It was hot today, so Judy and I drove up to Sky Pond for a quick swim. I brought the KX3 and worked Sweden and Virginia.

The pond is pristine and in the middle of nowhere. As soon as we got there, I jumped in the water for a quick swim. Judy swam way out into the pond and I came back to shore and tossed a wire in a tree by the water. I set up the KX3 on 20 meters and tuned around. Boy… is propagation bad! But then… a station
coming out of the noise. 7S70AT.. what the heck is that? As luck would have it, he answered and we made the QSO. I pulled out my cell phone and checked the call… Sweden… a special event.

Then I went to 40 meters. Not many stations here either. But fortunately Ed KG4W in Virginia was just finishing up a QSO and we moved up 1 kHz and had a nice chat. He gave me a 579. I told him it was 84F and hot here today, and that I was swimming at the pond. He set me straight by explaining that it was 92F at his house… now, that’s hot!

After working Ed, I packed up and Judy and I drove home much refreshed. It’s amazing what a swim and a couple of QSOs will do on a hot day.

I have been a ham radio operator for most of my life, was a shortwave listener from my teens and still am, and of course was able to play in the CB craze that took place in the late 70’s and into the 80’s. High school was where I got my start at amateur radio and electronics. I am not an electronics technician, nor will I ever admit I am even close, but I am a guy who has had a blast and an addiction to ham radio, mostly QRP, CW and portable ops. Combine that with my addiction of outdoors, winter survival, canoeing, hunting and camping and those are some $eriou$ hobbie$. Oh and I cannot forget photography, heaven forbid..

In the radio hobby I like to play, test , trade , and swap gear all the time to use, if it is new I want it. Portable and low power gear and small antennas is where I like to be, but where am I going with this? I have owned, Heathkit, Swan, Kenwood, Icom, SGC, Yaesu, Hy-Gain, Tokyo, Index Labs, OHR, Alinco and more gear in the past as well as Elecraft whom I think I can throw in with the big boys as they have come the furthest out of the small guys.

Recently in the last few years I have been playing, testing, reviewing, been a beta tester, manual writer for a few of those in the Chinese market, (oh and lets not forget the European market as well, we are seeing rigs from Greece, Russia and all over). Among those is my friend Yimin who lives just outside of Toronto and is the owner of Youkits Canada. Yimin has tried his hardest to put out quality gear at a price that won’t break the bank. Some in kit form and others assembled, and still backs it up with support and returns, unlike some of the other builders out there.

On the market today we see Xiegu, Bofung, CRK Kits, BG2FX with his FX line of gear and others. I have had the Xiegu X1M, neat little rig but had many quirks. I have the X108G which has come light years ahead since it’s first days of life and still continues to get better, Xiegu also offers support, firmware upgrades and a return policy, they have gotten to be a fair size company.

What makes some of this Chinese gear look so good? Is it the fact that the price tags seem lower then the big guns on the market ? Does it stand up to quality control testing that the big guns do? Is it clean on transmit evading those spurious transmissions? These maybe some of the questions that get asked. For me it is just that I like new toys and like to play. Have I been burnt or disappointed? You can bet your bottom dollar I have, and many of my reviews and past blogs would tell you that. But I still like to play with this gear and see how it works. Dollar wise is another topic that is a hard one to stomach as most producers be it in China or other Countries sell in US$, so for me as a Canadian whose dollar is less, the exchange kills, and makes these radios no cheaper in the long run, tag on the fact that shipping from Canada is also very costly if I need to ship back to China, so how do you win?

Of all the radios that I was most disappointed wit it was the KN-920 that was built by I believe BA6BF and was sold via Aliexpress and a few other warehouse dealers. The KN-920 one weekend blew it’s finals burnt some of the PC board off. It was still under warranty but to ship back would have cost huge dollars. The builder send me 3 sets of finals to try replace with same result each and every time, the seller at Aliexpress was only concerned with the money he was going to lose if I was to get or return the item, at this point the consumer, customer or other meant $hit. I see on ebay they have a KN-850 now, I hope they learned something from it, but highly doubt it. Top that with no manuals, no instructions etc. Many of these builders do not speak English as is the case of BG2FX who builds the FX series of radios.

So why do we still buy or have a thirst for new gear? It is because we all want to play and not break the bank. Or in my case , that is it. I own a KX3 and just bought a KX2 for canoe trips, camping and more because it is self contained, small and does all bands and modes including digital , and also serves as a shortwave radio when out in the wilds.

So is all Chinese gear made the same ? I think not, some builders are using recycled products, out of tolerance products, solder that creates whiskers (both in part to lack of heat and the elements that make solder real , like tin and lead) and put together in their homes or offices and then put out into the market. Other builders like YouKits and Xiegu have put some thought into their builds and ideas and have actually looked at it from the consumer side, oh yea, there will be horror stories, but in my ham career I can tell you some about the big 4 as well in the past, mention IC-706 and see how many feathers have been ruffled and how long to get that beast right.

