The Cheapest HF Radio on Ebay? uSDR Initial Thoughts... (Part 1) 

Great vid ....for its clarity and honesty. Keep up the good work!!!!

QRP is all about hard work, even on the 705, QRP and making a contact is really satisfying. I think for the price this looks an interesting proposition. My advice is always spend more of your budget on your antenna and coax than you do on your 1st transceiver, what ever the band, if your signal isnt getting out, it doesnt matter what you are using ! I'd be happy to try this out on 18M and the QRP calling frequency (18130 kHz) with a decent dipole, i bet the results would be suprising.

Thanks for the review! I'm a 15 year old kid that recently got into radio, and can't afford afford anything pricey since I just bought a gaming pc, haha. Hoping to buy this and get a tech license so I can at least use CW!

Just got my General last Sunday and I was looking at this exact radio. I'm on disability and have very little $ to invest. I wouldn't expect the world from it, but making a few contacts would be great. I am looking forward to part 2. Thanks for the review!

You show an antenna tuner in your video. For tight budget hams, that is one more thing to buy, one more thing to fiddle with when portable. My advice is hook it up to an end fed half wave antenna using a 49:1 balun (Unun?). Start with 66 feet, then fold back the length until you get 1:1 on 40 meters. When tuned on 40, should be resonant on 20, 15, and 10 too. I currently use QRP like this. I might let Santa Claus get me one of these little uSDX radios. Good Video Bob. One more thing, lots of End Fed Half Wave Antenna content on RU-vid..

Nice report on the radio. I just bought one. The receive seems really decent. I've been playing with it for a couple of days now. Not bad for the money, but definitely better rigs out there. Next project ... build an antenna for it other than the cheap one I have.

Works like a charm. Amazing!

I have seen these radios advertised and have been curious to try one out. I think your review is fair, honest and accurate as it is exactly what I expected for a $125 HF radio. This radio is basically a novelty in my opinion and would be fun to tinker with or great for somebody on a tight budget. I would have loved to had this radio back in 1992 when I first got licensed as a 5 wpm Novice. I would have spent hours monitoring HF on this little rig while working towards my General ticket and saving for a full sized HF rig. Such as it is, I am sure I'll purchase one to play with. I like milking small, inexpensive gear for all it is worth and more. Thanks for the review and 73!

Nice to have access to radios like that Bob. We are so far behind the times here in South.

Just to let you know. After watching you using it for POTA and getting from FL to Alaska! I ordered it the next day. So as a newbie, I tried it out using a whip on my car, I got from Brussels Belgium to my first ever QSO with a station in Minsk in Belarus (1600km) ! Yes he had difficult to hear me, but I was over the moon. Since then I bought a Yaesu 891. But the uSDX+ sits on top of my 891 here in the shack and it serves as my "look around" set. If I hear traffic, I turn on the 891 and swap the coac over. Great little transceiver! So glad you made this video!

Thanks. Bob

Nice video! These rigs are great value for $65. FYI I'm supporting the firmware for these rigs with new and better features, fast CAT, improved filters, SSB TX etc. GW8RDI

I might add that the speaker in it is located on the right side inside the case and pointed up. The holes in the front of the radio allow the sound from the speaker to get out. Not sure why they didn't put holes right above the speaker but they didn't. It's really small. I've had the case off mine because I'm a geek and just had to know what was in the box! Still works too :)

For an eight band radio I think it's pretty cool it's a great qrp radio I'll tell you that lightweight go mountain topping with it I really like it I want to see how it performs thank you for sharing this video that's what she said 👍

Good information and a nice video. i also live in Lynn Heaven. Been a Ham for many years Original listens as wa4ibf in 1979

I bought the newest version and I'm impressed with it mine only puts out 4 watts but made some contacts with it. I'm concerned that there is no protection on the finals so be sure your antenna is tuned as close to 1to1 as possible.

There is a setting in the menu where you can adjust the frequency, I have seen a video on it ,I think it is the last setting in the menu.

