Rob, AG5OV, discovered the uBITX around Christmas and promised myself that when he got his Extra licence, he would setup his first HF shack. The uBITX removed the financial barrier and two weeks after he discovered the uBITX he passed his Extra exam (50 of 50!).
Rob’s adventure was in full-swing. He was aware of the anecdote of not to QRP for your first rig, but some frustration and failures did not dissuade him easily. He decided against building his own antenna for the first go round, as the uBITX was already going to be somewhat of a variable. After all, the fewer variables, the better!
He went with an EFHW from MyAntennas, which seems pretty well regarded. He learned about configurations, gotchas of EF’s, radiation patterns and about slingshotting fishing weights over tree limbs.
While waiting for his uBITX to ship he read every single post on the BITX20 list. If there was a part number, he went and read up on it. If there was something he needed for his µBITx, he ordered it. (He now has a stash of TDA2822’s, sockets, IRF510’s, RD16HFF1’s and BN’s sitting around). He bought a new soldering iron, bought a handful of newly discovered SMD practice boards and then read some more.
His uBITX eventually arrived and proved to have the dreaded WX version of the TDA2822 chip. He was not discouraged for he had a stash of step-downs from eBay.
He rushed putting his uBITX together with a build that aesthetically belongs in class of what not to look like. He printed a mic enclosure and a double paddle (and he has been practicing his CW regularly). The rig was brought to life. There were VOICES on his radio! He tried some SSB CQs, but his output looked very low… something to follow-up on.
Next he built an audio interface (using an EasyDigi design, but without the kit) and tried some FT8 because he had two young helpers who needed to see results… The young helpers make activist investors look like puppy dogs! They don’t want to hear their Dad endlessly calling CQ, they need action!
Rob had his first uBITX QSO on FT8 last week and with his helpers they have looked at the map everyday. They worked Mexico and down to Colombia shortly after. Last night they managed a first FT8 QSO across the pond to Slovenia and Hungary on the junkyard uBITX.
Rob wrote out his story not for himself, but because all this happened when the uBITX became available and it changed a “someday”activity into a “Hmm, I can do this right now” activity. It ignited a grand adventure for himself and a couple of young men.
Next up, Rob plans to use his µBITx on CW and SSB. He has already met a local HF’er via FT8, who’s going to be his testbed for SSB and he’s been practicing for his first QRS CW QSO.
Rob extends a big “Thank you” to Ashhar Farhan VU2ESE for making the little hackable “platform of discovery” and he also extends a big “Thank you” to the community of constructors on the BITX20 List for imparting the “Yeah, I can do this” motivation.