I need to add as a caveat that of all the portable Chinese radios that I have tried and do own, the HB1 series by Youkits is my favorite as a cw qrp rig. I own the MKII and MKIII and take those up North with me on a regular basis as they are also self contained with battery, light weight and cover the bands I use.

Just a quick intro to my YouTube Channel and look at a few of the rigs in action using the same antenna.

Have a great summer one and all, and don’t forget to practice your emergency plan, have a 72 emergency kit ready and stay safe on the road, lakes, fields or where ever you may be.

Again this is just my perspective.

Cheers

Fred Lesnick

VE3FAL

Thunder Bay, Ontario

Canada

Stories you’ll find in our July, 2016 issue:

Touring the WJZ Transmitter Site in Bound Brook, New Jersey—1925
By John F. Schneider W9FGH

This month, John takes us on a tour of WJZ, NBC’s Blue Network station in New York, which debuted on October 1, 1921. Founded by Westinghouse Electric, the station was originally located in a shack, accessible only by ladder, on the roof of a Westinghouse factory located at Orange and Plane Streets in Newark, New Jersey. This was Westinghouse’s radio station – preceded by KDKA in Pittsburgh and WBZ in Springfield, Massachusetts. The 500-watt WJZ transmitter was an exact duplicate of the one built for KDKA.

TSM Reviews: Yaesu FTM-3200DR Digital/Analog 2m Transceiver
By Cory GB Sickles WA3UVV

In mid-March, Yaesu surprised just about everyone with the announcement of a new transceiver, capable of analog FM and System Fusion operation. The FTM-320 (DR/DE) is a 2-meters only, 65-watt radio, with front-facing speaker and a simple black-on-amber, dimmable display. Its small dimensions mean it can fit just about anywhere. With a current street price of $180, he believes many hams are destined to be looking for just such a spot.

How to Become an EMI Detective
By Mark Haverstock W8MSH

In a world full of electronic technology, it’s inevitable that there will be an increase in electromagnetic interference (EMI), especially on HF bands. Computers and their peripherals are the biggest offenders, causing a host of problems for those of us in the radio hobbies. Not far behind are the infamous AC power supplies known wall-warts and power bricks. And don’t forget the plasma televisions! Mark shows how to diagnose your EMI problems and how to fix them.

Tube Tester Basics: Understanding and Restoring Emission Testers
By Rich Post KB8TAD

It’s useful to have at least one tube tester around for basic checking, especially for tubes for which you have no spares or as a relative measure of quality. But, all tube testers make compromises in testing. The most basic tester and the one most commonly seen is for emission which measures the cathode current relative to its target average. The typical emission tester also includes a test for shorts and leakage between the elements of a vacuum tube. Leakage and shorts are always tested first since an emissions circuit and meter can be damaged by a shorted tube.

Free-To-Air Satellite Update Mid-Year 2016
By Mike Kohl

Change is a constant in the field of Free-to-Air (FTA) satellite-TV. While some channels continue as they have for nearly two decades, others, particularly the last of the DigicipherII subscription channels may be on life-support. FTA satellite-TV expert, Mike Kohl, reviews all of the C and Ku-band satellites viewable to North American locations and explains what you might expect to find on those channels.

Scanning America
By Dan Veenaman
APCO P-25 Explained; Scanning Creek County, Oklahoma

Federal Wavelengths
By Chris Parris
DMR Scanning Finally Here!

Utility Planet
By Hugh Stegman NV6H
HF Fax: Radio with Pictures

Digital HF: Intercept and Analyze
By Mike Chace-Ortiz AB1TZ/G6DHU
Update on NATO STANAG4285 2400 baud HF Modem Activity

HF Utility Logs
By Mike Chace-Ortiz and Hugh Stegman

Digitally Speaking
By Cory Sickles WA3UVV
Digital Dayton

VHF and Above
By Joe Lynch N6CL
ARRL June VHF Contest

Amateur Radio Insights
By Kirk Kleinschmidt NT0Z
Old Trees, Old Towers, and Living to a Ripe Old Age

Radio 101
By Ken Reitz KS4ZR
FM Mayhem Part 2: A Little Help from a 16-Element Quad-Stacked Array

Radio Propagation
By Tomas Hood NW7US
The Solar Wind

The World of Shortwave Listening
By Keith Perron
Inside the Voice of Korea

The Shortwave Listener
By Fred Waterer
Greek, Country, Gospel Music and More

Maritime Monitoring
By Ron Walsh VE3GO
Change is Inevitable

The Longwave Zone
By Kevin O’Hern Carey WB2QMY
472-479 kHz (& Vicinity) Update

Adventures in Radio Restoration
By Rich Post KB8TAD
Finishing the Hammarlund HQ-129X Part 3: Those Modifications

Antenna Connections
By Dan Farber AC0LW
Antenna 101: Let’s Review the Basics

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