Just picked one up to throw in a lil go bag. Mine has a built in rechargeable battery with a power supply. Gotta say I'm pleasantly surprised. Like you said the audio is no where near my 991A, but for $125...not bad

With the sunspots getting better 5 watts or less will work fine. I,ve been running both ssb and cw qrp since 1978 and on cw worked the world with 2 watts and 5watts ssb. You do have to be into a bit of a macikist but it is great fun.Patients is a must and never give up.How are things at the pcarc club?, miss it.73 Ki0ad

If I were to buy this for use in my 2004 Ford Ranger pickup truck, what antenna would I need? Great review, thanks!

Thank you !

Cool little "toy-sized radio"... maybe something you can put in a cache? Thanks for the POTA contact... Mike KD9RUG 73

Cool little radio. Tnx for the video. The connectors on the back look really tight together. Is it possible to plug a morse-key in when the speakermic is connected? 73, Stephan, DF6PA

I am up here in Canada and I am just in the process of getting my basic Amateur license which restricts my power. I looked at a BAOFENG but that only gives me two bands. I don't want to spend very much but would like to be able to use all the bands so this looks like a viable alternative. I also notice I can get a better mic for it off Amazon so that would be a great improvement on sound. I am actually into Radio Astronomy and they encourage folks doing that to get a Ham license so that is my reason for doing this.

What I would like to see is a similar unit, maybe slightly bigger but can push a solid 10w. Does such a beast exist?

The universal conversion factor --- 100 mm cigarettes (Marlboro "golds") are probably the most common.... The usual filtered cigarettes like the Marlboro "reds" are 70 mm. Sorry, that's my frame of reference.

Thank you good video I ordered this radio let me know what antenna I need to buy and does it come with the antenna tuner thank you my friend. 73

thank you friend, I'm looking for complete info from this video with the little radio. greetings from me, I'm from Indonesia. I play on 11M, my 11M callsign is JZ30BHD. I'm also interested in 40m,

Greetings from Raleigh NC. I worked you on that radio. NC4TE

Thanks for the video .... I was wondering how this radio would work. I have a Xiegu G1M which is a hair bigger and preforms rather well as it has an SDR display and more buttons to get around the functions. I am however slightly interested in this uSDR as there is a version which has a build in battery. That would it even more POTA friendly.

Good day! what kind of program is in the phone, what will agree on the connection and how is it configured for this transceiver. as the first I want to buy myself the same, so I'm looking for information. 73

hello, not having an amateur radio license for the moment I would like to know if this transceiver can transmit and receive on the 11m 27 mhz band? thanks in advance ... I would also like to know if the Xiegu Gm1 4 bands can also transmit on 11m band by modifying the source code of the firmware ... Regards

Please,possible using frequency Citizen band(27 MHz)?thank you

Awesome radio do you have a ham license to talk on it or is there frequencies that you can talk on without a ham license?

Can not find a manual on line,,, Can you help????

Nice video guy! New Sub here. You deserve lotsa subs, IMO! Let me just say, some of these content creaters have gimmickie silly voices, dumb Thumbnails with their UGLY face in EVERY single one... I swear man, some of these guys are forever stuck in a highschool mentality.. (I cant take that anymore) Also, some of these content makers crap all over cheap, hackable, clone radios..... As if their above a 100 dollar radio, or they spend no less than $350 on an HT.. Well, i have too many hobbies to spend that kinda cash on rigs, AND; I like to experiment with radios etc. (Like you did here!) They shit all over the china-rig-buyers sometimes as well... And That Aint Right..... and deff is not within the original, "spirit of radio!!" Keep up the great work, Great Content! Thanks! Erik

mooi spul maat

How does the FM mode work?

just connect an extrenal speaker and you will see big difference in audio freq .. 73.. and also it doesnt matter how good is yr radio but the antenna is the first factor and second the propagation..and for last ... you can connect it to an amp 50w from e-bay..

I purchased the radio in this video,,, I a well pleased!!! Does the radio have a internal battery??? How long does it take to charge the battery??? Very Best Regards Roger Fethkenher AD0YR

Can you put a better speaker on it?

Prepper radio? Add a cheapie antenna tuner and a wire antenna, then toss it in with your other prepper stuff.

Is it possible to talk to the citizen band in the 27 mhz band?

Can this radio Tx on 11 meter Band or dose a Mod have to be done ?

KJ = "Kenwood Jack"

The seller posed it with G.I. Joe action figures to make it look bigger

That's a damn cool little radio if you're making contacts like that why is all these other companies charging so much money for their radios

1rst creto of Ham, Be Chip 2nd creto Be Cheaper

Does it have an ATU/SWR? Thank you!

