is ideal as a standalone WSPR (Weak Signal Propagation Reporter) transmitter for propagation study, but also has on-chip encoding of many other modes: WSPR, WSPR-15 (LF only), CW, QRSS, DFCW, FSKCW, JT9, Hellshreiber (standard and slow MFSK), JT9, JT65, PI4, Opera and ISCAT. A sequence of transmissions can be configured, with up to 16 different transmissions having different a message, different frequencies (and bands if the optional 6-band relay-switched LPF kit is installed).

There are special features that were implemented specifically for LF operation, where high power amplifiers are sometimes used after the Ultimate3S as exciter. There is a PTT output with configurable lead/trailing time to enable a PA before/after the RF envelope is generated; and a x2 output option to suit some LF PAs which require a double-frequency signal input.

The 630/2200m Ultimate3S kit is already successfully used by many radio amateurs globally, in countries where these bands are already available, as well as the special LF US license holders.

73 Hans G0UPL
http://qrp-labs.com “

The Ultimate3S QRSS/WSPR Transmitter Kit transmits various QRSS, Hell, Opera, PI4 and WSPR slow-signal modes on any LF, MF, HF or VHF band (all amateur bands from 2200m to 2m). This kit includes:

Main U3 PCB with LCD module and all components
Si5351A or OCXO/Si5351A (see note below) synthesiser module kit (Si5351A chip is pre-soldered at the factory)
Low pass filter module kit for one band (choice of any band from 2200m to 6m)

The kits are easy to build, with through-hole components only (no surface mount soldering). Additional plug-in low pass filter modules are available for any of 13 amateur bands from 2200m to 6m. The kit can transmit on any frequency up to 150MHz, and changing bands is a matter of plugging in the appropriate low pass filter kit to attenuate unwanted harmonic output.

A relay-switched LPF kit is also available, that allows the U3 kit to automatically switch between up to 6 bands in an operator-defined sequence.

Printed instructions are not supplied with the kit! Please see the Ultimate3/3S web pages at the designer’s website to download the kit instructions, and for further information. Click here!

NOTE regarding receiver kit option: The receiver kit includes a Band Pass Filter kit for your choice of band from 160 to 10m. By default, the BPF band will be the same band as the LPF that you select on this order page. If you would like a different band instead, please mention this in the customer notes field when you checkout.

NOTE regarding OCXO option: The Ultimate3S kit INCLUDES the standard Si5351A module kit. Optionally you can also purchase the OCXO/Si5351A module kit, which is plug-in compatible with the Ultimate3S. The OCXO/Si5351A kit has high frequency stability. However, the OCXO/Si5351A kit is more difficult to build and adjust than the other kits. If you want to build the OCXO kit, we recommend that you build the standard Si5351A kit first, and get everything working, THEN build the OCXO/Si5351A kit. In general the standard Si5351A module kit is good enough, particularly if you are using a GPS for frequency calibration and drift correction. You would only need the OCXO/Si5351A module kit if you want to operate in an environment with wildly changing temperatures, or you do not want to use GPS for drift correction, or if you have some particular requirement for extreme freuqency stability, or if you are a perfectionist or just want the challenge and interesting OCXO kit!

NOTE regarding the GPS option: Connecting a GPS like the QRP Labs QLG1 kit is a very nice and inexpensive addition to your U3S kit. The GPS provides the initial frequency calibration as well as regular drift correction. Furthermore it sets the location and time, and keeps the realtime clock accurate (important for some modes such as WSPR).

Please read manuals and understand your kits before purchase.

The kit supports the following modes:

– QRSS mode (plain on/off keyed slow CW)

– FSK/CW mode (frequency shift keyed slow CW)

– DFCW mode (dual frequency CW)

– WSPR mode (Weak Signal Propagation Reporter)

– Opera and PI4 beacon modes

– WSPR-15 experimental WSPR mode with 15-minute frames

– JT9 modes (5 speeds)

– Slow-Hellschreiber (frequency shifted slow-Hell)

– Full-speed Hellshreiber

– Half-speed (“DX”) Hellshreiber

– CW (plain CW)

– FSK (0-999Hz shift, fast-speed FSK CW)

– Customisable FSK patterns

Other features:

– Si5351A synthesiser module (no SMD soldering required)

– Plug-in low pass filter boards (available for bands 2200 to 6m)

– 2-row by 16-character blue back-lit LCD + two-button user interface

– User-programmable (callsign, message, speed, FSK, mode, etc.), settings stored in EEPROM

– GPS interface, for locking the frequency, timing and location information

– On-chip generation of WSPR encoded message (no PC required)

– WSPR maidenhead locator can be generated from GPS-derived latitude/longitude

– Selectable “frame” size, for stacked QRSS reception

– Plain CW callsign identifier at selectable interval

– Produces 250mW RF output on 30m (lower output on higher frequency bands)

– Higher output power by additional PA transistor and/or higher PA supply voltage

VHF

Announcing the Tytera MD-9600 DMR Digital Mobile Radio!

March 19, 2016 in: VHF No comments

Tytera shook the world of digital radio in 2015 with the introduction of the MD-380, a portable handheld capable of both DMR and analog operation at an analog radio price. Digital radios were outrageously expensive, and were priced out of t... Read more