Mine came with a power cord that came from ebay.

It does have a bunch of filters

?lunchbox portable? Maybe snack box radio. Who makes a "perfect" radio?

Do you have a link to where you can buy a power cord for this radio thanks ?

CW?

There is options out there to help you get out but regardless your spending up to the 400.00 range

My main problem with these little rigs are not the rigs themselves. It’s the chinese ebay sellers. Hard to find a reputable one from the scammer. You might get a rig. Or you might get a red tassel. I have a (tr)uSDX that works ok but freezes up when using the keyer function. Making contacts with it though. I live near a radio station that kills my reception. I use a MFJ tuner and it filters it out completely. Manual tuner, not the T1 like you got. T1 didn’t filter it. But I have a plastic case. Your rig is in aluminum. Eventually I’ll make a tiny ‘go kit’ and hide it in the car. I will get one like you have, play with it for awhile, and put it in the 2nd car as a ‘go kit’ as well. (just an excuse to buy more radios. 73s de n5vwn/QRPer

Mine just came with no power cable no instructions. Just a radio and a mini mic.

The “um/uh” meter pinged frequently, otherwise good presentation style. Good information and demo though

The uSDR is a uSDX clone or variation. The uSDX was created by a group of hams to be built by hams, with the packaging for each rig up to the builder. Since the hams who created the basic rig made it open source so other hams could build, modify, and improve them without constraint. Then, since it was an open-source project, Chinese companies started cranking them out in various flavors, knowing nothing about what they were doing in the manufacturing process, and caring even less. Their Class E outputs have NOT been tuned, their harmonic filters have not been tuned. Their crystal reference frequency has not been calibrated, and the rig will barely work, or won't work at all unless they ARE tuned. You really should have done what the rig's creators intended, and got the boards and parts through a group purchase, and built your own exactly the way you wanted it. I repeat, the output power and efficiency are entirely a function of how you tune the Class E outputs - and the Chinese vendors not only don't take the time to tune them to run in Class E, they don't tune ANYTHING about the rigs. They just slap the parts together and sell them completely untuned to people who think they are buying a fully prepped commercial HF rig. They aren't, and it isn't one. It's just an assembly of parts. If you check, you will probably find that harmonics are at illegal levels on 1 or more bands. That harmonic filtering also needs to be hand tuned. And you will find a wide variety of different output powers and efficiencies on different bands. All evidence that the rigs have never been tuned. For hams who have purchased one of those prebuilt, untuned, untested Chinese circuits, they really need to go online, do a lot of reading about the uSDX transceiver in the forums, then open the case and do what the designers intended for them to do. (DL2MAN has an excellent video on how to tune this output stage design on his (tr)uSDX radios.) I like to remind some of my other ham friends that a ham license isn't permission to talk on the radio. CBers can do that. It's permission to open up our rigs and work on them. It's a government license for us to design, build, tune, and operate 1,500 W transceivers, and to connect them to an array of as many 200 foot diameter dish antennas as we wish, also designed and built by us. That is what a ham license is.

This would be great to key into a dummy load to zero beat my old boat anchors so I know what frequency they are actually on.

KJ = Kenwood jack

Днём, да можно провести связь, но ночью задавят большими (100-1000Вт) мощностями другие.

Check out the radio from DL2MAN, I think this one is a knock off from his radio.

What.. $80 shipped max. No support of it breaks. The speaker mic sounds all high pitched I'd havevhet better speaker on it bypass min spkr .

А России до сих пол некоторые собирают самодельные трансиверы. И это интересно, поучительно, полезно. Поэтому разберемся без инструкций. И создадим и доработаем эти примитивные радио... Увы, заводов в Росси по радио мало. Многое из Китая.

10 minutes of unboxing, why? Sounds very noisy not clear what is all that noise?

not a good choice for a new general.

I would consider me as being somewhat rude to not introduce the item initially i dont appreciate people dont understand its not nice to play peoples heads ie how do you keep a turkey in suspense- ill tell you tomorrow so no luck there

You really didn't need the sexual innuendo

Interesting new toy Bob =) I though about it when seen the ad for them =) de N5VMO Pat